Minor Counties Championship 1913

Wayneflete School he went to Winchester College for whom he played at Lord’s in 1896 against Eton, being bowled for 0. The same year he went to New College Oxford. He joined the Imperial Yeomanry and saw service in the South African War later becoming a Captain and a JP for Wiltshire in 1905. He subsequently became a partner in W H Smith and Son where his father was acting senior partner. On the outbreak of World War One he was an acting Colonel in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and was subsequently appointed to command the 6th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment. On 25th March 1918 he was reported missing presumed killed after a battle at Bapaume. He received a posthumous DSO. H G Blacklidge – Surrey 2nd XI 1906-1913 (born 14 July 1884; died 23 May 1917) Henry George Blacklidge played 49 matches for Surrey 2nd XI taking 151 wickets at an average of 16.49 with best figures of 7-47 against Glamorgan at The Oval in 1913. He was born in Stoughton near Guildford on 14 July 1884, in Surrey. The 1901 census places Henry working as a “gardener domestic” at Winterfold Gardens in Cranleigh. He played for Surrey from 1906 and his first appearance in the 1st XI was at The Oval in July 1908. His debut in the county championship was later that summer, against Essex. A left handed batsman and left-arm fast-medium bowler, he played seven first-class matches taking 10 wickets at an average of 33.40. He enlisted in the army during the First World War, serving with the Hampshire Regiment. At the time of his death he was a Lance Corporal. He died of dysentery in Amara, Mesopotamia, Egypt on 23rd May 1917 at the age of 33. Blacklidge is buried and commemorated at the Amara War Cemetery. P Briggs – Staffordshire 1895-1913 (born 2 April 1874; died 1 September 1917) Percival Briggs, a right hand opening batsman was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire in 1874 into a family of nine. His younger brother Oscar also represented the County Club and played in the very first Championship match. Percival also played for Staffordshire in the inaugural Championship season in 1895 and then regularly until his retirement at the end of 1913 season. He lived for all his life in the Basford Park area of Stoke where he worked as a Colliery agent and played club cricket for the nearby club of Newcastle. In 81 Championship matches and 119 innings he scored 2763 runs at an average of 24.67 with just one century, 101 against Cheshire in 1909 at Crewe, and 19 fifties. With his very occasional bowling, he took 8 Championship wickets and half of those in a career best of 4 for 21 against Oxfordshire at Hertford College, Oxford in 1903. He played in three Championship winning seasons for Staffordshire and occasionally captained the side when the elected captain was unavailable. In total he captained the side 18 times winning 11 of them. He became the Honorary Secretary of the County club whilst still playing in 1912, but during the 1913 season he became unwell during a match against Norfolk which incapacitated him so much he couldn't bat in the first innings. Further spells of illness meant he played no more for the County after the end of the 1913 season. He continued as the secretary until his untimely death on the 1st September 1917 at home in Basford Park, Stoke-on-Trent, aged 43. R G Cruwys – Devon 1903-1913 (born 10 March 1884; died 25 August 1951) Robert Geoffrey Cruwys played for Devon in 61 Championship matches between 1903 and 1913 scoring 2290 runs at an average of 23.60 with 4 centuries. His highest score of 136 was against Monmouthshire at Newport in 1906. Cruwys was born at the family home Cruwys Morchard near Tiverton in Devon which had been in the family since the early twelfth century. He attended Blundells School and subsequently Exeter College, Oxford. He played in the Oxford Freshman’s match in 1904 but only appeared in one first-class match in 1907 against Worcestershire scoring 10 and 19. He had already made his debut for Devon in 1901 whilst at Blundells after a number of good scores for the school. He was ordained as a Deacon in 1914 11