Minor Counties Championship 1914

W N Bickford-Smith – Cornwall 1904-1914 (born 24 December 1881; died 16 February 1939) William Noel Bickford-Smith played 70 matches for Cornwall scoring 2,597 runs at an average of 21.28 with 2 centuries and 8 fifties. His highest score was 139 against Berkshire at Camborne in 1912. His father had purchased the Trevarno Estate, at Helston, Cornwall in 1874 and it was here that William was born in 1881. In later life he was to manage the estate. Educated at The Leys School in Cambridge, he went up to Caius College at the University in 1900. Although he did not represent the University at cricket, he became a regular in the Cornwall side and played his club cricket for Helston. During the First World War he served as a Captain in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. William died at Trevarno on 16 February 1939. His brothers John and Leonard also played for Cornwall. J J Broughton – Lincolnshire 1907-14 (born 8 September 1873; died 3 April 1952) John Jarvis Broughton played 57 Championship matches for Lincolnshire scoring 1,492 runs at an average of 14.77 and took 237 wickets at a cost of 13.94 runs each. He was a right-hand batsman and a right-arm medium paced bowler. In the Northumberland first innings at Jesmond in 1914 he took 9 wickets for 80 runs; the tenth batsman was run out. He played 6 matches for Lancashire in 1901 and 1902, on his debut against Essex at Leyton in 1901 he was dismissed for 99. He had been a professional with the Wigan club and also played for Lincoln Lindum. He was born in Grantham and died at Orrell, Billinge, Lancashire. A Bucknell – Staffordshire 1906-1914 (born 31 January 1877; died 28 October 1922) Arthur Bucknell, born in Bedminster, Somerset, was a right-handed lower-order batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler. He came from a cricketing family as his brother John ‘Jack’ played for Somerset County Cricket Club, and his other brother William was a prominent member of Bloxwich Cricket Club in Staffordshire. Arthur was a professional club player for a number of Staffordshire Club sides, mainly Smethwick, and also one of Staffordshire’s professional players in his time for the County from 1906 to 1914. In his nine seasons with Staffordshire, he played 60 Minor County Championship matches and took 165 wickets at an average of 12.30. He took 5 wickets in an innings 12 times and 10 in a match 3 times, his best figures being 11-46 against Hertfordshire in 1908 at Stoke. His best season came in 1909 when he took 40 wickets at just 6 runs each, with his best bowling of 6-2 coming against Cheshire at Crewe. Arthur died on the 28th October 1922 in Walsall, Staffordshire. W E Coleman – Hertfordshire 1896-1914 (born 5 December 1878; died 27 January 1980) William Ezra (Bill) Coleman was born in The Boot Public House in Kimpton, a small village six miles south of Hitchin and four miles east of Harpenden. In 1901 the population of Kimpton was 944 and their cricket team contained Bill, one of the most successful cricketers to have played for Hertfordshire. He first played for Kimpton at the age of 14 being taken out of school to play. He scored 10 runs in his first innings against Hitchin and a County player on that day congratulated him on his performance. He played his first game for Hertfordshire against Norfolk aged 17. He was top scorer in Hertfordshire’s first innings despite being selected as an opening bowler. He was a good fast bowler and a hard hitting batsman. He represented the Minor Counties in 1906 at Ealing against the West Indies scoring 62 and 17 and taking five wickets for 79 in the match. His record for Hertfordshire was exceptional. On 51 occasions he took five or more wickets in an innings – twice taking eight wickets in an innings, nine times taking seven wickets and 25 times taking six wickets. On nine occasions he took five or more wickets twice in a match with match figures of 13 for 38 against 13