Minor Counties Championship 1914

J Maxwell – Glamorgan 1909-14 (born 13 January 1883; died 27 December 1967) James (Jimmy) Maxwell was a hard-hitting middle-order batsman and change bowler who joined Glamorgan after a brief first-class career with Somerset. He played 52 Minor County championship matches for the Welsh county, claiming 165 wickets at an average of 13.73 and scoring 1,590 runs at 26.06 with three centuries. Born and educated in Taunton, the son a local draper, he made his debut for his native county against Warwickshire in May 1906 playing initially as a tail-end batsman and hostile fast bowler. Despite some promising bowling spells, Jimmy was not offered professional terms and accepted a short-term professional position with New Brighton. His success with bat and ball in the Lancashire Leagues led to a lucrative offer from Swansea CC and he moved to South Wales. Jimmy’s success with the St. Helen’s Club prompted a brief recall by Somerset in 1908 but he failed to secure a contract with the county for the following season. He returned to Swansea and opened a sports outfitters in the town. Jimmy made his Glamorgan debut in June 1909, taking 4-28 against Monmouthshire at Newport and during an impressive season, he also returned the remarkable figures of 6-6 from 5.5 overs in the game against Devon at the Arms Park, as well as 7-43 against Wiltshire at the same ground. These performances duly won him a place in the South Wales attack for the game against the 1909 Australians. By this time, Jimmy had also developed into a capable batsman and in 1910 he made 90 against Carmarthenshire at St. Helen’s, as well as 108 against Surrey 2nd XI at Neath. 1911 saw Jimmy continue to enjoy much success with the ball with a haul of 6-29 against Monmouthshire at Swansea as well as match hauls of 13-64 against Carmarthenshire at St. Helen’s and 13-139 against Buckinghamshire at Neath. However, Jimmy’s greatest all-round performance came in the nine-wicket victory against Kent 2nd XI at Bromley in 1913 where he made an unbeaten 113 and returned match figures of 10-94 as Glamorgan recorded a comprehensive nine-wicket victory. Local reporters described his innings as “containing a range of carefree and well-struck drives to all parts of the ground.” The crispness of his hitting, especially off the front foot was a feature of his fine innings. His bowling feats were referred to as “probing and penetrative, with his sharp movement off the pitch being too good for the homesters.” Whilst he continued to enjoy success with the bat and ball in 1914, it proved to be a difficult season off the field. Despite taking 6-72 against Monmouthshire and scoring 102 in the game with Essex 2nd XI, it was a summer to forget as his sports outfitters met hard times and he had to close the business. As a result, he returned to Somerset shortly after the declaration of war, before enlisting with the Royal Garrison Artillery. The burly all-rounder had previously been a member of the West Somerset Yeomanry, so after a brief refresher course he served at a number of positions with the Mountain Battery, including postings in Cyprus, Salonika, Egypt, and Palestine. However, during the latter he was wounded in the arm and leg and was forced to return home. His wounds duly recovered but after being discharged in March 1920, Jimmy was unable to resume his cricketing career. However, he returned to Swansea and restarted his drapery business. He met with more success but his premises were destroyed by German bombing in 1943 forcing a return to Taunton where he took over his father’s business. H Mitchell – Wiltshire 1909-1914 (born 19 September 1885; died 7 February 1961) A Yorkshireman by birth, Harry Mitchell was a slow left-arm bowler who played in 44 Championship matches, taking 290 wickets at an average of 14.85. He first represented Wiltshire in a friendly against the MCC in 1906 but was unsuccessful and not selected for a Championship game until 1909. He then had a sensational debut season, taking 85 wickets at 11.35 - only Harry White of Hertfordshire, with 88 victims, took more. His partnership with Arthur Newman, who captured 56 wickets at a miserly 8.89, was the most significant factor in Wiltshire becoming Champion County. Including the semi-final and final of the Championship, the team won nine matches and drew the tenth. In his very first match Mitchell took 8-30 (which remained his career-best) and 5-53 against Surrey 2nd XI and went on to record three 17