Minor Counties Championship 1914

figures of 6 for 38. He left Surrey in June 1914 to be professional for Colne in the Lancashire League. He died at Chase Side, Enfield, Middlesex in 1958. J Thackeray – Durham 1905-1914 (born 23 November 1881; died 5 November 1968) Jimmy Thackeray played in 67 Championship matches for Durham as a left-arm, fast-medium bowler. Although he was never a prolific taker of wickets he regularly chipped in, was economical, and played a valuable role in his county’s attack; in all he took 170 wickets at an average of 17.41. His most successful season was in 1910, when he took 37 wickets at an average of 13.59. He did, however, take ten or more wickets in a match on no fewer than three occasions. Thackeray made a sensational debut taking 11-129 against Northumberland and went on to have figures of 10-76 against Lancashire 2nd XI in 1908, and then 10-92, again against Northumberland, in 1910. The last match saw him take a career-best 8-40 in the first innings; in total he took five or more wickets in an innings on ten occasions. Thackeray was no batsman, it not being known whether he was right- or left-handed, and he scored just 668 runs at an average of 9.29. He only passed 30 on one occasion, scoring 50 against Cheshire in 1909 before being run out, but those were ‘cheap’ runs; he went in with Durham’s score at 310-8 after their opponents had been bowled out for just 87. He took 50 catches. Thackeray represented the county against the South Africans in 1907 and the Indians in 1911, not without success; he made his second-highest score of 38 in his second innings against the South Africans and took 3-50 in the Indians’ first innings. During his time with the county he played as a professional for South Shields, Chester-le-Street, and Middlesbrough. Thackeray was also a well-known professional footballer, turning out for Middlesbrough (in Division One) and Bradford Park Avenue. R W Thurgar – Norfolk 1909-1914 (born 28 September 1890; died 19 April 1917) Ralph Thurgar played 48 Championship matches for Norfolk, having made his debut in friendly fixtures in 1907. He was an obdurate batsman who scored 1,101 runs at an average of 15.50; his only century being an innings of 155 scored when opening the batting against Cambridgeshire in August 1913. Thurgar quickly established himself as Norfolk’s regular wicket-keeper and played in all 40 Norfolk Championship matches during the seasons 1910-1913, eventually finishing with 64 catches and 31 stumpings. His best season was 1911, when he caught 14 batsmen and stumped 12. He also played soccer for Norfolk County on 26 occasions. In the Great War Thurgar served with the 1st/4th Battalion, Norfolks, reaching the rank of Captain and being awarded the Military Cross. He was killed at Gaza on 19 August 1917, as was Sydney Page who coincidently had also kept wicket for Norfolk (see Annual for 1909). G H Watts – Cambridgeshire 1896-1914 (born 18 February 1867; died 22 April 1949) George Herbert Watts played 140 Championship matches for Cambridgeshire scoring 5,068 runs, including 6 centuries, at an average of 21.84. His highest score was 142 against Hertfordshire at Cambridge in 1899. In the second Hertfordshire innings of that match he took 5 wickets for 74 runs, for in the earlier years of his career he did on occasions take off his pads and bowl. As the wicket-keeper he assisted in 184 dismissals, 135 caught and 49 stumped. He played 8 matches for Surrey in 1890 to 1892. His father was the groundsman at Fenner’s and Wisden states that George was born in the pavilion. After he ceased playing, he acted as the University umpire. In 1899 he scored 212 for Cambridgeshire against MCC at Cambridge. His club cricket was for Rodney, where he was a professional, and Camden. He died at Cambridge aged 82 years. 22