100 Years Ago: 1 August 1924

by John Ward

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Day 3

Leyton: Essex v Lancashire

Dick Tyldesley Sinks Essex

ESSEX 135 and 196 (C A G Russell 26, J R Freeman 29, F W H Nicholas 20, J O’Connor 44, H W F Franklin 30; C H Parkin 3/54, R K Tyldesley 6/117). LANCASHIRE 256/8 dec (J L Hopwood 18, A Rhodes 28*; L C Eastman 4/42) and 76/1 (C Hallows 40*, G E Tyldesley 30*). Lancashire won by nine wickets. Overnight score: Lancashire (1) 215/4 (Hopwood 15*).

Lancashire needed to make runs quickly this morning to earn a good lead and put Essex in again, so the batsmen hit out freely, but lost wickets without great success.  Albert Rhodes was the most successful of them, and the innings was declared closed after 45 minutes, with a lead of 121 runs.  The pitch was now taking spin quite quickly, so Lancashire probably did not expect Essex to be able to put up much of a fight.

Jack Russell and John Freeman did not put up the shutters, though, but decided correctly that their only chance of success was a positive game, as they again made a fifty opening partnership (57 to be exact) for Essex.  Freeman in particular played with more freedom than usual.  But wickets fell fairly steadily after that, with Dick Tyldesley working his way very skilfully through the middle and later batting, taking six wickets, and eleven for 193 in the match, inviting the batsmen to hit him with success, although there was some poor catching.  Lancashire had to score 76 to win and lost Harry Makepeace to Johnny Douglas without scoring, but then Charlie Hallows and Ernest Tyldesley took them through to victory without any more trouble and with an hour to spare.

The Oval: Surrey v Hampshire

Good Batting Practice

SURREY 237/9 dec and 349/5 (J B Hobbs 90, A Sandham 84, H A Peach 20, T F Shepherd 36*, P G H Fender 64; J A Newman 4/101). HAMPSHIRE 355/9 dec (C P Mead 140, J A Newman 54; H A Peach 2/51, S Fenley 2/7, P G H Fender 2/82, T F Shepherd 2/36). Match drawn (Hampshire 3 pts, Surrey 1 pt). Overnight score was: Hampshire 175/7 (Mead 99*, Newman 25*)

Philip Mead began the day on 99 not out, and played out two maiden overs before he finally scored the runs he needed to complete his first century of the season.  After that he showed his best and most fluent form, well supported by Jack Newman, as he took his score up to 140; their eighth-wicket partnership added 116 runs.  Newman reached his fifty, and Lionel Tennyson copied Percy Fender by declaring his innings closed with nine wickets down, Hampshire leading by 118 runs.

Any result for this match now depended on a Hampshire breakthrough with the ball and a Surrey batting collapse, but although the pitch was still taking spin, this did not happen and Surrey actually turned in an excellent batting performance.  This was started off by Jack Hobbs, who played in his most brilliant style, he and Andy Sandham scoring 47 in 20 minutes before lunch.  He batted for less than 1¾ hours before being bowled by a superb breakback from Newman when he seemed certain to reach his century.  Sandham, who shared a first-wicket partnership of 155 with him, came close to a century himself, although often not timing the ball well, while Fender kept the crowd entertained until the finish with 64 in 50 minutes.

Hove: Sussex v South Africans

Farcical Draw

SOUTH AFRICANS 337 and 217/4 dec (T A Ward 43, M J Susskind 88, A W Nourse 44*; R R Relf 3/43). SUSSEX 334 and 96/6 (R A Young 35*; H W Taylor 2/34, P A M Hands 3/9). Match drawn. Overnight score was: South Africans (2) 42/1 (Ward 17*, Hands 1*).

There was little hope of an outright result in this match, with play arranged to end two hours early today to enable to South Africans to catch the train for their match at Cardiff tomorrow.  The tourists batted well, especially Manfred Susskind in his highest innings of the tour, and they made a token declaration 220 runs ahead, leaving Sussex to bat for the final hour and a quarter of play.  Farcical scenes followed, as Herby Taylor rested his regular bowlers, put on part-timers such as himself, and the Sussex batsmen went crazy, hitting out recklessly and throwing their wickets away.  Only Dick Young applied himself and played properly.

Huddersfield: Yorkshire v Derbyshire

Yorkshire Robbed by Rain and Bowden

YORKSHIRE 300/7 dec. DERBYSHIRE 111 and (following on) 78/8 (J Bowden 29*, J S Heath 10*; E Robinson 2/18, G G Macaulay 4/34). Match drawn (Yorkshire 3 pts, Derbyshire 1 pt). Overnight score was: Derbyshire (2) 48/6 (Bowden 16*, Elliott 0*).

Yorkshire were robbed of virtually certain victory by the rain and the stubbornness of Joseph Bowden.  There was heavy overnight rain and showers on and off for much of the day, so that it seemed unlikely that any play would be possible.  But around four o’clock the weather started to improve, and just before six o’clock the umpires declared conditions fit for play.  When the pitch had been rolled and all other preparations made, play began at 6.15, which meant that with Yorkshire claiming the extra half-hour they had 45 minutes to get the last four Derbyshire wickets.  The pitch was soft and slow, giving no help to the bowlers, and the batsmen fought entirely for survival.  Yorkshire could take only two wickets, both to George Macaulay, and the Derbyshire opening batsman Bowden was immovable.  Roy Kilner and Wilfred Rhodes bowled opposite Macaulay, but were unable to break through, with John Heath, formerly of the Europeans (India) and Staffordshire, on his Derbyshire début, helping Bowden play out the last 25 minutes.  Bowden’s fighting innings lasted about 2¼ hours.  Derbyshire obtained a rare point for themselves, while Yorkshire had to be content with three and a drop in percentage.

County championship positions: Middlesex 77.14 per cent, Yorkshire 72.50, Lancashire 68.00, Surrey 64.28, Kent 57.77, Nottinghamshire 57.14, Warwickshire 52.30, Somerset 52.22.

TOMORROW’S MATCHES (first-class)

Tourist Match:

Cardiff: Glamorgan v South Africans

County Championship Matches:

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Somerset

Canterbury: Kent v Hampshire

Manchester: Lancashire v Yorkshire

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Leicestershire

The Oval: Surrey v Nottinghamshire

Hove: Sussex v Middlesex

Birmingham: Warwickshire v Derbyshire

Worcester: Worcestershire v Essex

August Bank Holiday weekend — a great programme in store, with Big Six clashes in the Roses match and for Surrey against Nottinghamshire.  Weather permitting, the Roses match will as always be a very tough fight, while Middlesex at the top of the table will expect to beat Sussex if the weather permits, after the latter’s recent struggles, but will take nothing for granted.  But with the weather forecast as it is, maybe we are wasting our time in trying to predict anything . . .

WEATHER FORECAST: Jupiter Pluvius has been saving some of his assaults for this Bank Holiday weekend and there is likely to be considerable disruption.

John Ward is an ACS member and a long-serving Zimbabwean cricket statistician. If you would like to contribute to this newsletter, please either respond to the email in which you received it, or leave a comment below.