100 Years Ago: 22 September 1924

Surrey’s resilient run

1924 County Review

SURREY — 3rd place

Considering a few handicaps, Surrey did well to finish third in the county championship and to lose only one championship match — although with weakened teams they lost matches at the Oval to both Universities.  As usual their batting and fielding were very good, but the bowling was as usual not good enough to win championships, and they lacked a consistent match-winning bowler.  Percy Fender, although still a brilliant captain and fielder, was out of form with both bat and ball, and was no longer a match-winner in himself.  Bill Sadler, Alan Peach and the newcomer Stanley Fenley had some fine days with the ball, though, but it was sad to see Bill Hitch relegated to twelfth man so often as it was felt the pitches would not suit his fast bowling.  He did turn in occasional spells of real pace, but he is clearly nearing the end of his career.  But Sadler and Fenley, with his deceptive flight, both seem to be bowlers with a future.

The players of the season were undoubtedly the opening pair of Jack Hobbs and Andy Sandham, who were the top two in the final batting averages, and not just through playing at the Oval either.  Both averaged over 60, and Sandham just pipped Hobbs for top place.  This was a particularly fine performance as he could not play before June due to pneumonia.  Tom Shepherd and Douglas Jardine were strong forces in the middle order, but the injured Andy Ducat was missed at No 3.  Alfred Jeacocke, who replaced him for a while, did not flourish on the soft pitches, and he was later replaced by Alan Peach, something of a pinch-hitter, and in August by Donald Knight, who never found form.  Bert Strudwick and Hobbs led the excellent Surrey fielding, with Sandham, Peach and Jardine also outstanding.

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.