100 Years Ago: 25 August 1924
by John Ward
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Day 2
The Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire
Yorkshire Crash
SURREY 209 and 156/6 (J B Hobbs 28, A Sandham 60, D J Knight 18, D R Jardine 18, A Jeacocke 9*; R Kilner 3 wkts, W Rhodes 2 wkts). YORKSHIRE 100 (R Kilner 17, G G Macaulay 34*, G Wilson 21; W C H Sadler 5/29, S Fenley 2/31, P G H Fender 3/7). Overnight score was: Yorkshire (1) 16/3 (Oldroyd 1*, Rhodes 2*).
Throughout the day the weather was dull and the pitch was difficult for batting, but Surrey handled it better than Yorkshire, who began the day by losing two more wickets (Oldroyd and John Stephenson) with the score still on 16. The follow-on target was 60, which seemed far distant. Roy Kilner attacked the bowling for 17 in just eight minutes, and seven wickets were down for 40 before George Macaulay and Geoffrey Wilson fought back with a partnership of 34 and saw off Sadler. The last pair just managed to take the score to three figures before Percy Fender finished off the innings, 109 runs behind. Macaulay’s effort in the circumstances was magnificent, 34 not out in just over an hour and a half. But overall it was a poor display by the Yorkshire batsmen.
Surrey again had to fight for runs, although the pitch was now easier after its rolling, and Jack Hobbs took 70 minutes to score 28 before he jumped out rather rashly to drive Kilner and was stumped. The following batsmen all ground out some useful runs, but once again Yorkshire’s great obstacle was Andy Sandham, who just accumulated runs steadily, taking no risks and enduring hits on the body, especially from Macaulay. He and Tom Shepherd scored so slowly at one stage that some of the crowd began barracking them. Yorkshire could not shift him until the last ball of the day, when somehow he seemed to lose concentration and got himself stumped after batting for about 3½ hours. But by then Surrey were 267 runs ahead with four wickets still in hand, an almost certain winning position on this pitch given dry weather tomorrow. The Yorkshire fielding was again superb.
Leyton: Essex v Northamptonshire
Good Batting Day for Northants
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 314/6 (C N Woolley 59, W H Denton 80, V W C Jupp 29, R A Haywood 63, W Wells 27*, B W Bellamy 11*; J W H T Douglas 3 wkts, H W F Franklin 2 wkts). ESSEX to bat. Overnight score: No play on Saturday.
It is rare for Northamptonshire to have a good day, especially when batting, but today their first four batsmen all did a fine job on a slow, easy-paced pitch after a delayed start. Their opening pair of Claud Woolley and Billy Denton put on 104 together in 1¾ hours, with Woolley dominating as the dour Denton played himself in with great care, scoring 7 runs in his first 50 minutes, but then found his touch and scored a stylishly 80 in about three hours, most of his runs coming from cuts, although he hit only 2 fours. Vallance Jupp briefly speeded up the scoring rate, and then Bob Hayward rolled back the years to play a fine attacking innings of 63 in only 50 minutes. The bowling by now looked totally incompetent, but after tea Johnny Douglas returned with the second new ball and took three wickets as the score went from 228 for two to 267 for six. However, Bumper Wells and Ben Bellamy then made a stand together and took the score past 300, rare territory for Northamptonshire.
Bristol (Greenbank): Gloucestershire v Middlesex
Great Hammond Puts Middlesex Backs to the Wall
GLOUCESTERSHIRE 31 and 294/9 dec (W R Hammond 174*, B H Lyon 42, D C Robinson 24; N E Haig 3/94, J W Hearne 3/75). MIDDLESEX 74 and 46/1 (H W Lee 3*, H L Dales 42). Overnight score was: Middlesex (1) 74 all out.
A brilliant innings by Wally Hammond in very difficult batting conditions may well have turned this match on its head. Gloucestershire, batting again 43 runs behind Middlesex, lost both their openers for 12 runs. At this point Bev Lyon joined Wally Hammond, batting at No 3, and steadily the balance of the match began to change. Both batsmen attacked the bowling judiciously, putting on 87 together — more than either team made in its first innings — in an hour before Lyon was caught in the deep. There was a temporary relapse as the next three wickets fell cheaply and Gloucestershire were 131 for six at lunch. Then Captain Douglas Robinson played a sturdy defensive innings while Hammond continued to attack, reaching his century in just under two hours. By now Middlesex were setting very defensive fields to Hammond, or he would have scored even faster. The pair put on 71 together, and then Charlie Parker played his part in a ninth-wicket partnership of 59 while Hammond continued to make batting look easy. Robinson rather surprisingly declared with nine wickets down, setting Middlesex 252 to win, but no doubt hoping to seize early wickets in the remaining 55 minutes of the day in the knowledge that the pitch would probably play more easily tomorrow.
Hammond’s great innings was the highest of his career and took him less than four hours, with a six and 21 fours. He mastered the bowling completely, giving just one sharp chance at 137, playing fine attacking shots on both sides of the wicket. This innings will not surprise anyone who knows his tremendous talent; the only surprise is that a truly great innings has taken so long in coming. However, the match is not won yet. Horace Dales played some fine strokes and scored 42 before he was out in the last over of the day, the only wicket to fall — as a left-hander, he can play Parker more confidently than most — while Harry Lee defended grimly for 3 not out. How the match goes tomorrow may well depend on just how the pitch plays and what the weather does, as Middlesex have a strong batting side with Patsy Hendren and Jack Hearne in particular — although if Hearne does have a weakness, it is against good spin bowling in helpful conditions. Tomorrow’s cricket may be fascinating, and the result may prove decisive in the County Championship.
Canterbury: Kent v South Africans
Pace and Spin Sink South Africans
KENT 418/6 dec (C H Knott 63, G C Collins 25*; J M Blanckenberg 3/82). SOUTH AFRICANS 135 (H W Taylor 29, H G Deane 43; G C Collins 3/22, A C Wright 5/39) and (following on) 194 H G Deane 42, E P Nupen 32, J M Blanckenberg 51*, S J Pegler 27; G C Collins 2/36, A P Freeman 6/68, F E Woolley 2/7). Kent won by an innings and 89 runs. Overnight score was: Kent 385/5 (Knott 43*, Collins 15*).
The South Africans collapsed twice in a single day against the Kent bowling today to lose the match by an innings. Kent continued their innings this morning, going for quick runs until John Knott was out, and then they declared. The South Africans on the whole scored their runs at a good pace, but against good bowling they appeared to lack the concentration and will power to put up a prolonged fight. Herby Taylor threatened to save the team, but it was Nummy Deane who passed 40 in each innings. The pace of Charlie Wright undid them in the first innings, while in the second it was mainly the leg-spin of Tich Freeman. Their best partnership of the day was in their second innings, when Jimmy Blanckenberg and Sid Pegler, who had also been the best bowlers, hit out to put on 67 for the ninth wicket. They looked like lasting out the day, but just before the close Frank Woolley came on for his first bowl of the match and took a wicket in both his overs to end the match.
Manchester: Lancashire v Hampshire
Good Start, Early Finish
LANCASHIRE 79/0 (J W H Makepeace 36*, A W Pewtress 40*). HAMPSHIRE to bat.
Lancashire made a good start at Old Trafford yesterday, with Harry Makepeace and Alfred Pewtress putting on 79 for the first wicket in 80 minutes — and that is all the cricket they were allowed to get by Jupiter Pluvius. The pitch was saturated and conditions most unpleasant for the players on both sides, not to mention the few masochistic spectators. The field was so sodden that batsmen, bowlers and fielders alike struggled to find footholds, and it was bitterly cold. Play started just before lunch, was interrupted by another shower, and finally rained off altogether soon after three o’clock. In the circumstances both batsmen did very well, with Makepeace showing more aggression than usual.
Leicester: Leicestershire v Sussex
Bowley and Tate Build Sussex Lead
LEICESTERSHIRE 113 (E W Dawson 31, G H S Fowke 34; A E R Gilligan 3/40,M W Tate 3/32, N J Holloway 3/17). SUSSEX 231/7 (E H Bowley 74, M W Tate 53, T E R Cook 23, G S Grimston 34*, A C Watson 22*; A W Shipman 5 wkts). Overnight score was: Leicestershire (1) 57/3 (Dawson 29*, Fowke 11*).
No doubt buoyed by Arthur Gilligan’s return to bowling form, Sussex played with more confidence than they had done for weeks, and took a good lead in this match. When Leicestershire continued their first innings this morning on a pitch affected by rain, they soon lost Eddie Dawson, brilliantly caught at slip by Ted Bowley. Gus Fowke held on grimly, but had only dogged defensive support and few runs from the remaining batsmen. The score was 90 with eight men out and John King injured, but Fowke with help from Alex Skelding (3) put on 23 for the last wicket. Fowke eventually batted 2¼ hours for his 34, with only one boundary.
Sussex in contrast went for runs in their old free style, although only Bowley and Maurice Tate of the top order made runs. Tate slammed 53 in three-quarters of an hour, while Bowley played a typically steady innings for 2¾ hours; they added 77 for the third wicket in difficult conditions. Tommy Cook then stayed with Bowley while Sussex took the lead, and by the close they had more than doubled the Leicestershire score and are 118 ahead. Bowley played a most vital innings, although he was dropped twice. Tomorrow they will be hoping to break their string of defeats with a victory — weather permitting!
Nottingham: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire
Whysall Takes Notts Ahead
WARWICKSHIRE 130. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 323/5 dec (G Gunn 79, W W Whysall 137, B Lilley 23, W R D Payton 35, S J Staples 28*; G A Jennings 2/38). Overnight score was: Warwickshire (1) 130 all out.
Nottinghamshire made a good positive response to Warwickshire’s total of 130, and their opening pair of George Gunn and Dodger Whysall passed the Warwickshire score by themselves and made a partnership of 218 in just over three hours. Whysall, perhaps inspired by his selection for Australia, was much the more enterprising and lasted only a few minutes longer than Gunn to score 58 more runs. It was his sixth century of the season and he reached it in just over two hours. The pitch was soft and slow, so the pace of Harry Howell was quite neutralized. Gunn was missed at 17 and Whysall at 94, neither chance being easy. Nottinghamshire continued to push ahead with the runs and Arthur Carr, perhaps not trusting the weather, declared at the tea interval with a lead of 193 to put Warwickshire in a second time. Unfortunately Jupiter Pluvius got there first and Warwickshire did not even get to the crease.
Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire (Ernest Robson’s Benefit)
Foster Saves Worcestershire
WORCESTERSHIRE 205 (F A Pearson 23, M K Foster 111, W H N Shakespeare 26; R C Robertson-Glasgow 2/37, G E Hunt 5/51, J C White 3/54). SOMERSET 74/0 (J C W MacBryan 35*, A Young 24*). Overnight: No play yesterday.
The weather was dry today, although very dull. Raymond Robertson-Glasgow soon caused problems for the weak Worcestershire batting, and four wickets were down for 41 on a slow and easy pitch. Dick Pearson was looking good, but he was taken completely by surprise by a no doubt accidental high full toss from Jack White’s first delivery, which bowled him. Then, as so often, it was a different ball game when Maurice Foster came to the crease. He began slowly, with ten singles only in 40 minutes, but then opened up and found a capable partner in William Shakespeare, and the pair put on 84 for the sixth wicket. When Shakespeare got out, it was a one-man show again, and it made a mockery of Foster’s coming in at No 6 in such a fragile batting side. His 111, made in about 1¾ hours, was more than half his team’s total.
His innings was the only real opposition Somerset had during the day, as when they went in their openers, Jack MacBryan and Archie Young, put on 74 together in an hour before the close after a rather shaky start against Fred Root, putting Somerset in a potentially advantageous position for play tomorrow, when Somerset will be hoping to complete a victory after yesterday’s washout.
Swansea: Wales v Scotland
Riches Brilliant Innings Before Declaration
WALES 307/6 dec (W E Bates 110, N V H Riches 67*, J C Clay 28, H Spencer 18*; C Groves 2/50, W W Anderson 4/83). SCOTLAND 34/0 (J Kerr 13*, C Groves 20*). Overnight score was: Wales (1) 157/1 (Bates 100*, Mallalieu 2*).
Again Jupiter Pluvius invaded the St Helen’s Ground and only just over two hours’ play was possible today also. There were 40 minutes in the morning, when both the overnight batsmen were out, and then no further play until after tea. When they did restart, Norman Riches launched a fierce attack on the weak Scottish bowling — their fielding was also very poor — and scored 67 not out in only 20 minutes, helped by Johnnie Clay, and when Helm Spencer came to the wicket he hit three sixes in the only over he faced. To the disappointment of the crowd Riches then declared, but he wanted to take every possible chance of victory and give Scotland an uncomfortable hour before the close. His team failed to take any wickets, however, with the great John Kerr and Charles Groves batting out the day, although the latter did survive a chance in the field.
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.