100 Years Ago: 26 August 1924
by John Ward
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Day 3
Bristol (Greenbank): Gloucestershire v Middlesex
Parker’s Second Hat-trick Scuppers Middlesex
GLOUCESTERSHIRE 31 and 294/9 dec. MIDDLESEX 74 and 190 (H W Lee 21, E H Hendren 23, G O B Allen 31, F T Mann 22, H R Murrell 22; C W L Parker 7/101 including hat-trick, P T Mills 2/45). Gloucestershire won by 61 runs. Overnight score was: Middlesex (2) 46/1 (Lee 3*).
If Yorkshire are able to win the County Championship after all this season, they may well have to thank Wally Hammond and Charlie Parker for that. These men were the two destroyers of Middlesex in this match. Middlesex needed 252 in the fourth innings of the match to win, and the pitch today was soft with the top worn through, and not in their favour. One thing that was in their favour was the very poor Gloucestershire catching, and so they were able to get much closer to their target than they should have done. Early wickets reduced Middlesex to 104 for five, when Patsy Hendren was out, but then Gubby Allen and Frank Mann briefly fought back, although Allen survived two chances in the field. At 136, though, Parker broke through again, dismissing Frank Mann (caught in the slips), John Guise (another slip catch) and Nigel Haig (lbw) with successive deliveries. He beat Joe Murrell with the next delivery and so just failed to take four in four. He became only the fourth bowler in first-class cricket to take two hat-tricks in the same match, following Alfred Shaw, Albert Trott and Jimmy Matthews. He has now taken four first-class hat-tricks, one behind the record of Schofield Haigh and Frank Tarrant.
Apart from a few blows from Murrell, the match was now as good as over, and Gloucestershire completed their best season since the war with a fine victory. This was actually their first victory over Middlesex since 1906. Hammond scored more runs in this match than the next four best players put together, while Parker’s match figures were 14 wickets for 131 runs — with his two hat-tricks.
The Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire
Rhodes Fails to Save Match
SURREY 209 and 202 (A Jeacocke 18, P G H Fender 23; R Kilner 5/95, W Rhodes 4/27). YORKSHIRE 100 and 202 (W Rhodes 51*, R Kilner 41, G G Macaulay 23; W C H Sadler 5/42, P G H Fender 5/45). Surrey won by 109 runs. Overnight score was: Surrey (2) 156/6 (Jeacocke 9*).
Yorkshire came close to achieving a draw in this match, but some poor batting in their second innings and an excellent final bowling spell from Bill Sadler saw them defeated in extra time, with 20 minutes to spare. Surrey began the day by continuing their second innings 267 runs ahead with cautious batting, with remarkably Percy Fender showing great restraint for quite a while. Only late in the innings did he start to hit out and allowed the innings to run its course, when Yorkshire were left with a highly unlikely 312 to win. Roy Kilner took ten wickets for 153 runs in the match, having bowled more than 84 overs for them and bowling through the second innings since the score was 17.
The pitch was never easy, but it had eased for a while after the roller had done its work, apart from some unpredictable lift, with Edgar Oldroyd and Wilfred Rhodes especially taking some hits on the body. Yorkshire made another bad start and in less than an hour had lost four wickets for 67. Then came some good resistance from Rhodes, Kilner and George Macaulay, and with the Surrey bowlers tiring and lacking Alan Peach due to a strain, Yorkshire appeared to be moving steadily towards a draw. Kilner restrained his natural aggressive instincts for a long time, but when he played a careless stroke to a ball from Sadler to be caught at the wicket, this was the turning point. The Surrey bowlers, and Sadler in particular, became rejuvenated and he bowled a superb final spell, with wickets falling to him steadily. Rhodes did his best to hold the innings together, although he did survive a chance in the slips, but he could not do the job alone and the last five wickets tumbled for 39 runs.
Fender had the honour of bowling out Abe Waddington to end the match with a fine victory for Surrey; this was probably the best Fender has bowled during a disappointing year for him. Their heroes were Andy Sandham for batting and Sadler for bowling; their outstanding contributions of 132 runs and ten wickets for 71 runs were vital. Thanks to Gloucestershire, who defeated Middlesex at Bristol, though, Yorkshire retain their lead at the top of the championship table. It was also an excellent match for the wicket-keepers: Bert Strudwick and Arthur Dolphin both did brilliant work despite the awkward pitch and claimed six and seven victims in the match respectively.
Wilfred Rhodes will again be employed this winter as coach and player to the Maharajah of Patiala in India. Last winter he was accompanied by Roy Kilner, but the latter will be touring England this time, and so Emmott Robinson will be going with Rhodes.
Leyton: Essex v Northamptonshire
Freeman Century but Douglas Rejects Challenge
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 351 (W Wells 36, B W Bellamy 22; J W H T Douglas 5/73, A B Hipkin 3/119, H W F Franklin 2/69). ESSEX 328/6 (L C Eastman 69, J R Freeman 120, J O’Connor 33, C A G Russell 64, J W H T Douglas 21*; W Wells 2/37, J V Murdin 2/85). Match drawn (no result). Overnight score: Northamptonshire (1) 314/6 (Wells 27*, Bellamy 11*).
Although an outright result was very unlikely on this placid pitch, the match developed into an interesting struggle for the first-innings points, which would have benefited either team with their low percentages in the championship table — but Johnny Douglas wasn’t interested. His bowling had helped to finish off the Northamptonshire innings as the last four wickets fell in 50 minutes for 37 runs, and then he made a good move by sending in Laurie Eastman as John Freeman’s latest opening partner. They both batted superbly, with Eastman the more aggressive, putting on 120 together in an hour and 40 minutes before Eastman was out. Freeman continued to bat well and reached his fourth century of the season, batting altogether for 3½ hours.
Douglas came in at No 7 when 97 runs were needed in about 70 minutes. At the other end Jack Russell was batting well, hitting some loose bowling, but with Douglas adopting a negative approach Essex fell behind the required run rate. When Russell was out it was too late, and the match had to be abandoned as a ‘no result.’ Douglas finished not out with 21 in 70 minutes and Essex fell 24 runs short of gaining three points.
Manchester: Lancashire v Hampshire
No Play — Match Abandoned
LANCASHIRE 79/0. HAMPSHIRE did not bat. Match drawn (no result).
More heavy night rain made the decision simple — whatever happened, no play would be possible at Old Trafford today. The match was officially abandoned before one o’clock. This would have been the last day’s cricket of the season at Old Trafford. This is Lancashire’s third successive match — two at Old Trafford, one at Edgbaston — in which the only cricket possible was for Lancashire to bat first, start their innings and then have the match rained off before even that could be completed. Cecil Parkin has played in three successive matches without even being able to set foot on the field during playing hours.
Leicester: Leicestershire v Sussex
Gilligan and Sussex are Back Again
LEICESTERSHIRE 113 and 45 (A Skelding 10*; A E R Gilligan 6/24, M W Tate 3/18). SUSSEX 253 (G S Grimston 47, A C Watson 27; A Skelding 2/78, A W Shipman 6/50). Sussex won by an innings and 95 runs. Overnight score was: Sussex (1) 231/7 (Grimston 34*, Watson 22*).
It was obviously not good news for Leicestershire, but English cricket as a whole will rejoice to know that Arthur Gilligan has now apparently recovered completely from his injury and is back in his devastating bowling form again – and Sussex have won their first match since before his injury, after 10 defeats in their last 11 matches.
The Sussex innings added only 32 runs this morning on a pitch affected by rain, but they gained a lead of 140 runs before Leicestershire went in a second time. Alan Shipman bowled particularly well to take six wickets. Then the Leicestershire batsmen virtually threw down their weapons and ran before the bowling of Gilligan, at great pace, and Maurice Tate on a helpful pitch. With the score at 3 Gilligan had Sydney Coulson, Ewart Astill and Gus Fowke all caught at short leg by Tate, and Tate himself bowled out Eddie Dawson — four wickets down for 3 runs. The middle order did little better, and so negatively did Leicestershire bat that after 13 overs the score was still stuck on 4. Six wickets were down at 17 and eight down for 29, with the injured John King unable to bat. The young Les Berry fought hard for 45 minutes to score 9. The highest partnership of the innings was 16 for the last wicket between Shipman with 6 and Alex Skelding, the only batsman to reach double figures with 10 not out — a sorry display for 45 all out and an innings defeat. The whole innings lasted 36.3 overs, with Gilligan and Tate bowling unchanged. On his triumphant return to form and fitness Gilligan took nine wickets for 64 runs in the match.
Nottingham: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire
Warwickshire Wither
WARWICKSHIRE 130 and 137 (E J Smith 17, J H Parsons 14, C A F Fiddian-Green 31, G W Stephens 18, R E S Wyatt 15*; F Barratt 2/33, S J Staples 3/29, W A Flint 3/25, T L Richmond 2/36). NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 323/5 dec. Nottinghamshire won by an innings and 56 runs. Overnight score was: Nottinghamshire (1) 323/5 dec.
Warwickshire began the day needing 193 to save an innings defeated, and made a poor show of it, although the pitch was not easy after rain damage. The only time they looked like resisting for long was when Charles Fiddian-Green and Willie Quaife put on 24 in half an hour for the third wicket. Quaife scored 2 runs in that time, but he looked ready to stay in for the rest of the day — only to receive a ball from Barratt that rose sharply and unexpectedly, and he was caught in the slips off his glove. Bob Wyatt at No 7 showed determination, but he could find nobody to stay in long with him, and Warwickshire were down and out ten minutes after lunch.
Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire (Ernest Robson’s Benefit)
White Secures Victory
WORCESTERSHIRE 205 and 146 (F A Pearson 40, W H N Shakespeare 33, M K Foster 42*; J C White 8/44). SOMERSET 348/9 dec (J C W MacBryan 95, A Young 24, J C White 34, J Daniell 22, J J Bridges 58*, R C Robertson-Glasgow 40*; C F Root 2/67, F A Pearson 2/68, J W Greenstock 4/69) and 4/0 (T C Lowry 4*, R C Robertson-Glasgow 0*). Somerset won by ten wickets. Overnight score was: Somerset (1) 74/0 (MacBryan 35*, Young 24*).
Although Archie Young was out immediately this morning, Jack MacBryan played a fine innings of 95 in about two hours and 20 minutes, and with the support of Jack White the score was 170 before the second wicket fell. The middle order did not do much, though, and when the ninth wicket fell at 252 Somerset were only 47 runs ahead. Then the last pair of Jim Bridges and Raymond Robertson-Glasgow showed what could and should have been done by launching a free assault on the bowling and putting on 96 runs in only 40 minutes with some powerful hitting. When John Daniell decided to cut short the fun by declaring, Worcestershire had to bat again with 143 needed to avoid an innings defeat. The most successful bowler in this innings was the 19-year-old left-arm spinner, John Greenstock.
Fred Pearson played well to score 40 of their first 48 runs, but again the middle order failed and seven wickets went down for 89, with White carrying all before him. Maurice Foster for some reason only came in at No 9 in this innings, and by then it was too late to effect a proper recovery. There were two run-outs, and White took all the other eight wickets. Were it not for a dropped catch, Somerset would have won by an innings. It took Tom Lowry exactly one ball to reach Somerset’s target.
Swansea: Wales v Scotland
Dismal Scotland Lose by an Innings
WALES 307/6 dec. SCOTLAND 150 (J Kerr 24, C Groves 23, D S Weir 28; H Spencer 3/39, F P Ryan 4/60) and (following on) 78 (D S Weir 14, J L Brodie 20, W W Anderson 12*; T Arnott 3/18, F P Ryan 2/12, J C Clay 2/10). Wales won by an innings and 79 runs. Overnight score was: Wales (1) 157/1 (Bates 100*, Mallalieu 2*).
Jupiter Pluvius turned his back on Scotland, and the team playing under the name of Wales had time enough to secure an outright victory by an innings. The rot started with a fine opening spell of fast bowling by Helm Spencer this morning that shattered the top order, with only John Kerr playing him confidently. Frank Ryan continued the good work, and Scotland just failed to save the follow-on. They were handicapped by the absence of one of their top batsmen, Charles Paterson, with a bad chill. Following on, Scotland lost their first six wickets for 40 (Ryan again bowled out Kerr, for 9) and with the bowlers in fine form they could make no stand against them.
County championship positions: Yorkshire 74.28, Middlesex 71.57, Lancashire 67.82, Surrey 65.55, Kent 60.83, Nottinghamshire 57.14, Gloucestershire 55.65, Somerset 52.00, Warwickshire 46.66, Sussex 41.73.
TOMORROW’S MATCHES (first-class)
Tourist Match
Taunton: Somerset v South Africans
County Championship Matches
Portsmouth: Hampshire v Yorkshire
Dover: Kent v Warwickshire
The Oval: Surrey v Leicestershire
Hove: Sussex v Lancashire
Worcester: Worcestershire v Nottinghamshire
Other first-class match
Swansea: Glamorgan v H D G Leveson Gower’s XI
Non-first-class
Bristol (Greenbank): Gloucestershire v Scotland (two-day match)
No matches: Derbyshire, Essex, Middlesex and Northamptonshire.
A reminder of the remaining matches for the title contenders:
Middlesex — 30 August v Surrey (home).
Yorkshire — 27 August v Hampshire (away), 30 August v Sussex (away).
Since Middlesex as well as Yorkshire lost in the last round of matches, the gap between the two sides remains almost the same, but with only one match left, against Surrey at home, Middlesex are under great pressure to win that match. That would take their final percentage to 73.00, so Yorkshire will have to do badly against two weaker teams to fall below that. That is still possible, though, so the Hampshire match starting tomorrow will be a vital fixture for Yorkshire. If Middlesex beat Surrey and Yorkshire lose to either Hampshire or Sussex, Middlesex will be champions.
The other matches could be said to be of academic interest only — as if that could be said about any cricket match. Will Sussex continue their revival against Lancashire, now that Arthur Gilligan appears to be fit again? Kent, Surrey and Nottinghamshire will all expect to win against weaker opposition, if Jupiter Pluvius permits.
WEATHER FORECAST
Probably less rain in the next few days overall, though it will still be around.
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.