100 Years Ago: 29 September 1924

Injuries and inconsistencies mar Sussex's promising start

1924 County Review

SUSSEX — 10th place

Sussex, probably at present the most popular county team in the country as a whole for their enthusiastic, positive play, greatly frustrated their supporters this season.  They began with six victories, a loss and five rain-affected draws in their first twelve matches, but then slumped, and crashed altogether after Gilligan was injured by a serious blow over the heart in the Gentlemen v Players match at the Oval at the beginning of July.

Their fielding was always brilliant, but their bowling was too dependent on Tate and Gilligan, and their batting was often disastrous.  Tate played some remarkable cricket to finish top of both the county’s batting and bowling averages, and in the season as a whole he again achieved the double of 1000 runs and 200 wickets, getting through a phenomenal amount of hard work.  His results were reminiscences of the deeds of Hirst and Rhodes, and with much less support from his team than they had for Yorkshire.  Gilligan was an inspirational cricket who always played attacking cricket, and his injury was a devastating blow for his team, although by the end of the season he appeared to be getting back to his best form.

The batting was the main weakness of the side, which was full of potentially capable batsmen, but Bowley had a poor season and too many of the other batsmen carried the policy of Bazball attack too far and got themselves out cheaply through injudicious strokes, with Tommy Cook a serial offender.  In the latter half of the season Gilligan tried to resolve the problem by constantly experimenting with his batting order, but this only added to the problem.  The situation was brightened by several promising young players, though.  After the tragic death of their wicket-keeper George Street, Cornford took over the gloves and did such an outstanding job that many predict an England future for him.  Parks and Langridge are two young all-rounders who seem to have good potential.

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