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Day 3
Canterbury Week: Kent v Hampshire
Marriott Ten in Match as Kent Clean Up
KENT 330/9 dec. HAMPSHIRE 172 and (following on) 137 (R Aird 27, J A Newman 20, C P Mead 25; A P Freeman 3/37, C S Marriott 5/44). Kent won by an innings and 21 runs. Overnight score was: Hampshire (2) 56/2 (Aird 17*, Newman 7*).
Hampshire showed little fight with the bat at Canterbury yesterday, and it only took Kent 1¾ hours to wrap up an innings victory. There was some effort from the overnight pair and Philip Mead, but the rest of the middle order surrendered rather dismally. Lionel Tennyson, though, was out to a brilliant full-tilt running catch at deep square leg by Godfrey Bryan. Father Marriott bowled superbly—
—and finished with ten wickets for 110 in the match. With Frank Woolley bowling less effectively these days, Tich Freeman has a new outstanding spin bowling partner, for the month of August at least.
Cardiff: Glamorgan v South Africans
No Play — Rain
GLAMORGAN 178. SOUTH AFRICANS 15/1. Match drawn.
There was more heavy overnight rain at Cardiff, but the morning was dry and it was hoped that play might be possible during the afternoon. However, Jupiter Pluvius sent a small battalion of light rain after lunch, and these forces were quite sufficient to ensure that the match was abandoned as a draw.
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Somerset
Rain Kills Match
GLOUCESTERSHIRE 273. SOMERSET 63/2 (A Young 11, J C W MacBryan 22, A E S Rippon 13*, S G U Considine 17*). Match drawn (no result). Overnight score was: Somerset (1) 29/0 (Young 11*, MacBryan 18*).
An interrupted hour of play before lunch was all that Jupiter Pluvius allowed at Bristol today. After four runs had been scored this morning and the score was 33, Jack MacBryan and Archie Young were both given out lbw to George Dennett and Percy Mills respectively. Stanley Rippon and Ulick Considine took over and progressed carefully until rain ended play, in the form of a great downpour during the lunch interval. As no first-innings decision could be reached, this match is therefore null and void so far as the championship table is concerned.
Manchester: Lancashire v Yorkshire
No Play — Rain
YORKSHIRE 359. LANCASHIRE 78/2. Match drawn (no result).
Jupiter Pluvius launched his attack about midnight last night and kept up a merciless assault on the Old Trafford ground until about midday. With the pitch now quite waterlogged and any play today obviously impossible, he then withdrew to plan his next assault. This is Yorkshire’s sixth ‘no result’ match, and Lancashire’s third. Actually, as far as the county championship table is concerned, it must be said rather cynically that this was the best outcome for them both, unless Yorkshire could make Lancashire follow on and bowl them out twice in a day, which was highly unlikely. With both teams having a percentage of over 60, even a first-innings victory would have seen them both suffer a reduction in their percentage.
Northampton: Northamptonshire v Leicestershire
Northamptonshire Fight Out a Draw
LEICESTERSHIRE 265. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 96 and (following on) 240/5 (A H Bull 20, A P R Hawtin 95, W W Timms 64, R A Haywood 26*; G Geary 2/60, A Skelding 2/56). Match drawn (Leicestershire 3 pts, Northamptonshire 1 pt). Overnight score was: Northamptonshire (2) 3/0 (Bull 1*, Nicholson 2*).
Northamptonshire’s fighting spirit is not seen often enough, but today it came out in full force. They began the day needing 169 in their second innings to save the innings defeat. The two night-watchmen played stubbornly for a while, but three wickets were down for 71. Then it was that Wilfrid Timms joined Rawlings Hawtin, two batsmen with fine powers of defence which they used to full effect today. They saw their team past that 169 and, now playing some strokes, took the total to 198 before Hawtin was out, having batted for over 3½ hours. Timms lasted until 229, by which time he had batted for three hours and his team was safe from defeat. The doggedness of their battle can be shown by George Geary’s bowling figures: he bowled 41 overs to take two for 60.
The Oval: Surrey v Nottinghamshire
Surrey Take Lead
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 365/8 dec and 111/3 (G Gunn 27, S J Staples 34). SURREY 407 (A Sandham 169, T F Shepherd 53, H A Peach 16; F Barratt 3/60, S J Staples 2/100, T L Richmond 2/128). Match drawn (Surrey 3 pts, Nottinghamshire 1 pt). Overnight score was: Surrey (1) 157/1 (Sandham 73*, Knight 2*).
With a draw very likely, Surrey continued their innings with their only realistic aim being to secure a first-innings lead. A third-wicket partnership of 88 between Andy Sandham, who was quite uncertain to start with on a pitch that was showing signs of damage, and Tom Shepherd did most to bring that about. Fred Barratt’s bowling troubled Sandham the most, and he survived a stumping chance; Nottinghamshire’s catching was also poor today. The batting after Shepherd failed badly, with Douglas Jardine being bowled by Barratt first ball and only Alan Peach reached double figures. However Sandham, who played his best strokes when the tail-enders were in with him, was ninth out at 399, lbw to Bill Flint after batting five hours and 40 minutes for 169.
The Nottinghamshire second innings was little more than perfunctory in the time available. George Gunn was in his most obdurate mood, but it took him a long time to achieve his apparent aim of causing barracking from the crowd — and then when it started he nudged a catch to slip. Probably nobody was displeased when another shower of rain ended the match.
Hove: Sussex v Middlesex
Sussex Challenging Fails
MIDDLESEX 248 and 100 (F T Mann 17; M W Tate 4/33, E H Bowley 5/16). SUSSEX 153 and 162 (E H Bowley 32, A H H Gilligan 30, M W Tate 49; N E Haig 2/23, J W Hearne 3/46, G T S Stevens 3/72). Middlesex won by 33 runs. Overnight score was: Middlesex (2) 83/6 (Mann 9*, Tanner 0*).
As had also happened yesterday, the Middlesex innings was finished off quickly in the morning, with the last pair this time just succeeding in scrambling the score to 100. Maurice Tate finished with ten wickets for 99 in the match, and Ted Bowley, whose leg-breaks in this pitch many of the Middlesex batsmen found almost unplayable, took five for 16 in the innings.
Sussex were set 196 to win, but they have a fragile batting side and a dodgy pitch. Bowley held the top order together, but his partners did not last long. Sussex seemed doomed when a brilliant throw from John Guise in the deep ran Bowley out for 32 and the score was 61 for five. Tate, however, came in an attacked the bowling in brilliant style to score 49 in 24 minutes, including four sixes. When Hearne finally bowled him out, Harold Gilligan continued the fight and the score reached 152 for six wickets, with Sussex still well in the fight. But then Jack Hearne and Nigel Haig broke through and the last four wickets went down in a heap for only 10 runs. So Middlesex have strengthened their lead at the top of the championship table with another victory.
Birmingham: Warwickshire v Derbyshire
Warwickshire Fail to Force Victory
WARWICKSHIRE 255 and 67/2 dec (E J Smith 23*). DERBYSHIRE 180 (J Bowden 19, G R Jackson 41, L F Townsend 19, J M Hutchinson 20; H Howell 3/47, E P Hewetson 5/31) and 36/2 (F G Peach 32; R E S Wyatt 2 wkts). Match drawn (Warwickshire 3 pts, Derbyshire 1 pt). Overnight score was: Derbyshire (1) 19/1 (Bowden 5*, Peach 4*).
Warwickshire’s chances of taking 19 Derbyshire wickets in the day to force a victory in this match were always remote — unless the pitch turned sticky, and then they have no class spin bowlers to exploit it — but they tried their best. Derbyshire were intent on a draw as they fell 75 runs behind on the first innings; eight batsmen reached double figures but only Guy Jackson passed 20. In the Warwickshire team Harry Howell is usually renowned for his pace bowling, but the conditions were rather too damp to suit him; however, Edward Hewetson starred today with his speed, taking five wickets, all of them among Derbyshire’s best, with bowling more accurate than usual. Warwickshire declared in their second innings with a lead of 142, but no miracle happened for them, Hewetson strained his arm, Derbyshire easily played out time and the extra half-hour was unused. With so much play rained off this season, Warwickshire are facing a very serious financial loss.
Worcester: Worcestershire v Essex
Worcestershire Steady Victory
ESSEX 110 and 182 (P A Perrin 30, F W Gilligan 15*; C F Root 4/68, F A Pearson 3/41, G C Wilson 2/45). WORCESTERSHIRE 164 and 131/5 (C V Tarbox 20, H O Hopkins 38, M K Foster 27*; A B Hipkin 3/28). Worcestershire won by five wickets. Overnight score was: Essex (2) 137/5 (Perrin 21*, Douglas 1*).
The pitch remained difficult this morning and Essex, struggling to build a match-winning score in their second innings, did not succeed. The overnight pair of Percy Perrin and Johnny Douglas did not last very long, and with Fred Root turning in another fine spell of bowling, they could set Worcestershire only 128 to win. Root’s fine bowling earned him match figures of 13 for 108.
Even 128 seemed a dubious task for a weak Worcestershire team on a dodgy pitch, but for once fortune favoured them. The ground was struck by a heavy shower of rain, which caused a delay, and when play resumed Worcestershire found that it had deadened the pitch for them. Charles Tarbox and Dick Pearson made a steady opening partnership of 41, but when Joe Hipkin came on to bowl rather belatedly he caused the batsmen problems and four wickets were down for 84. Herbert Hopkins played a fine innings, though, and was joined by Maurice Foster, who had tactically kept himself down in the order. They levelled the scores, at which point Hopkins was bowled by Hipkin. This allowed Root to come in and make the winning hit, which he well deserved, as his brilliant bowling on the first day had given his team the edge all through the match. It is Worcestershire’s third victory of the season and they are now level with Essex in 14th place in the championship table.
GEORGE GEARY
George Geary, although not included in the touring team to Australia, has been selected to join Mr Solly Joel’s team to play in South Africa this winter, to be captained by Lionel Tennyson. Solly Joel is a South African mining magnate who is sponsoring the tour to South Africa by a strong English team.
County championship positions
Middlesex 78.66, Yorkshire 72.50, Lancashire 68.00, Surrey 64.00, Kent 60.00, Nottinghamshire 54.66, Warwickshire 52.85, Somerset 52.22.
TOMORROW’S MATCHES (first-class)
Tourist Match
The Oval: Surrey v South Africans
County Championship Matches
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Essex
Canterbury: Kent v Nottinghamshire
Liverpool: Lancashire v Northamptonshire
Leicester: Leicestershire v Yorkshire
Hastings: Sussex v Hampshire
Birmingham: Warwickshire v Glamorgan
Worcester: Worcestershire v Derbyshire
No matches: Middlesex and Somerset.
Normality seems to have reasserted itself in the County Championship now, with the Big Six now occupying the top six places in the table. Yorkshire will expect to close the gap on Middlesex by beating Leicestershire this week — Jupiter Pluvius permitting, of course — while the table leaders are not playing. There is a Big Six clash at Canterbury between Kent and Nottinghamshire. In the basement Derbyshire, still searching for their first victory, will be hoping they can beat fellow strugglers Worcestershire. It will be very interesting to see how the South Africans do at the Oval when they play Surrey.
WEATHER FORECAST
Jupiter Pluvius has used up many of his resources and the weather should be drier in most areas during the next round of matches.
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.