100 Years Ago: 5 September 1924

Yorkshire triumph in close finish, while the South Africans scrape a draw

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Day 3

Scarborough: Yorkshire v M.C.C.

Holmes and Robinson Take Yorkshire Home

M.C.C. 101 and 321 (J W Hearne 115, E H Hendren 43, A P F Chapman 50, J W H T Douglas 42*; A Waddington 6/87, W Rhodes 3/44). YORKSHIRE 252 and 171/6 (P Holmes 67, E Oldroyd 12, E Robinson 66*; A S Kennedy 3/41, W E Astill 2/42). Yorkshire won by four wickets. Overnight score was: M.C.C. (2) 165/2 (Hearne 86*, Hendren 43*).

When M.C.C. continued their second innings this morning, Patsy Hendren was out almost immediately, but Jack Hearne went on to complete his century, one of his best, not only because of the quality of bowlers he was facing, but because he scored much more fluently than usual, scoring 115 in two hours and 40 minutes.  Percy Chapman hit brilliantly in his fifty in three-quarters of an hour, while even Johnny Douglas scored at a greater pace than usual, placing the ball skilfully and batting for an hour and a half for 42 not out.  Abe Waddington took six of the eight wickets to fall, showing much of his old skill before his injury last season.

Henry Leveson Gower declared, leaving Yorkshire to score 171 to win in just under three hours.  Alec Kennedy made an early breakthrough, and four wickets were down for 51, but Percy Holmes was still there.  He finally found a good partner in Emmott Robinson, and at first the pair played very carefully before, after about an hour, they decided they could perhaps go for victory after all.  They hit out and stole quick singles, before Holmes was eventually out to a fine catch in the deep by Chapman.  John Stephenson quickly followed, but time was now up.  Both captains agreed, however, that they would play the match out, a gesture that later earned Leveson Gower an ovation from the crowd.  M.C.C. at this point still had a fair chance of victory, but Robinson, assisted by Geoffrey Wilson, soon put this idea to sleep and in 20 minutes they put on 27 together to complete a Yorkshire victory.

Hastings Festival: South v South Africans

Susskind Saves South Africans

SOUTH 312/9 dec and 218/8 dec (J B Hobbs 34, A Sandham 33, F E Woolley 26, F S G Calthorpe 52, P G H Fender 20, A E R Gilligan 35*; D J Meintjes 3/83, R H Catterall 3/48). SOUTH AFRICANS 269 and 219/7 (M J Susskind 101, H W Taylor 30, H G Deane 30*, J M Blanckenberg 29; M W Tate 2/19, F E Woolley 3/58). Match drawn. Overnight score was: South Africans (1) 269 all out.

A draw seemed the most likely result for this match, but the weather came out beautifully and the two teams entered into the spirit of the festival with some dashing batting.  Jack Hobbs set the tone from the start, racing to 34 in 20 minutes, including two sixes, and passing 2000 runs for the season; the first three overs brought 37 runs.  All down the order the batsmen looked to attack at every opportunity.  The policy was in danger of coming unstuck when six wickets were down for 109, but Percy Fender then slammed 20 in five minutes, and then Arthur Gilligan and Freddie Calthorpe hit out powerfully and successfully.  They put on 87 for the eighth wicket in 35 minutes, and when Calthorpe was out Gilligan declared, leaving the South Africans 262 to win in two hours and 40 minutes.

The tourists made a disastrous start with their first three wickets going down for 14, two to Maurice Tate and one to Jack Hobbs, who opened the bowling with him.  But, instead of clamming up and playing for a draw, Fred Susskind and Herby Taylor got after the bowling and kept their team in the hunt, putting on 103 for the fourth wicket before Taylor was out.  Susskind scored a century in just over two hours, but despite useful contributions from Nummy Deane and Jimmy Blanckenberg, the task was just too great for them.  When time ran out they were 42 runs short with three wickets in hand.

Day 2

Blackpool: Lancashire v England XI

Lancashire Bowlers Turn Tables

LANCASHIRE 210 and 41/0 (J W H Makepeace 15*, C Hallows 24*). ENGLAND XI 180 (G Gunn 84, G Brown 47, H Smith 11; R K Tyldesley 5/75, F B Watson 4/56). Overnight score was: England XI (1) 64/0 (Gunn 38*, Brown 22).

Rain prevented play until 2.45, but the pitch itself had been covered, so it was not affected, although the surrounding area was still very soft when play began, making it difference for the bowlers to get a foothold.  When George Gunn and George Brown took the score to 118 before the first wicket fell after an hour and 50 minutes, Lancashire appeared to be in trouble, but then Brown and his two successors, Wally Hammond (0) and Philip Mead (run out for 2) were out with only five more runs scored, and the rest of the batsmen collapsed against the bowling of Dick Tyldesley and Frank Watson, with only Harry Smith after that scoring more than 10.  Gunn, much slower today, was eighth out at 167.  Lancashire finished with an unexpected lead of 30, and their opening pair added another 41 without being separated in 40 minutes before the close, a remarkable turnabout.

TOMORROW’S MATCHES (first-class)

Blackpool: Lancashire v England XI (concluded)

Scarborough: Gentlemen v Players

Hastings: Lord Cowdray’s XI v The Rest

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.