Cricket drowned by downpours

100 Years Ago: 2 May 1925

Day 1

Manchester: Lancashire v Warwickshire

Tyldesley the Batsman in Form

LANCASHIRE 283 (G E Tyldesley 78, F B Watson 27, P T Eckersley 29, J Sharp 63, L Green 43; G A Jennings 2/48, W G Quaife 2/31, J H Parsons 4/13). WARWICKSHIRE to bat.

Two county stalwarts are missing from this match: Harry Makepeace of Lancashire is ill with a bad dose of influenza, and Freddie Calthorpe is away owing to his wife’s illness. Len Hopwood opened the Lancashire innings with Charlie Hallows, but both were out for 31. Ernest Tyldesley was in good form, though, and scored 78 in two hours and 40 minutes by steady scoring and flawless play but without dominating the bowling. Peter Eckersley, who has been at Cambridge University but was never selected for their team, played a useful supporting innings. The best partnership though was that between Jack Sharp and Major Leonard Green, who added 105 for the sixth wicket. After Sharp was out at 270, Charles Fiddian-Green, acting captain of Warwickshire, surprisingly put on Jack Parsons to bowl his occasional medium-pacers, and even more surprisingly he finished off the innings by taking the last four wickets in 4.2 overs — the last five wickets fell for 13 runs. Harry Howell was playing for Warwickshire, but the conditions did not suit his bowling and he took only the early wicket of Hallows; Willie Quaife, however, twice broke good partnerships. Warwickshire fielded well, and Tiger Smith did a fine job behind the stumps. Two showers interrupted play during the day and the weather was very cold.

Oxford: Oxford University v Middlesex

Hendren and North Boost Middlesex

MIDDLESEX 264/5 (E H Hendren 84, E J North 80*, N E Haig 28*; J V Richardson 2 wkts). OXFORD UNIVERSITY to bat.

Middlesex seemed to be very badly prepared for this match. Jack Hearne was unable to play due to illness, and the county had to borrow three University players, including Lord Alexander (Alec) Dunglass, with some sort of qualification for them to make up their eleven. There are five debutants between the teams. Conditions were not conducive for batting and the pitch was lifeless, and they made an indifferent start by grinding their way to 50 when the third wicket went down. Patsy Hendren showed little sparkle, but he knuckled down to the job of making runs, and found a good partner in Ernest North, a member of the M.C.C. ground staff at Lord’s. They put on 139 for the fourth wicket before Hendren was out, having hit only 4 fours and 49 singles in his cautious innings lasting 3½ hours. North was fortunate to be dropped twice early on, but after that he was more impressive and played a fine innings. In with him is Nigel Haig, who was batting very well.

Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire

54-Year-Old Scores First Century of Season

LEICESTERSHIRE 229 (G H S Fowke 46, J H King 114, W E Astill 39; M W Tate 5/44, A E R Gilligan 2/31, A F Wensley 2/32). SUSSEX to bat.

John King of Leicestershire set a new record at Hove today: never before has the first first-class century of a season been scored by a batsman as old as 54. In 4¼ hours he scored a fine 114 out of 229, more than half his team’s runs off the bat. The pitch after rain was soft but easy-paced, but Maurice Tate and Arthur Gilligan are formidable opponents in any conditions — although Gilligan today bowled well short of full pace. King came in with two wickets down to this pair for only 4 runs, joining his captain Gus Fowke. They fought it out with great determination to put on 104 for the third wicket. The best batting, though, was seen during King’s fourth-wicket partnership of 81 with Ewart Astill in less than an hour and a half; King was sixth out at 209, bowled by Tate. Tate and Gilligan then cleaned up the tail with the second new ball, with Tate bowling in his final spell nine overs, with seven maidens, to take four wickets for two runs. The weather was dry, but very cold.

Day 2

Manchester: Lancashire v Warwickshire

Tyldesley the Bowler in Form

LANCASHIRE 283. WARWICKSHIRE 80 (L T A Bates 33, F R Santall 10*; C H Parkin 2/31, E A McDonald 2/18, R K Tyldesley 5/11) and (following on) 157/6 (L T A Bates 25, W G Quaife 66*, R E S Wyatt 36*; C H Parkin 5/60). Overnight score was: Lancashire (1) 283 all out.

The pitch was wet this morning after rain, and as Warwickshire were batting the sun came out and made it difficult. Warwickshire struggled for runs, although Len Bates faced up to the bowling well, and this was before Dick Tyldesley was rather belatedly brought on to bowl at 58 for four. He bowled out Bates and then ran through the later batsmen with ease to take the last five wickets, all in 6.2 overs, but flattered by their incompetence. Warwickshire were all out just before lunch, and batted a man short as Harry Howell has influenza. Although the pitch and conditions were difficult, the batting on the whole was poor.

Warwickshire had to follow on 203 runs behind, and this time it was Cecil Parkin who did most of the damage, despite being rather erratic. Six men were out for 79, with Willie Quaife batted with superb skill and confidence on an awkward pitch. Finally he was joined by Bob Wyatt, who survived a chance at the wicket and stuck in with him. There was only 25 minutes’ play possible after tea, and the pair stayed together to see Warwickshire through to the close, still 46 runs behind. Tyldesley has not taken a wicket so far this innings, though bowling 14 overs for 28 runs. Lancashire fielded well, with Peter Eckersley outstanding.

Oxford: Oxford University v Middlesex

Oxford Struggle

MIDDLESEX 312 (E J North 80, N E Haig 43, Lord Dunglass 19; L R Serrurier 2/39, T B Raikes 2/37, J V Richardson 2/6). OXFORD UNIVERSITY 87/5 (J L Guise 29, E R T Holmes 23*, L R Serrurier 6*). Overnight score was: Middlesex (1) 264/5 (North 80*, Haig 28*).

Rain allowed less than three hours’ play in the afternoon from 2.45. Ernest North went quickly this morning without adding to his overnight 80, but there was a bright partnership of 37 between Nigel Haig and Lord Alexander Dunglass before the innings closed for 312 after 50 minutes’ play . Louis Serrurier did some impressive medium-pace bowling; he has an easy action and bowls a full length, varying his pace and getting nip off the pitch, which was drying out and rather difficult as Oxford went in.

Oxford University soon lost Claude Taylor for 1, caught at slip by Patsy Hendren off Jack Durston off a ball he was good enough to edge rather than miss. Walter McBride, his opening partner, played a very dogged game, valuable for his team, but missing too many scoring opportunities. John Guise showed his class and played well within himself for the good of his team. Errol Holmes also looked to be a class player, and he was still there at the close after North had taken three wickets with the score on 62. With the time lost today the prospects of an outright result depend mainly on whether or not Oxford can avoid the follow-on tomorrow — weather permitting.

Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire

Geary Gives Leicestershire Lead

LEICESTERSHIRE 229 and 13/1 (A Lord 9*, G L Berry 3*). SUSSEX 131 (A H H Gilligan 26, E H Bowley 48; G Geary 5/55, W E Astill 2/20, F Bale 3/33). Overnight score was: Leicestershire (1) 229 all out.

Play could not begin until after 2.30 due to much rain, and Sussex knew that once the effects of the roller had worn off the pitch was likely to become difficult as it dried in the afternoon sun. So Harold Gilligan went in with aggressive intent, scoring 26 out of 37 in just over half an hour before Gilligan was out. When he was out the scoring slowed and the pitch dried, with Ewart Astill turning the ball sharply and making the batsmen fight to survive. Bowley held the innings together, although he was perhaps rather too defensive, but after Tich Cornford was out at 78 for two wickets began to fall steadily. George Geary now took over with the ball as the pitch turned awkward, bowling superbly, and the last six wickets fell for 32 runs in three-quarters of an hour. Leicestershire had 40 minutes to start their second innings with a lead of 98, and by grim defence they lost only one wicket for 13 runs off 16 overs.

In the Freshmen’s match at Cambridge University batsmen generally had a very bad time. The great exception was KS Duleepsinhji, who scored 99 out of 155 in his team’s first innings, and an unbeaten 40 out of 76 for two wickets that won the match. Of the bowlers Maurice Allom in the same team had match figures of eight for 40.

Day 3

Manchester: Lancashire v Warwickshire

Washout

LANCASHIRE 283. WARWICKSHIRE 80 and (following on) 157/6. Match drawn (Lancashire 3 pts, Warwickshire 1 pt).

There was heavy rain overnight, but it was hoped to start play after lunch, until another heavy shower made that impossible, the ground now being waterlogged, and Warwickshire escaped with a draw. The fighting partnership of Willie Quaife and Bob Wyatt yesterday afternoon had after all saved their side from almost certain defeat.

Oxford: Oxford University v Middlesex

Oxford Save Follow-on and Match

MIDDLESEX 312 and 37/2 dec (C H Taylor 2/9). OXFORD UNIVERSITY 202 (E R T Holmes 40, L R Serrurier 24, J V Richardson 49*; J B Wheatley 3/49, E J North 4/38) and 47/3 ((I G Collins 21). Match drawn. Overnight score was: Oxford University (1) 87/5 (Holmes 23*, Serrurier 6*).

Continuing their innings this morning, Oxford had as their immediate target the saving of the follow-on. Errol Holmes went for 40, an innings that showed his class — people are already predicting he should play for England one day — but showed few of his brilliant off-side strokes. He and Louis Serrurier added 64 for the sixth wicket, but nine were down for 157 when the last man Tom Raikes, who looks clearly unfit at present, joined James Richardson at the wicket. He stayed in while Richardson played a fine innings, with some brilliant strokes, but also surviving three chances in the field, and the follow-on was saved with a stand of 45, the eventual first-innings deficit being 110. The match petered out in a tame draw, though Frank Mann made an obliging declaration that helped Oxford to give more match practice to their players.

Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire

Play Abandoned

LEICESTERSHIRE 229 and 13/1. SUSSEX 131. Match drawn (Leicestershire 3 pts, Sussex 1 pt).

There was another night of rain and storms at Hove, which left the pitch so waterlogged that at 12 noon the captains agreed that there was no chance of play today, and the match was abandoned.

TOMORROW’S MATCHES (first-class)

County Championship matches:

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Yorkshire

Nottingham: Nottinghamshire v Hampshire

University matches:

Cambridge: Cambridge University v Sussex

Oxford: Oxford University v Lancashire

Other first-class matches:

Lord’s: M.C.C. v Kent

WEATHER FORECAST: There is still a lot of rain around.