SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



made 185 in the first and 131 in the return 

 with Hertfordshire, whilst Dible made 114 

 and Mr. E. O. Powell in for the same 

 county against the shire under consideration. 

 These were the only centuries made that 

 season by the southern county. 



Improvement came in 1887, as the annual 

 victory over M.C.C. at Lord's was supported 

 by a double discomfiture of Northants and a 

 7 wickets success over Staffordshire. These 

 had to be set against three defeats. Pearce, 

 Hearn and Rev. C. M. Sharpe, who had 

 been in the Cambridge eleven of 1875, were 

 the century-mongers, and Mr. A. Butcher 

 proved a steady bat. 



1888 was marked by a brace of successful 

 contests with Northants set against five 

 defeats. Only once was the second hundred 

 passed (in the draw with Staffordshire), but 

 the team was only twice out under three 

 figures. Mr. Charles Pigg took 42 wickets 

 for a dozen runs apiece. 



The form of the county was not main- 

 tained in 1889, for one defeat (by Surrey 

 2nd Eleven) had no compensating game to 

 the credit side, the remaining seven fix- 

 tures being drawn. The Wykhamist, Mr. 

 A. J. Boger, came into the team and was 

 useful with the ball, in which department the 

 brothers Pigg and Titchmarsh had to do the 

 chief part of the destruction. Titchmarsh 

 also scored the highest innings, a hard-hit 90, 

 Rev. W. H. Heale making 85, the largest he 

 ever contributed for the county. Whilst 

 playing occasionally during a number of 

 years, Hertfordshire were not good enough 

 to play among the second-class counties in 

 1890, their nine fixtures being with Nor- 

 folk, Northants, Northumberland, Durham, 

 M.C.C. and Surrey 2nd, which alone 

 defeated them, whilst two victories were 

 noted. Rev. E. D. Shaw, taught to play at 

 Forest School, who had been in the Oxford 

 eleven of 1882, scored 140 at Norwich, 

 otherwise the useful analysis of Mr. Charles 

 P'gg was the only feature above mediocrity. 



In 1891 for the first time Hertfordshire 

 defeated Surrey 2nd by 72 runs. This 

 solitary success had to be confronted by 

 defeats at the hands of Lincolnshire, Devon- 

 shire, Norfolk and M.C.C., whilst five fix- 

 tures were drawn. Thirty cricketers played 

 more than one match for the county. Mr. 

 G. W. Hillyard, the crack lawn-tennis 

 player, who was afterwards so effective as a 

 fast bowler for Leicestershire and who had 

 been tried years before for Middlesex, whilst 

 still in the navy, appeared for Hertfordshire 

 and took 24 wickets for 15 runs each. No 

 one made a century, though Hearn came 



within two of the coveted figures. Titch- 

 marsh was by far the best all-round man on 

 the side. 



The fixtures were even less extensive in 

 1892. Mr. T. N. Perkins scored 102 on 

 his solitary appearance, and Mr. Herbert Pigg 

 91. Mr. Charles Pigg, the honorary secre- 

 tary, was only moderately successful, and the 

 brunt of both departments fell on Titch- 

 marsh. 



For 1894 no figures were contributed to 

 the annuals upon the game, but victories were 

 gained over Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire and 

 Norfolk, Mr. E. L. Swift scoring a century 

 in each innings of the victory over Bedford- 

 shire. By deed of gift the county cricket 

 and recreation ground in Clarence Park, 

 St. Albans, with its accessories and adjuncts, 

 was conveyed to the Corporation of St. Albans 

 on July 23, 1894, and at a special meeting 

 on March 19, 1895, the club formally recog- 

 nized it as the Herts county ground. The 

 offer of such a ground had first been made to 

 the county cricket club by Sir J. Blundell 

 Maple during the season of 1891. At the 

 general meeting held on December 4 of that 

 year a long discussion on the subject took 

 place, but no decision was arrived at, although 

 a sub-committee was appointed to inquire into 

 the matter. Nothing further is on the books 

 of the county club in reference to it until 

 a letter was read on November 3, 1892, 

 from Sir J. Blundell Maple, wherein he offered 

 a cricket and recreation ground to St. Albans, 

 to be used as a county ground under certain 

 conditions. At the general meeting held that 

 day details of this scheme as affecting the 

 county club were left to a fresh sub-com- 

 mittee, with the result already mentioned. 



The year 1894 saw victories over Norfolk 

 and Bedfordshire (twice) set against a defeat by 

 the invincible Surrey 2nd Eleven, who did 

 not lose a match that year, and a quartet of 

 unfinished contests. Titchmarsh bowled in 

 excellent fashion. Mr. H. J. Hill came out 

 with the best batting average and made the 

 longest score of the year (95). The Carthu- 

 sian wicket-keeper, Mr. G. E. B. Pritchett, 

 shaped well, whilst the fielding of Mr. J. O. 

 Anderson was fine. Mr. C. Pigg at this 

 time acted as both captain and secretary. 



Next year things were worse. Only 

 Staffordshire was lower in the Minor Counties' 

 Competition ; but a touch of pride was felt 

 at Norfolk and Worcestershire both being 

 soundly beaten, they being the top counties 

 encountered. White did a lot of hard work 

 with both bat and ball, his medium-paced 

 deliveries effecting some havoc. That old 

 Cantab, the Rev. F. W. Poland, had luck in 



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