A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



topping the averages. Yet he was the only 

 one averaging over 20. 



Consistently good batting put a better com- 

 plexion on 1896, so that the county tied with 

 Northamptonshire and Northumberland for 

 third place. Mr. H. Pigg came out head of 

 the averages, in which five batsmen exceeded 

 20. The brunt of the bowling fell as before 

 on White and Titchmarsh, though Mr. J. 

 Wood proved a useful change. That fine 

 field and steady bat, as well as most respectable 

 man, William Hearn, now retired in his 

 forty-sixth year. 



Disasters came in battalions in 1897, for 

 after easily beating Norfolk they lost eight of 

 the remaining eleven fixtures and had no 

 further success. Thirty-three players were 

 seen on the hapless side. Messrs. C. Pigg 

 and A. Butcher did good service with the 

 bat ; but the bowling was deplorable, and the 

 totals hit off it included scores of 493, 459, 

 403, 397, 396 and 391. Mr. H. H. Cobb, 

 who subsequently played for Middlesex, batted 

 some half-dozen times. 



As the result of a private meeting convened 

 on November 6, 1897, by Sir J. Blundell 

 Maple, to which he invited the four county 

 members of Parliament, the Lord Lieutenant, 

 the president of the County Council and a 

 few cricket officials, a general meeting was 

 called for the 22nd of the same month, and 

 steps were at once taken to reorganize the 

 club and put it on a sound basis. A fresh 

 committee was elected, new rules framed, and 

 a guarantee fund started with a view of raising 

 a subscription list of at least 500 a year. 

 Lord Clarendon was elected president, and 

 Captain the Hon. W. Grimston, R.N., became 

 secretary, the duties of that office being subse- 

 quently shared by Dr. Earle Norman, who 

 on November 27, 1899, became sole secre- 

 tary, a position in which he is doing admir- 

 able service. The St. Albans Town Council 

 in 1898 handed over the entire management 

 of the county ground to the club, who thus 

 became virtually the tenants, and pay a stated 

 annual rent for the property. 



The fresh efforts had little practical result 

 on the fortune of the side, for not a game was 

 won in 1898, whilst of the seven defeats, all 

 substantial, five were with an innings to spare. 

 On six occasions their opponents exceeded 

 the third hundred, and the bowling figures 

 form sad reading. The batting showed a 

 marked advance, with Mr. Herbert Pigg again 

 at the top. Both he and Golding made 

 centuries, whilst a useful recruit was found 

 in Mr. T. H. K. Dashwood, the old Welling- 

 tonian. The famous Carthusian footballer, 

 Mr. G. O. Smith, himself the hero of one of 



the finest innings ever played in the Univer- 

 sity match 132 in 1896 appeared in one 

 fixture scoring 89. 



Though not satisfactory, matters so far 

 improved in 1899 that Cambridgeshire were 

 defeated by 6 wickets, whilst four defeats 

 were registered. Again the weakness in 

 bowling was sadly apparent, such scores as 

 486, 434, 370, 361 and 280 being chronicled 

 against them. At Lakenham v. Norfolk Mr. 

 T. H. K. Dashwood scored a brilliant 151, 

 the largest innings made for the county, and 

 the three professionals, White, Golding and 

 Field, all played with consistent steadiness. 

 The Harrow fast bowler, Mr. E. G. McCor- 

 quodale, was of some service ; but Mr. D. J. 

 Cassavetti alone of the rest merits mention. 



Finally, in 1900, Hertfordshire again went 

 through a season without winning a match, 

 though ten men averaged over 20 with the 

 bat. All the amateurs were comparatively 

 unknown ; but Messrs. J. H. Kicking and 

 R. C. Grellet ought to be of future use. 

 The former learnt his cricket at Tettenhall 

 College and the latter at Bedford School. 

 Golding scored 170, the largest innings ever 

 made for the county, and obtained his runs 

 by free fearless play. This was against 

 Norfolk on July 1 7, when Mr. J. H. Hichin 

 also notched 124. Again the lack of 'sting' 

 lay in the bowling, for though Coleman and 

 White had fair figures, all the changes were 

 impotent, whilst the fielding was loose. 



In concluding the most exhaustive survey 

 of Hertfordshire county cricket ever compiled, 

 it cannot be summed up as encouraging or 

 remarkable. Taking the very best names 

 right down the five-and-twenty years a fair 

 side might be collected ; but as no regular team 

 has ever been placed in the field, consequently 

 no coalition between the members was ever 

 discernible. Whilst the batting was generally 

 steady, apart from a few individuals the lack 

 of energetic hitting was painfully apparent, 

 and the county has materially suffered from 

 never having retained a reliable wicket-keeper 

 possessing much experience. The bowling 

 has invariably lacked variety to such an 

 extent that the principal trundlers were never 

 afforded sufficient respite to do themselves 

 justice, whilst Titchmarsh did not fulfil the 

 early hopes entertained of him, for his attack 

 seemed to lose ' devil ' when he was on a 

 sound wicket. On the other hand the 

 county cricket has enjoyed no measure of 

 popular support, for even in 1900, when 

 there were 400 subscribing members, the 

 receipts from the gate-money for the whole 

 season were less than 19. If the con- 

 tention of Mr. J. P. Kingston is true that 



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