SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



CRICKET 



Few counties possess a finer record in cricket 

 than Lancashire, and no other county has more con- 

 sistently engaged the attention of the community. 

 The characteristic of the team has always been 

 keen cricket — too keen was the stricture at one 

 time passed on the side, when the action of cer- 

 tain bowlers came in for invidious criticism. No 

 other county has, however, benefited so much 

 from the system of qualification ; among the more 

 notable of those whose services have been thus 

 obtained being Mr. L. O. S. Poidevin and Ker- 

 mode from Australia, Paul from Ireland, while 

 Baker, Barnes, Briggs, Crossland, Cuttell, Hal- 

 lam, Mclntyre, Mold, Nash, Oakley, Pilling, 

 Robinson, Tinsley, Albert Ward, Frank Ward, 

 Watson, and Webb are immigrants from other 

 counties. This is in marked contrast to the rule 

 of Yorkshire and Notts, which for the last fifteen 

 years have only played cricketers born within their 

 ample area. 



The Lancashire County Club, formed in 1864, 

 was the direct outcome of the Manchester Club, 

 which possesses a fine historical record. To this 

 day Lancashire county cricket is mainly connected 

 with that city, for though a couple of matches 

 are played at Liverpool, it is always felt that the 

 head quarters are at Old TrafFord, where a very 

 large ground-staff and a finely appointed ground 

 are maintained. 



The only county fixtures of 1865 were out 

 and home engagements with Middlesex, the latter 

 fixture being won by 62 runs, after each side had 

 tied on the first innings with the then large total 

 of 243. Mr. V. E. Walker with his lobs claimed 

 all ten wickets for 104, whilst Mr. A. B. Rowley 

 compiled 60. At Islington a reverse was sus- 

 tained by ten wickets. Middlesex was again 

 opposed in 1866, Coward scoring 85 in the first 

 match and 52 in the return, when Mr. A. B. 

 Rowley contributed 63 not out. It was ten years 

 before these sides again met. At the Oval the 

 then prodigious aggregate of 938 for 28 wickets 

 was obtained. After Jupp had been six hours 

 at the wicket for 165 runs, R. Iddison responded 

 with 49 and 106 and Holgate with 52 and 65. 

 The return was played at Edge Hill, Wavertree, 

 Liverpool, and in this match Mr. A. Appleby, a 

 fine fast round left-handed bowler, made his first 

 appearance. Chosen for the Gentlemen in the 

 following year he was the first Lancastrian in- 

 vited to play in a fixture of the first importance. 



In 1867, when Lancashire first appeared at 

 Lord's, no one in the team except Coward had 

 ever played on the ground, and Wootton, Grundy, 

 and Shaw were far too good for the opposing 

 bats. Again there was made at the Oval the huge 

 score of 969 for 27 wickets. I. Ricketts on his 

 first appearance for Lancashire scored 195 not out. 



the biggest innings ever compiled at a county 

 d'ebut. Mr. E. B. Rowley, the county captain, who 

 died in February 1905, was responsible for 78. 



The aggregate of the return match was 794 for 

 38 wickets, R. Iddison making 71 and 64 not out, 

 whilst Tom Humphrey for the visitors scored 56 

 and 144. There were three matches against 

 Yorkshire, in one of which L. Greenwood and 

 Freeman bowled unchanged. A Harrovian aged 

 twenty scored 2 and 3. This was Mr. A. N. 

 Hornby, the most famous amateur who ever 

 played for Lancashire. He was a magnificently 

 forcing bat, gifted with tremendous hitting powers 

 as well as exceptional impetuosity between the 

 wickets, a superb field, a wonderful judge of the 

 game, a splendid captain, and the most cheery of 

 cricketers. 



At the first meeting with Notts in 1868, Daft 

 scored 96 and Wootton claimed ten wickets for 

 96 runs against Lancashire. Our county in the 

 second match needed only 69, but were dismissed 

 for 53, Alfred Shaw claiming 6 for 27. At Man- 

 chester Iddison and Hickton sent back Surrey for 

 42, but at Leeds Lancashire could only get 30 

 and 34, Emmett and Freeman carrying every- 

 thing before them. In those days the ball gene- 

 rally beat the bat. At Lord's in 1869, when 

 Lancashire against M.C.C. and Ground lost by 

 two wickets, no one made more than 21 in an 

 innings, Mr. Appleby and Hickton being un- 

 changed. The amateur also claimed 8 for 68 

 in the match against Surrey. Against Sussex 

 the Rev. F. W. Wright compiled 120 not out. 



The programme of 1870 was restricted, 

 Hampshire and Surrey being the only counties 

 that Lancashire met. Surrey was beaten by 

 eight wickets at Manchester in a match that only 

 lasted ten hours. Against Hampshire Mr. 

 A. N. Hornby made his first score of three 

 figures, and Hickton, a fast straight bowler, 

 took all ten wickets in the second innings for 

 46. 



In 1 87 1 Lancashire were all out for 25 

 at Derby. Against Kent at Gravesend the 

 County Palatine, for the only time yet re- 

 corded, was represented by eleven professionals. 

 At Sheffield, when Mr. Appleby accumulated 

 99, by far his largest score. Barlow made 

 a first appearance, scoring 28 not out. He 

 was one of the best all-round professionals 

 of any period ; an extraordinarily steady bat, 

 an excellent point, and a capital medium-paced 

 left-handed bowler, though there was at first 

 little need for his skill with the ball. Only 

 three bowlers were put on by Lancashire in 

 their four matches of 1872, and forty wickets 

 were obtained for 236 runs. Mr. Appleby was 

 now supported by Watson, an excellent slow 



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