A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



admirably, taking 297 wickets for 14 runs apiece, 

 out of a total of 376 wickets ; Watson having 

 entered into honourable retirement, Oakley, a 

 slow bowler with an easy action, was almost the 

 only change. Tinsley, yet another Yorkshireman 

 playing under residential qualification, showed 

 consistent form. Albert Ward was magnificent ; 

 and, with only two centuries, actually amassed 

 1,273 runs. Sugg dealt punishment to Sussex 

 in compiling 169. Against Yorkshire, Briggs 

 took eight for 19 at Leeds, and eleven for 60 

 at Manchester. For the North against the 

 Australians, Mr. McLaren and Ward put up 

 1 20 for first wicket in eighty minutes. 



During the winter Mr. McLaren had been 

 playing grand cricket in Australia, where, after 

 compiling 228 in the Victoria fixture, his 

 second match, he was recognized as one of our 

 finest bats. Returning he accepted a mastership 

 at Harrow, but in the middle of July he 

 amassed the record score of 484 against Somer- 

 setshire at Taunton, being nearly eight hours at 

 the wicket, and making 62 fours. Victories 

 were gained over both Yorkshire and Surrey, 

 whilst Mold, by taking 8 for 20 when he 

 had an injured hand, largely assisted in dis- 

 missing Notts for 35. In this year Tyldesley, 

 the most brilliant professional bat of modern 

 cricket, began his fine career. At the close of 

 the summer Mr. McLaren made three con- 

 secutive centuries, and Hallam showed promise 

 of being a useful bowler — a forecast fulfilled in 

 1896, when he took 58 wickets. Cuttell, an- 

 other Yorkshireman, appeared. Beginning first- 

 class cricket rather late, he proved extremely 

 clever with the ball and was a dangerous bat. 

 Mr. McLaren, who only came into the team 

 when the weather broke, scored 713 runs in 

 fifteen innings, while Sugg, hitting harder than 

 ever, made 220 against Gloucestershire, 150 

 against Leicestershire, no against Sussex, and 

 averaged 40. 



Lancashire obtained the coxeted championship 

 in 1897 thanks to Surrey's defeat at Taunton. 

 All through the year the northern side showed 

 admirable consistence, and when Mold was in- 

 jured, Cuttell bowled splendidly. The county's 

 performance was sixteen victories against three 

 defeats. With a quartet of bowlers — Briggs, 

 Hallam, Cuttell, and Mold — and such fine batting 

 as was shown by Mr. McLaren, Albert Ward, 

 Baker, and Tyldesley, the side had a great 

 nucleus. Tyldesley, in Pallett's benefit match, 

 achieved the then rare distinction of getting two 

 separate hundreds, previously only accomplished 

 by Dr. W. G. Grace, K. S. Ranjitsinhji, Mr. 

 McLaren, Mr. Stoddart, Mr. Brann, and 

 Storer. Smith, who had kept wicket safely and 

 batted well for years, found, when hurt, a 

 clever substitute in RadclifFe. 



From the first to sixth place was the serious 

 decline of Lancashire in 1898. With Hallam 



too ill to play and the other bowlers compara- 

 tively ineffectual, whilst rain interfered with all 

 the home fixtures, the reason of the decline is 

 not difficult to ascertain. The bright spot was 

 the batting of Tyldesley, who ten times exceeded 

 50, twice exceeded 90, and wound up his 

 season by making 200 against Derbyshire. 

 Ward was a model of patience and Cuttell's 

 batting improved at the expense of his bowling. 

 Misfortunes multiplied in 1899, for Briggs dur- 

 ing a Test Match suffered a seizure. Moreover, 

 it was not possible to obtain a regular captain, 

 and no less than four officiated in an unfortunate 

 year. Mr. R. H. Spooner, who had scored 

 69 and 198 for Marlborough against Rugby 

 and 158 against Surrey 2nd XI (then notoriously 

 strong), showed brilliant promise, but business 

 prevented him from playing often. Sharp 

 as a useful fast bowler and plucky bat made a 

 good impression, while Webb, who had qualified 

 from Middlesex, took some wickets. Tyldesley, 

 after making 56 and 42 against the Australians 

 when no other Lancastrian could get a dozen 

 runs, "was chosen in two Test Matches. He 

 rattled up 249 in the Leicestershire match. 

 Mr. J. L. Ainsworth, a slow bowler, received a 

 trial because he had taken 75 wickets for 6 runs 

 each for the English team in America in the 

 previous September. 



After a big bid for first place, Lancashire had 

 to be content with second in 1900 ; but fine 

 cricket was shown. Briggs reappeared with 

 marked success, and Hallam also returned to the 

 field, so there really were five excellent bowlers, 

 and, except when Surrey hit them for 463 and 

 Kent for 420, the bowling was never collared. 

 To praise the work of Ward, Mr. McLaren, 

 and Tyldesley would be superfluous ; and against 

 Leicestershire the captain scored 145 in two hours. 

 Mr. C. R. Hartley enormously improved and 

 ran into four figures with three centuries to his 

 credit. The no-balling of Mold by James 

 Phillips created a great stir. Several other 

 bowlers were promply penalized, and the fairness 

 of cricket was thereby enormously improved. 



Lancashire had not such a good result to show 

 in 1 90 1, and three defeats before the end of June 

 put them out of the running for the champion- 

 ship. The reasons for the falling-off were easy 

 to discover. James Phillips had again no-balled 

 Mold, who subsequently did little work ; Cuttell 

 broke a bone in his hand, and a recurrence of his old 

 illness finally dismissed Johnny Briggs from the 

 side. Sharp filled the gap, and Mr. E. E. Steel's 

 slow bowling was effective, but Sidney Webb 

 fielded clumsily if he bowled well. Tyldesley 

 showed the glorious average of 60 for 2,605 

 runs, among his great scores being 221 in the 

 Notts match, 119 against Somerset, 170 against 

 Middlesex, 161 in the fixture with Notts, 158 

 against Derbyshire, and 149 against Surrey, while 

 in the Gentlemen and Players match at Lord's 



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