Frank and Walter Sugg part 1.

posted by John Winn

As a postscript to a posting I made last week I gave a brief summary of the talents of Frank Sugg. He had come to my notice as the man who scored a century in the first county match played  at Northlands Road Southampton. A Derbyshire man, born in Ilkeston, he took the term all rounder to new heights for besides playing cricket for three counties, in itself unusual at that time,  he played professional football for five clubs, Derby County, The Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley and Everton,  and excelled at a whole range of other sports.

Such were his achievements he merited a full page in Wisden marking his death in 1933, aged 71. Following him in 'Deaths in 1933' is his brother Walter who had died a week earlier and who Wisden believed to be the better batsman. Whilst not as far as is known excelling at quite the same range of sports as younger brother Frank Walter also played professional football for three league clubs, was a scratch golfer and like Frank a top class billiards player. Although born in Derbyshire the family moved to Sheffield when they were young boys both started their cricket careers with Yorkshire but then switched to their native counties. They had a more middle class background than might be expected for their father was a solicitor and indeed both sons entered that profession without achieving full qualification.

Frank's record with Yorkshire was unimpressive for despite playing in fifteen matches in the 1883 season he scored only 50 runs at an average of ten. Surprisingly for such a strapping man Wisden attributed this poor form to ill health  Walter played only once for the white rose, a match against Kent at Park Avenue in 1881 when he was out for 9. After a two year gap and with the exception of season 1885 he played for Derbyshire continuously from 1884 to 1902 receiving a benefit in 1898 when Yorkshire came to Chesterfield and when Brown and Tunnicliffe added 554 for the first wicket. The beneficiary bowled five expensive and fruitless overs and recorded two modest scores. The proceeds of the match lined Walter's pockets to the tune of £340, worth over £50,000 at today's prices.

Back to Frank who in 1884 joined Derbyshire and for whom he played for the next three seasons and although not exceeding his 187 against Hants he twice finished second in the batting averages. In his history of Derbyshire cricket John Shawcross describes Frank as a 'fine aggressive player who excelled in leg-side hitting and powerful driving...….a poor starter he could turn the course of a match, particularly on a bad wicket.' He was also like his brother a brilliant fielder. Why he left Derbyshire is not clear but his football career gave him a residential qualification for Lancashire and beginning in 1887 he was regular until 1899 during which time he played in two tests and also against The Gentlemen. More of which next time.