June 3rd 1901

posted by John Winn

Today would have been my dad's birthday and the title of the posting is his date of birth. Noel Winn was a very keen cricketer who played until he was in his early fifties, captaining Haughton CC  and being a key figure in its  revival  after World War II. How pleased he would have been by their success in the Darlington and District league in recent years. The club still play where they played throughout the last century and here is a photograph of the team in the mid 20s. My dad is second from the left of the seated players and to his left his oldest brother Roland, captain at that time.

Looking back to 1901 the most significant event in British people's lives was the death of Queen Victoria who died on January 22nd. She was succeeded by her son Edward VII. Further afield the Second Boer War had entered its guerilla phase and still had a year to run. On June 3rd Cape Colony was invaded by 700 Boer troops who were repulsed after a nine hour battle. 

On the cricket field life proceeded as normal with the county championship going through what Stephen Chalke has described as 'a rare decade of stability' with no changes to the points system and fifteen counties competing for the championship. Northants were to be admitted in 1905, Glamorgan in 1921 and Durham in 1992. The number of matches played by each county varied significantly however, the places were decided on a percentage basis, with Lancashire playing 28, the most, and Warwickshire only 16. Abandoned matches were excluded from the table. 

From 27 matches Yorkshire collected 90% of the points available, runners up Middlesex 50%, which shows the overwhelming superiority of Yorkshire. They lost just one match, to Somerset, and that in such a sensational manner as to merit its own posting. Watch this space. On June 3rd the champions elect began a two day match against Hampshire at Bournemouth and on a pitch which assisted the bowlers the game was over in two days. Yorkshire batted first and thanks to a hundred for Mitchell scored 365 all out. With Rhodes taking seven wickets in the match that was enough to gain an innings victory

Elsewhere there was a run fest at Edgbaston with Warwickshire, largely thanks to a third wicket stand of 327 between Kinneir and Quaife recording 532 for 4. The stand between Kinneir and Quaife remains the record third wicket stand for Warwickshire. Quaife took five second innings wickets as Lancashire fell to an innings defeat which coming just a week after a heavy defeat by Yorkshire at Old Trafford severely damaged their championship hopes. 

Other county matches being played on June 3rd 1901 were at The Oval, Gravesend and Worcester. At the first of these Lockwood with seven second innings wickets gave Surrey victory over Somerset. In the runs for Gloucestershire at Gravesend was Sidney Kitcat but they were not enough to prevent his side losing an exciting game by 38 runs. Kitcat* was an occasional bowler and one can only speculate what his skipper said to him when he felt he needed a rest. 

At New Road Leicestershire were the visitors and a second innings 156 from their opener CJB Wood was the backbone of their victory by 70 runs. 

Wisden's editor Sydney H Pardon devotes almost his 'Notes by The Editor' to the issue of illegal bowling and in this he refers to the action of Arthur Mold to which I made reference in a posting at the end of April. In case you missed it you can judge for yourself the legality of Mold's action on YouTube. There were no test matches in 1901 but curiously given the state of the Boer war visitors from South Africa were touring this country. They played a series of mainly two day matches and Wisden declared the tour 'a decided success' .Rather nicely on June 3rd they were at Lord's taking on MCC and Ground, which XI included WG, Ranji and the renowned hitter Albert Trott, believed to be the only batsman to clear the pavilion at Lord's. Wisden reports that on this occasion he hit with 'characteristic vigour'. The bowling honours went to Walter Mead who took 8 wickets in the visitors second innings as they fell to a 53 run defeat. Their disappointment might have been softened by their dismissal of WG and Ranji for an aggregate of 45 in the match. 

* Whilst a schoolboy at Marlborough College and playing  in a school match, Sidney Kitcat was involved in an incident which led to a change in the laws of cricket and which made it illegal for a bowler to bowl consecutive others.