Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/450

428 For a long series of years one of the greatest supporters of Sussex cricket was the Earl of Sheffield, who became president of the club on the 30th of March 1879, and from that period Sussex has steadily but surely made a name in first-class cricket; and notwithstanding the vicissitudes and fluctuations of fortune, the county has reared exponents of the game who will ever have an honoured name among cricketers. In the year 1880 Mr R. T. Ellis, an old Brighton College boy, played splendidly for Sussex; while the following year Mr W. Newham, the Sussex secretary, played his first match. In 1884 the Sussex eleven had the honour of being captained by Mr Herbert Whitfeld of Lewes, the old Etonian, and member of the famous unvanquished eleven of Cambridge University of 1878. The celebrated Australian batsman, Mr W. L. Murdoch, mainly owing to the efforts of Lord Sheffield, qualified and played for Sussex in 1893, and quickly made his presence felt, his second not-out innings of 84 against Notts on the Trent Bridge ground being a fine display. Moreover, that year, by Mr Murdoch's keenness and energy, he completely put new life into the team, and Sussex cricket at the end of the season had vastly improved.

In 1895 I became qualified, and played my first match for Sussex v. M.C.C. at Lord's; and a most remarkable first match it was for me, contributing, as I did, 77 not out and 150. That year I scored as follows for Sussex:—



Last year I was even more successful, and for the. county I