Page:VCH Hertfordshire 1.djvu/445

 SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 1883 W. Hearn played a three-figure innings of 109 against Suffolk, and in 1887 contri- buted 105 v. Northamptonshire, and 167 v. M.C.C. In 1877, Herts at Lord's on May 24, 25 played a capital match with the Maryle- bone Club, the visiting county winning by 25 runs ; but in the return match at Royston Heath in June the same year the tables were turned, M.C.C. being victors by 98, chiefly owing to the fine trundling of Rylott and Mycroft, who took 12 wickets for 60 runs. Titchmarsh claimed 6 for only 16. Mr. W. G. Grace took an eleven to Bishop Stortford in June of 1877, and tried conclusions against Herts, the home county suffering a severe defeat by 239 runs. Messrs. G. F. Grace, C. Pigg and W. R. Gilbert all reached the half century, and the last-named with the champion bowled unchanged. For the vanquished, John Hughes, aged fifty-two, took 7 wickets for 182, and W. Hearn made 47. The match with Essex at Hitchin the same year was marked by the clever trundling of Titchmarsh, who captured the whole of the wickets in the 1st innings of Essex for 33 runs, and five in the 2nd for 44, Herts being victorious by an innings and 64 runs. At Brentwood too in July Essex were met and again defeated, this time by 9 wickets. Herts had 165 runs to get to win in the 2nd innings. T. Pearce was first in, and carried his bat for 87, the runs being actually hit off by Pearce and Hearn for the loss of only one wicket. Bedfordshire too suffered defeat at the hands of Herts twice this year, the Bed- fordshire home match at Turvey Hove being won by 109 runs, while in the return played at Mr. W. Heathcote's seat, Shepalbury, near Stevenage, the victory was exactly 100 runs. Titchmarsh and the veteran Hughes bowled finely, the pair dismissing the visitors for 28 only in the ist innings, Titchmarsh claiming 6 wickets for 14 runs, while 'Old John' secured 4 for 8. The era of modern cricket dating from 1878, that date is convenient for a fresh estimate of the Hertfordshire side. The full team played nine matches, according to modern estimation of county fixtures. Vic- tories were obtained over Suffolk (by 244 runs) and Essex in home engagements, and with M.C.C. at Lord's. The returns with the two counties were unfinished, and the premier club won a small scoring game at Royston. A draw with Bedfordshire at Hitchin was followed by a very keen contest at Luton, which ended in terrible defeat, Hertfordshire being set 39 runs to win and being dismissed for 36. On first hands they had led by 1 08 runs, thanks to the batting of Mr. H. G. S. Hughes, who scored 99 out of 178 while in, and W. Hearn who made 75. Their second effort only lasted seventy minutes, T. C. Brown taking 5 wickets for 13 runs, catching the veteran J. Hughes off his own bowling at the close. An even draw with Somersetshire completed the programme, Mr. E. Sainsbury making 105 for the western county. The best recorded bowling for the county was v. Essex, when J. Hughes took 7 wickets for 9 runs, and in the season he captured 71 for n runs each. So little of a bat was he at the age of fifty-three, however, that in sixteen visits to the wicket his largest score was 6. Valentine Adolphus Titch- marsh, not yet a professional, took 53 wickets for 678 runs. Tom Pearce headed the bat- ting with an average of 28 for 462 aggregate, and that good cricketer William Hearn trod close on his heels, besides fielding better than any one else on the side. By this time Edwin Goodyear had dropped out of the team and was coach at Elstree. Of the amateurs the best and most reliable were Messrs. Charles and Herbert Pigg, who for years were the mainstay of Hertfordshire cricket. Mr. Charles Pigg never obtained his colours at Cambridge, but he was a useful slow round- arm bowler and a hard-hitting bat. So far as first-class cricket was concerned after this date, his only appearances were for M.C.C. v. Cambridge University, and his aggregate in various years was 183 with an average of i6'3, whilst his three wickets cost 83 runs. Mr. Herbert Pigg had a more prominent career. He had played for Cambridge v. Oxford in 1877, though with no success. But in first-class cricket he subsequently scored 248 runs with an average of 2O'8, his best innings being a fine 59 for South of England v. Australians at Hastings on September 17, 1886. On this occasion he took 8 wickets for 125, though severely punished by Messrs. J. M'llwraith and J. McCarthy Blackham. He had much to do with the formation of the Hastings Festival, and was chosen in the first Gentlemen v. Players ever contested in the district (September 16, 1899). On this occasion he had a large share in the remark- able victory by I wicket, for besides scoring 35 just when runs were badly wanted, he followed up his successful batting by some capital bowling, taking 7 wickets for 55 runs, though he derived some assistance from the state of the ground. His complete analysis from 1878 in first-class cricket was 28 wickets for 482 runs, averaging ij'6. He was a free firm-footed hitter and useful fast round-arm 375