The Committee’s Report
Your Committee begs to present it’s Annual Report and Balance Sheet for 1927.
The Season will be remembered in Nottinghamshire as a year of tantalizing ill-fortune. Before the last match commenced the championship appeared nearly as good as won but the unexpected happened and Notts. finished second to Lancashire – 2 places higher than in 1926.
The accident to Larwood, which deprived us of his bowling after the Trial Match as Bristol in July must be held, in some degree, responsible for the team’s failure to reach the first place.
The season began and ended badly for us – our first home match (with Essex) lost on the first innings, resulted in a draw greatly in favor of our visitors. The final match at Swansea is historic, and the luck was against us from the start. Of 28 County Matches played, 12 were won, 3 lost and 12 drawn; 1 no result.
Whysall finished at the head of the County batsmen with an average of 47.16, while the two veterans of the team, Payton and George Gunn, came next with figures of 42.69 and 38.26 respectively, and Walker again scored over a thousand runs. Altogether five of the team scored one or more centuries – Whysall 5, George Gunn and Payton each 3, Walker 2 and Flint 1. Mr Carr was, personally, out of form and illness kept him out of the side until the end of the season. Still his captaincy was of great value to the team and his keenness in the field was as notable as ever.
In Bowling Notts. was very strong. Larwood up to July capturing 100 wickets at a cost of 16 runs per wicket; Barratt 75 and Staples (A) were useful on occasions both in batting and bowling. Lilley kept wicket very well, though an injury to a finger interfered greatly with his batting as well as with his keeping. This has been remedied. The fielding of the team was not up to its usual high standard, though Staples (S) in the slips and at short leg was again a brilliant exception.
In the Minor Counties Competition Notts. finished 2nd and came very near to winning the Championship – Staffordshire beating them in a deciding game. The side, capably led by Mr. Lionel Kirk, has improved greatly on last season’s performance. Shipston, Keeton and Gunn (G. V.) all having averages of over 30. Shipston made a century against Lancashire 2nd at Hucknall. The bowling honours were carried off by Matthews, Voce and G. F. H. Heane who also showed good form in batting. But the feature of the team’s work was its fielding which was smart and clean, the catching was very good indeed. Copley and Harris especially excelling, while Wheat kept wicket even better than in 1926.
The outlook for 1928 is full of promise. The Club is well equipped in all departments of the game and the 2nd XI has several players who are worthy of a trial in the senior team. Mention must be made here of the well-deserved honour done to S. Staples in being invited to join in the M. C. C. team touring in South Africa during the winter. He has thoroughly justified his selection and his inclusion will please all the supporters of the Club. In 1928, all the Counties will be met for the first time in the history of the Club, and our Committee will welcome the Somerset XI to Trent Bridge, the first time for 34 years.
No team plays the game in a more sporting spirit.
The financial statement shows a loss on the Season’s working of £128 18s. 9d. The Membership – 4331 – is a record for any year (other than a Test Match one). The County Matches Receipts were £5,530 16s. 4d. an increase of £41 16s. 11d. over 1926. This, in spite of the fact that wet weather greatly interfered with the takings of several leading matches. The match expenses for first-class fixtures amount to £5,506 15s. 9d., as compared with £5,623 19s. 8d. last year. The above figures do not include Notts. v. New Zealanders – the receipts being £94 17s. 4d. and expenses of £270 6s. 10d.- the match being unfinished owing to rain. It should be pointed out that 276 Subscriptions, representing £439 19s. 6d. had not been paid up to 31st December – a sum which would have converted a loss on the year into a moderate profit.
The question of unpaid Subscriptions is a continual problem and your committee are considering what action an be taken to mitigate it.
Richmond’s Benefit, for which the Yorkshire Match was set apart by your Committee, was most successful. The takings were £997 12s. 6d. Including amounts received from Subscriptions and other sources, the net yield of the Benefit is £1,126 7s. 6d, which is a record for Nottinghamshire.
Fred Barratt has been granted a Benefit this season, and your Committee has at his request set apart the Lancashire Match for this purpose. For many seasons Barratt has served his County faithfully and deserves a bumper benefit.
In connection with the accident to Harold Larwood, your Committee, in consultation with Mr. R. G. Hogarth, had his knee examined by Sir Robert Jones in Liverpool, who in December operated and removed the displaced cartilage. Larwood is making good progress and we all hope that in 1928 he will help carry Notts. to the top of the Championship Table.
Since the issue of the last Report, your Committee regrets to record the death of William (Dick) Attewell. He had been in bad health for several years and died at Long Eaton on 11th June, 1927. His passing marks the loss of a very great bowler who loved the game. He takes his place in the forefront of Nottinghamshire Cricketers, and his name was a household word in English Cricket, ranking with Shaw and Morely, Gunn and Shrewsbury, Barnes and Flowers.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, 17th January, in the absence of Lord Belper (the President) the new Practice Hall at Trent Bridge was officially declared open by Mr. J. A. Dixon. The old building, whose roof and floor had become unsafe, was demolished and a very fine new Practice Hall has been built in its place. The cost amounts to about £1,700, and half this sum has been generously contributed by Mr. Julien Cahn. This improvement, long projected by your Committee, will enable Coaching and Practice to take place during the winter and spring. Electric Lighting, of an up-to-date nature, has been installed and the Club is thus thoroughly equipped for indoor practice.
Lord Belper, President of the Club, has made the generous donation of £100.
By order of the Committee.
G. O. GAULD, Hon. Secretary.