The Committee’s Report
The Committee present their Annual Report and Balance Sheet for 1930.
The County fell from the position of Champion County to 4th place. Of 28 First-class County Matches played, 9 were won, 1 lost and 18 drawn. The matches v. Oxford University and the Australians were also drawn. Our batting owed very much to Whysall. He was the backbone of the team: scoring over 2,000 runs for the fifth year in succession, including 8 centuries – four in consecutive innings, including two centuries in one match and made his record score of 248 v. Northants – finishing the season with an average of over 51. He was well supported by George Gunn and Walker who each scored over 1,000 runs while Payton with fewer opportunities missed that distinction by a single run. On the whole the batting was disappointing while the bowling was below expectation. For the first time in many years no Notts. bowler took 100 wickets, though Larwood, Staples S. J. and Voce had good performances to their credit.
The fielding was lacking in speed though Mr. Carr, Whysall, the brothers Staples, Voce and Larwood excelled and Lilley did his trying job extremely well. Of the younger players, S. D. Rhodes and Hardstaff showed great promise while Robinson, a tall left-hand bowler with a good action will justify further trial.
Mr. Carr had not quite so good a season as usual but scored a useful century against Worcester when runs were badly wanted. Your Committee has again invited Mr. Carr to lead the side in 1931, and he has consented to do so.
The 2nd Eleven also had a disappointing season. They lost once to Yorkshire, Lancashire and Staffordshire and beat Denbighshire twice. Of the young amateurs, H. R. Cox batted well as did Gunn G. V., Shipston, and Hardstaff, while Robinson and Reddish bowled well on some occasions.
A team of Notts. Public Schoolboys played 5 matches during the season against Leicester and Lincoln Public School Elevens, Sir Julien Cahn’s Eleven, Notts. Amateurs and the Club and Ground side. The team was captained by H. R. Cox, who played for the County in 2 matches. In 1931 these matches will be repeated, and the Public Schoolboys of Warwickshire will also be met.
In November, the County and England sustained an irreparable loss when Whysall died from blood-poisoning following a simple accident. Much has been well written of what his loss means to Nottinghamshire and English cricket, and his place will be difficult to fill. He had established himself as a foremost and reliable opening batsman with a very sound defense and great punishing powers. He has made history in scoring over 2,000 runs in five consecutive seasons. As a fielder he was safe in any positions, and in the slips he had few superiors. To Mrs. Whysall and her children goes out the sympathy of all cricket lovers in Nottinghamshire, and throughout the world wherever cricket is played.
Your Committee have set apart the Kent Match for the benefit of the widow and children. The total takings at the gates will be devoted to this purpose and it is hoped that this will be an outstanding success, and that the response in subscriptions will be worthy of the memory of this very great cricketer. Sir Julien Cahn has kindly promised to give in addition the whole of the gate money taken at the match between his team and New Zealand which will take place on his Loughborough Rd. Ground on Sept. 14th and 15th next. It has been decided to place a suitable monument over the grave at Mansfield Cemetery. The cost is being contributed by the President, Members of the Committee of the Club, and by past and present members of the County Eleven who played with Whysall.
Your Committee record with deep regret the death, in the early part of October, 1930, of Mr E. F. Heane, of Worksop. From the outset he was the member of the Committee who represented the Bassetlaw Parliamentary Division and always evinced the utmost interest in and did excellent work for the Club. He was the father of Mr. G. F. H. Heane who played for the 2nd Eleven and also for the County on one or two occasions.
Payton’s Complimentary Benefit. It is a matter for extreme regret that proceeds of the match v. Derbyshire were insufficient to meet expenses. In such circumstances it is satisfactory that the sum yielded from voluntary subscriptions, and collections on the ground and elsewhere, amounts to £700 11s. 0d. (with Bank Interest). This has been made up to £800 by a contribution from the Club. Valuable help and co-operation in achieving this result was given by a special Benefit Committee of which Lord Belper was chairman, and Mr. J. Webster, of the Notts. Cricket Association, Secretary. Seeing that Payton’s benefit in 1921 amounted to £825 5s. 8d. he will have received £1,625 5s. 8d. as some reward for his long and distinguished services to the County.
On June 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th the first of the Test Matches was played at Trent Bridge. From every point of view the match was a success. There was a very exciting game and England won. The attendance was more than satisfactory and the spectators could watch the game in comfort in all parts of the ground. The efforts of your Committee to make the ground in all respects worthy of international cricket has justified the expenditure incurred and has received the highest praise in all quarters. Except Lords there is now no better equipped ground in the country. The gate receipts amounted to £12,352 12s. 6d., and there were 66,640 spectators, including members, during the four days. Larwood had the honour of playing for England in the Test Matches at Trent Bridge, Leeds and the Oval, while he was selected to play in the match at Lords, but did not play as he was considered unfit on the morning of the match. Whysall had the honour of playing in the last Test Match at the Oval. Members of the Club will be gratified by the selection of Voce as a member of the M. C. C. side to tour South Africa.
The Revenue Account shows an excess of expenditure over income for the year of £1,023 11s. 11d. The financial results of the Australian visit were most satisfactory - £3,428 was received from Headquarters as our share of the Test Matches. At the match Notts. v. Australians, £1,792 was taken at the gates. Gate Receipts in County Matches resulted in heavy loss as compared with the five previous years, the falling-off being 27 per cent. of the average for these years. The total takings for 15 Home County Matches was only £4,025 (of which £1,557 was for the Surrey Match), as compared with £5,386 for 16 matches in 1929: while the fixtures with Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire only produced £672 as compared with £1,891 in 1929.
As was anticipated, Members’ Subscriptions show a substantial increase as compared with 1929 when 3994 members paid £6,832 against £8,182 fro 5,062 members in 1930, an increase of £1,349. In 1926, the year of the last Australian visit, 4962 members paid £8,398 in subscriptions.
G. O. GAULD, Hon. Secretary.