Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1890

Derbyshire County Cricket Club seasons
1890 season
Captain Fred Spofforth
Most runs Levi Wright
Most wickets George Davidson
Fred Spofforth as caricatured by Spy in Vanity Fair, July 1878

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1890 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing twenty years. Derbyshire's matches were not considered to be first class in this season. Derbyshire had recruited Fred Spofforth a former Australian captain to help revive the club's fortunes. Spofforth was successful off the field in uncovering irregularities that contributed to the financial difficulties that had bedevilled the club for many years.

1890 season

Derbyshire played fourteen games, winning seven and losing five. They played the same county teams as in previous years and also minor county Norfolk for the first time. They also played against MCC and the touring Australians. Fred Spofforth, known as the "Demon Bowler" had toured England with the Australians in 1886, and afterwards chose to live in Derbyshire. With the residential qualification met in 1890, Spofforth was able not only to play for Derbyshire but to captain the side.[1] Although the Demon Bowler took 9 for 56 against Leicestershire, it was George Davidson who took most wickets. Levi Wright was top scorer. Derbyshire did not have had a dedicated wicket-keeper during the season.

Matches

List of matches
No. Date V Result Margin Notes
1 26 May 1890[2] Essex
County Ground, Leyton
Won 8 runs Pickett 5-24 and 5-83; G Davidson 6-47 and 5-58
2 02 Jun 1890[3] Surrey
County Ground, Derby
Lost 28 runs G Davidson 6-36; Sharpe 5-65; W Sugg 5-44
3 16 Jun 1890[4] Leicestershire
Grace Road, Leicester
Won 7 wickets Joyce 5-85; GG Walker 7-53
4 30 Jun 1890[5] Australians
County Ground, Derby
Drawn Turner 6-16; FR Spofforth 6-42
5 06 Jul 1890[6] Yorkshire
County Ground, Derby
Won Innings and 25 runs G Davidson 5-69
6 14 Jul 1890[7] MCC
Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood
Lost Innings and 181 runs Davenport 158*; Shacklock 5-56
7 24 Jul 1890[8] Surrey
Kennington Oval
Lost Innings and 58 runs Key 137; LG Wright 122; S Malthouse 5-112; Sharpe 6-79
8 28 Jul 1890[9] Nottinghamshire
County Ground, Derby
Lost Innings and 71 runs Flowers 5-19
9 04 Aug 1890[10] Essex
County Ground, Derby
Lost 8 wickets Mead 6-?; GG Walker 6-?; Pickett 6-?
10 08 Aug 1890[11] Norfolk
County Ground, Lakenham
Won Innings and 60 runs F Evershed 111; Hoare 5-106; GG Walker 6-27
11 11 Aug 1890[12] Leicestershire
County Ground, Derby
Won 145 runs FR Spofforth 9-56 and 5-58
12 18 Aug 1890[13] Yorkshire
Bramall Lane, Sheffield
Won 52 runs GG Walker 5-66
13 25 Aug 1890[14] Norfolk
County Ground, Derby
Won Innings and 23 runs GG Walker 5-19; Morton 6-57; FR Spofforth 7-26
14 01 Sep 1890[15] Nottinghamshire
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Drawn GG Walker 6-82


Statistics

Batting averages

Name Matches Inns Runs High score Average 100s
W Chatterton 13 22 538 86 24.45 0
LG Wright 12 24 544 122 22.67 1
S Malthouse 9 16 348 74 21.75 0
H Bagshaw 5 9 1803520.00 0
F Evershed 7 11 207 111 18.82 1
G Davidson 14 24 448 58 18.67 0
W L Shipton 2 4 69 36 17.25 0
SH Evershed 12 19 289 57 15.21 0
W Sugg 13 21 295 58 14.05 0
W Hall 9 15 196 64 13.07 0
W Storer 12 19 207 51 10.89 0
C Evans 3 4 36 30 9.00 0
F R Spofforth 6 9 75 9 8.33 0
E Evershed 5 7 56 19 8.00 0
HC Mosby[16] 5 10 78 29 7.80 0
GG Walker 12 18 138 31 7.67 0
W S Eadie 3 5 35 19 7.00 0
G Porter 6 10 60 23 6.00 0
J Marshall 1 1 4 4 4.00 0
T Purdy[17] 1 2 5 4 2.50 0
J Marlow 1 2 4 2 2.00 0
JJ Disney 1 2 3 2 1.50 0

Bowling averages

Name Balls Runs Wickets BB Average
G Davidson 2952 1174 67 6-36 17.52
GG Walker 1611 650 55 7-53 11.82
FR Spofforth 1071 461 42 9-56 10.98
G Porter 920 359 21 4-78 17.10
W Sugg 447 226 13 5-44 17.38
S Malthouse 672 290 12 5-115 24.17
W Chatterton 485 235 8 4-34 29.38
HC Mosby 325 161 4 2-21 40.25
C Evans 125 62 1 1-22 62.00
W Hall 210 107 1 1-6 107.00
SH Evershed 10 7 0
LG Wright 15 17 0
H Bagshaw 90 32 0
J Marlow 115 43 0

Wicket Keeper

There does not appear to have been a regular wicket-keeper this season, and no wickets were taken by stumping.

Financial scandal

By 1890 Derbyshire County Cricket Club was found to be in deep financial crisis. Fred Spofforth played a key part in identifying a fraud that had been committed. The cricket club's losses amounted to £1000 and Derby County Football Club was also raided. In 1880 Samuel Richardson, the club's first captain had become an administrator of the club, and in 1884 the remit was extended to the associated Derby County Football Club. Richardson admitted his guilt, fled the country in disgrace and settled in Madrid. [18]

See also

References

External links