1885 English cricket season
1885 was the 99th season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It was the third in succession in which Nottinghamshire was proclaimed the champion county.
Champion County[edit]
Playing record (by county)[edit]
| County | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Gloucestershire | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
| Hampshire | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Kent | 11[b] | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Lancashire | 11[b] | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Middlesex | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Nottinghamshire | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Somerset | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Surrey | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 |
| Sussex | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| Yorkshire | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
Leading batsmen (qualification 20 innings)[edit]
| 1885 English season[2] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Team | Matches | Innings | Not outs | Runs | Highest score | Average | 100s | 50s |
| Arthur Shrewsbury | Nottinghamshire | 16 | 24 | 4 | 1130 | 224 not out | 56.50 | 4 | 3 |
| Walter Read | Surrey | 27 | 42 | 0 | 1880 | 163 | 44.76 | 6 | 9 |
| WG Grace | Gloucestershire | 25 | 42 | 3 | 1688 | 221 not out | 43.28 | 4 | 10 |
| William Gunn | Nottinghamshire MCC |
27 | 43 | 3 | 1451 | 203 | 36.27 | 1 | 9 |
| Maurice Read | Surrey | 24 | 35 | 2 | 1137 | 186 not out | 34.45 | 1 | 6 |
Leading bowlers (qualification 1,000 balls)[edit]
| 1885 English season[3] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Team | Balls bowled | Runs conceded | Wickets taken | Average | Best bowling | 5 wickets in innings |
10 wickets in match |
| Johnny Briggs | Lancashire | 2596 | 921 | 67 | 13.74 | 9/29 | 8 | 2 |
| William Attewell | Nottinghamshire MCC |
5204 | 1218 | 87 | 14.00 | 6/27 | 6 | 1 |
| George Lohmann | Surrey | 5069 | 2037 | 142 | 14.34 | 8/18 | 9 | 3 |
| Alec Hearne | Kent | 2574 | 928 | 64 | 14.50 | 8/35 | 4 | 1 |
| William Roller | Surrey | 1666 | 537 | 37 | 14.51 | 5/34 | 1 | 0 |
Notable events[edit]
- 1 June – Kent captain Lord Harris writes a letter to Lancashire concerning the "unfair" bowling of Nash and Crossland and decides not to play Lancashire unless they refrain from employing those two bowlers – the refusal is maintained even when the pair drop out.[4]
- On 17 July, Johnny Briggs and Dick Pilling playing for Lancashire against Surrey set a record stand for the tenth wicket of 173, which stands until 1899.[5]
Notes[edit]
a An unofficial seasonal title sometimes proclaimed by consensus of media and historians prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship was constituted. Although there are ante-dated claims prior to 1873, when residence qualifications were introduced, it is only since that ruling that any quasi-official status can be ascribed.
b The return match between Kent and Lancashire was cancelled because Lord Harris objected to the bowling of two Lancashire players
References[edit]
- ^ Wynne-Thomas, Peter; The Rigby A-Z of Cricket Records; p. 54 ISBN 072701868X
- ^ First Class Batting in England in 1885
- ^ First Class Bowling in England in 1885
- ^ Green, Benney; Wisden Anthology 1864-1900; pp. 333-338; ISBN 978-0-354-08555-7
- ^ Webber, Roy; The Playfair Book of Cricket Records; p. 127. Published 1951 by Playfair Books.
Annual reviews[edit]
- James Lillywhite’s Cricketers’ Annual (Red Lilly), Lillywhite, 1886
- John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack 1886