Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1890

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.

Derbyshire County Cricket Club seasons

1890 season
Captain	Fred Spofforth
Most runs	Levi Wright
Most wickets	George Davidson
← 1889 1891 →

Fred Spofforth as caricatured by Spy in Vanity Fair, July 1878

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	180	35	20.00	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

• Derbyshire County Cricket Club seasons
• 1890 English cricket season

References

1. W.T. Taylor History of Derbyshire cricket Wisden 1953
2. Cricket Archive - Essex v Derbyshire 26 May 1890
3. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Surrey 02 Jun 1890
4. Cricket Archive - Leicestershire v Derbyshire 16 Jun 1890
5. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Australians 30 Jun 1890
6. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Yorkshire 06 Jul 1890
7. Cricket Archive - Marylebone Cricket Club v Derbyshire 14 Jul 1890
8. Cricket Archive - Surrey v Derbyshire 24 Jul 1890
9. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire 28 Jul 1890
10. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Essex 04 Aug 1890
11. Cricket Archive - Norfolk v Derbyshire 08 Aug 1890
12. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Leicestershire 11 Aug 1890
13. Cricket Archive - Yorkshire v Derbyshire 18 Aug 1890
14. Cricket Archive - Derbyshire v Norfolk 25 Aug 1890
15. Cricket Archive - Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire 01 Sep 1890
16. Herbert Mosby at Cricket Archive
17. Thomas Purdy at Cricket Archive
18. Bygone Derbyshire - Sam Richardson Derbyshire Cricket's Man of Mystery