1927 Extract from the minutes of a committee meeting
A letter was received from Vernon Murdin of the County Cricket Club asking for subscriptions to be made to his testamonial on the card enclosed. This was left until the first match when the card would be hung on the Pavilion door and R.Abbott ondertook to take same round the field on the day.
This is the first mention in the club records with regards to County players benefits and testamonials.
The following extract from the ET is thanks to Andy Radd......In a sensational match Northants against Surrey in August 1920, Surrey ( the Brown Hatters ) gained an eight-wicket victory - no surprise given the relative strengths of the two counties at that time but Northamptonshire gave a magnificent account of themselves in a contest that still figures in the record books 92 years on.
The County scored 306 in their first innings mainly thanks to a strong 128 from `Fanny` Walden, and just before the close of the first day`s play, Vernon Murdin claimed the most highly prized wicket in the English game - Jack Hobbs caught behind for 3 by Ben Bellamy to make it an all-round Wollaston dismissal.
`The Master` was obliged to watch from the pavilion next day as Surrey went mad as
Peach and Ducat came together to add 288 for the fifth wicket - and then came their long serving captain, Percy Fender. `Percy George` raced to a century in just 35 minutes, facing between 40 and 46 balls according to staticians who`ve tried to reconstruct the innings from a scoresheet that suggests the notchers ( not unreasonably) were struggling to keep up !!!
Fender`s unbeaten 113 included 5 sixes and 16 fours and Surrey declared on 619-5 with Northamptonshire ending the day on 59-2 in their second innings. That meant a staggering 666 runs scored on that memorable Thursday and the final day saw nearly 500 more go in the book as the County put up a gallant if unavailing fight to avoid defeat.
nb - Murdin did not appear in the County XI that played at Raunds in 1922 to celebrate the opening of Raund`s new ground but fellow Wollastonian Ben Bellamy did and he returned to Raunds 50 years later in 1972 to watch a golden jubilee celebration match
A letter was received from Vernon Murdin of the County Cricket Club asking for subscriptions to be made to his testamonial on the card enclosed. This was left until the first match when the card would be hung on the Pavilion door and R.Abbott ondertook to take same round the field on the day.
This is the first mention in the club records with regards to County players benefits and testamonials.
The following extract from the ET is thanks to Andy Radd......In a sensational match Northants against Surrey in August 1920, Surrey ( the Brown Hatters ) gained an eight-wicket victory - no surprise given the relative strengths of the two counties at that time but Northamptonshire gave a magnificent account of themselves in a contest that still figures in the record books 92 years on.
The County scored 306 in their first innings mainly thanks to a strong 128 from `Fanny` Walden, and just before the close of the first day`s play, Vernon Murdin claimed the most highly prized wicket in the English game - Jack Hobbs caught behind for 3 by Ben Bellamy to make it an all-round Wollaston dismissal.
`The Master` was obliged to watch from the pavilion next day as Surrey went mad as
Peach and Ducat came together to add 288 for the fifth wicket - and then came their long serving captain, Percy Fender. `Percy George` raced to a century in just 35 minutes, facing between 40 and 46 balls according to staticians who`ve tried to reconstruct the innings from a scoresheet that suggests the notchers ( not unreasonably) were struggling to keep up !!!
Fender`s unbeaten 113 included 5 sixes and 16 fours and Surrey declared on 619-5 with Northamptonshire ending the day on 59-2 in their second innings. That meant a staggering 666 runs scored on that memorable Thursday and the final day saw nearly 500 more go in the book as the County put up a gallant if unavailing fight to avoid defeat.
nb - Murdin did not appear in the County XI that played at Raunds in 1922 to celebrate the opening of Raund`s new ground but fellow Wollastonian Ben Bellamy did and he returned to Raunds 50 years later in 1972 to watch a golden jubilee celebration match