Nearly 200 for Ted – in just ninety minutes
A little-known batsman outshone WG Grace when the cricketing legend came to Wolverhampton in 1911.
Ted Alletson scored a boundary-laden century for GL Jessop’s XI when they beat H D Stratton’s
by 26 runs at Danescourt, Tettenhall.
We published a photo of the teams in the Bugle (July 14)
Alletson’s 118 in the second innings on the second day of the game included four sixes and 18 fours. But the large crowd would not have been too surprised by his big hitting.
Greatest
A run-of-the mill fast bowler for Nottinghamshire, Alletson had played one of cricket’s greatest innings in May of that year. His 189 for Notts against Sussex at Hove lasted just 90 minutes and in 40 minutes after lunch he hit 142.
Batting at number nine, he also scored 142 out of a last-wicket stand of 152.
Many years later, famous cricket writer and broadcaster John Arlott wrote a book about it – Alletson’s Innings.
On the first day of the two-day game at Danescourt it was estimated there was a record attendance for the ground of between 2,500 and 2,800. The onlookers no doubt wanted to see who this man Alletson was, as well as getting an unexpected glimpse of WG who by then was 63.
Outshone
There was the added attraction of Test batsman Gilbert Jessop who was famous for his quick scoring. Even he was outshone by Alletson, though he did score 20 off one over.
The first day (Thursday, July 20) saw Jessop’s XI all out for 318 and Stratton’s XI were 193-8 at the close. They were soon all out for 235 the following morning when left-arm spinner George Dennett took his seventh wicket.
With the aid of Alletson’s whirlwind innings, Jessop declared at 257-7 setting a win target of 341. The side assembled by Henry Stratton, a Staffs Minor Counties player for many years, gave the run chase a good go but ended just short despite 95 from Leicestershire’s William Odell who had been dismissed for a duck the day before.
It was rich entertainment for the second-day crowd which one report put at 3,000.A total of 613 runs were scored.
Unlike Alletson, Dennett had been a talented bowler for many seasons. He once took 15 wickets in a Gloucestershire match – against Worcestershire at Cheltenham in 1906. He then took all 10 Essex wickets at a cost of 40 runs at Bristol in the same year.
Stratton, Wolverhampton’s skipper, had announced earlier in the year that he could no longer commit himself to captaining Staffordshire, having led the county side for nine years. He also gave up the leadership of his club side.
Jessop, who captained Gloucestershire, had taken a strong side to face Stratton’s team, and it was without doubt a great moment in the history of Wolverhampton Cricket Club. It was also a great tribute to Stratton, a former Wolverhampton Grammar School boy.
It was one of the last opportunities for people to see a legend of cricket. Within four years Grace was dead. He suffered a heart attack in 1915.
Details of the four innings are here but there is no record of the bowling analyses nor fall of wickets.
Jessop’s XI First innings
WG Grace: c Beddows b Bayliss 11
Charlesworth: lbw b Odell 11 Alletson: b Hands 51 Dennett: b Odell 0 GL Jessop: c Odell b Grimshaw 49 C Blewitt: b Hands 45 CB Grace: b Grimshaw 47
JA Healing: c Page b Odell 22
Rev EM Baker: c Crawford b Odell 36 P Healing: not out 21 Sir Cecil Moon: b Odell 4 Extras 21 Total 318
Stratton’s XI First innings
H Hextall: c CB Grace b Dennett 32
Grimshaw: c Healing b Alletson 33
EW Page: c Alletson b Charlesworth 34
HD Stratton: b Charlesworth 25
WC Hands: st Baker b Dennett 1
W W Odell: c Alletson b Dennett 0
AC Finnis: c and b Dennett 0
AB Crawford: c W G Grace b Dennett 14
WJ Beddows: c Charlesworth b Dennett 33
NJ Hodgkinson: c Baker b Dennett 33 PS Bayliss: not out 0 Extras 30 Total 235
Jessop’s XI Second innings
WG Grace: c Bayliss b Odell 15
Charlesworth: c Grimshaw b Odell 14
Jessop: c Finnis b Odell 30
Alletson: b Grimshaw 118
CB Grace: b Crawford 13
CP Blewitt: c Odell b Grimshaw 37
P Healing: c Beddows b Odell 14 JA Healing: not out 5 Extras 11 Total (for seven dec) 257
Stratton’s XI Second innings
H Hextall: b WG Grace 10
Grimshaw: b Charlesworth 9
HD Stratton: b Charlesworth 3
EW Page: c Alletson b W G Grace 6
WC Hands: c sub b Dennett 35
WW Odell: st sub b Dennett 95
AB Crawford: Charlesworth 42
AC Finnis: c Jessop b Dennett 52
WJ Beddows: Charlesworth 12
NJ Hodgkinson: not out 23 PS Bayliss: b Jessop 0 Extras 27 Total 314