Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 28 July 1893

Albert Smith’s Benefit Match

The Bury Times of last week contained the following:—Albert Smith, one of the groundsmen of the Bury Cricket Club, who had a benefit match on Saturday last, when Haslingden paid a visit to Ruckley-wells in a Lancashire League fixture, has during the past four seasons done good service for the club which first called him to professionalism.

Born at Mexborough, 1865, he at a very early age exhibited a liking for cricket, showing much prowess on behalf of the National School Club that when about 17 years of age he was called upon to represent his native town. He was at that time a much faster bowler than he now is, with a good deal less—in fact little if any—“break.” Indeed it is only during the last few seasons that he adopted the slower method combined with the pronounced “break” which frequently nonplusses the opposing batsmen.

For about six seasons he played with Mexborough, his batting average reaching between 12 and 14 for the whole period, while his bowling average was equally good. About the year 1888 he threw in his lot with Denaby Main, a mining village near Mexborough (still playing as an amateur), having secured a good situation there.

For some time it was his custom to play for Denaby Main on the Saturday and for Mexborough in matches on other days, and he did much to raise the status of the first-named club. In the season of 1888 he played with the Colts against Yorkshire County. He had been twice on trial at Bramall Lane; he was put in as a bowler but triumphed with the bat, obtaining the premier score with 19 in the second innings.

The Sheffield Press at that time spoke highly of his powers as a trundler—“a left arm round, with a tremendous and difficult ‘break’ from the leg, varying the pitch and pace at will,”—and suggested him as almost good enough for trial with the representatives of the White Rose.

Shortly before this he played against Tinsley Vale, and took no fewer than eight wickets for four runs, the first six men being dismissed without scoring. Taking the first six matches in 1888, his bowling figures read 51 overs, 16 maidens, 42 wickets, 89 runs, or an average of 2.9 per wicket, while his batting figures showed that he played in five innings, notched 87 runs, and had an average of 17.2.

For the whole season there is a striking coincidence between his bowling averages for Denaby Main and Mexborough, 59 wickets being taken in each case for 213 and 211 runs respectively, the averages reading 3.35 and 3.34. In the first instance he had 135 overs and 26 maidens, and in the second 120 and 42 respectively.

It was while these figures were attracting considerable attention that Arthur Malpass (late of Mexborough) recommended him to the Bury committee, who eventually secured Smith’s services at a time when more than one club was casting in his direction. His advent in Bury as a groundsman and second professional to the club marked an epoch in Smith’s cricketing career, as he then became for the first time a professional cricketer.