County Championship 8th (P28, W7, D18, L3)
Captain Arthur Carr
Any review of the cricket season of 1933 has to start with the ramifications – particularly for Nottinghamshire – of the ill-starred Ashes tour of the previous winter. The Bodyline Tour, as it became known, had many far-reaching consequences, not the least of which was that it deprived Notts of the services of their premier quick bowler.
Harold Larwood’s efforts on the hot, hard, dry Australian pitches meant that he came home a ‘wounded hero’, his left foot so badly injured that he was scarcely able to bowl at all in the season and was played for his batting and fielding. At the end of the season, he underwent an operation that, the club and he fervently hoped, would mean he would be able to resume bowling duties in 1934.
On a happier note, there was a great reception for Larwood and his friend and fellow Ashes winner Bill Voce, culminating in a presentation to them in recognition of their achievements.
The Committee Report for the year was in fulsome mood:
“Presentation to Larwood and Voce. At the close of play v Surrey on Whit Monday, a presentation was made to Larwood and Voce to mark the great public appreciation of the part they played in winning the Ashes for England. The Nottingham Guardian and Evening Post, and The Nottingham Journal and Evening News generously opened their columns for a Shilling Testimonial Fund. The sum of £776/6/0 (roughly £47,000 today) was raised, and was divided equally, at Larwood’s request, between the two players. In the presence of a large crowd, the cheques were presented by Douglas Jardine, England Captain in Australia, who paid a very handsome tribute to our two great bowlers. Larwood and Voce were also presented by the Club with a Silver Salver, on which were autographed signatures of the Presidents and Members of the Committee. Mrs. Larwood and Mrs. Voce also received silver trinket boxes as a souvenir of the occasion, these being the personal gifts of the President A W Shelton who presided over the ceremony.”
That was not the only ceremony at Trent Bridge in 1933. Before that start of the season’s opening fixture at home to Worcestershire, the Dixon Gates were officially opened.
Erected to the memory of the late John Auger Dixon, club captain and long-serving committee member, they were unveiled by the former England captain Sir F. Stanley Jackson. The Memorial Gates had been paid for by public subscription and erected in recognition of Dixon’s fifty-year association with Trent Bridge.
Sadly, the match did not live up to the grand opening and petered out to a rain-reduced draw, the first of many that season. Indeed the next two games – against Glamorgan at home and Leicestershire away – were also drawn.
Away to Sussex at Hove, Notts were soundly beaten, going down by ten wickets, largely as a result of a compelling all round performance by James Langridge; he scored 101 out of the home side’s 445 all out and then took 6-32 and 3-50 at Notts, forced to follow-on, only just made Sussex bat again. Langridge’s brother John and Jim Parks, scion of the great Sussex cricket family, scored the 23 needed without loss.
The away fixture against Worcestershire was another draw, though at least this game was unaffected by the weather, and Notts got their first win of the First-Class season away to the students of Cambridge University.
Sam Staples, with 8-72, was the main contributor to an eight-wicket win for Notts who then went on to record their first Championship win in the next fixture.
Despite surrendering a first innings deficit of almost 120, Notts rallied and beat Middlesex at Lord’s by five wickets. Sam Staples continued his good form, taking 6-29 as the home side tumbled to 118 all out in their second innings, leaving Notts to successfully chase 247.
The next home game was the Surrey match, not largely remembered for the presentations to Larwood and Voce. The match was drawn, with the highlight being Charlie Harris’s 132, the first of his thirty career centuries.
A high scoring draw away to Northamptonshire followed and Notts were back home to notch up their second win in County games, beating Hampshire by eight wickets.
Sam Staples, with another match-winning performance, took 6-28 when Hampshire batted a second time, leaving Notts just 59 runs to win, which they achieved for the loss of two wickets.
Sam Staples, who finished the season with 97 First-Class wickets, had eight ‘five-fer’ hauls in 1933 without ever getting ten in a match – his success helped Notts manage without Larwood’s bowling.
It was the other Staples brother, Arthur, who did the damage against Derbyshire at home, taking 7-20 and 4-19 in a comfortable victory by an innings and 121 runs, the biggest margin of the season for Notts.
Harold Butler, who made his First XI debut in the match against Hampshire, gave notice of his career potential with 5-36 in the first innings of yet another drawn match, with eventual champions Yorkshire.
Another home draw, with Gloucestershire, was followed by an away win at Ilkeston. The Staples brothers dominated this game – Arthur scored 113 and took our wickets; Sam took nine wickets as Derbyshire were beaten by 57 runs.
Four consecutive draws included Championship matches against Glamorgan, Gloucester and Lancashire and a match against the West Indian tourists.
Rain on the second day spared Notts against Gloucestershire after Wally Hammond had scored a typically imperious 140. Against Lancashire it was day one that was washed out with only a day and a half’s play possible.
Manny Martindale starred for the West Indies, taking 8-66 in Nottinghamshire’s first innings, including the debutant Stafford Castledine bowled for a duck.
Sussex were beaten by nine wickets with Arthur Staples taking his 50th wicket of the season and the 400th of his career when he bowled Ted Bowley in the visitors' second innings.
Notts were thrashed by Kent at Maidstone, falling victim to the spin wiles of Charlie ‘Father’ Marriott, 6-58 and 3-54, and ‘Tich’ Freeman, 4-46 and 6-45, to lose by an innings and 114 runs.
There was a very tight finish at Trent Bridge against Leicestershire where Notts were 155-9 at close on day three, in pursuit of 161 to win – a truly tense draw compared with many that were rain affected.
Somerset were easily beaten, by ten wickets, at Trent Bridge even though Arthur Carr used seven bowlers in each of the opponent’s innings.
In high scoring draw with Surrey, some illustrious names made their mark – centuries by Hobbs and Fender for the home side matched by Keeton and (Arthur) Staples for Notts.
The matches against Hampshire and Middlesex were also drawn before Notts ventured up to Bradford where they were well beaten, by 10 wickets.
In the Middlesex game, Charlie Harris – who had made his first ‘ton’ earlier in the season – made 234, sharing a 277-run opening partnership with Walter Keeton (168). Against Yorkshire it was the home side that had the big partnership, Arthur Mitchell (138) and Maurice Leyland (134) putting on 211 for the third wicket.
The match against Northamptonshire at Worksop was won by 115 runs and the season ended with two more draws, against Kent at Trent Bridge and versus Somerset at Taunton.
Keeton was the outstanding batter of the year. He had an average of 46, and his total 2,112 runs – over 1,000 were scored in August – including six centuries, four in successive matches. Willis Walker, in his Benefit year, scored 1,731 runs, with three centuries.
The bowling rested largely with the Staples brothers and Bill Voce who, despite the rigours of the Ashes tour, managed to take 71 wickets at 28.71.
Scorecards and stats can be seen here
January 2025