The 1885 English cricket season was the 22nd since the legalisation of overarm bowling. It was the third in succession in which Nottinghamshire was proclaimed the champion county.
Champion County
Nottinghamshire
Playing record (by county) Wynne-Thomas, Peter; The Rigby A-Z of Cricket Records; p. 54 County Played Won Lost Drawn Derbyshire 9 3 4 2 Gloucestershire 14 6 7 1 Hampshire 10 2 8 0 Kent 11 6 3 2 Lancashire 11 6 3 2 Middlesex 10 2 7 1 Nottinghamshire 12 6 1 5 Somerset 6 1 5 0 Surrey 20 12 4 4 Sussex 14 3 9 2 Yorkshire 16 7 2 7
Leading batsmen (qualification 20 innings) 1885 English seasonFirst Class Batting in England in 1885 Name Team Matches Innings Not outs Runs Highest score Average 100s 50sArthur Shrewsbury Nottinghamshire 16 24 4 1130 224 not out 56.50 4 3Walter Read Surrey 27 42 0 1880 163 44.76 6 9WG Grace Gloucestershire 25 42 3 1688 221 not out 43.28 4 10William Gunn NottinghamshireMarylebone Cricket Club (MCC) 27 43 3 1451 203 36.27 1 9Maurice Read Surrey 24 35 2 1137 186 not out 34.45 1 6
Leading bowlers (qualification 1,000 balls) 1885 English seasonFirst Class Bowling in England in 1885 Name Team Balls bowled Runs conceded Wickets taken Average Best bowling 5 wicketsin innings 10 wicketsin matchJohnny Briggs Lancashire 2596 921 67 13.74 9/29 8 2William Attewell NottinghamshireMarylebone Cricket Club (MCC) 5204 1218 87 14.00 6/27 6 1George Lohmann Surrey 5069 2037 142 14.34 8/18 9 3Alec Hearne Kent 2574 928 64 14.50 8/35 4 1William Roller Surrey 1666 537 37 14.51 5/34 1 0
Notable events 1 June – Kent captain Lord Harris writes a letter to Lancashire concerning the "unfair" bowling of Nash and Crossland and decides not to play Lancashire unless they refrain from employing those two bowlers – the refusal is maintained even when the pair drop out.Green, Benney; Wisden Anthology 1864-1900; pp. 333-338; On 17 July, Johnny Briggs and Dick Pilling playing for Lancashire against Surrey set a record stand for the tenth wicket of 173, which stands until 1899.Webber, Roy; The Playfair Book of Cricket Records; p. 127. Published 1951 by Playfair Books.
Labels An unofficial seasonal title sometimes proclaimed by consensus of media and historians prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship was constituted. Although there are ante-dated claims prior to 1873, when residence qualifications were introduced, it is only since that ruling that any quasi-official status can be ascribed. The return match between Kent and Lancashire was cancelled because Lord Harris objected to the bowling of two Lancashire players
Notes
References
Bibliography
Annual reviews James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual (Red Lilly), Lillywhite, 1887 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1887
Further reading