ESSEX SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Essex has made rapid strides as a sporting county during the past few years, and is now able to render a good account of itself in the many branches of pastime that have become so popular throughout England.

A few years ago Essex was considered one of the weakest cricketing counties, and so little interest was evinced in the county matches, which were then played at Brentwood, that the attendance was often smaller than that at a Saturday afternoon game on a village green. Everyone, however, who takes any interest at all in the national gamewill remember the successful effort that was put forth in 1885-6, when the present splendid ground at Leyton was purchased for £10,000; and the subsequent outlay of an additional £4,000 upon it has made it one of the finest grounds in England. Many matches have since been won by the county, when opposed to some very strong elevens; and Essex is indoubtedly gaining higher ranking as a county every season. In 1891, in its eight second-class contests, Essex won four and lost two,two being drawn. The result of this is to leave Essex in the position of the second best county in the second class, Leicestershire being just one point to the good.

Essex may be congratulated, too, upon having an organisation in connection with athletics that is second to none in England. The Essex County Cycling and Athletic Association, which was instituted in 1883, has been instrumental in carrying out annually, during the summer, a series of running, walking, and bicycle county championships, that have met with immense support, and have certainly done much to encourage the promotion of athletics generally. At the last annual meeting of the Association it was announced that the affiliated clubs numbered no less than 58, that the number of members was 4,616, and that every branch of sport and pastime, as played in Essex, was represented. The list of patrons includes the names of most of the noblemen and gentlemen of position in the county; and the Association is now recognised as the largest county association in connection with athletics in England.

The vast improvements that have been made during the last decade in the manufacture of bicycles and tricycles have been the means of greatly increasing the number of riders of these machines; and clubs have been formed in almost every town for the purpose of encouraging this healthy and popular pastime, combining as it does a graceful and rapid means of locomotion with that invigorating exercise which is so essential to the maintenance of a good physique.

The Essex County Football Association deserves favourable mention for the successful manner in which the county football matches have been carried out under its auspices since it inauguration in 1882, and also for the institution of the County Challenge Cup, which has been keenly competed for each year by teams from all parts of Essex.

There are other sports and pastimes that are popular throughout the county, including cross-country running, lawn tennis, golf, quoits, polo, lacrosse, &c., all of which have their own distinctiveclubs; but in a short review, such as this, space will not permit of any lengthy mention of them.

According to the last issue of the official handbook of the clubs of Essex, there are 105 cricket, 53 football, 25 cycling, 22 tennis, and 9 athletic clubs in the county. These combined show a total of 214 clubs, representing 13,545 members, a number that would be found difficult to beat or even equal by most other counties.

Taken on the whole, Essex, with its county teams and competitions, its championships and its tournaments, may fairly claim to be equal to, if not in advance of, the other counties, which make, when combined, a country that has always been able to hold its own in all branches of sport and pastime against any other nation in the world.