Wisden
BATSMAN OF THE YEAR - 1893

Stanley Scott

MR. STANLEY WINCKWORTH SCOTT was born in the city of Bombay on the 24th of March 1854, and consequently plays for Middlesex under the residential qualification. It is curious how many famous amateur cricketers have been born in India, names that occur to us at the moment being W. Yardley, C. F. Buller, and the late Bernard Pauncefote. Educated at Stretham School and afterwards at Brentwood School, Mr. Scott went into business on the Stock Exchange in 1871, and it was not until several years later that he became known to the general public as a cricketer; indeed his first appearance in connection with Middlesex cricket was in the Colts' match in 1878, soon after he had completed his twenty-fourth year. Though he did very little on that occasion, it was quite clear to the Middlesex authorities that they had found a batsman of more than ordinary ability, and in the following month he played for the county against Surrey at Lord's. From that time down to the present day he has been one of the recognised Middlesex players, though business has frequently prevented him from assisting the eleven as often as he could have wished. He was at the head of the Middlesex averages in 1882, 1885, and 1886. In the last-mentioned year he did particularly well, scoring 417 runs in seven matches with an average of 37.10. Good as his previous performances had been, however, the season of 1892 found him in a much higher position than he had ever occupied before; indeed for a great part of the summer he was at the head of the batting averages, and only gave way at last to Arthur Shrewsbury and W. H. Patterson. Altogether he played 31 innings and scored 1,015 runs, which with five not outs gave him the splendid average of 39.1. Against Gloucestershire at Lord's he played an innings of 224, the highest individual score of the year in first-class cricket, but this was only one of many fine displays. He was chosen for the Gentlemen both at Lord's and at the Oval, and on each occasion did himself full justice, scoring a first innings of 60 at Lord's, and a second innings of 80 on the Surrey ground. Stanley Scott plays in a fine attractive style, getting most of his runs in front of the wicket, and hitting with special brilliancy on the off side. His fame as a cricketer rests entirely on his batting, for he very rarely bowls in good matches, and it would be flattery to describe him as a first-rate field. In minor cricket he has always been a great run-getter.

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