The 1897 English cricket season saw Lancashire win the County Championship title for the first time in the official running of the Championship, thanks mainly to only three losses in twenty-six matches. Surrey won more games, and beat Lancashire twice, but one more loss than Lancashire meant that they would have to be content with second place. They could have taken the Championship home if they had beaten Sussex in the last game at The County Ground, Hove, but after gaining a five-run lead on first innings, Surrey let Billy Murdoch, C. B. Fry and George Bean make half-centuries, and rain spoiled their chances of winning on the final day. In the bottom of the table, Derbyshire strung together a run of 16 matches without victory, as they finished last in the table, and with the end of 1896 yielding three matches without a win, Derbyshire's streak read 19 matches without a win at the end of the season.
Read more about 1897 English Cricket Season: Honours, Annual Reviews
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