Vallance Jupp

VALLANCE WILLIAM CRISP JUPP, who, after coming out for Sussex, took over the secretaryship of Northamptonshire in October, 1921, and, having qualified by residence, has since assisted that county, is at the moment the best all-round amateur in first-class cricket. Born on March 27, 1891, at Burgess Hill, in Sussex, he was educated privately, and later on went to St. John's School, Burgess Hill, where he became captain of the eleven. In his last year there he had a batting average of over 100, and his achievements being bought to the notice of the county authorities he was asked to play for Sussex Club and Ground in 1911. Meanwhile he appeared a good deal for Burgess Hill, at that time one of the best club sides in the county.

Jupp played regularly for Sussex after his first year with them, making such steady improvement that in 1914, with a highest innings of 217, not out, against Worcestershire at Worcester, he finished third in the batting figures, and had an average of over 36. In that season he scored over 1,500 runs and, with fifty-one wickets, headed the bowling. By this time it was obvious Sussex had discovered one of the most promising all-round players in the country. On the outbreak of the War he joined the Royal Engineers in December, 1914, served in France, Salonika and Palestine where he transferred as a cadet to the Royal Air Force. Demobilised in July, 1919, he played for Sussex as an amateur in the remaining matches of that season, and very quickly showed that over four years absence from cricket had not impaired his powers. In 1921 he scored nearly 2,000 runs, heading the county batting with an average of over 47, and took 93 wickets for rather less than 23 runs apiece, At the end of the summer of 1920 he received an invitation to make one of the M. C. C. Team in Australia, but was unable to accept. Two years afterwards, however, he went to South Africa under the captaincy of F. T. Mann, but did not reproduce his English form. He enjoys the distinction of having, on five occasions, achieved the double feat of scoring 1,000 runs, and taking 100 wickets in a season of first-class cricket. In 1921 he played for England against Australia at Nottingham and Leeds.

As a batsman Jupp strikes the happy medium between enterprise and caution. He watches the ball so well that when occasion demands he can play a rigidly defensive game, while on a fast wicket there are few cricketers better worth watching. He possesses a wide variety of strokes, and can drive or out with equal power and facility. His footwork, too, is so good that on a treacherous pitch he is a particularly valuable batsman. Before the War, and for a time afterwards he bowled medium pace rather on the quick side, but more recently he has taken a shorter run, and is now slow to slow-medium. Few modern bowlers spin the Ball as much as he does and, with a wicket to help him, he makes it turn to a pronounced degree. One of the secrets of his success as a bowler is his cleverness in adapting himself to the changing conditions of a pitch. He fields brilliantly at cover point.