a pay dispute, in which he demanded twice the existing 10-pound match fee given at the time to professional cricketers caused lohmann, along with billy gunn to withdraw from the last test match. he continued to play for surrey that august, but at the end of the season his health again degenerated and he had to return to south africa and a continuation of the 1896 pay dispute caused lohmann to retire from his english career for good.