Cricket 1885

.• J S f tH U & S u . THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1886. raioa « G EO RG E A L F R E D LOHM AN N . A South Londoner, himself, by every asso­ ciation, to South London belongs the credit solely and wholly of the cricket training of the young professional who has done such good service for Surrey, with bat as well as ball, during the last two stasons. Born in 1865, on June 2, Lohmann first saw the light at a period of Surrey cricket when Jupp and Tom Humphrey had just made their reputations as two of the best batsmen of the day. All his early practice was had on Wandsworth Common, and, in fact, the whole of his cricket until he was fifteen or sixteen years of age was learned on the Com­ mon. A member of the Church Insti­ tute Club which played there, it was with it that he first showed any signs of ability as a cricketer, and for three successive seasons (1876-77-78) he won both the average bat and ball given for the most successfulbatsman and bowler of that society. Though he played little in the two follawing summers he became connected with the Alma Club in 1881, and he was not only actively connected with it at the time when he first appeared at the Oval, but is still t\ member. His introduction to Surrey cricket was a little out of the ordinary course. Indeed he came up to the test practice of last year, on the Surrey Ground, in April, without any crtden- tials and without a testimonial of any kind. In f »ct he was not at all fancied as a cricketer even by many in his own neighbourhood, and it was really the favourable impression created by his promising all-round form at this pre­ liminary trial of Colts which gave him his first step in promotion as a pro­ fessional cricketer. His unmistakeable keenness and evident ability procured him the immediate offer of an engage­ ment as a bowler at the Oval,"fund the com­ mencement of lastjseason found him regularly attached to the ground staff of the Surrey Club. Losing no opportunity of practice his cricket steadily improved, and in the numerous Colts’ matches played at the Oval during the early part of May he rarely failed to show to advan­ tage, with either bat or ball. Against Surbiton and District, in particular, his all-round cricket was very promising, and it was in a great measure due to his form on this occasion that he was elected to represent Surrey, against Leicestershire, at the Oval, in the third fixture of the season. Though only moderately suc­ cessful in the earlier matches he made his mark with a capital 24 not out against Glouces­ tershire, and also had the satisfaction of getting Mr. W. G. Grace caught from his bowling in the second innings. At the end of the same week he figured even more prominently against Cam­ bridge University, and his second score of 69, though not faultless, was a very promising dis­ play of hatting. His stand with Wood, indeed, entirely altered the aspect of the game, and, while they were together, the two pro­ fessionals added as many as 95 runs to the Surrey total. So far Lohmann had been more successful as a batsman, and it was not till nearly the close of tho season that he reappeared in the Surrey eleven. His first achievement, too, on his return was with the bat, and he sig­ nalised his re-instalment with an ex­ ceedingly well-got thirty-two against Lancashire at the Oval, the highest score in Surrey’s first innings. The three last matches on the Surrey pro­ gramme of 1884, too, proved his capa­ bilities unmistakably as a bowler, although he was also fairly successful with the bat, in particular against Yorkshire, in which match he got nine­ teen runs in very good style. The wiokets just at the close of last summer helped the hall materially, and Loh­ mann advanced his reputation conside*- ably as an all-roumd cricketer by the judgment he showed as a bowler in most of the later fixtures. The victory of the Surrey el-ven in the closing match of the season against Sussex at the Oval was indeed, in a great measure, due to his effective bowling. Varying his pace with con­ siderable skill and getting a }ot of work on to the ball, he puzzled the Sussex ba'smen completely, and alto­ gether in the two innings wag credited with nine of their wickets at a cost of only 58 runs. Thoug iunsuccessful with the bat in the opening match against Essex at the Oval, Lohmann began this season very auspiciously as a bowler. He was not put on at all in the first innings of Essex, but in the second the Essex batsmen could do nothing with him, and in all seven wickets, five of them bowled, fell to him at the very small expense of thirty-three runs. His best soore during the early part* of the summer was one of 86 againstOxford Univer-