Cricket 1886

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.’’— Byron . Registered for Transmission Xbroad. T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 1 0 , 1 8 8 6 . p r i c e 2d. JOE M E R R IT T P R E S TO N . T he executive of the Yorkshire County Club has just latterly been particularly fortunate in the acquisition of two young professionals of more than ordinary promise. On last summer’s form F. Lee had few, if any, superiors certainly among professional players as a batsman. The County season of 1885, too, was memorable for the debut of another youngster also hailing from Yorkshire,, who made a very favour­ able impression as an all-round player, the cricketer whose portrait we give this week. The Yorkshire eleven has generally been composed of native talent, and indeed, the few exceptions to this unwritten rule have been more the result of accident than design. J. M. Preston’s credentials in this respect were strong enough to satisfy the requirements of the most exacting. Born at Yeadon on Aug. 22, 1864, his cricket has all been learned on Yorkshire soil. The Yeadon Club gave him his first opportunity of distinction, indeed, the commence­ ment of his career dates from his active association with that Club during the summer of 1880. Though he did not reach his sixteenth birth­ day till almostthe close of that season, he had already made his mark among local cricketers, and his selection to represent the Eighteen of Yeadon against the Second Australian team in August of that year, is a proof that he was already regarded as of consid­ erable promise. After two seasons with the Yeadon Club he removed to Rawdon, and there for another period of two years provedhis abilities as an all-round cricketer unmistakably. His figures during 1882 and 1883 in connection with Rawdon were par­ ticularly noteworthy. His average with the bat in the former year was 23, and in addition he took seventy wickets at tlie small average cost of five runs. During the latter part of the following summer, which he opened very successfully for the Rawdon Club, he was engaged with Casey and Exley’s Clown cricketers. Here, too, his performances with both bat and ball, were in many instance? out of the ordinary run. At Swindon and Farnworth in particular, his batting proved very effective, and in each of these matches he was not out,scoring 101 in the former and 75 in the latter. The on which he really made his mark was in the match between Colts of the North and Colts of the South, at Lord’s, in May last year. His all-round cricket was decidedly the best on either side, and this contest proved the step­ ping stone to his advancement into the County Eleven. His success at Lord’s naturally suggested to the Yorkshire Com­ mittee the advisability of giving him his first trial on that ground, aiid his debut took place there on June 1 in the out match against Middlesex. Though he got but seven runs in his one innings, and was not able to obtain a. wicket in the thirty-six overs he bowled, there was sufficient promise in his cricket to induce the ex ecutive to retain him permanently in the County eleven. Nor was their confi­ dence misplaced as his many credit­ able performances subsequently, both with bat and ball, fully proved. His best score was his 59 against Lancashire, at Huddersfield, but he rarely failed to get runs, and on several occasions showed great cool­ ness and pluck at a critical period of the game. In the last County match of the season in particular against Surrey, at the Oval,thiswas noticeable, and his stand with Emmett at a time when the game seemed almost lost really turned the scale in favour of Yorkshire. More than once, too, his bowling was of great service. In the return match with Middlesex at Sheffield, he was indeed the only trundler really effective, and in all he took ten out of the twenty Middlesex wickets at a cost of 98 runs. On the whole his cricket last year was. above the average in every depart­ ment. For a first season it was indeed remarkably good, and there was a consensus of opinion at the end of the summer among capable judges that he was likely to develop into a player of exceptional merit. The belief in his abilities by those best qualified to give an opinion, too, has recently received practical confirma­ tion in his selection as one of the professionals to accompany Shaw and Shrewsbury in the tour they are contemplating at the end of this summer to Australia. Preston has a very pretty style of batting. He has not only strong defence but good pow'ers of hitting, aad when set plays with great freedom, his driving, particularly on the off-side, being clean and hard. He bowls fast right hand with a high delivery all-round cricket he displayed during this tour added to his reputation considerably, and his summary of the year showed that he not only had an average of thirty from the bat, but, in addition, took upwards of a hun­ dredwickets. An engagement with the Cliffe End Club in 1884, during whichyear he showed consistently good cricket, brought him still more prominently before the notice of the authorities. He was, indeed, still engaged with that club at the commencement of last season, when he was drafted in to the County eleven. Though not one of the eighteen colts selected for the opening trial at Sheffield he was chosen as one of the eleven youngsters to oppose the Notts Colts on the Trent Bridge Ground at Nottingham. The occasion, though,