James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1876

m P A R T CHAPTER I. A L F R E D S H A W . B y the E ditor . A lfred S iiaw , and a likeness true to the life ! Y ou can almost picture him in the flesh as you have seen him time after time at L ord s quiet and self-possessed, modest but self-reliant. Y ou will gather from a glance at the portrait the character o f the professional man unques­ tionably the greatest bowler o f the day, as Gilbert Grace is the marvel o f the age with the bat. As keen a cricketer as ever went to the wicket, as honest and genuine a professional as ever trundled a ball o r wielded a bat, and as good a judge o f the game as you will find in the three kingdoms. A self-made man, too, in every sense, all praise to him. No hereditary name to give him h e lp at the outset, and no chance o f having greatness thrust upon h im . Whatever greatness lie has gained has been achieved by himself in an unpretentious and un­ demonstrative fashion worthy o f all imitation. H e was born at Bu r ­ ton Joyce, a village within three or four miles o f Nottingham , on the 29th o f August, 1842, and is consequently now on ly in his th irty- fourth year. His first exploits were not suggestive o f any very great promise, and there was nothing in the slightest degree to augur his future pre-eminence with the ball. The Nottingham Colts Match oil Easter Monday o f 18GJ first saw h im in any way associated w ith the County Eleven. Here his display was not brilliant, as he on ly scored 4 and 0 , and lie does not appear to have bow led , or at least did not take a wicket. In the return match at the end o f the season he was more fortunate, as though he got precisely the same num ber o f runs each time, he mainly helped to get a very strong eleven o f Notts out for 41 runs in the first innings. On this occasion lie got seven out o f ten wickets in the first innings, and one out o f seven in the second , and without doubt it was his bow ling then that established his claim to be regarded as one o f the qualified professionals o f Notts. A t least, in the follow ing year he was fairly drafted into the ranks, and this when lack o f bowling could not be charged against the County with four such professionals as Jackson , Chris T in ley , W o o t ton , and Grundy on the side. D in ing this season he p layed in four matches ’ and Ins six innings produced 114 runs, making h im second in tlie battin B or o