James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1878

15 ded to convert drawn into winning matches, and he made ample amends for his comparative shortcomings with the bat, by some really extraordinary feats with the ball, effectually silencing the detractors who have invariably sneered at his bowling, by proving himself to be the best bowler as he has been for years the most successful batsman. The Gloucestershire team received a considerable addition to its strength by the arrival in England of Midwinter the profes­ sional bowler of the Melbourne Club, a player who had made a great reputa­ tion in Australia, and who it appeared could claim Gloucestershire as the county of his birth. In his early matches in England, it is reasonable to suppose that he had not recovered from the effects of his long voyage, as his form was not promising, but afterwards he proved himself to be a decided acquisition to the western eleven, and as he is a good slow round arm bowler with no lack of judgment, a fine field, and a batsman with good defence as well as plenty of hit, he ought to be one of the best professionals next year. It was a matter for regret that the match between Gloucestershire and England, at the Oval, was robbed of all its interest by the weakness of the English Eleven, as while on the one hand it altogether took the gilt off the county’s victory ; on the other it prevented any estimate of the chances that Gloucestershire would have had against a thoroughly representative team, although my own opinion is that the strongest elevenEngland couldhave producedwouldhavehad a hard struggle to win. The summary of the Gloucestershire season shows an amount of success unparalleled in the history of county cricket. Eight matches were played, and of the four home-and-home meetings with Surrey, Sussex, Notts, and Yorkshire, only one of the eight contests did not produce an ab­ solute victory, and that was the first meeting with Yorkshire at Sheffield, when the game was drawn, Yorkshire having one wicket to fall and eighteen runs to win. Notts was twice defeated with an innings to spare; Sussex twice, by eighty-four runs and eight wickets ; Surrey twice, by nine and ten wickets, and Yorkshire once, by nine wickets. Gloucestershire with its- eleven, composed of Messrs. E. M., W . G., and G. F. Grace, Townsend, . Miles, Gilbert, Moberley, J. A . Bush, W . Fairbanks, J. Cranston, and Mid­ winter, was unquestionably the champion county of 1877. In point of won and lost matches, Derbyshire makes a good show, although an analysis does not impress one as so favourable. Two decisive victories over Hampshire, not by any means a sturdy foeman in 1877, two bare wins over Kent, and one very close thing with Lancashire, represent its successes, while the two defeats it suffered at the hands of Lancashire and Yorkshire in the out matches, were by ten and nine wickets, and rain only prevented another hollow defeat by Yorkshire at Derby. Eight matches with five wins, one drawn game, and two lost, represent the results of the season—a very creditable outcome for a county so young as Derbyshire. The bowling of Mycroft and Hickton, perhaps as a pair, the best fast bowlers in any county, and the very successful hitting of Platts, a resolute left handed batsman, con­ tributed mainly to the well-earned triumphs of a shire that has already in a few short years by sheer pluck, taken a place in the front rank. Surrey made a wonderful stride during the past season, and indeed the cricket shown by the eleven throughout was worthy of the team marshalled by poor Fred Miller in the palmy days of Caffyn, Caesar, Mortlock, Stephenson, and Griffith. Twelve matches were played, and of these six were won, three drawn, and three lost. To the eleven fell the distinction of defeating every county they met with the one exception of Gloucestershire, and while two of the six victories were gained with an innings to spare, the two defeats by Gloucester­ shire were decisive. Its third reverse was by Notts, with a bare majority of eighteen runs, and of its three drawn games, although one was left very much against it, the return with Kent had to be abandoned at a very interesting