James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1878

17 occasionally with the ball, and that to support him there was not a bowler in any way up to county form, and there will be some grounds for explaining the ill-success that attended the once omnipotent Eleven of Notts. Twelve matches were played, and of these five were won, the same number lost, and two drawn one of^ these a moral victory for Middlesex, had only a few minutes more remained, and the other a very probable win for Yorkshire. With the exception of the easy wins over Middlesex and Kent, at Lord’s and Canterbury respectively, the matches won were won with only a few runs in hand, while of the five defeats three were with an innings to spare, one was by 171 runs, and the fifth by three wickets. The collapse of Nottingham was strangely attended by a series of disasters even more marked for their neighbours of Yorkshire. The ill-success of the Yorkshiremen was somewhat surprising, considering what stout stuff there must be in an eleven that can boast such players as Lockwood, Ulyett, Emmett, Greenwood, Eastwood, Armitage, Finder, and Hill. That York­ shire has not such a strong team as it had a few years ago no one will be bold enough to deny, but none the less the Eleven were much superior to the form that would be implied from their performances. The bowling was very milk- and-watery by comparison with that of Freeman and Emmett when they were at their best, and the fielding during the past year was not so brisk as in those days. The young players who were tried, with the exception of Bates, who I am inclined to think, is a far better bat than bowler, and Beaumont, who though he showed good cricket against Middlesex at Lord’s was not seen again, were much below the old standard of Yorkshiremen, wanting the dash and vigour that was once associated with the county. The fact that Hill fell off altogether in his bowling, proved a serious blow to the Eleven, but altogether they were much more formidable than their results would make them. Out of twelve matches they could only show two victories, while the ten left were equally composed of drawn games and losses. Their two wins consisted of a not very decisive victory over Middlesex, when Ulyett, Greenwood,Armitage, Emmett, and Hill were all away, and a very creditable triumph over Derbyshire by nine wickets. Of the five drawn games, one was a moral victory, one left a little against them, two in a very even condition, and the last contest of the season altogether in their favour. Three of the matches lost were only decided against them by a narrow majority, and, indeed, the only severe defeats were adminis­ tered by Lancashire at Huddersfield, by Gloucestershire at Clifton, and in each case Yorkshire was beaten by nine wickets. In point of results, the season of 1877 showed Yorkshire to be only superior to three counties—Middlesex, Sus­ sex, and Hampshire— and not one of these had a victory to its credit. Whether the Middlesex Committee take the most energetic measures to impiove the cricket of the county it is not my place here to argue, but it is hardly credible that, in bowling at least, there is not more talent than is brought to the front. Illness prevented Mr. W . H. Hadow from playing in more than two matches, and his slow delivery was undoubtedly much missed, but still, the want of a first-class bowler has been painfully evident of late, and what bowling there has been has not been at all well supported, as all bowling should be, by the field. The very composition of its Eleven militates against the permanent strength of Middlesex, but while admitting the weakness of the county team in bowling and fielding, its batting strength must be admitted to be exceptional; and for the last two or three years it is certain that Middlesex has had vastly more than its fair share of ill luck. Everyone of the four engage­ ments in London was lost, but of the two matches at Nottingham and Sheffield the first would have produced an easy victory for Middlesex, could play have only been prolonged for a few minutes, and that at Sheffield, under the existing circumstances of weather, was left a little against Yorkshire. The ill success 3