James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1878

38 The following remarks on Australian cricket which appeared in th Sportsman from the pen of Southerton will be interesting:— In exph'V tion of our defeat at Sydney, I may state that since my former visit with Mr. Grace they have improved in their cricket generally, and if they showed more freedom with the bat it would look much better. Bannerman (a good and free hitter), Evans and Thompson played well for their side, and to tfceir is due a deal of the credit. Evans is a very useful man on a side, with bow­ ling, fielding, and great patience as a batsman. He was much knocked about with the fast bowling, which is not yet in form. Evans is medium oace round arm, he stands about six feet, and bowls at a great height with a break-back, very straight, and good length. Spofforth is a fast, head-over­ heels sort of bowler, of the M. M ’In tyre style, relying on “ tices ” to get his wickets, which this time were very successful. He is also about the same height as Evans ; as a bat he runs out to everything, which makes it look about on a par with his bowling. Coates is a left hand medium bowler, coming in from the off; a short, jerky action, but straight, and a good length. The fielding on both sides was so good that I cannot remember a single chance being dropped through the match. A ll the players are very keen on the game, and allow no opportunity to escape them to effect an improvement in any point of the game, except umpiring. In this department there is much room for improvement, their style, with few exceptions, is not what we are used to, but they take a great amount of getting out on their own grounds, as the peculiarities of turf do not affect them to the same degree as they do our men. A ll these things, when added to the fact that they have as good bowlers, as good bats, and nearly as good fieldsmen as our­ selves— but lacking in experience— compel me to say that although the time has not quite arrived for them to play successfully against an All-England eleven even handed, though they may do so once by the chances of cricket, yet fifteen of them would take an excessive amount of trouble to beat from the best eleven that could be brought against them from home. Facts speak for themselves. Bannerman got one hundred and sixty-five runs without a chance that came fair to hand, in as fine and free style and manner as ever an innings was played at home, and then had to retire by receiving a blow on the middle finger of the right hand, which split it, from a ball of Ulyett’s. There is plenty of bowling of the first quality in the Colonies, and I think I am right in saying that no team, were he in England, ■ would be complete without Kendall being picked as a bowler. There was plenty of good— and some very fine— batting: some of it not worth perhaps half a crown to look at, but very effective, splendid wicket-keeping, and generally good outfielding, with a deal of energy. The great fault prevalent with all is their inability to judge single runs with anything like accuracy, as they have no method. For ins­ tance, a ball hit, say, well to the left of mid-off, the “ striker ” of course, whose judge it is, can see an easy run, and calls the batsman at the bowlers end, whose judge it is not , but he refuses to run, and after he has seen t between the fieldsmen and the ball, explains “ that he thought the ball was going straight to him ” (mid-off). I believe I am within the mark when I say " that they lost fully fifty runs in the first combination match we played by this want of judgment. In all other departments of the game— except (as I have before written) umpiring— they want but little coaching, and if they send their best combined team home, as:s rumouredthey intend to do shortly, they will give a very good account of themselves amongst the counties.* * t