James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1878

47 lor 08 in the first venture of Middlesex, and Mr. H. R . Webbe’s second score of 58 was a sound display of batting. Very bad fielding on tlie part of the Middlesex team helped to swell considerably the second innings of Yorkshire, and but for this, Middlesex might have averted the defeat they had to suffer by 35 runs. Beaumont, a Colt, batted steadily in each innings for Yorkshire, and also bowled fairly. Steele, a Middlesex Colt, and fast left- handed bowler, in the second innings of Yorkshire delivered 33 balls for 10 runs and 3 wickets. Yorkshire 182 and 230 ; total, 412. Middlesex, 203 and 174; total, 377. (3) Surrey v. Middlesex. June 11, 12, and 13. Surrey had only three professionals, Jupp, Barratt, and Jones, in its eleven, and for "the first time Southerton was left out of the team. Middlesex, with a strong batting side, was expected to give Surrey some severe leather hunting, but Messrs. Strachan, Barratt, and Jones, upset these calculations, and Mr. A . J. •Webbe (41 and 36) was the only batsman to get double figures at each attempt. Chiefly through the aid of Messrs. Wyatt (58), L. A . Shuter (54), and Lucas (40), Surrey had 78 runs in hand on the first innings, but it took them some trouble to get 93 runs to win, and it was only the steady batting of Mr. Lucas, and the good hitting of Mr. Strachan, that gave them the victory by four wickets. Surrey, 237 and 94 (six wickets); total, 331. Middlesex, 149 and 181 ; total, 330. Overs. Maidens. Runs. Wickets. Mr. Strachan (1st inns. Middlesex) .......... 28 15 33 6 Mr. Buckland (2nd inns. Surrey) .............. 47 29 39 4 (4) Oxford University v. Middl June 14 and 15. The experiences of the same match at Prince’s in 1876 were suggestive of sensational scoring, but the Oxford bowling proved better than in the previous year, and Middlesex had in addition this time a ridiculously weak team. The play was in no way interesting, as Messrs. Buckland (104) and A . D. Greene (93 not out), who scored 197 out of 308, alone offered any resistance to the by no means formidable attack of Middlesex, and Messrs. I. D. Walker (22 and 51) and C. I. Thornton (34 and 37) were the only batsmen of the county able to do much damage. Oxford won by nine wickets. Oxford, 308 and 23 (two wickets ) ; total, 331. Middlesex, 143 and 185; total, 328. Overs. Maidens, Runs Wickets. F . M. Buckland (Oxford). . . . . . . . 48.3 20 • ' 67 10 (•5) Oxford *>• Cambridge. June 25 and 26, * Early in the season public opinion had voted the Inter-University match of 1877 as a certain victory for Cambridge. On paper such theories were certainly justified by a comparison of the long scores of the Light Blues at Cambridge, with the ill-success of the Oxonians at Oxford. Some few it is probable, considered the difference of grounds, and made a little allowance for Oxford, but although the excellent form shown by the Oxford Eleven against the Marylebone Club and Ground, at Lord’s, on the preceding Thursday, and the superiority they showed over their opponents, taking a line from this match, ought to have dispelled much of the illusion in favour of Cambridge, to the last they were very warm favourites. That the excitement was great was