James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1879

41 Among the Counties, MIDDLESEX can claim to be the only shire unde- feated during the season, ‘a singular contrast to the summary of 1877 when six matches were played without one victory. Tire defeat of the Middlesex Elev-err in their matcli at Lord’s with the Australians, which does not come within the category of County tnatches, was rather a surprise in the face of the great batting strength of the English team, but their bowling on that occasion proved to be as bad as any that has ever been seen in a good match and their fielditig was almost as weak, so that the victory of the Australians is easily_t0 be explained, though the brilliant batting of the Hon.E. Lyttelton alone raised some slight hopes for the County. Mr. Robertson, who had long been known in connection with the Richmond Club, proved a decided acquisition in the bowling line, and towards the end of the season Mr. A. H. Stratt‘ord’s slow round arm was of the greatest service. 01" the six matches played three were won and three drawn, but of the latter it may he added that two, those with Surrey at the Oval and Nottinghamshire at Nottingham, were left in a state most unfavourablefor Middlesex. The appearance of the Hon. E. Lyttelton, in the Eleven, though he was onlyv able to pla)’ on two » occasions, strengthened the tonal materially, and with the Hon. A. Lyttelton, Messrs. I. D. \Valker, the two brothers \Vebbe, XV, H. Hadmv, Stratfot'd, Robertson. Scott, Salmon and Henderson, Middlesex would always be hard to beat. Their decisive victory over' Yorkshire by an innings arid 94 runs was a great performance, and it says much for the popularity of Mr. I. D. Walker that the Eleven for the two Nortltern matches should have been entirely' composed of Amfllclll‘s. F. Steele, a left-handed bowler whohad won a great reputation during his engagements in the Nortlt in 1877, had a good trial during the season, but all round he was hardly up to County forni, antl I fear that he will not prove to be the successful trundlerIiIowitt was, anti that Middlescx will still have to 1001: out for the fast bowler they want so much to perfect their team. The value of_ lt’red Shaw’s services to NOTTINGHA“ Count3' Cricket was shown conclusively enouglt in the great success of the Eleven by comparison with the previous seasott, when illness prevented his participation in the game. Out of fourteeti matches played during the year, only three were lost, and of these one was against Lancashire, at Manchester, when, owing to sundry reasons, into sotne of which it would be better not to enter now, the Eleven was Yet for from representative, Selby, Shrewsbury and Daft all being absetit. Tlie ot er defeats included one by the Gloucester Eleven, at Clifton, and the ground made this anybody’s game. Considering that they beat Lancashire, Kent, and Yorkshire, eacli once, Surrey and Derbyshire, each twice, and but for the intervention of rain, would have surely vanquished botli Middlesex and Kent on their own ground, the claims of Notts to the first place among the Counties ought to be very strong. Morley‘s marvellous success with the ball, and Selby's great achievements with the bat, would alone hav'c rendered Nottingham cricket famous in 1878; and in Flowers the executive is lucky in having one of the most promising all-round young cricketers of- the day. Al- fred Shaw slightly injured himselfabout the time of the Canterbury week, but throughout his delivery was as true as ever; and Oscroft showed much of his old vigoui' with the bat, his square leg hitting reminding one forcibly of the Oscroft of 11 lb“! years ago. YORKSHIRE was hardly so successful as one would have expected from an Eleven that can boast such players as Ulyett, Emmett, Hill, Lockwood, Hall, Bates, Ifmder, Armitage, and Andrew Greenwood. Out of fourteen matches played, irrespective of those at Cambridge and Edinburgh, against the Univer~~ sity and the Gentlemen of Scotland respectively, seven were won anti five lost. The successes consisted of two wins OVCl‘ Surrey and Sussex, two glorious