James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1879

44 , John Shuter the County has reason to be proud of a batsman who can lay claim to a prominent position amongst the Amateur cricketers of the year,— a fine frcc hitting bat, and a brilliant field. There was first a hope that the Committee had pitched upon the bowler so much needed in the person of F. Johnson (medium left), but after his one goorl performance against Glou- cestershire at the Oval he fell off altogether. Tlic teams seiit to Nottingham and Sheffield were a discredit to the County and throughout the undoubted batting strength of the Eleveii was paralysed by their painful weakness in bowling. Barratt, of course, bowled well at times, if he was rather costly, and Southerton showed more than once that his hand had not forgotten its ancient cunning; but, with Messrs Strachan and Lucas absent, there was no one but Street, to whom recourse was had late in the season,who could trundle' with any effect, and Surrey still pines for a first fast bowler, or some fair change bowlers who can only hat a little. DERHYSHIRE showed a woful falling off in comparisonwith its summary at the end of the previous season. In 1877 eight matches were played with only two defeats, and yet in the following year out of ten engagements six were lost and three won, one of the latter, that with Yorkshire, byr the bare majority ofseven runs. A victory over Lancashire, at Derby, the more surprising from its decisive character. was the only remarkable feature of the Derbyshire seasori, while to its discredit were two defeats by Kent, two byNotts, one b Yorkshire, and one by Lancashire. Plattswas strangely unsuccessful with the lint after his brilliant feats of 1877, and generally the batting was weak, anti the fielding not up to the mark. “Jilliam Mycroft bowled as effectively as ever, and Hay proved a useful addition in this department, but otherwise the cricket . wanted life. Dcrhyshirc has done much during its short career‘ to deserve well of the cricket world, but there were decided faults in the management of the Eleveii in the field that ought to be corrected, In Cook, the Committee introduced last year— a promising young batsman, antl excellent accounts are given me of the Colts Kceion, Stubbings, amt others, so that perhaps Derbyshire may regain its laurels in 1879l The same wail that greeted the completion of the Sussex campaign of 1877 was unfortunately heard too plainly at the close of the last season. It is true that this time one matcli was won, but it was only the barren honour of a victory over a second rate team of Kent, and every one of the seveti remaining engagements resulted in a decisive reverse, five of them by more than an innings, one by 226 runs, and the'seventh by nine wickets. The utter collapse of Sussex cricket during the two last seasons may7 seem unaccountable, but it would appear as if there was something wrong in the managemcnt somewhere, and as ifa little new blood both iii the council and on the field miuht be a profitable investment. That a succession of defeats will take the heaiit out or any Eleven will be readily admitted, but in their present weakness the county team are sadly in want of a competent leadei~, and in fact there seems to be need of a reorganisation of the Players generally‘ Tester, who came off well in the Colts’ Match at Lord’s, did not train on as a bat, and throughout there was no one who could be relietl on for runs. Fillery seems to have gone off botli in battiiig and bowling, and neither Lill white nor Mr. A. Smith _seem to be so effective with the ball as they were. Of course the Committee are singularly unfortunate in not being able to secure the services of that accomplished batsman, Mr. J. M. Cotterill, but it seems open to doubt whether they adopt the best method of enlisting the chief Amateurs Of the county. Tlie Rev. F. J'. Greenfield, transformed from a “ 1017” bowler to slow round arpi, was eminently effective late in the seasoii, and Mr. H. \Vhitfeld, of Cambridge, ouglit to be an acquisitiori to the count . Tlie engagement of Jesse Hide in Australia, will rob Sussex of a useful alla-onnd