James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1879

52 of pluck. No greater fault can be found with a school than this, and it is with regret that I have to mention it. I believe that james Lillywhite. has resigned his post ofprofcssional, which he has held since 1855 with decided success. Though far from attributing the want of success during the last few years in any' way to Lillywhite, I am of opiniorr that new blood and freslr energy may lead to an improvement, and am in hopes that in next year 5 annual I may have to chronicle school successes as of old. G. McCanlis, late of the Artillery, has beer: chosen to succeed Lillywhitc, and from what I hear of him it would have been hard to have found a better man for the post, He will have, I believe, good material to we ' upon, anrl if he cal: unearth two 01“ three fair bowlers, and inspire the boys with a little of his own energy and spirit, he may prove himself as successful a coacli as Lillywhite himselfwas in his early' days. MARLuomron cricket has not been at all consistent this season. Early things did not loo]: at all promising for them, They had lost Steel, a host in himself, and one or two others, and they seemed to hav'c lost their self-reliance, but they suddenly took a dccidetl turn for the better, and the Eleven, notably Napier, Law, jaekson, and Gostcnhofer, improved wonder- fully, until there seemed to be a chance ofa good Eleven. Again, however, they fell away, and at the time of their matclr at Lord’s, were far belmv their previous form. They seemed lifeless and without spirit, or any confidence. Napier is a very' hard clean hitter, but ofteri fails from nervousness at first; isaveq' fair fast bowler and a good field. Perhaps Gostenhofer was the most useful man in the Eleven, as he is a goorl bat, fairly reliable, a good slow bowler, and an exc Ilent field. Hayes was also a patient steady bat, and at times did goorl service. The fielding generally was goorl and close all round, the bowling fair, but not enougli of it. Cum-ox had only’ one of their 1877 Eleven remaining, and it was therefore highly credital>le that they turned out such a fair team. The system of compulsory cricket proved highly useful, as they had a good reserve to recruit fron‘i. Gribble, the captain, worked hard him- self, and his example was followed by the rest, so that at the enzl of the seasori they had an average School Eleven with fair bowling, excellent field. ing all round, and good steady batting with no stars. Gribble was decidedly the best bat,'cutting and driving exceedingly well. Noon and Richardson were steady painstaking hats, anti proved themselves very useful. \Villiam- son promises to be a very gootl bat with practice. Harrison is a slow right hand bowler with great power of twist, but must be more careful about pitch before he call be called goorl. Reynolds‘ medium riglit was very straiglit, and, baclred up by excellent fielding, was just the sort of bowler for a school. OfUPPINGHAM cricket, I hear a very fairreport, but cannot refrain from feel- ing sorry that the characters of the Eleven. as given in their Magazine, should ha\'c been painted in such very fme colours. Judging from these alone we should fancy that each member in his own line was nearly perfect. Of one we read “able to punislr ba<l bowling,” yet we lindhe only scored 50 runs in n innings. Tlie inference is he never had any bad bowling to punish!!! These remarks are not made in any spirit of unkindness-far from it. \Ve are great admirers of Uppingham cricket, and the system which has produced such men as C. R. Green. A. P. Lucas, D. Q, Steel, Pattersoii [ll/II- mill/i: (11/13, Hawkcs has the best average (nearly 22), and he appears to have been a good safe bat, fair bowler (medium) and line fieltl, besides very careful at the wicket. Burgess was a successful anrl painstaking captain—a good steady bat, with pretty style, cutting well, brilliant and safe field. Ridlcy has nfmc style of batting,r with plenty of all round hits, and was useful at times as aslow bowler. Rollierliam was Me bowler, an<l probably the best school bowler of