James Lilllywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1880

T H E C R I C K E TS E A S O NO F 1879. 4 5 the large number of engagements , conclusive evidence of the liberal manner in which the committee expend their funds in the development of cricket . The Whit-Monday match between North and South , which had been apportioned for the benefit of Alfred Shaw, owing to vile weather was a financial failure , and although a kindly suggestion of Mr. W. G. Grace to give Shaw the pro- ceeds of his complimentary match was readily acceded to, no better luck followed the great slow bowler of Notts even at the second time of asking . The great con- test of the year between Gentlemen and Players , after advancing slowly under the worst of circumstances , had ultimately to be abandoned at a mostinterest- ing stage , and the same fate befell the once interesting meeting between the public schools of Eton and Harrow . Hostile criticism was not spared over the entire management of this match , and there were very good reasons for the complaints , not only of a want of proper arrangements between the Club and the Schools , but also , on the second day, of the frequent interruptions to the gamewhenever there was even a sign of a shower . Stumps were drawn half -an- hourearlier than usual on the first day for reasons unknown , and never explained to the public ; and the match dragged its slow length along , until a game that might with a slight effort have been completed was allowed to end in a most unsatisfactory of draws. To the best of our recollection , only once during 1879 wasLord's in the best condition for play, and that was fortunately on the occasion of the Inter -University match. The Cantabs , as in the previous year, had shownanunbeaten record , and in the face of the weakness of the Oxford eleven their success was apparently a certainty . A finely played first innings by Mr. A. H. Heath , who had been singularly unfortunate the three preceding years , was the one redeeming feature on the Oxford side , and the Cambridge eleven justified the general belief in their powers by an easy victory with nine wickets to spare . A ninteresting ceremonial took place in front of the pavilion at Lord's on July 22, in the presentation of the testimonial to Mr. W. G. Grace. LordFitz- hardinge , the treasurer of the fund, was entrusted with the presentation , and hestated that the nett sumwould in all probability amount to about 1,400l.- to be placed in a bankto Mr. Grace's credit -exclusive of a clock and twovases whichMr. Grace had to receive on the occasion as souvenirs of the auspicious e v e n t. The gradual encroachments of the builder have recently considerably diminished the area at the disposal of the authorities at Prince's for cricket , and with the exception of the contests between Bar and Army, and Woolwich and Sandhurst , no fixture of any importance was downfor decision at that favouriteinclosure. Southerton's benefit match at the Oval took place on July 17, 18, and 19, butbadweather , and the poor show of the South combined , made the game so uninteresting that the North polished off their opponents easily in two days . Ascratch game on the third afternoon was also a failure owing to the weather, and, in all , Southerton could not have benefited to the extent of more than 2 5 0%. to 3 0 0 1. In the way of individual performances , the season of 1879 presented a very unfavourable contrast with manyof its predecessors . Mr. W. G. Grace was not seen at all in public until the Whit-Mondaymatch at Lord's ; but although hemissed the early practice , he was quite as successful with the bat as of old. Hishitting was the clean well-timed hitting of yore, and his long scores for his county notably against Notts , Somersetshire , Lancashire , and Middlesex , towards the end of the season enabled himto reach an average of over 49 runs