James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1882

P R E F A C . T H Ebatsmanwhois " dangerous whenwell set " is familiar enough by this timeto most cricketers . He has always been a part of the stock -in-trade of commentators on the game, from the editors of the humblest school magazineto those of the more pretensious year books which appear about Christmas time . As a rule , his virtues are heralded in much the same stereotyped phrases . If he is not " a little shaky," he is " a trifle nervous for the first few overs ." The present position of the Annual is muchthe sameas that of the typical batsmanwhohas " got his eye in. " So far the parallel is applicable , but there it ceases . Any apprehension on first going inwasunknownto those whohave helped to rear the Annualduring the first ten years of its success . There was an evident want at its birth of a workaiming to be something more than a mere register of figures , and that the programme its promoters not only laid down, but have strictly carried out , was a good one has not only been proved by its popularity , but bythe regularity with which many of its chief features have been reproduced . N osubstantial success can be secured except at the expense of others , and. theinfluence the Annual has wielded during its short career , has been too markedforit to escape the commentsof competitors whohave been distanced in the race for popularity . The unassailable position of the Annualhas been gained in a fair field without favour . It has been, we are pleased to admit,due in a great measure to the hearty co-operation of all classes of cricketers , and its managersanticipate with confidence acontinuance of the support they have received , and are grateful to acknowledge, from the first . Their object is to provide a yearly record of cricket , which shall be equally useful as a reflex of popular opinion and as a complete and accurate summaryof the year's : statistics . To promote the latter aim, the assistance of Secretaries of Clubs is cordially invited , and they would do well to remember that in supplying information they are not only furthering the personal interests they repre- sent , but helping to promote the development of the game generally . To insert all the contributions sent would require an enlargement of the Annual altogether impracticable , but alittle condensation by the Secretaries ; in them a t t e rsentw o u l de n s u r etheinsertionof at least s o m efeaturesi n connection with every Club, and enlarge its sphere of utility . Theutility of the table giving the doings of the principal Clubs would be increased were Secretaries to forward the names and addresses of all the repre- sentatives of Clubs in their district , and forms for this purpose can be obtained at any time on application to the Managers at 4, Newington Causeway, London, S.E.