James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1882

8 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R S ' A N N U A L . there seemed every chance that the task of recording the chief events during its course would be a pleasurable one. Since the close of the previous year poor Fred Grace had passed over to the majority , and in him cricket had lost one of its most able and popular exponents . T h espring too had brought with it a rumourthat Lord Harris , whose energy had beenmainlyinstrumental in reviving the drooping fortunes of Kent, was about to leave England, and that for a time at least County Cricket would lose the active support of one of its most enthusiastic followers . These though were the only signs visible on the horizon when M a ysounded the commencementof the cricket year. A n dcertainly things opened in a style that was full of promise. The weather was a little too chilly just at the outset perhaps, but to compensate for the cold winds the grounds were everywhere sounder, as well as faster , than they had been at the same early period for several seasons . H a dit not been for the almost incessant rains of August, which interfered considerably with the receipts of those counties the bulk of whose programmeis reserved for that month, in all probability the season of 1881 would have had to be recorded as one of exceptional scoring . As it was, more than one incident occurred to elevate it above manyof its immediate predecessors , and but for one deplorable circumstance it might have passed away without a bad mark. It is unfortunate that a season otherwise fairly successful should have been marredby such a blot as was caused by the misconduct of a certain section of paid players . As a rule professional cricketers have borne themselves so respectably that the attitude taken by Alfred Shaw, Shrewsbury, Barnes, Morley , Selby , Scotton , and Flowers in refusing to play for their county unless certain specified demandswere granted by the committee was at first hardly credited . For sometime past it had been evident that there was a bitch somewherein the relations between a few of the leading professionals of Notts and certain membersof the executive of the County Club. As early as the Eastertide Colts ' Match on the Trent Bridge Grounda combination of some kind against the managementhad been distinctly threatened . The precise origin of the movement is difficult to trace , but indirectly the visits of the two Australian Elevens to Englandm a ybe held responsible for the sudden and extraordinary change which took place in the bearing of pro- fessionals who had previously comported themselves most becomingly. The terms on which the Colonial Players were accepted over here were utterly false to m e nlike Shaw, whoknewthat the homestatus of somewas certainly not above the level of professional cricket in England, and here no doubt was the first sign of a grievance . Thenagain , the readiness with which in manycases rather exorbitant demandsof the Australian managers were met by some of our chief clubs probably had some influence in encouraging Alfred Shaw and Shrewsbury , who may be considered as the leaders of the movement, in believing that the withdrawal of the seven most capable membersof the Eleven might reduce the managementof a county even so rich in cricketers as Notts to accede to the imposition of new stipulations in the recognised contracts . Atfirst , as far as could be judged , the lengthy correspondence which was published , the objects of the combination originally were to secure the guarantee of certain privileges mutually understood by usage rather than any absolute contract . The acknowledgment by the committee of the right of every player after a certain term of service to a benefit match was one of the primary claims , but there were other disputes , one of which had reference to a fixture