James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1882

1 4 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L, Butler,whohas great confidence , and adds good driving powers to neat wrist play; E. Mills , a left hander, who can hit as well as bowl; and Shore, whoought not to be lost sight of, though his left hand medium-pace delivery washardly so effective last year as had beenhoped. Middlesex had to be content with a record showing, as Notts, an equal number of wins , draws , and losses . The County is never able to muster all its available strength for the earlier matches , but in August it was able to place in the field even a stronger batting side than in previous years, and both at Manchester and Huddersfield the eleven contained as many as nine amateurs who had at one match or other recently met the Players at Lord's or the Oval. Theduties of his profession prevented the H o n. Alfred Lyttelton's appearance in the team until August, and the amateur wicket -keepers who were tried in his stead early in the year were so unmistakably second-rate that the County suffered materially in this department. Mr. I. D. Walker, though he punished the Oxford bowling very severely at Lord's , did not score quite so well in the other fixtures , and the same may be said of Mr. A. J. Webbe, who also played in fourteen innings , with only a difference of four runs in their totals . Mr. Vernon , who with Messrs . Walker , Webbe, and Pearson took part in every Middlesex matchduring the year, madethe highest aggregate , but the brothers Lyttelton , the two Studds -G. B. and C. T. all did equally good service in a smaller numberof engagements, and two very able additions to the eleven were found in Messrs. Leslie , of Oxford , and Robson , an old Brucian , who is not only a really good field , but likely with better practice to be a very useful bat. Mr. A. J. Ford, though he did some creditable things for Cambridge, was a failure for Middlesex , both in batting as well as bowling , but in the latter department the County found, if not a new, at least a comparatively untried professional of great service in Burton, a slow round-arm bowler, who without muchspin , by feeding the batsmenon the off -side and keeping a fairly good length throughout, had a very respectable average, the best of the eight whotried their hands with the ball for Middlesex . D spite the energy of the execu ive , which was shownin a continuous examination of young players during the first two months of the season , there was, it is muchto be regretted , very little sign of any substantial or permanentimprovementshown in the position of Surrey cricket during 1881. A considerable amountof moneywas expended in the inspection of likely Colts , and an organised system of trials was not only arranged , but carried out with great care and energy . T h eidea of t h ec o m m i t t e ein inviting every young player to the Oval to undergo a preliminary test in regular practice gamesunder the charge of experienced judges was a good one, and in somerespects proved thoroughly successful . There was more opportunity for the youngsters themselves to show their real formperhaps thanin a match, and every one at least could claim to have had a full and fair chance of proving his capabilities in all departments of the game-- bowling, batting , and fielding . Underthe watchful eyes of such capable critics as the Hon. Robert Grimston and Mr. Frederick Burbidge, to whose untiring vigilance during this term of test practice the Surrey authorities were very muchindebted , the young players were not only encouraged but incited to do their best , while at the sametime every point that could be adduced as indicative of the promise necessary to warrant an immediate and further course of training , with a view to ultimate development as a