James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1882

1 8 LILLYWHITE'S CRICKETERS' ANNUAL. older members of the eleven showeda falling off , andnext to Mr. Bettes- worth , the best of the new school was Mr. W. Blackman , a resolute hitter , and a fair fast bowler on his day. Lillywhite's bowling was again the main- stay of the side , and considering that he has played in every Sussex match for the last twenty years , a claim that no other cricketer , we should fancy, has ever been able to make, his performances cannot be overrated . At its best the bowling of the eleven was of the most moderate kind ; but without Lillywhite to keep up an end its condition wouldhave beendep'or- able. Somersetshire has been steadily forcing its way above the level of what are regarded as the second class counties , andindeed it is difficult to see on whatgrounds it is debarred from entry into the front rank. That it would bebold enough to challenge comparison with Lancashire , Notts , or York- shire , no one wouldbelieve for a moment, but the excellent formits eleven showedagainst Gloucestershire in both matches last season entitled them at least to respect , and if public form is at all reliable it would make a good fight with manyof the Southern counties . And if nothing else could be adduced in support of its plea , the resolution which its ex- ecutive has displayed in advocating its claims , the energy it has shown in developing the cricket within its boundaries , might well supply a sufficient c a u s e . The Marylebone Club was, fortunately , little affected by the rains of August, owing to the early completion of the moreimportant portion of its programme, andon the whole the season at Lord's wasa most satisfactory o n e. A ttimes the wickets were not of the best, owing to the dry weather, but generally the cricket was interesting , and in somecases it was of the very highest order. The match list showed that as m a n yas 117 engage- ments, in which the M.C.C. took part , were satisfactorily carried out, and in evidence of the resources of the club it m a ybe added that only eleven of this large number were lost . The Whitsuntide fixture was Under Thirty v. Over Thirty , and the proceeds were given to Farrands , a ground- m a nof some years ' service at Lord's , but it was not such an emphatic success as it would have been under favourable circumstances owing to the weather . Both sides were fairly strong , but the wickets were all in favour of the bowlers , and the scoring was comparatively small . There was no one, except Mr. Pearson, to take the wicket for the Juniors , in the absence of Pilling , and the want of a capable stumper had muchto do with the defeat of the younger team, who were beaten by 79 runs . The match between M.C.C. andGroundandEnglandproved a decided failure . Owing to collision with important County fixtures , the Marylebone authorities could not have , from the first , expected to secure even a second rate eleven to represent England , and it would have been infinitely better to have altered the title of the contest than to place a team consisting of players , the majority of themhardly good enough for their own counties , in the field under such a high sounding appellation . Unfortunately , too, the gamewas played just at the one period of the season whenthe heat was oppressive , and the play all round was about as tame as has ever been witnessed in any of the principal matches of the Marylebone pro- gramme. The Inter -University matchwassomewhatof a surprise , and as m a n ythink , also something of a fluke . Every credit must be given to the Oxfordeleven for their well earned victory , but at the sametime it will not be denied that Cambridge had a good deal the worst of the luck. The