James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1883

T H EA U S T R A L I A N T E A MI N E N G L A N D . 2 5 withgreat success in some of the early matches ; but anaccident stopped his career , and he was unable to play in any of the later contests . Giffen's slow bowlingwas effective on somefew occasions , notably against the Gentlemen at the Oval ; but he failed afterwards to show brilliant form. Blackham's wicket -keeping was quite the best of the season , certainly more reliable than any we have in England just now. In fielding , the eleven were undoubtedly strong . Bannerman, Massie , Boyle, Giffen , and Jones , were all conspicuously good , and, indeed , the only one of the team not altogether reliable in the field was Horan. Thebatting was better than that of the last teamof 1880. It still lacked the polish of some of the best of our English. performers ; but the eleven was a very difficult one to get out, and the last wickets often proved very troublesome to dislodge . Murdoch showed better cricket than ever . His play , under all conditions of ground , was equally brilliant , and on his form of the season he could claim to be quite the equal of the best of our English batsmen . Otherwise the style of the rest of the teamwasnot attractive . Massie's hitting quite cameup to the expectations formed from his Australian form, and some of his performances were extraordinary . Horan, though , still not a taking batsman , played some fine innings . He was quite the second best bat on his side . Bannerman's defence was untiring at times ; and McDonnell and Bonnor were both good hitters , though , owing to a severe illness on the voyage to England, the former was never quite himself . Blackham's style of batting showed no improvement ; but at times his was a very difficult wicket to get , and more than once his plucky batting saved the side . Giffen , though he occasionally played well , was not at home on the hard wickets ; and Jones , whose style is moresuitable to a fast ground , never showed his real form for the same reason . With the exception of a few slight disagreeables , the tour was carried out without a hitch , though even still there was an evident disposi- tion to cavil on subjects which might well have been avoided to wit, the details of the ground , and the decisions of the umpires . That the trip was in every way more satisfactory than either of its predecessors , is beyond a doubt. M u c hof its success was due to the personal influence of the manager, Mr. C. W. Beal, who made himself a host of friends on this side, as m u c hby his straightforward and business -like behaviour, as by his affability and cordiality . The team were : - William Lloyd Murdoch, Captain (N e wSouth Wales) ; born at Sandhurst, Victoria , 18th October, 1855. Hugh HamonMassie (New South Wales ) ; born in Belfast , Victoria , 11th April, 1854. John McCarthy Blackham (Victoria ) ; born at Fitzroy , near Melbourne , 11th April , 1855. George Giffen (South Australia ) ; born at Adelaide , 27th March, 1852 . Thomas Horan (Victoria ) ; born in Victoria , March, 1855. Thomas William Garrett (New South Wales) ; born at Wollongong , near Sydney , 26th July , 1858 . Percy Stainslaus McDonnell (Victoria ) ; born Kensington (London), 13th November, 1860. Frederick Robert Spofforth (New South Wales ) ; born at Balmain, near Sydney, 9th September, 1855. Alexander Charles Bannerman (NewSouth Wales ) ; born Sydney, March 21, 1 8 5 9. George John Bonnor (New South Wales ) ; born Bathurst , N.S. W., 25th. February, 1855.