James Lillywhte's Cricketers' Annual 1884

T H ES E V E N T HE N G L I S HT E A MI N A U S T R A L I A . 9 Australian Eleven of 1882 in a reverse to the tune of 70 runs, and the sup- porters of the Britishers round the ground showed a sudden-in some cases . too sudden-recovery of the good spirits lost , as they alleged , since the Oval defeat . These spirits , if judged from the effect of their recovery , must have been, indeed, good. A nimmense and enthusiastic attendance of some 50,000 in all witnessed the match. That same evening saw the team, still attended by a yelling crowd, off by the steamer to Queensland , a colony considered by other teams to be too distant and tropical for a cricket visit . W emaycertainly be said to have reaped one advantage by our enterprise , a reception throughout the time spent there of such universal acclamation as to make it singular , even amidstthe bountiful hospitality that waseverywhere extended to us. Six days were w edestined to spend in a small coasting steamer during the fortnight allowed for this visit , which travelling , coupled with the fact that both the grounds played onhadbeen lately , at great labour and expense , made for this occasion , combined to makean indifferent preparation for yet another match with the Australian eleven at Sydney on our return . Of the two matches in Queensland but little needbe said , both being against teams of a very elementary description , and played on new-madegrounds in the intervals between tropical storms of rain. Readfollowed up his run of success by securing a firm foothold in Queens- land, in the shape of an allotment of ground in some rising town, the prize offered to the highest scorer in the Maryborough match. At Brisbane the president of the Licensed Victuallers ' Association honoured the captain with aletter , setting forth the necessity of the English eleven being in their places on the third day (the match being finished in two), for the convincing reason that he hadcontracted to supply refreshments for three days. This apparently reasonable request an engagement in the country unfortunately prevented us from acceding to, Seventeenth match (v. Combined Australian Eleven) , Sydney, February 17, 19, 20, and 21. Several changes had been made in the Australian team, the general opinion being that some of these changes were decidedly not for the better . N o Australian eleven is complete without Massie , and Macdonnell is , perhaps , also worthy of a place in their best team. To ensure having good wickets , it was agreed this match to have a fresh one for every innings . Once moregood fortune attended us in the toss , an advantage which, but for our once more repeated failure in catching , would have probably easily won us the match. O u rfirst innings, an unevenperformance, wasnoticeable for the brilliant play of two members of the team, C. T. Studd and Steel , who between them scored 183 out of 263, the former being most unfortunately run out when batting in his very best style . To Steel's innings of 135 not out too much praise could not be given , his timing and placing of the ball being wonderfully accurate , and his mastery over Spofforth complete . The Australian innings commencedbadly, but Bonnoragain changed the whole aspect of affairs by the severity of his hitting , which , though marred by numerous chances , was very effective . No less than eight times , fair chances , too , was he allowed to escape , before Barlow succeeded in retaining one at short slip , and this innings , played at a critical time , when wickets were falling and the bowlers well on the spot , was the turning point of the match. Blackhamplayed really fine cricket for 57. To the modest sumof one run, which represented our advantage on the first innings , the second added 197 , C. T. Studd again playing well for 31, and Bates hitting merrily for 48. 199 to win made it seem still anybody's match , and so it was, till a late period on that fourth day. Bannermanplayed a faultless innings of 63, but to Blackhamagain belonged the chief credit of the victory , for when things were promising a little less well for his side , he came to the rescue with a splendid innings of 58 not out. So, after four days of stubbornly contested play, this excellent match, perhaps one of the finest all -round ever played at the game, ended in a well -earned victory for the Australians by four wickets , a victory for which, however, they were largely indebted to that extraordinary regularity with which the English cricketer misses catches underAustralian skies .