James Lillywhte's Cricketers' Annual 1884

2 6 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. Yorkshire cricket would be incomplete without special reference to the wicket- keeping of Hunter. The ease with which he took Harrison's bowling was sufficient proof of his pluck as well as his skill . As a wicket -keeper to fast bowling he has certainly no superior at the present time. After Notts and Yorkshire , Middlesex was fairly entitled to the next position in point of merit . The eleven , during the greater part of the season , suffered materially from the lack of an efficient wicket-keeper , and last summer certainly produced no one at all capable of taking the place so ably filled b ythe H o n. Alfred Lyttelton . Middlesex cricket , too , still languishes for the want of a fast bowler, as George Howitt was, and, were these two defects remedied , there would be little doubt about its ability to assume the foremost position in County cricket . The absence of any invitation from the Committeeof the Surrey County Club, with which he had previously been associated , left Mr. A. P. Lucas free to assist the County of his birth , andhis presence in the Middlesex eleven added considerably to its already great batting strength . Neither Mr. Lucas nor Mr. Ridley, whoplayed very fine cricket in the earlier matches, were able to play in the later fixtures , but the extraordinary run-getting of the eleven in August, whenthey were absent , wassufficient proof of the splendid batting side the County could , if represented fully , place in the field . It is fortunate just now that Middlesex is so exceptionally strong with the bat, as its bowling has rarely been weaker. Mr. C. T. Studd is always to be relied on, but Burton was at times very expensive , and there was little change of any kind. Mr. I. D. Walker has never batted with greater success , andhis consistent scoring is the more creditable considering that he has taken part in first -class cricket nowfor close on twenty years. T h ewonderfulformshownb ythe H o n. Alfred Lyttelton in the later matches on the Middlesex programmewas one of the most noticeable features of a run-getting season . The brilliant cricket he displayed , when he could really have had no great amount of practice , makes the public regret the keener that he is unable to participate more frequently in first -class cricket . Surrey showed a decided advance on any form of recent years , and the cricket of its eleven , in the later matches , was really of a very high quality . N o County has borne a succession of ill -fortune with greater pluck, and it is very satisfactory to note the great promise of its players last summer. N o better cricket was witnessed during 1883 than that to be seen at the Oval, and it is a record , of which the Surrey teamm a ywell be proud, that they were the only County eleven unbeaten on their own ground in a County match. T h egood cricket shownduringthe latter part of the season wasthe more remarkable for two reasons : first , because they were beaten in their three first engagements by Notts , Leicestershire , and Derbyshire in succession ; andsecondly , as before stated , that they had to play throughout the season without the aid of their best bowler , Jones . Sixteen first -class matches were played by Surrey , and of these seven were won, four drawn , and five lost . In addition to these , the programme was enlarged , to admit of fixtures with Hampshire , Somersetshire , Leicestershire , and Herts , so that , in all , twenty- thrse Countymatches were duly brought off by the Committeeof the Surrey CountyClub. M a n ywere sceptical of the wisdom of the policy in arranging such an extensive card, and more especially of the advisability of including theminor Counties . It must be admitted , though , that the experiment proved to be singularly successful , and the large numberof matches, at least , was of practical value in one important respect that it gave the eleven plenty of practice , and enabled them to work thoroughly well together , one of the greatest elements to success in cricket . O nthe excellent wickets provided last summerat the Oval the Surrey eleven proved themselves consistent run- getters against all kinds of bowling, and their scores against Notts, Yorkshire , and Lancashire , in the return matches, showed them to be a good batting side . Mr. W. W . Read has never batted with greater success . Mr. Roller and Abel showed a very marked improvement. In Henderson the eleven