James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

1 6 1 0CRICKETIN 18847117703) 1 3 Nottinghamshire team last season , though , were much out of the common, and w equestion if the history of Countycricket can produce another instance of such an extraordinary series of triumphs . Their victory over Yorkshire , at Sheffield , was a little too near to be pleasant . This , however, was the one occa- sion during the season on which the result of the gamewas at all close ; andthe splendid all -round cricket they showed in both their fixtures against the Australians , proves howformidable they were at all points . Indeed, wecannot recal anyCounty eleven , certainly of late years , really possessed of such all- round strength as that which so thoroughly asserted the right of Notts to the championship of the year . With such first -class batsmen as Scotton , Shrews- bury, Rarnes, Gunn, Flowers , and Selby ; a variety of bowling such as furnished b yAlfred Shaw, Attewell , Flowers , Barnes, and Wright ; a wicket -keeper like Sherwin , and a fielding side generally much above the average , Notts had an eleven which showed really no weak spot anywhere. Alfred Shawwas in great bowling form throughout the season , but the cricket was very much strengthened by the marked improvement shown by Attewell as a bowler , and ashewas successful in taking the most wickets during the season , it will be understood of what service he was to the team. Shrewsbury was again at the head of the batting averages ; but he was greatly indebted to one long score of 209 against Sussex , at Brighton , for his position , and Scotton was more a con- sistent run-getter . Thelatter's batting was indeed one of the most noteworthy features of the season , and it would be impossible to over-rate the value of his untiring defence to the eleven . Barnes began the season in most brilliant form ; but, owing to illness , fell off for a time, and Selby, though he played in fewer innings , is able to show better figures . Gunn, who unlike Barnes, beganvery inauspiciously , showed very good cricket towards the end of the season, andhe wasone of the best batsmen in the team on the year's form . Flowers' batting was as usual of great service . In proof of the batting strength of Notts , it maybe stated that the lowest average of the ten regular players w a sjust underfourteen runs. The Yorkshire eleven , though at the commencementof the season they seemed likely to makea bold bid for the first place , by no means fulfilled expectations . Harrison, whomade such an extraordinarily successful débût in 1883 as a fast bowler, unfortunately last summerfailed in any wayto confirm his promise , and he hadlost so muchof his force and accuracy that he was left out of the eleven during most of the campaign. This interfered with the prospects of the County to a great extent at the outset , although E m m e t twas in such great form as to atone considerably for Harrison's loss ; and in Peate , Ulyett , Peel , and Bates the Yorkshiremen had no reason to complain of a lack of bowling. It was rather in the batting that there was anevidence of weakness than in the out-cricket . Ulyett, though he played very fine cricket for the Players against the Gentlemen , both at Lord's and the Oval, was not quite so successful in his run-getting for the County, and this madea material difference to the eleven . Illness prevented Mr. Lumb, whose defence would have been of the greatest service , playing at all , and there wasoften unmistakeableevidence of a tail to the team. Hall's defensive cricket was invaluable to the eleven throughout , and Peel generally_played good cricket . Bates , though , despite a brilliant performance against Notts at Nottingham , was hardly quite as successful as might have been expected ; andGrimshaw, whoopened the season with some good scores ,fell off materially towards the end of the season. L e ewasreintroduced into the eleven last year, andhis batting was so promising as to lead to the belief that he will be of considerable use. Mr. W. H. Woodhouse, too , was also tried as a bats- m a n, with considerable success . Out of sixteen matches Yorkshire only lost four ; but, still , had the batting of the tail been of a better kind, the summarymight have been improved. Emmettand Peate had to bear the brunt of the bowling , and each wascredited with as manyas sixty wickets . Considering the hard wickets generally prevalent , both deserve the highest credit due to an exceptional performance . In analysing them it mustbe B2