James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

C R I C K E TI N 1 8 8 4. 5 averages . Messrs . I. D. Walker , Webbe, Pearson , and Ridley all upheld their reputations , and Mr. O'Brien was a great acquisition to the County, having the good average of thirty -five for fourteen completed innings . Lancashire , though possessed of a strong eleven whenable to muster its full forces , has not shown to the same advantage during the last two seasons as in 1881 and 1882. The victory of the Countyover Yorkshire at Sheffield was a verycreditable performance , and, despite the bare victory of Gloucestershire at Clifton , the results of the Southern tour at the close of the season were generally in favour of the Lancashire players . Mr. Hornby in the later matchesshowed muchof his old batting powers. O nthe whole, though , he was hardly as successful as was expected ; and Barlow, too , was strangely unfor- tunate as a batsman. Mr. A. G. Steel was last year in such brilliant form with the bat that he would have materially strengthened the Lancashire eleven hadhe been able to play more often , and his absence was very muchto be regretted in consequence . Mr. Royle showed consistently good cricket in the Augustmatches, and his play was indeed one of the most noteworthy events of the season . Another useful acquisition to the eleven was found in the person of Mr. H. B. Steel , and, to judge by the powers of hitting he dis- played against Surrey at the Oval, and against Kent at Maidstone , hebids fair to be a valuable memberof the County eleven . Barlow was as successful a bowler as he was a comparative failure with the bat, and Watsonand he shared the honour in this department. Crossland was not quite so effective on the whole, but he did not play throughout the season , and, owing to an injury to his arm, was unable to take part in the later matches . O n eof t h e m o s tnoticeablefeaturesi n the cricketoflast seasonw a st h e excellent all -round form shownby the Sussex eleven . Mr. Herbert Whit- feld had, indeed , good reason to be satisfied with the showof the teamunder his command. Their moral victory over the Australians at Brighton will long be remembered; but this was by no means their one good performance , and their brilliant win over Yorkshire , with their long scores against Notts and Kent, all at Brighton , proved unmistakeably the capacity of the County against even the best bowling . Mr. Newham's batting was one of the best features of the season , and he was easily at the head of the averages , despite that hegot " a brace " in the final fixture at the Oval. Mr. Whitfeld also played fine cricket throughout , and his defence was often of the greatest value . Mr. W. Blackman's hitting was frequently of great service ; and Tester , Humphreys, and Jesse Hide all scored consistently well . The extraordinary performance of Mr. Wyattand HenryPhillips against the Australians will not soon be forgotten in Sussex . In bowling , the County , too , was fairly strong though there was no one of exceptional merit . Humphreys proved very effective both against the Australians and Yorkshire ; and in Mr. W .Blackman, Jesse Hide, A. Hide, Juniper , and Tester, there was plenty of change, all of fair material. Kentopened the season with no very hopeful outlook , which it is satis- factory to have to record brightened considerably as the season advanced . The victory of the eleven over the Australians at Canterbury would alone be a great subject for congratulation , though there were other successes , some of themvery creditable , particularly those over Lancashire , at Manchester, and Surrry at Maidstone . Theabsence of Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote of course , weakened the batting , as well as deprived the County of its best wicket -keeper . Still , the brilliant success which attended Lord Harris with the bat, and the generally effective bowling of Mr. Christopherson , Wootton , and, towards the close , of young Alexander Hearnedid muchto maintain the character of Kentish cricket . Messrs. Patterson and Mackinnon were of great service with the bat, as were George and Frank Hearne, and the latter has during his career rarely shown to greater advantage in batting than last season . Wootton's bowling was one of the best features of Kentish cricket in 1884 , and , considering the hard grounds , his figures were highly creditable . Alexander Hearne made a great name, as a bowler , by his performance against the