James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

T H EF O U R T HA U S T R A L I A N T E A M . 9 C H A P T E R 111. T H EF O U R T HA U S T R A L I A N T E A M . B YA V E T E R A N . T H Emovements of the Australian Teamwhich visited England last summer werewatched with an amount of anxiety surpassing even that evinced with regard to the doings of their predecessors . The reasons for this exceptional interest shown by the cricketers of the old country in their fourth visit , are not far to seek. The victory of the Colonial players in the memorable match between England and Australia at the Oval, in 1882. had excited the English public, it must be admitted , in no ordinary way. The defeat of a carefully- chosen and thoroughly representative eleven of England was an event calculated to sorely trouble the minds of those who had never for a momentimagined that our championship at the national game of old England should ever be in danger. The honours, too, in the representative matches played at the Antipodes by the H o n. Ivo Bligh's team had been by no meansunequally distributed , and the results of that tour had only served to whet the appetite of English cricketers , and to stimulate the general interest in the respective merits of the best teams of the Colonies and the Fatherland . It was generally felt , too, that the main aim of the promoters of the last tour was, if possible , to successfully accomplish the task which was only partially accomplished in 1882, to beat the chosen eleven of England on their own ground. With this view it was arranged that as manyas three representative matches should be played between England and Australia , and a hope was expressed on the side of the visitors that the fixtures should in each case be decided. The great increase in the English programme, enlarged to an unusual extent by the numerous Australian engagements , unfortunately prevented the allotment of morethan the regulation period of three days for each contest . That this was so is muchto be regretted , but it was a necessity of the great pressure of cricket , and it can not be imputed to either side that there was anywant of desire to have the question of superiority if possible conclusively settled . O nthe contrary , the disposition of the Australians was to have their cricket tested by a higher standard than that of the three preceding teams, as it was equally the wish on this side to accept the challenge issued to English cricket . Theclass of fixtures arranged for the teams of 1878 , '80 or '82 , could, indeed, inno waybe compared with the programme undertaken by Murdoch and his twelve fellow colonists in England last summer. Every possible facility was given by the Marylebone and principal County Clubs, with one noteworthy exception , for the completion of the Australian card, and even in the Colonies universal satisfaction was expressed at the large numberof important matches which figured in the list in comparison with previous visits . Altogether the Australians had a heavy and trying task to carry out last summer. Withvery few exceptions they had to meet carefully selected and formidable elevens , and, indeed , it must be admitted that generally , saving the two matches with the Players , every one co-operated actively with the authorities in order to place the full English forces in the field . Acomparisonof the cricket shownbythe FourthAustralian T e a mwith that oftheir predecessors must, therefore , take largely into account the, on the whole, improvedclass of opposition the former had to meet. Thoughtheir card only con- sisted of thirty -five engagements , it must be rememberedthat their tour was con- 1 0