James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

4 6 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R SA N N U A L . gate moneyat some of their matches , amounting altogether we fear-for the sake of the guarantors to a very small sum, they played most distinctly as amateurs , and we are glad to think that the English Press recognised this fact . N o w efeel sure that every true cricketer in England has but one feeling as regards their trip , one of gratification that it was made. W ehave been glad to welcome those who, under the most adverse circumstances , have shown such determination to keep up the game in the United States ; who have shown the desire to learn at the fountain head ; whoshow quite a remarkable acquaintance with incidents , men and places inseparably connected with the noble gamein English cricketers ' minds, and whopossess themselves no meanskill in all its departments. W em a y, indeed , very fairly congratulate the team on its performances ; for it bore out the estimate formed of its powers bythose who had seen the Phila- delphians play on their own ground. It was thought that they would prove themselves not greatly inferior to the majority of English county amateur teams ; anda glance at the results of such matcheswill showthis to havebeenthe case. Playing eighteen matches , their record shows that eight were won, five lost . andfive drawn; and amongthese wereincluded such strong amateurteamsas can be put in the field by the Marylebone and Liverpool Clubs , and the Counties of Gloucestershire , Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. Having seen the Philadelphians in the field on but one or two occasions , we can only form an estimate from recorded results . W edo not, however, propose to follow them step by step through their tour, but merely to glance at their performances against teamsof somepretentions . It is evident that our visitors were bitterly disappointed at their per- formance against M.C.C.; but they maytake heart from the well -knownfact that to the visitor -be he Australian , American , or Englishman -Lord's is the most difficult ground, perhaps , in the world. The mysteries of the side hill , and how to use it to advantage , must be learnt by batsmen , bowler , and field ; and even then, with years of experience to help them, some of our best cricketers are pronounced failures there . The light , too , gets , if anything , worse year by year, and will continue to until the sooty -leaved chestnuts that nowforms the background at both ends die or are cut down. It is a commonoccurrence on dull afternoons to see a long -field run in exactly the opposite direction to that to which the ball is coming, or stand dazed at its entire disappearance . The fielding , however, of the visiting team was certainly not up to the mark on the first evening of the match , even when light , ground , and chilliness are taken into account . Still , the best teams fall to pieces in the face of a long score , and we are by no means inclined to judge the one in question by its performance at headquarters . There is a great deal in names, too, and there were some noted one in the M.C.C. Eleven in that match; in fact , it was without doubt the strongest the Philadelphians played against during the tour-stronger , in fact , than anyCounty amateur team, unless it be Middlesex , and, as we have said above, it was not expected that they should prove themselves equal to the form of such elevens . O n the whole, therefore , we see no reason for the disappointment felt by the Philadelphians at their defeat at Lord's ; for , putting on one side the disadvantages they laboured under, of loss of innings , a strange and very peculiar ground. and an indifferent light , they were playing against a teamwhich, things being equal , we should not expect to see thembeat. If there is magic in a name, it certainly should be found in the Gentle- m e nof Gloucestershire and the brothers Grace ; but in this match the Phila delphians did not allow apprehension to neutralise their efforts . Surely this victory went far to compensate for the disappointment at Lord's . One thing , at least , is certain , that the disappointment was lifted on to other shoulders , for so great was the wrath of the Gloucestershire captain at the result , that , we believe , he dismissed his eleven with a parting injunction " not to let him see them again for a month." This was a very creditable victory ; but w e should imagine the Gloucestershire teamto be rather weakin bowling. Neither can the HampshireGentlemen be considered strong in that department , though