James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

4 8 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R S ' A N N U A L. w etrust they will feel assured that , in forming that estimate , we are influenced by no petty or jealous feelings whatever , but in the hope that they will exert themselves so successfully as to come here again at no distant day to prove that w eare wrongin that opinion and have undervaluedthem. A s to individual merits : not having followed the team through its tour, it is impossible for us to speak of these from personal observation : we must go bythe averages . Thirteen double figure averages out of fourteen is decidedly good at first sight , it at least implies some consistency in the batting of the whole team, butonlooking at the figures a fault is at once apparent: Thes u m m e rwas unusually dry, and big scores and high averages followed of a necessity . N o w, out of these thirteen double figures nine are under twenty, and that in about twenty innings . Theaverages of Messrs . Scott , Thayer, and Newhall are good, but there is a decided falling off from this pitch of excellence in the rest of the team, more so than the dryness of the wickets would justify . Mr. Lowry's bowling , we consider quite the feature of the tour, because amateur batting in England is decidedly superior to amateur bowling ; and his performance in his department takes rank above those of Messrs . Scott , Thayer, and Newhallin theirs , O n ehundredand ten wickets for twelve runs a wicket would give Mr. Lowry a very good chance of being selected in most Englishcounty elevens . Messrs. MacNutt, Clark and Newhallhave all respectable bowling averages considering the dry wickets , and doubtless the last-namedwould have hadabetter onebutfor his unfortunate accident. W edo not, however, think he is quite the bowler he was ; there is more steadiness perhaps , but the hand is lower, and there is noneof the old Martin MacIntyreand S. E. Butler rush and dash that half frightened a batsman out before the ball pitched . Well, well , anno domini willnotbedenied, handswill comed o w nfirst to the level of the shoulder, then below it, knees will get stiffer , sinews less supple . and Mr. Newhall maywith great confidence rest his reputation on what he has done and the menhe has bowled out ; not that we would imply for one momentthat his bowling days are over ; on the contrary , we hope to see him over here again with the next Phila- delphian team, but we feel sure that he is too good a cricketer not to feel glad that young ones are coming on to take the place he has so long and so ably filled . There being no averages published of prowess in fielding , we can say but little of that of the Philadelphians . It wascertainly distinguished bydash weare not so sure it was distinguished for accuracy . It is very possible we are wrong, but our impression is there was rather too muchanxiety to throw the ball in before it had been picked up. W emust confess to some regret that the wicket- keeper stood back as muchas he did. Perhaps it was a sign that in that , as in manyother things , the old country is going too slow , and that those English cricketers whoinsist that in a short time the wicket -keeper will stand up only for slow bowling , have shown accurate prescience of the gameof the future . W e, however, being old-fashioned we suppose , believe that there is a happy mean to we arrived at, and that a line can be drawnbetween fast and slow mediumpaced bowling. N o w, one word as to the first piece of advice we had the temerity to offer our Philadelphian friends -not to form too high an estimate of their own powers . The " American Cricketer " of August 21st reports one of the team on its return saying that three of their batsmen were equal to any in England. Well, w ehave expressed our opinions of the batting of Messrs . Scott , Thayer, and Newhall. It is decidedly good. Thefirst is as brilliant as any one we ev er saw, the style of all three is excellent , and with more patience there can be nodoubt they would be equal to getting long scores against the best bowling ; but that they are equal to Mr. Grace and Mr. Steel and others of our foremost batsmen there is absolutely nothing to prove . They maybe ; but until they have done some notable performances against professional bowling we must take leave or doubt it ; and this gives us the opportunity of expressing our regret that out visitors ' metal was not on a few occasions tried by professional bowling.