James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1885

T H EP H I L A D E L P H I A N V I S I TT O E N G L A N D . 4 9 Amateurmatches only were arranged , of course , to suit their wishes ; but if theycould havebeen induced to play one or two of the weaker counties with their professionals , whether the games had proved one-sided or not. the results ofthe whole tour would have been more satisfactory if that be possible ; for it wouldhave done their batsmen good, it would have given the whole team more confidence in the end, and a truer estimate could have been formed of their batting powers than can possibly be arrived at with only amateur bowling to judge by . Perhaps on the occasion of their next visit a change in this direction m a ybe made. A few last words as to the objects of the trip and its possible results . W emaintain that the Australians have, with the exception of Horan a n dCharles Bannerman, whose styles were more or less formedbefore 1878, learnt their batting almost entirely in England , and that the increase of good young batsmen out there is not attributable so much to the excellence of Australian bowling as to the style which those who have formed the four teams to this country have acquired here and imparted to the juniors there . ThePhiladelphians will , we hope and believe , equally benefit by their visit . Steadiness is the great virtue which can be learnt in England by watching good players . Witness the Australians at the commencementof the year. Eachone camein with the obvious intention of trying to hit out of the ground, except Bonnor,perhaps , who, because he ought always to hit , tried to play steadily , and it wasnot until they had steadied down that the innate excellence of their play became fully developed . A s to bowling , we are not sure there is muchto be learnt in England ; bowlers , as a rule , are born, not made; accuracy maycome by perseverance , but spin is innate ; and as regards fielding it would be presumption on our part to offer any advice to the representatives of a country whose national game is base ball. Their Captain will , wefeel sure , acknowledge that he has learnt something fromhis trip. That a batsman's idiosyncracies have to be suited quite as m u c h as a bowler's caprice , that it is wiser to save one run with a close , than four with a lon -field , which though they sound like hometruths , do not strike the mindso forcibly until extraneous experience assists : remember " H o m e-keeping youth hath ever homeliest wit." These are a few advantageswhichwill w etrust accrue to our visitors fromtheir trip, and indirectly to those who watch their play in Philadelphia . But there is a higher view to be taken of the trip , one which we cannot dwell upon here at anylength , but which we should be loth to avoid all mention of. It is the interest whichwe trust has beentakenin their doingshere, b ytheir owncountrymen, and by Englishmen. It ought to, it will we believe , have an effect on the relations existing between the Old Country and the United States , making that which which was already cordial , still more friendly . Anything that will assist towards knitting together by more solid ties all the English speaking peoples in the world is a mediumof civilisation to which futurity will render its deepest gratitude . B ybringing Englishmen into the friendly connec- tion ofthe cricket field with Americans, Canadians , Australians , and cricketers of other countries too before long we hope, South Africans , Parsees , w h o myou will , cricket is not only doing a great good to us Englishmen, byamore or less frequent lowering of our insular pride , but it is doing a great unseen - but some day to be experienced -good to all the English speaking peoples of the world , by bringing them together in friendly intercourse and honest beneficial rivalry . Therefore , let these interchanges of visits of cricketers continue , say we, nor get less frequent ; by this means cricket will continue to flourish , and the historian of the future will have to acknowledge that the great gamewas, besides being a careful nurse and an attentive tutor , more successful in encouraging a closer acquaintance between nations , and therefore , friendship , than any numberof friendly treaties .