James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1886

4 2 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. Forster appeared in the ranks of the Hants' team, and made a more than respectable show. Witha little more experience he is by no means unlikely to proveof great service to his county. The past season at Haileybury was infinitely more successful than had beenanticipated , and was especially notable for the victory over Uppingham, an old rival , whoover and over again have proved too good for the Herts' boys . The second school match resulted in defeat , Wellington heading themby65 runs . The team suffered only one other reverse , while they had six victories to their credit . In Campbell they had a really good all -round cricketer . Withthe ball he was especially successful , and no doubt he is one ofthebest m e nthe school has ever had. A brother of the Oxford Hamilton showed considerable batting powers, and to him belongs the honour of the highest individual score as well as the best average . Of the others , Finch improved very much as a bat, while Worsley's straight and steady bowling had a large share in winning the matches. The prospects for this season are unusually bright , as there is an abundance of good material in the school . Our hope is that these prospects will be realised . The Harrow eleven of the past year fully justified the high hopes that were held of them by their manyadmirers , winding up the season with a never-to-be-forgotten victory over Eton. It is not on this performance alone that their claim to first -class honours rests , for with the single exception of the Harlequin match, the teani did not fail to " come off " in any of the trial games. In the earlier matches on the home ground, the bowling of the team generally , and of Ramsayin particular , was very effective , but as the season advanced , it seemed to lose its sting , and at Lord's was far from deadly. Agreat part of the success achieved was due to Butler's able management, and inthematchat Lord's he showedgreat knowledgeof the g a m e. W ehave been told , on good authority , that last year, for the first time , the respective captains hadto rely entirely on their ownjudgment in the field , and we, and all lovers of the game, hail the change with markeddelight . Sufficient mention has already been made of the doings of Watson, Crawley, and Butler , so we will only add that they were ably supported by Dent, who, though unlucky at Lords, was only just behind his captain in point of average , as well as by two younger hands, Bovill and Benton, who promise well with bat and ball . Youngand Dauglish were certainly disappointing ; the latter is captain for this season , and will get lots of runs if he can only make his defence as good as his hitting . Behind the " sticks " he was at times really brilliant , and with ordinary care is very likely to excel in that important position . T h eLancingboys had a very neutral season in '85, three victories and three defeats being their record . Theyhad in T. W. Cock a dashing bat and fine field , butH. G. H a m m o n dwasno doubtthe mostuseful m e m b e rof the t e a m. Malvern, with a good backbone of old choices , could not manageto win even a moiety of their foreign matches, and, as a team, cannot take a high place in the list of public school elevens . In bowling and fielding they were very fair indeed , but their batting was distinctly unsound. Someof them could hit very hard, but there was not one of them to be compared with Coplestone . Canit be that a desire to hit downthe bank has led Malvern boys to discard the " straight bat," without which success is an impossibility ? Farand awaytheir best performer was Rawlinson, whosecured 59 wickets , at a cost of eight runs a-piece-a really good record . Witha little more patience he will develop into a high-class bowler, and is by no meansunlikely to make his m a r kat O x f o r d. Accounts from Marlborough tell us of a very fair team, whose main strength lay in their fielding -nine members of the eleven receive special commendation for safeness and smartness in the field . W e have already spoken in terms of praise of Meyrick's batting , but weare sure our readers will be interested to hear that his average for the Rugbymatchduring the 1