James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1887

8 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. averages with forty -two, and Mr. E. W. Bastard bowled twenty-five wickets for seven runsperwicket. Essex lost all six of the good matches she played, but showed to great advantage against Surrey at Leyton early in the season , and was not very far from winning . Mr. F. A. Bishop bowled very well at times , notably in the first Surrey match, but the batting figures of the eleven will not bear examination . Still , it is no disgrace to be beaten by Surrey and Lancashire , and the captain , Mr. C. E. Green, is deserving of every praise for his plucky efforts to bring his countyto the front. Warwickshireplayed an evendrawwiththe Australians. Collishawbatted well, and Shilton bowled with great success throughout the season . Taking the season as a whole, including the county matches, and all other important fixtures , Mr. Walter Read and Shrewsbury practically tie for the first place , though Mr. Read's figures are the best , seeing that he played in eight moreinnings . Mr. W.G. Grace maybe ranked next in order-considering the numberof innings he played , and he obtained the highest numberof runs of any m a nin England. His successes were chiefly against the Australians . Amongstthe professionals Maurice Read and Abel have the best figures after Shrewsbury. Turning to the bowling, the champion has, amongst the amateurs , the highest numberof wickets , although the cost of obtaining themwas considerable . Mr.Rockm a ybe considered the best amateur bowler in Englandat the moment. Amongstthe professionals we look for better figures , and are not disap- pointed . Watsonpossesses the best actual record of ninety -nine wickets ata little over eleven runs per wicket , Emmett, Barlow, Lohmann, and Wootton alone obtaining over 100 wickets , and Lohmannwas credited with as manyas 160 for fifteen runs per wicket . This , coupled with his batting average of 23 runs, mustmarkhim as one of the most successful cricketers of the year. Considering the excellence of the wickets in a good season like that of 1886 , it says a good deal for the professionals that they can showsuch a fine bowling record against the picked bats of England and Australia , and there would not appear to be any occasion at present to entertain the wild suegestions that are sometimes made, to increase the size of the wickets or otherwise handicap the batsmen. Before this becomes necessary the batsmen will either have to im- prove very considerably and it does not seem possible to show a finer quartette than W. G. Grace, Walter Read, Shrewsbury, and A. G. Steel-or such bowlers as Lohmann, Barlow , and Wootton , and the redoubtable TomEmmett will have to lose their cunning, which at present does not seem at all likely . Agedoes not appear to wither the old , nor success to spoil the young bowler , and as long as this is the case the prospects of English cricket will continue to grow brighter every ear, C H A P T E R III. P U B L I CS C H O O LC R I C K E TIN 1 8 8 6. B YR E V. A. F. E. F O R M A N. VERYfew of the public school elevens of last season met with any striking success in their efforts onthe cricket -field . In the earlier trial gamesboys were placed at a great disadvantage . Matches had been arranged , and they hadto De played, but it would have been far better for the morale of school teams had it been possible to postpone engagements , and to meet their antagonists at a later date . It is impossible to gauge accurately the ill effects of that dreary