James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1887

1 8 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. Fettes won a fairly easy victory over Merchiston , and though in accordance with the acknowledged rules which govern public school cricket in Scotland they failed to win the championship , we have little hesitation in placing them first in order of merit, C H A P T E R I V. T H EF I F T HA U S T R A L I A NT E A MIN E N G L A N D . B YI N C O G, Formanyreasons it is to be regretted that the tour of the Fifth Australian Teamin England was not a success . That it did not succeed , though, it is equally satisfactory to have to state wasthe result of defects in the cricket shown rather than to any lack of appreciation or cordiality on the part of the British public . It is certain , indeed, that none of the teams which the Colonies have sent out to try their skill on English cricket grounds have ever appeared here undermorefavourable auspices . A nattempt had been made, it is true, to show that the differences between the Shaw and Shrewsbury and the members of Murdoch's team, which had visited England in 1884 , in the Colonies had estranged the good feeling which had always been shown here to Australian cricketers . It was conclusively shown , though , that the general body of English players did not share these opinions -on the contrary , that they were prepared to welcome the coming as they had sped the parting guests in the shape of pre- viousAustraliant e a m s. There was cause , too, for the evident disposition shown to receive the fifth party of Colonial cricketers in the best spirit . The visit was invested with ad- ditional importance , and it certainly appealed more forcibly to the sympathy of English cricketers , from the fact that it wasmadeunder the auspices and manage- mentof a body which had identified itself actively and closely with the cricket of the Old Country. Exception had been frequently , and with reason , taken to the principles on which the previous tours of Australian teams had been con- ducted. It was felt , and generally I think , that the best interests of the game werenot consulted whenthe trip was a merely speculative undertaking on co- operative lines run by the players themselves , or a section of them, as a show. A sa consequence, the greatest satisfaction was evinced w h e nit wask n o w n that the Melbourne Club had resolved to take the managementas well as the risk of this fifth visit . T h ethree leading Associations in the Colonies, at one time, it was thought , would have accepted this responsibility . Atthe last , though , it was found that they were not quite in accord on the subject of the proposed trip , and it thus fell to the Melbourne Club-after all , perhaps , if only for its connection with English cricket in having invited Lord Harris's and the H o n. Ivo Bligh's teams to the Colonies , the most fitting agency for the fulfilment of sucha task. Whatever disappointment , too , mayhave arisen from the comparatively poor performances of the team, it must be admitted that the tour beganatleast under the mostpromising auspices . The greatest care was taken by the executive of the MelbourneClub to choose the most capable players , and the advice of more than oneof those whohad had experience of English cricketers and English grounds w a sutilised in the final selection . Further, the choice of the MelbourneClubwas warmly approved , at least in the Colonies , and, indeed , there was hardly , if there was one, a dissentient voice in the general opinion of Australian critics