James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1889

PUBLICS C H O O LCRICKETIN 1888. 9 Champain, and the former in particular gives every sign of developing into a good all -round player , though it is not, we believe , certain whether he will be able to follow up the game sufficiently to be able to take higher honours . The Scotch inter -scholastic championship proved to be again a good thing for Fettes , and, as far as we can hear, their success wasthoroughly well -deserved . A trusty correspondent , who is , moreover, thoroughly conversant with the subject , expresses himself in the most eulogistic terms of the merits of M. R. Jardine , of the Fettes College eleven . In his opinion the young Fettesian is the best all -round cricketer the Scotch Schools have produced, and, as far as one can judge from figures , it must be admitted that there seem to be substantial groundsfor such an assertion . The wet wickets of course prevented the run-getting generally reaching such phenomenal proportions as in some recent years . In some cases , though, the scoring was very high, and only one instance need be recorded-the big innings of 698 of Surrey against Sussex at the Oval, the largest total in an im- portant match in England . Amongthe batsmen in all matches Mr. W. W. Readhad the best average , and indeed Mr. W. G. Grace, whohad the highest aggregate , and Abel, certainly the best professional batsman of the year, were the only others to m a k eover a thousandruns. A m o n gthe bowlers Lohmann, Peel , and Briggs were undoubtedly the trio of the year, and as the grounds were they represented as difficult a combination as it wouldbe possible to find . Peel's wickets were got at a heavier cost than those of either Lohmannor Briggs ; but there was little to choose between the two last -named. Lohmann, though, it is worthy of remark, delivered nearly twohundred overs more than Briggs , and the former was the only bowler of theyearto get overtwohundredwickets. Somuchfor the past . As far as one can judge , the future is hopeful of promise . Goodcricket wasnever more popular with the public , and the whole tone of the game and its exponents , weventure to think, never better . The summerof 1889 will witness one feature not exclusively English . This will consist of a visit of American cricketers , and as the share of the receipts usually given to visiting teams will be handed over to some deserving institution con- nected with the game, the trip will commenditself to the hearty sympathy of all classes of cricketers. Ourarticle in last year's Annual closed with a reference to the County Cricket Council , and several proposals for alteration in the Rules to be brought before it . Other propositions with a similar object , though approved by the Committee of the Marylebone Club , were referred back by the general meeting of that body, so that the opinions of leading cricketers and the principal clubs should be taken on the different points . Briefly the proposals are : (1) to have five instead of four balls to the over ; (2) to allow a bowler to change as often as he likes , always provided he does not bowl two overs consecutively ; and (3) to allow a captain to terminate his innings on the last day of a match, or at any period of a one-day match. W ehave no reason ourselves to alter the opinion w eexpressed twelve months ago, that to prove the advisability of any alteration there should be some unmistakable and pressing proof that a change is necessary. 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 8. B YR E V. A. F. E. F O R M A N. F o ryears to come the season of 1888 will be remembered by cricketers as one of gloom anddisappointment , andif this is true of cricketers in general , it is even more indisputably true of those who have to do with the game at our