James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1889

T H ES I X T HA U S T R A L I A NT Ε Λ Μ. 2 1 status . In fact , in estimating the general results of the tour , it mustin fairness be remembered that morethan one of the best cricketers in the Southern Hemisphere could not accompany Mr. Beal. That no effort was spared by the Manager goes without saying to those who know his keenness and personal influence . A tone time, and indeed almost up to the eve of their departure , he was, if not sanguine , at least very hopeful , that he would be able to get together the strongest combination that had ever left Australia . Mr. Murdochhadfor the last twoor three years practically retired from first -class cricket , andthe great batsman wasconsequently out of all practical calculations . Mr. Spofforth , too, hadbefore expressed his inability to make any further trips , and though on each occasion onwhich he had previously visited us he haddeclared he " would ne'er consent , consented ," he did not this time form one of the party . With Messrs . G. Giffen , Blackham, S. P. Jones , McDonnell, T. Horan, and Bonnor of the older hands, and the famous triumvirate of younger cricketers whohad helped during the last two or three years to bring N e wSouth Wales so prominently to the front -Messrs. Moses , Turner , and Ferris , to wit-it was thought that there would bethe nucleus of an exceedingly formidable combination . Hadall those named beenincluded , there would have been little or no ground for complaint as to the constitution of the team. As it happened, though, two at least of the best cricketers in the Colonies were unable to respond to Mr. Beal's invitation , and a third whomight have been very useful had also to decline . Great as was the disappointment whenit was found that Mr. H. Moses, whohad proved himself to be quite the best batsman since Mr. Murdoch's retirement , had definitely re- fused, even his absence was hardly likely to be of such account as that of Mr. GeorgeGiffen . Mr. Horan's batting would probably have been of service , but the loss of Mr. Giffen , who as an all -round player has hardly a superior any- where, was of much more importance ; in fact , it was one the effect of which c a n n o tb eoverrated. Withthese exceptions , some of themimportant , there was no great fault to b ef o u n dwithM r .Beal'scombinationso faras it couldb e consideredto b e representative of Australian cricket . Theysoon, too, proved that they were by no means such an inferior side as they had been appraised at home; and, in fact, in the first few matches they played they showed to such advantage all round that some English journalists jumpedto the conclusion that they were going to equal , if not to surpass , the record of the most successful of the earlier Australian teams . Such a deduction was, as subsequent events proved , too hastily formed, and by no means a reliable one. U pto a certain point Mr. McDonnell's luck was unmistakably in , and successive victories over Mr. C. I. Thornton's Eleven, Warwickshire, Surrey, Oxford University , and Yorkshire in the first five matches-most of themby large majorities were calculated to raise hopes which were not fully realized . N oone would, wethink , venture to argue seriously that the last team was in all -round cricket up to the standard of that commanded by Mr. Murdoch in 1882 , or its immediate successor , of which Mr. Alexander wasmanager. It is no reflection on the excellent cricket shown generally by our last visitors to institute a comparison to their disadvantage with the formidable combinations to which reference has just been made. Theserious illness which deprived Mr. McDonnell at the end of M a yof the services of Mr. S. P. Jones, and practically incapacitated himfor the rest of the tour, could not fail to depress the other members for some time. Until at least there was a hope of his recovery , which was a matter of doubt , we believe , for a weekor two, his condition must have reacted unfavourably on the cricket of the team generally , without taking into account the direct effect of the loss of one w h ohadshownhimself to be of great use in every department-certainly one of the most reliable all -round players at Mr. McDonnell's disposal . It can hardly be claimed , we think , that the team was a very strong one at all points . The prevalence of soft wickets enabled the two bowlers , on w h o mdevolved the burden of the attack -a pair who had already proved themselves to be of unequalled capacity in the m u d to show to the greatest advantage . Undersuch circum- tances , too , the real value of the batting was hardly properly tested , and a fair