James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1892

4 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. sametime we are bound to ownthat in this view we are open to the objection , that for ordinary purposes the bowling there is has been sufficient . True , O King! But that is hardly enough. In county cricket it is essential that one should look carefully to the future and not to the near future alone . The fierce competition of late years has increased the responsibilities of those whohave the managementof county clubs a hundredfold . Thepolicy which is satisfied with theprovisions of the dayis not likely to have even a brief success . O fLancashire cricket it m a yfairly be said that it was only inferior on the whole to that of Surrey . At the commencementof the season it seemed as if the Lancashire eleven would makea very bold bid for the first place . In some respects the record was disappointing . The cricket was at times rather uncer- tain. In the early part , in particular , the eleven were not apparently together . Someof the batsmen, whohadbeen most dangerous as run-getters , were a little out of luck, and the tail at times wasjust a trifle too long. Still , with its full strength in the field , Lancashire hadundoubtedly an exceedingly good all -round side . Mr. A. G. Steel was only able to play in one match, but that wasenough tobring out in full relief the loss to the county of his practical retirement from first - class cricket . " 'Tis true , ' tis pity , pity 'tis , 'tis true ," maybe aptly said of his withdrawalfromimportantmatches. Mr. A. C. MeLaren, whomadesuch a promising débût in the later matches of 1890, too , was not able to play to any extent until August. His excellent cricket against Surrey at Manchester had been quite sufficient , however, to show whatmightbe expected of him whenhe got into practice , and these expecta- tions were fully borne out. His batting was, indeed , one of the very best features of Lancashire cricket . There is , too , every reason to believe that he will develop into a really first -class batsman; andit is therefore gratifying to learn that arrangements have been madebywhich he will be able to play regularly for Lancashireatleast i n then e a rfuture. Justn o wthe Lancashirelevenis to some extent in a state of transition . The old order changeth , giving place to new. Thetime has arrived for Barlow to give up the place he so long and so honourably held, and other veterans , though they do not as yet lag superfluous on the stage , are retiring . Mr. Hornby, whose captaincy has made Lancashire cricket whatit is, has, he has said himself , played his last match. Cricket could wellhave spared a better , or at least a youngerm a n. Like that of W.G. Grace, the nameof Hornbyhas been as familiar as a household word in cricket for a quarter of a century , and the gamewill not be the same without him. Still , it is better that a player , howevergood and popular he maybe, should retire with even a vestige of his old reputation than that he should linger on an object for sympathy, the mere shadowof a great past. W h e nthe eyesight begins to grow dim, andthe muscles get stiff , whenit takes trouble to get downto a ball , when there is not the same eagerness to go out into the field that there once was, it is after all wiser to give up. There is no public more indulgent to, or more appreciative of the efforts of old favourites than that which supports cricket . Yet even this will hardly minister to the satisfaction of one whofeels himself ou of date. T h elater fixtures of 1891 showedthat the Lancashireelevenwasan excep- tionally formidable combination at all points . In Albert W a r dit had a bats- m a nquite first class , in Mr. McLarena youngcricketer certain to train on into the front rank, in Mr. Crosfield , Sugg, Briggs , Mr. Hornby, F. Ward, and Baker, of the older hands, all dangerous batsmen, and likely to get runs . So far as could be judged from last year's form, the county has secured a likely all -round player in Albert Smith of Oldham, who did good service both as a batsmanof the Barlow type, and a change bowler of the break-back school . In some respects the eleven were hardly seen to the best advantage . Neither Mr. Hornby, Sugg, nor Briggs were in their best vein for hitting , and the batting wasat times , as aconsequence , unreliable . Still they were throughout a decidedly good side , better , indeed , than their form would lead any one to believe . The samemight be said of their out-cricket . In Briggs and Mold they were fortu- nate to have two of the most successful bowlers in county cricket , a pair , by