James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1892

1 4 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. year , a reputation which his skill last summer served only to enhance , and doubtless he waswell above average schoolboy form. Only three of the team are nowat Cheltenham, and perhaps it is as well for the future of the school cricket that so large a proportion of the old hands have disappeared , leaving room for less experienced , but let us hope more energetic , successors . It is far better to trust to a team of youngsters , full of fire and go, than to have an eleven whoseexperience has been so ill -directed as to lead them to be slack in net prac- tice and neglectful of fielding . W ehave spoken strongly , but our words are mildin comparison with some of the strictures which have been passed on the doings of this team. It maybe that out of evil good maycome, and that present and future generations of Cheltonians , taught by the bitter lesson of 1891 , mayfirmly resolve that , whatever shortcomings they mayhave, they will never let their school eleven be again guilty of such contemptible faults as lazinessa n dindifference. It is impossible , even at a very large school , to insure a succession of good teams from year to year. Every effort m a ybe made, but if the material is of poor quality , success is out of the question . This was the case at Clifton last summer, though, if they had had the benefit of their captain's services , they would probably have scored more than one victory in the course of the season . Field was unlucky enough to break his hand early in May, and was practically hors de combat for the rest of the term. H e did makean appearance in the last two matches , but then could use one hand only . This accident was the more unfortunate as only two others of the old team were available , so, though the eleven is declared to have been one of the weakest that ever represented the school , weconsider that , severely handicapped as they were, they deserve commiseration rather than blame. Their one victory was positively sensational , as, in defeating Cheltenham, they beat a team that ought to havebeen immeasurably their superior . It was fielding that wonthe match, and the winners fairly earned most hearty congratulation . Field is nowat Cam- bridge , and , with ordinary luck , is almost sure to come to the front . Young W. G. Gracesucceeds to the captaincy , and maybe trusted to do his best to restore the prestige of Clifton cricket , and we cordially wish him success . F r o mDulwich we have received a very dismal account . Nothing wonder- ful hadbeen expected , but the results were far more disastrous than even the most gloomy prophets had foretold , a victory over the old boys being the soli- tary success of the year. The presence of C. M. Wells was enough to redeem the 1890 eleven , but we fear that last year's team must be put downas a very poor lot . Not only could no reliance be placed on the best batsman, but the bowling was, as a rule , tame and ineffective , and, sad to relate , the fielding of some of the boys was slow, slovenly , and unsafe . At times there was a con- siderable lack of judgmentin the placing of the field , and this would indicate a certain want of keenness in the game, which mayhave been at the root of the general failure . W esincerely trust there will be no signs of it again , as , given plenty of keenness , there is no earthly reason why there should not be a really good team at Dulwich this year . The majority of the old colours are still at school , and some of them gave distinct evidence of cricket ability . Wells is nowat Cambridge, but he will have to improve vastly on his last year's form if he is to makeany show in 'Varsity cricket . It is by no means unlikely that J. Douglas, whowas in the school eleven a year of so ago, will be seen to advantage at Cambridge . He was a splendid school bat , and we shall not be at all surprised if he is found in the light blue team at Lord's this year. Thedefeat of the Eton boys in their two school matches was a very great blowto their numerous supporters . Thetrial gameshad shownthemto be a good team, sound throughout , though without any one player of exceptional merit , and considerable confidence was felt in their ability to beat the Wykehamists, the moreso as they had the advantage of playing on their ownground . Butthe Winchester matchproved rather a rude awakening, and the high hopes enter- tained of the team were scattered to the winds. Thewantof nerve , which has morethan once of late years madeitself evident in their school matches , was