James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1892

1 8 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. disappointment , but it must be confessed that the Malvern boys had the best of the luck, and though we consider that they were the better side , it is probable that hadpositions been reversed , and they had lost the advantage of batting on the second day, whenthe wicket was perfect , the result would have been altered . In addition to this Fry was so badly hurt in the first innings as to materially affect his batting afterwards . The extent of this misfortune can be appreciated whenwestate that this was the only occasion in which he failed to secure double figures in any completed innings throughout the school season . TheUppingham matchwas almost a farce , as the weather was so miserable that it was impossible for the boys on either side to show their true form. It is worthy of mention onlybecause of Sharpe's bowling , Hemingway'sbrilliant hitting , and a good display of batting and fielding by Fry. Enoughhas already been said of Fry to prove his value , and he ought, if schoolboy performances go for anything , to have a great future before him. W ehave heard that H. H. Stephenson con- siders him one of the best boy cricketers w h o mhe has ever seen . For the first four matches Fry wasaway, and Glover acted as captain . The responsibility of the post seemed to endue himwith exceptional powers , and his complete failure in the school matches was the more disappointing . At his best he was a good school bat, and it is by no means impossible that he mayprove a useful recruit for Warwickshire. The batting of the rest of the team does not call for any notice in these columns , but we mayadd that in Busby and Davenport Repton has a couple of promising youngsters , and on their doings in the success of this year's team will largely depend. In bowling , the eleven of last season was at once strong and weak, weak because , with the exception of Fry, the change bowlers were quite harmless , strong in that it possessed a couple of goodmenin Youngand Sinclair . Young, though below medium, could always be trusted to keep downruns , and keep up an end, in fact he was the sort of bowler that delights a captain's heart . W ehave already spoken of some of Sinclair's doings , and really for some weeks he was almost irresistible ,but as the season advanced heseemed to lose much of his curl and devil , and in the later matches was certainly not as deadly as he had been. He is only just 17, and if he takes care of himself is sure to be heard of again . W eregret to learn that there is little chance of his again appearing in the Repton team, so it is more than possible that before he is seen at Cambridge he mayhave been workedto death in third- class cricket-absit omen. VernonRoyle was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant fieldsmen whohas ever beenseen on a cricket field , and he, as is well known, learnt his cricket at Rossall . It is not possible for anyschool to have a succession of Royles , but it is possible for any team of schoolboys to field respectably , and Rossall used especially to excel in this branch of the game. Badfielding is absolutely in- excusable in aschool eleven , and if any team loses its matches thereby , our verdict is, " sarves ' emright ." This was the case at Rossall last year. Thebatting was not bad, there was a more than respectable " stumper," and three or four of the bowlers were of average ability , but the side could not win a single match, simply and solely because the fielding was wilfully neglected . There were, of course, notable exceptions to this somewhatgeneral condemnation , but it will be useless for any captain to look for real success either in this , or any future season , unless a thorough reform be effected throughout the school . This reformation m a ybe a work of time, as we understand the infection has spread to all the grounds . However, let us hope for an out-and-out revolution this summer, and we are sure if Berney can carry this through , he will earn the lasting gratitude of all Rossalians . Of the 1891 team Phillips was the most useful member, andwe think it more than likely that we have not heard the last of him. H e did good work with bat and ball , and it must always be rememberedthat Rossall boys are called upon to meet very strong opponents in manyof their matches , so exceptional averages cannot be expected . WithWhitting and Warner still at Rugby , as well as five other old blues , a successful season was reasonably anticipated . This was not the case however, as in eleven attempts , twice only did the team manageto get the best of their