James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1893

CRICKET IN 1892 . 5 best all -round cricketers was in a great measure lost to the county . Still ,although Stoddart and Scott , in particular , were usually to be relied on for a good score , the batting generally failed to realise the expectations excited by its early promise . To some degree this was due to the comparative failure of at least one batsman, T. C. O'Brien to wit, who had immortalised himself by some really sensational achievements in the previous season . The great cause of the ill -success of Middlesex of late years has , almost without exception , been the weakness of its out-cricket . Thesame defects , beyond all doubt,were partially responsible for much, if not all , the failure in 1891. There was, perhaps , only oneincident to afford room for sincere congratulation . The completion of G. McGregor's residential qualification , at all events , furnished what Middlesex hadbeen anxiously awaiting so long-a first -class wicket-keeper , whowould be generally available . Themost capable of stumpers , though, cannot of himself makea good fielding side , and mistakes in the field cost Middlesex dearly at morethan one crisis . Norwasthe bowling without its disappointment . J. T. Hearne and Rawlin had to bear the brunt of the attack , and bear it they did with a certain amount of credit . Still Hearne was by no means as effective as in 1891 , when he went with a bound to the first place in the averages . In all probability the tour in South Africa had done him more harmthan good-at all events , the fact remains that his bowling had not the same sting , which will n odoubtreturn next year. Yorkshire's record was the more disappointing because the performances of the eleven in the earlier matches appeared to indicate a very different result . Until Surrey broke the spell at Leeds in June, the Yorkshiremen had had an uninterrupted succession of victories . Yorkshire cricketers , too , have always beengreat favourites with the public , and each fresh success gave additional gratification as emphasising their chances of occupying a very prominent position at the end of the season . Unfortunately , as was the case with Middlesex , the flattering hopes of the first few weeks were belied by the result . Against some of the minor counties the Yorkshiremen did some sensational scoring . In the better class of matches in July andAugust the eleven were not seen to such advantage . Curiously enough, the ill -success of the eleven commencedjust when it received newstrength by the accession of two such useful all -round cricketers as E. Smith and the Cambridge captain , F. S. Jackson . Thepoor show in the latter part of the season wasa little difficult to explain , if only for the reason that the team was undoubtedly stronger than whenthe county was in the height of its success . In the earlier fixtures Wainwrighthad shownall -round cricket of quite an exceptional character . Later onhe was not, perhaps , in the best of health , and neither Peel nor he quite maintained their early form. In Tunni- cliffe a batsman of apparently considerable promise was introduced late in the season , and Wardall was given another trial with considerable advantage to the run-getting . Except for one good performance against Middlesex at Lord's , Ulyett wasnot up to his old standard-a remark which applies with equal force to LordHawke, the captain , though the latter was never really quite fit during the summer. The veteran , Louis Hall , too , induced by lack of success , deemed it advisable to give up his place to a younger man, and his withdrawal deprived theteam of a stonewaller , who hadmanya time saved his side from a collapse whenthings were going against them. E. Smith's batting was one of the best features of Yorkshire's cricket . From the time he joined the eleven in July until the last match at Scarborough , he rarely failed to make a good score . Beyond this , hewas of great service in Lord Hawke's absence , managing the team in the field with no small skill and judgment . As a general rule , the Yorkshiremen were seen to advantage in the field , although Hunter's absence from the wicket cost them dearly on at least one important occasion . A favourable commenton their show in the field does not apply to the bowling . Peel and Wainwright , in the early part of the season , were very successful . W h e nthe ground did not favour the bowler, however, Yorkshire's bowling , even with F. S. Jackson later on as a change, was not very formidable , and to this m a y, in the main, be traced their general failure .