James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1893

2 0 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. All things considered , the term's cricket at Sherborne was better than h a d been expected . Joy was the only prominent cricketer still at school , andit can have been no easy matter to get together so good a side . Their four victories were the more acceptable because they proved that there was some talent in the school , also that the boys were able and willing to profit bythe advice of Painter and other mentors. Stevens madegreat advance during the season , and ought to go on improving ; indeed , a general improvement may be looked for , as most of the boys are young, and they will have the advantage of being once more under Joy's leadership . In the past year Joydid not approach his extraordinary figures of 1891 , but he bowled excellently all the same, and we are assured b y those on the spot that he is a bowler of no ordinary capacity . The most notable performance of the year was accomplished in a second eleven match, McEnery and Fox-Strangways ousting a team of the town for 4 runs, all obtained by one m a n! This is indeed a " curiosity ," and one which should makethe season of 1892live in theannalsof theschool. Of Lancing and Bradfield little need be said . The Sussex boys, for some reason or other , were strangely unsuccessful , once only , in their nine matches , escaping defeat , while the averages point to a rather low standard of cricket . ForBradfield's failure a satisfactory explanation can be given. But this is no place to enter on the reasons which practically gave the eleven no chance of showing whatthey were worth, and so wewill close the subject with the humble remark that we hope the coming season will not suffer like its predecessor , for, if things go well , a thorough revival is absolutely assured . Rossall and the Scotch schools alone remain, and of these wecan say but little , our information being , unfortunately , of the scantiest kind . W eknow that Rossall made a very poor show against Shrewsbury , that for the first time for nine years the Scotch championship has gone to Merchiston , and that Blair Lodgehadno McLarenin its ranks, and yet managedto do very fairly . Of the Blair Lodge eleven Scott was the best man, and showed up well in either innings for Glasgow and District against Yorkshire ; while in bowling Lenton was the most successful , and only wanted steadiness to makehim really effective . Ofthe Merchistonians Guise was far and awaythe best , andjudged by his performances must be accorded a high place amongthe schoolboys of 1892. His most reliable supporters were Lumsden, Jackson, and Paterson , Lumsdensecur- ing the, to us, extraordinary average of 59 wickets for 8 runs apiece . Our knowledge of Scotch school cricket is so hazy that we will say no more on the subject , and can only express the hope that next year some kind friend from acrosstheb o r d e rwillc o m eto o u rrescue. C H A P T E R I V. L O R DS H E F F I E L D ' ST E A MIN A U S T R A L I . T H Eill success of Lord Sheffield's combination in two of the three representative matches they played in Australia was, it goes without saying , a great disappoint- ment, not only to the noble sportsman who originated the tour, as well as personally conducted the team, and his companions, but to the British public in general . At the same time there were other andhigher motives than to demonstrate the ascendancy of English cricket which induced Lord Sheffield to risk all the expense as well as the inconvenience inseparable from such an undertaking . Cricket had for some reason or other ceased to attract in the Colonies , and there came from all parts the bitter cry of waning popularity . TheColonial press were of one accord that the public interest required to be stimulated in someway. It was mainly with this end in view that Lord