James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1893

T H EE N G L I S HT E A MI N S O U T HA F R I C A . 3 9 B A T T I N GA V E R A G E S . T i m e s M o s tin I n n s. n o tout. R u n s. a nInns. Average. W .G Grace. 1 1 1 4 4 5 *1 5 9 44.5 A b e l 1 2 2 3 8 8 *1 3 2 3 8 . 8 A .E. Stoddart 1 2 0 4 5 0 1 3 4 3 7 . 6 R e a d 1 1 0 3 2 6 1 0 6 29.7 P e e l 1 1 2 2 2 9 8 3 2 5 . 4 L o h m a n n . 1 1. 1 2 2 2 1 0 2 2 2 . 2 Briggs 1 3 0 2 6 2 9 1 20.2 B e a n 1 1 1 1 7 8 5 0 17.8 H .Philipson 2 1 1 6 *1 5 1 6 Attewell 1 1 3 1 2 6 *4 3 15.6 G .McGregor 9 2 1 0 1 3 1 14.3 Sharpe 9 3 6 3 2 6 1 0 . 3 O. G. Radcliffe 3 0 3 1 1 8 10.1 B O W L I N G A V E R A G E S . Balls. M a i d e n s. R u n s. Wickets. Average. Attewell 3,231 2 4 1 5 7 4 4 5 1 2 . 3 4 Briggs 1 , 3 6 0 7 1 4 1 9 3 2 13.3 L o h m a n n . 2,709 1 7 8 6 3 8 4 0 15.38 P e e l 1,270 8 3 2 8 3 1 5 1 8 . 1 3 W .G. Grace 4 6 0 2 1 1 3 4 5 26.4 Sharpe 1,939 1 1 3 5 0 8 1 5 33.13 A.E. Stoddart 6 4 3 2 2 0 C H A P T E R V. T H E N G L I S HT E A MI N S O U T HA F R I C A . THEfirst announcement of a probable visit of an English team to South Africa last winter gave rise to a considerable diversity of opinion . Thefeeling among SouthAfricans capable of expressing an opinion was that it was hardly a proper occasion , following so soon as it did on the departure of the Rugbyfootballers .. Thatsuch opinion was not without good reason was proved , in a great measure, b ythe lack of enthusiasm , particularly in some of the up-country matches, whichwereby no meansso well supported as was hoped. That the trip was a little premature , and not altogether a judicious arrangement , m a yfairly be argued from the financial results , which were anything but satisfactory . In other ways, too , it is doubtful whether the promoters showed a full appreciation of the situation . The selection of the team seems hardly to have been based on a sense of the fitness of things . Acombination of considerably less all -round capacity would have been quite strong enough to hold its own against any opposition it was likely to meet in Africa . A team not quite so strong might possibly have given the local players something of a chance , and thereby done something to give a stimulus to the game. As it was, the presence of five such bowlers as J. T. Hearne, Martin, Pougher, Alec Hearne, and J. J. Ferris , was quite sufficient to deprive South African cricketers of any real chance . If at any time there had been an idea of assisting the development of the game in Africa , all one can say is that the right methods were unfortunately overlooked . O f course , the cricket of the English team was of the best-too good, it m a ybe repeated , for the purpose . Chatterton batted with characteristic steadiness , but his persistent defence not infrequently conduced to vexation of spirit among those whosecricket education had not been perfected to the requisite pitch of enjoying the block system . Of the bowlers , all that need be said is that they were, without exception , as successful as they could have wished. That the trip did little good was due, to be brief , to two causes , the unfitness of the time and the selection of a team infinitely stronger than the occasion required . The scores and averages follow :--