James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1894

8 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L. A thoroughly useful and hard-working eleven , the Yorkshiremen thoroughly deserved the position they gained as the best all -round side . Their success too, was the more noteworthy from the fact that ten years hadelapsed since they wereable to claim the highest place amongthe counties . A wide gulf divided Yorkshire from its nearest rivals . It was, in fact, a close thing between Lancashire , Middlesex and Kent;between whomthere was really very little to choose on the season's form. Kent was unfortunate in losing , for a great part of the summer, the valuable help of Walter Hearne, who had proved himself to be in quite the front rank of bowlers . Evenin his absence , the County was strong enough with Martin , Walter Wright, and Alec. Hearne to render a good account of itself in the field , assisted as it was generally by close and accurate fielding . Still as it was on paper, Kent's record was not quite so trust- worthy as that of Lancashire or Middlesex , and we are inclined to think that on their real form, the three Counties would have been under equal conditions , ex- ceedingly well matched in the majority of cases . If anything , Kent had the advantage in bowling , and with each shire represented by its best available eleven , I a m disposed to think that Middlesex and Kent would both of them have w o nmorethan an equal share of their matches with Lancashire . Like Middlesex , Lancashire was mainly dependent on two bowlers , and there was certainly more variety in the attack of the Kent eleven , than in either of the other two. A comparison too of the fielding would hardly have been in favour of Middlesex , though the accession of Mr. G. McGregor gave the County whatthey had been long wanting, a wicket keeper of quite the first class . As it was, Lancashire's two bowlers received such excellent assistance from every one of the nine other membersof the team, that they were seen to the very best advantage . The excellence of Lancashire's fielding was in fact in a great degree responsible for the really good show the eleven made in the later matches , even to the extent of just for a short time disputing with Yorkshire for the chances of first place. Surrey's real form was hardly indicated by the position it occupied , dividing the first from the second grade of first class counties. H a dthe cleven been represented by its full available strength , on most occasions there would have been in all probability little or nothing to complain of in the record of the season . Butthe loss of such a grand all round cricketer as George Lohmann, irreparable as that naturally was, did not by any means represent the full extent of Surrey's ill luck. It was, indeed, only one of a series of misfortunes which befell the County last year. Abel was suffering from an affection of the eye, which pre- vented him from shewing anything like his form of the previous year. Until the later matches Woodwas unable to keep wicket , and whenhe did, he could not be counted on for runs at a pinch , as was the case in the preceeding year . Richardson and Lockwood, the two bowlers on w h o mthe County in Lohmann's absence , had mainly to rely , too , had both to stand downat different times owing to injuries , so that with very few exceptions the out cricket never really repre- sented the extent of Surrey's resources . Considering all the difficulties under which they laboured , it was rather creditable to Surrey , than otherwise , that they should have been able to make even such a good show as they did. None the less there are unmistakeable symptoms, that in the very near future young cricketers will be needed to fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of old and tried hands, w h oare well deserving of rest after years of devoted service . That the authorities have not been unmindful of the urgency of such provision , has been fully proved by the systematic way in which they have arranged matches under the title of the Second Eleven, to give the necessary training to the younger players . So far too, as far as one can judge , the arrangement has not beenwithout its beneficial results . Atall events in Hayward, a nephew of T o mHayward, himself a most promising all round cricketer , F. Smith, a bowler, tried in some of the later fixtures with considerable success , as well as Street , a son of the fast bowler , who did great service for the County for many years , Surrey introduced three youngsters of more than ordinary promise . The Nottinghamshire el ven had hardly the same excuse fo their retro- gession as their old rivals of Surrey . The comparative failure of Notts. last