James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1894

1 8 LILLYWHITE'S CRICKETERS' ANNUAL. T h eH a r r o weleven wasnot up to the standard of the last fewyears, andfor the first time since 1887 suffered defeat at Lords . Only three old members of the team were available , but as they comprised Rome, the best bowler of the previous season , and two promising batsmen in Woodwardand Ferris , there was no grave cause for fear . The newmembers, however, failed to come up to expectations , indeed , with the exception of Vibart , a young player of unusual promise , none of the new choices did themselves justice , Gore and Williams especially being much better cricketers than their performances show. Munro, who heads the averages , wasa late discovery , and had but few innings in which to show his mettle . R o m e cameon wonderfully as a bat, and set his team a splendid example . H ewould probably have done even better , had he not been twice disabled in the course of theterm, andit was, nodoubt, largely owing to these accidents that his bowling was less fatal than of old. In the bowling department the captain was supported by Sandilands , Gore, Vibart , and Woodward, but it cannot be said that the Harrow attack was very formidable . W ecan, however, speak a word of un- qualified praise for the fielding , which was unmistakeably good-Romeand Vibart were, perhaps , the best of a really smart lot , though Woodward, in the outfield , was especially brilliant , and Gore very safe . In conclusion maywe be allowed to express the hope that when school teams fail to earn distinction with bat and ball they will try to field as energetically as did the Harroweleven of last year. Little need be said of the Lancing boys , cricket at this school appearing to be, just now, in rather a bad way. In one game only did success greet their efforts , and the school matches, without exception , resulted in more or less complete disaster . At the beginning of the season Brydone scored with con- siderable freedom , but for the last month or so he was seedy , and his average suffered accordingly . H emusthave been far the best manon the side , his most dangerous rival being G. T. Floyd, a slow left -hand bowler, who, with a wicket to suit him, wasalwayslikely to succeed. Austin, Carter, and Cavewere a trio ofuseful bowlers , and in this line the team was, perhaps , up to the average , the poverty of the batting talent being responsible for most of the disasters . Itis absurd to speculate on the future , but we sincerely trust Carter will have better luck thanthe last two captains . Till nearly the end of term the Malvern eleven were undefeated , but by losing their last two matches they seriously damaged the season's record . That they were a good side admits of no denial , but that they were up to the standard of 1891 aud 1892 we very much doubt. Offensively they were more dangerous thanbefore. Nevile and Lowewere really good, and two or three others were quite likely to get wickets , backed up, as they were, by smart fielding and excep- tional wicket keeping , and, as a rule , their opponents did not score largely . Onceor twice the order of things was reversed , bowlers were off colour , fielders below the mark, and it was left to the batsmen to pull the match out of the fire . This was notably the case at Repton, but for the most part batting was the weak spot . There was no first -rater among them, no one of the calibre of the Fosters and Latham. Several of them could score , and score heavily , on occasions , but there was, it must be confessed , an absence of class . This ycar should see an utterly different , state of affairs , and if a goodly proportion of the 8 old choices do not develop into good batsmen the Malvern authorities will be sadly disap- pointed . If the team is to be first -rate two bowlers and a stumper " mustbe discovered , to fill the places of Nevile , Lowe, and Rhodes. Loweis now at Pem- broke, Cambridge , the destinations of the other two have not been revealed to us, but, given the opportunity , all three are quite likely to earn distinction in the cricket world. 6 6 Verypleasant news reaches us from Marlborough , and from all accoun's the elevenwouldhavereached a high standard, had a goodfast bowlerbeenunearthed.