James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1895

4 4 LILLYWHITE'SC R I C K E T E R S' A N N U A L. season was the defeat at the hands of Yorkshire , at Bradford , on the August BankHoliday , on the occasion of Peel's benefit . The successes of the Lancashire eleven during the latter part of the season would have made their early failures difficult of explanation but for the fact that of late years the side have been pro- verbially bad starters . Mr. Crosfield , w h o it was intended should follow Mr. A. N. Hornby in the captaincy , did act in that capacity in a few matches quite at the commencementof the summer. The responsibilities of office apparently soon proved too muchfor him, and after a time Mr. A. C. MacLaren took charge of the eleven with marked success . O n paper in July and August Lancashire had a decidedly formidable side . Mr. MacLaren, Albert Ward, Baker, Briggs and Sugg, of the older hands , were all of them fairly certain for runs. Tinsley had in the previous year shown himself to be ayoung batsman of great promise , which promise he fully upheld by several really excellent performances , notably at the finish of the memorable tie match. In Mr. S. M. Tindall , too, the County Executive brought to the front a batsman quite after Mr. Hornby's ownheart. N orespecter of any kind of bowling he showed himself a fearless hitter , and on his form in August should certainly prove a valuable addition to the team. Baker's consistent batting was one of the best features of the season's cricket . His best innings was 96, but he rarely went to the wickets without a score of thirty to fifty , and his all -round cricket was perhaps only , if at all , inferior to one cricketer on the side-Briggs to wit . Lancashire was particularly fortunate in having two such bowlers as Briggs and Mold. The success of the latter's fast bowling was remarkable ; some of his performances quite phenomenal . Generally , too, Briggs was at his best , though his figures will not compare in any way with those of Mold. Still , the fact that this pair accounted for no less than 141 out of 172 wickets in championship matches , is not without significance . Brigg's injury fortunately did not occur till quite the end of the season . H a dit happened earlier Lancashire might have been sorely troubled for want of other bowling , and as it was a really good change was a great need. T h ewantof forethought onthe part of the Executive of the Notts County Club in allowing most of their players to find other employment has brought its own retribution in the shape of the steady decline of Notts cricket . To add to its other troubles luck was altogether against the County in more ways than one. Ill health kept Shrewsbury out of the eleven for the whole of the season . A s if the loss of the greatest batsman of the day was not enough, Gunn, from the same cause , was unable to play in some of the earlier matches . Barnes , too, whohad been for years , perhaps , the best all -round cricketer on the side , was only a shadow of his old self either in batting or bowling , and after a time dropped out ofthe eleven . The wickets generally , as has already been stated , were in favour of the bowlers , and Flowers and W. Attewell came out with good figures . Still in some respects the year's cricket was not without a certain amountof promise . Oneof themostnoticable features was the improvement shown, as a batsman, by Mr. C. W. Wright. To those who rememberhis brilliant record in his last year at Cambridge his comparative failure for Notts . has always been a surprise . To themin particular the excellent cricket he showed in the later matches musthave been especially gratifying . In any case it cannot fail to be a good augury for his future usefulness to Notts . Norwas this the only hopeful sign ; on the con- trary in Hardstaffe and Handford the eleven found two new bowlers decidedly above the average . Sharpe, whohad played for Surrey for two or three years under the residential qualification , had decided to throw in his lot for his native county, and naturally had a trial , if only a short one. Neither Hardstaffe nor Handfordwere able to play very often , but the latter has nowgot an engagement at Lord's , and as he showed great promise last year, bids fair , with more experience in good company, to prove a really useful bowler for the side . Moreover in Pike the County has a wicket -keeper thoroughly capable of filling Sherwin's place . H ekept well throughout the season , with every chance of becoming first -class in thenearfuture.