James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1895

C R I C K E TIN 1894. 4 5 Thetide of good fortune has not been flowing of late years in the direction of Sussex, andthe turnhasyet to come. U pto quite the middle of the season it looked as if the County's record would be full of disaster , and even as it was there was little cause for congratulation . The first victory of the season in championship matches wasnot till the latter part of July. Appropriately enough, Jesse Hide's benefit proved to be the turning point, and the defeat of Notts on that occasion wasthe result of good all -round cricket . Still in spite of a fine victory over Kent at Catford Bridge , and a single innings win over Gloucester- shire, the last stage of the Sussexeleven wasno better if hardly worse than the first . T h etriple victory just mentionedrepresented the extent of the success achieved by Sussex in championship matches , with eleven defeats on the other side of the account . The presence of the veteran , Alfred Shaw, in the Sussex eleven helped the side very materially in the middle of the season . Though some twelve years hadelapsed since he took leave of Notts ., and, indeed , of first -class cricket , his pitch hadlost little or none of its precision , his head or his hand little or none of their cunning . His success only emphasised the surprise that the S u s s e xauthoritiesh a dnotavailedthemselvesof his services undertheresidential qualification long before . The wickets did not favour lobs as a rule , so that Humphrey'sill success was not altogether unforeseen . Parris , however, the Countyagain tried , and with conspicuous success . Aleft -handbowler of medium pace, oncertain wickets he was almost unplayable , and with additional knowledge of thegamethere is every reason for believing that he will become quite first -class . Inthe batting of the Sussex eleven there was cause for disappointment . Mr. N e w h a mwas quite at his best throughout . Oneinnings in particular , his 110 not out against Lancashire , at Manchester , where he carried his bat through the innings , stood out in bold relief as one of the very best things of the kind in 1894. Marlowwas generally successful ; Beanoften so, which mayalso be said of Mr. Murdoch. Mr. H e a s m a nbatted very well on the few occasions he was able to play. Mr. Brannhad a run of bad luck at the outset , aud never settled down into form. Directly the University matches were over Mr. Fry, the Oxford captain , came into the eleven , and with the best results . Indeed , as an all -round cricketer , he is bound to be a useful addition to the side . O fthe improvement that every onehas been hoping for in Gloucestershire cricket , the season of 1894, gave no sign . Out of sixteen matches played against first- class Counties , only two ended successfully . Of the others but one was drawn, so that the record of the year showed no less than thirteen defeats , a summary worsethan any of the other eight County elevens . The explanation was very difficult to find . Goodas he still is as a batsman, Mr. W. G. Grace was less happyfor Gloucestershire than he was in outside matches. E. M. in the very nature of things , is not increasing in activity . His eye-sight must have lost a gooddeal of its power, and, indeed , the wonder is that at the age of fifty -three his cricket has not lost more of its infinite variety . Painter's hitting , too, has lost some of its power, andhis place , just for the momentat all events , there is no one to fill . It was hoped that the slow bowling of Mr. C. L. Townsend , the youngCliftonian who had proved so successful at the end of the previous summer wouldbe of the same assistance whenthe end of the Clifton College season set h i mfree. A sit was, for somereason or other, though the wickets were so far favourable , he never got really into form, which was agreat disappointment to the County. Attimes Mr. Ferris bowled ; he was, in contrast to the previous year, m o r eeffective as a bowlerthanas a bat, but at the best withRoberts, Mr. W .G. Grace, Mr. Ferris , and later in the season Mr. Jessop , and later still Mr. Townsend , there wasnothing very much to get a side out very cheaply . Whatbowling there was, moreover, was often made of less account by the fielding , which was at times very faulty . Inmuch that was disappointing there was still some little ground for hope. Mr. Jessop's all -round cricket in the later matches was perhaps the one cheery sign . To his merit as a resolute hitter he added others in the first place of, a fine field , in the second, of a very useful bowler, a triple