James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1896

l2 LILLYWHITE’ S ClUCKETEHs’ ANNUAL. . , . •* i . , j wav to Worcestershire, not altogether an the first place, but it had to give * * 7 ^ ^ that Mr. P . H . Foley, the inappropriate result resnonsible or had a good deal to do in the the* c r i t i c . la.t „ « were as follows :— •»V Played. . 10 Won. 5 Lost. 2 Drawn. 3 8 4 1 3 8 4 1 3 8 8 3 2 8 3 4 1 8 2 4 2 8 0 4 4 Points. 3 3 3 1 —1 —2 1. Worcestershire 2. Norfolk 3. Durham 4. Oxfordshire 5. Bedfordshire 6. Hertfordshire 7. Staffordshire As an indication of the increased responsibilities of the season, and, at the same time, the additional strain on some of the Lountics engaged, it may be remarked that while seventy-two represented the extent of Inter-County fixtures in 1894, there "were as many as 132 matches for decision last summer. One of these, that between Lancashire and Somersetshire, which ought to have been begun at Manchester on July 25 was never even commenced, owing to the incessant rain, so that the number was reduced by one. Pliat no less than thirty of the 131 matches were drawn was due in a very great measure to the exceptional character of the season, with its almost unbroken succession of dry weather, and the heavy scoring consequent on the hard wickets generally prevalent. Fortunately for the bowlers there was a little relief to them in a short, very short visitation of rain, which had the effect of bringing down some of the batting averages, in a few particular cases quite abnormal, to something like a reasonable level. Still, in spite of the brief change to wet wickets, the scoring on the whole was above the average. As a matter of fact 90,513 runs were registered in the first-class County season. One of the next noteworthy incidents of a season notable for a continuance V of high scoring was the consistently brilliant hatting of the great master of the art—W. G. Grace. At the outset his scoring was quite pnenomenal, and indeed before the end of May he had made over 1,000 runs. The short spell of -low wickets at the latter part of July reduced his average very considerably, and though he subsequently played on occasions fine cricket, his run-getting did not approach the dimensions that at one time seemed probable. None the less, for a cricketer nowin his forty-eighth year, his aggregate of 2,346 can only be described as a marvellous performance from any standpoint, whether for retention of form over an active cricket career of thirty-two summers, or as an evidence of vitality and physical capacity quite out of the common among cricketers. Altogether, it is w’orthy of remark, he scored 100 nine times during the season in important matches. How far in advance he has been of any best cricketer in point of skill can best be judged by a comparison with the best of his contemporaries. It may he argued, and with reason, that he has played a great deal more, and that a comparison would hardly be fair. Still, no one win approach within measurable distance of his record, and the fact that he as in Ins time made no less than 107 innings of over 100 represents a record winch for sustained brilliance stands out unapproachable in the whole history of the game. t. Y r' Au & McLaren, who had gone one better than U fti, Z v J ' r i 80 long held*also n s t did him for the first place in the ll i ^ ^ o c year in important matches. How near a thing it was a ,II be understood wheni twelve more runs in his last innings at the end of iV' 0U d iave landed the veteran in front. As it was, though . ntolf/l h k |^s. )e ' ' as second in respect of real merit, his performances muled him well to the pre-eminence he has so long enjoyed as the greatest ba. sman, certainly for an age, if not for all time. b