James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1896

LILLY'WHITfcV CRICKBTEUS’ ANNUAL. CHAPTER II. THE TWELFTH ENGLISH TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. T ek Bpontaneoue and hearty welcome given to Mr. A. E. Stoddart and the members ol his team at Fenchurch Street Station on the morning of September 21, lbb4, on their departure from London was a sufficient proof that the cricket public generally was satisfied of their ability to do justice to English cricket. There ban been, it must be admitted, at one time misgivings on the ground of an apparent lack of batting of really good quality. W ith llicnardson, Lockwood, Peel, Liiggs, and Humphreys, not to mention Mr. Ford or Mr. Stoddart himself or Brown, there was plenty of bowling; that was agreed. But of really good batsmen there was at one time hardly enough beyond a doubt. Any shortcomings in this respect were remedied, as events proved later on, ana the inclusion of Mr. A. C. McLaren and J. T. Brown certainly strengthened the side where it had been regarded as lacking. Curiously enough it was as run-getters more than in keeping the luns down that the team snowed itself to be the stronger. The tour, it may be remarked here in passing, had been promoted jointly by the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Trustees of the Syaney Association Ground at Sydney. The presence of Humphreys, the Sussex lob bowler, it has been generally understood, had been stipulated for by the Australian authorities. That he was of use in the up-country matches against odds is certain ; so that, perhaps, to a modified extent, he fulfilled his mission. Otherwise the combination was all round undeniably strong, as will be seen from the names which follow:— Hr.A. E. Stoddart (Middlesex), capt. llr. A. C. McLaren (Lancashire). Air. F. G. J. Ford (Middlesex.). Hr. L. II. Gay (Somersetshire). Hr. II. Philipson(Northumbeiland). J. T. Blown (Yorkshire). It. Peel (Yorkhhire). With two really first-class amateur wicket-keepers Mr. Stoddart was thought be decidedly lucky. As it happened, after the earlier matches, Mr. Gay, wnohad not been in his best form, was practically superseded by Mr. Philipson, rtM> 4 1^ ticket, and kept well, too, in the five test and other important contests. were arranged, and of these twelve were first- c 8 c even a-side matches. A new' departure had been taken in the A. Ward (Lancashire). J. Briggs (Lancashire). W. Biockwell (Surrey). W. H. Lockwood (Surrey). T. Kichardson (Surrey). W. Humphreys (Sussex).