James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1896

40 m l l v w i u t e ’ s c k k k e t e h s ’ a n n u a l . Leaving Southampton on January 16th in the Royal Mail Steamer Medway the team reached Barbados on the 28th of that month, rl here they met the hearty reception which was accorded to them everywhere during the tour_ Barbados, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad, Domerara, and finally Jamaica—on all sides the same cordial welcome, and' what is more, the game played uniformly in the same spirit of true sport! The results of the tour, as far as the cricket was concerned, will be found in the statistics which follow. Rut the object of those who were responsible for the trip took a wider scope than that of a mere cricket party. In its broader a im s it was quite as successful. The praises of the climate and the many advantages of the Islands as a winter health resort the team found by practical experience had not been sung without good reason. The climate, the people, and the sport were found to be all that had been represented, and indeed the party, one and all, were pleased beyond measure with their experiences. Cricket is an institution of antiquity, even in some of the West Indian Islands— in Trinidad, for instance, where it has flourished for quite a couple of centuries, as it has in Barbados, Domerara, and Jamaica. In all these places it is the national game, and many of the best players are coloured men. The wickets, too, in some parts were excellent, notably at Barbados and Trinidad, where the scoring was very high. Still, the visit of Mr. Lucas’s team was bound to give a great impetus to the game, and already the West Indians are looking forward to a second visit of English cricketers in the winter of 1896 under, it is hoped, the captaincy of Lord Hawke. More than that, it seems to be quite on the cards that a team of cricketers from the West Indies may be collected to visit England in the near future, possibly in the season of 1897. In any case Mr. Slade Lucas and the Amateurs who accompanied him have the satisfaction of knowing that they had not only a most enjoyable trip, but did a really good work as cricket missionaries, and in a small way, politically, in bringing one of the most valuable of our possessions more prominently before the English public. The scores of the matches and the averages of the team follow :—- Results o f Matches. Matches played, 16 ; iron , 10 ; drawn, 2 ; lost , 4 . Opponents. Watches W o n (10). Barbados Antigua .. St. Kitts... *St. Lucia UueenN Pjtrk I><*mcnini Vll Jamaica Jamaica Bom West Jamaica North Jamaica Match*-* brawn ' 2 ) t I’ liitod Services Dcmeraia Poit (I). Barljados * 8 t. Vincent All Trinidad All Jamaica • • a Where played. ( ’lub. Opnts. Wien ’played. Won by. 1 st 2 nd 1 st | 2 nd Ins. Ins. Ins. Ins. Barbados | Feb. 6-9 303 396 1 517 157 25 runs 1 Antigua Feb. 14-1(» 275 107 99 Ins. A: 69 runs } St. Kitts Feb. IK -20 169 41 93 Ins. & 35 runs i St. Lucia Feb. 22 , 23 |148 * 12 94 91 10 wkts.; *1 wd St. Vincent Feb. 2 S,Mar.l 161 ’ *89 71 181 3 wkts. ; * 8 w <1 < iiHirgetowri m p 0 Mar. 16, IS 119 *1 73 46 10 wkts.;*no wd Kingston Mar.30, Apl.l i 215 72 17 Ins. te 96 runs Kingdon April 2 , 3 286 58 133 Ins. & 91 runs Mimtego Bay April 5, 6 1 S 1 42 77 Ins. k 62 runs St. Aim’ s April 8 , o 81 60 58 8 wkts.; * 3 w d lkubados j Hernarks. Feb. 1 ,2 217 121 *1IS *5 wkts. d. Bourdon Mar. 19 *67 181 *4 wkts. (1. Bai bados fjnsi by. Jan. 29, :*0 18 168 1(H) *118 5 wkts. ; 4 5Wd , St. Vince nt Feb. 25 48 *138 90r.&2\v;*9wd 1oil of Spain Mar. 3, 4, 5 91 162 ISO *77 *8 wkts.; *2 wd Kingston April 11 ,1.3 83 l 114 171 *28 •8 wkts.; * 2 w*d 1 fhe match against Grenada, at Grenada, in March, was abandoned. • 12 a-side. t 13 a-side.