James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

8 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R S' A N N U A L. Blair L o d g eproduced the best school cricketer in Scotland last summer. Kingston, their captain , had abatting average of sixty -four, and also captured forty -nine wickets for eleven runs apiece . The Authentics , whoplayed against him, were loud inhis praise ,and describe him as avery promising cricketer . His play throughout the year was most consistent , andhe always displayed capital style . Glenborough , this year's skipper , gavehimgreat assistance , though his methods are very slow . Currie and Loganwere very useful bowlers , and also met with some success in batting . T h eseason's results were fairly satisfactory , seven matches out of sixteen being w o nand five drawn. TheS h r e w s b u r yEleven of 1896 did not fulfil the expectations formed of it early in the season . Nervousness had not a little to do with this . There were only four old choices left from the previous year ; and although the new hands showed distinct promise they were rather a young and inexperienced lot , and did not do themselves full justice . The most conspicuous failure was to be found inthe Latting . There was plenty of talent in this department , and considering howgood the wickets were it is indeed difficult to explain w h ymore runs were not made. In R. M. Druce Shrewsbury possessed a highly promising batsman ; but none of the others , with the exception of Moserand Humphreys, gave him any great assistance . The bowling was well up to the average , though the work in this department was almost entirely done by three men. The fielding , as a rule , lacked energy and smart- ness ; but in W. P. Salt Shrewsbury could boast a capital wicket -keeper . Abetter season maybe looked for in 1897, as considerably more than half of last season's team are staying on at school . Theresults of the season's cricket at Wellingtonwere on the whole satisfactory . Out of ten matches played four were won and five lost , the game against the old Wellingtonians ending in a draw. Haileybury were easily beaten , the Wellington boys running up a huge total , while the Charterhouse match also ended in a victory for the hometeam after a really good game. It does indeed seem a pity that two days cannot be set aside for this fixture , as a one -day school match appears to be a very unsatisfactory affair . Elliot and Whitewere the best batsmen in the team, the former's defence improving very much, with the result that he played manya dashing innings and can point to a very fine average . White was also useful as a bowler , and proved himself an excellent captain . W. M. Turner is spoken of as a highly promising cricketer , and should be of great service this year. His batting was very consistent , and as a bowler he often did good work . Warburton, the present captain , bowled uncommonly well right through the season , and whenever the wickets helped him made the most of his opportunities . The M.C.C. match was rather a fiasco , the school being dis- missed for thirty -one in their first innings , while their opponents totalled two h u n d r e da n dfifty -five . The Brightonboys had a fairly successful season . Out of fourteen matches , six were won, six lost , and two drawn, among the victories gained being those over Lancing and St. Paul's . Dulwich, however ,proved too much for them , and won, after a good game, by six wickets . Smith , the captain , was undoubtedly the best all -round manin the team, and can point to excel- lent figures both in batting and bowling . Hampson, too , bowled uncom- monlywell right through the season , and his sixty -four wickets for eleven runs each stamp him as a trundler of no meanorder. The team of 1896