John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

11 merits of the Colts. Much good work was done, and, it continued in future seasons, the ranks of the Professionals cannot but be satisfactorily recruited. J ones showed great improvement with the ball, and B akkatt was also fairly useful, but the great want of the County still lies in this department. There is plenty of batting talent amongst the Amateurs, and Mr. W. W. R ead was a tower of strength, but the young Profes­ sionals are much in need of careful coaching. K ent , in the absence o f Lord H arris , Mr. F. P enn , and Mr. C. M. C unliffe from nearly all the matches, failed to hold her own. Messrs. B lioh and P atterson worked liai'd and well, and two valuable recruits were found in Messrs. L. 1’ . &. T ylecote and R enny -T aidyour ; but the bowling was weak, Mi. A. P enn playing but seldom, and G. G. H earne and AV ootton being somew iiat expensive. We have but little doubt, however, that the County will he able to muster stronger elevens and take a higher position in 1882. D erbyshire did no better in 1881 than in 1880, in spite of the brilliant batting shown by Mr. L. C. D ocker . The elevens showed a decided m tail,” and neither in bowling nor batting were up to the standard of some previous seasons. S ussex has had a thoroughly bad season, the good play of Messrs. B etteswortii and E llis failing to accomplish much in the face of an indifferent ruck of batsmen and a solitary bowler. The County should recognise the inesent unsatisfactory state of affairs, and not liy at such high game as heretofore. Three G entlemen v . P layers matches were brought off, the annual meetings at L ord ' s and the O val , and a benefit match at Brighton for J ames L illy w h i t e , in recognition of his twenty years’ services in the County Eleven. All resulted in close finishes, the O val match being Avon by the G entlemen by two wickets, whilst that at L ord ' s by five wickets, and the P layers won at Brighton by a single run after a tie on the first innings. At the O val , Mr. W. G. G race ’ s 100 was perhaps the best innings of the season, whilst U lyett ’ s 57 and 80 were little less notice­ able, and Mr. L eslie ’ s 59 in the second innings virtually pulled the match out of the fire. At L ord ’ s the wicket rendered run-getting a matter o f great difficulty, and the bowling of B arlow and. P eate could not be got away. Messrs. E vans , C. T. S tudd , and S teel all bowled well, and Mr. A. 1. L lcas gave a grand exhibition o f patient defence. The P layers were well represented at Brighton, but not so the G entlemen , who were minus the services of Messrs. \V. G. G race , C. F. H. L eslie , A. P. L ucas , F. P enn A. L yitelton , A, H. E vans , and C. T. S tudd . Mr. H ornby hit finely for