John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

13 I the cricket was uninteresting. Thirteen o f K ent are not capable o f making a match with any fa irly representative Eleven of E ngland , and the result was disastrous. To some extent the County retrieved their position when opposed to the G entlemen of E ngland , whom , mainly owing to the fast bow ling o f Mr. F ookd -K elcey on a fiery wicket, they defeated with ease. We are glad to learn that K ent v . A ustralia and K ent v . M iddlesex have been fixed as the matches for next year ’ s week : both meetings w ill have the charm of novelty and interest. The cricket shown by the Public School Elevens is fully dealt w ith in a separate article. I f there was no L eslie amongst the batsmen, or R otherham amongst the bowlers, there were at any rate several young hands who promise to develop first-class form in the future. The Batting Averages are o f course high, and the total number o f runs obtained in first-class matches was greater than in any previous season. Mr. A. N. H ornby is the champion batsman o f the year, his aggregate o f 1,531 runs, obtained in 37 innings, giving him the wonder­ ful average o f 41.14. These performances have never been equalled by any cricketer with the solitary exception of Mr. W . G. G race , and are the more remarkable by reason of the fact that Mr. H ornby ’ s name has appeared in our tables o f the first-class hatting averages for no less than fourteen years. Inclined to hit somewhat recklessly in 1880, lie steadied down materially during the past season, and again and again broke the howling opposed to him, as well by the stubborn character o f his back- play as by the brilliancy o f his hitting. An ever energetic field and a most popular captain of the L ancashire County Eleven, he succeeds in instilling into his men much o f the vigour and esprit de corps which have been o f so much service to himself, and the County Palatine is justifiably proud of him, not only as the leading batsman o f the year, hut as the captain who lias raised his eleven to the premier position on the records o f 1881. Mr. W. G. G race was not able to play in as many first-class matches as usual, and the wet wickets in August materially lowered his batting average. Several innings, however, played by him, and especially his 100 in G entlemen v . P layers at the O val , were notable for superb defence against the best of bowling, and, even it his hat is not the ‘ stone w a ll” it once was, his science and method have little deteriorated and lie is as keen and enthusiastic a cricketer as ever. U lyett and E. L ockwood each obtained a four-figured aggregate, and whilst the former undoubtedly proved himself the best professional batsman o f the year,