John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

27 that mood of vacillating embarrassment which comes over the bravest at. the sight of Mr. S ieei , advancing to bowl on a sodden and crusted v, lCkot. atcli was played in which his services were not equally con- dashing aay-------------------------- _ „ . . . _ only who liave bowled on the off-side, with the sanguine hope of getting Mr. S teel caught hy the usual phalanx o f fieldsmen there, can adequately describe tlieir sensations when their most enticing “ feed ” was swept wit h- out notice and without mercy to square-leg or long-on. Messrs. II oiiniiy and S teel are the only first-class batsmen in L ancashire , though B arlc / n s performances last season were good, and on the Old Trafford ground, 'which is essentially one favouring a “ sticker,” he approached very nearly to the level o f the first class. But the real strength of the County lies in howling and fielding. Tins fact gives the L ancashire a certain resemblance to the Australian Eleven. Two first-class batsmen, with five or six others, e.g., Messrs. B o y l e and L ancashire , B arlow , R obinson , B riggs , and W atson , who are not unlikely to get 20 or 25; lour really good howlers, Mr. S teel , B arlow , W atson , and N ash , a simply magnificent field and the best English w icket­ keeper, sent Lancashire into the arena hy no means disheartened if a small score only had been got, the County feeling a confidence which was justified by results that the opposing side would not get. a larger one. C rossland , a professional with good hitting powers, should he mentioned as a fifth bow ler: he bowls fast and very successfully against second-class batsmen. Many objections have indeed been made to liis method o f delivery, which is maintained to he a throw ; hut any batsman wlio can play forward with a straight hat would regard the establishment o f these objections with the sincerest regret. Having regard to this great strength of bowling, it. may fairly he said, by way of criticism, that there might, at any rate at one end, he more change of howlers. It is not uncommon to see Mr. S teel howling unchanged throughout an entire inn in g s : a course which is hardly ever advisable, no matter how good the howler, i f the innings in question exceeds 100 runs. With every ground of criticism fairly weighed, it may, however, 3 ret he said that few Champion Counties have more justly attained that proud position than did L ancashire in 1881, and it may be added that the hospitality o f Manchester was worthy of the cricket played there. Considering the heavy loss which the County had sustained, and the now somewhat mature character of their leading representatives, G loucester ­ shire did well last season. It speaks a great deal for the County that four victories should have been gained and only two defeats experienced* for the G loucestershire howling, never strong, is now extraordinarily weak. handed bowler, but his 33 wickets for the County cost 23 runs apiece while Mr. W. G, G race ’ s 33 wickets cost on an average 20 runs. A glance at Mr. E. M. G race and Mr. T ownsend ’ s analyses proves that it, is not of much avail to put on lobs on the Clifton and Cheltenham grounds