John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

53 P resident T reasurer S ecretary OFFICERS FOR 1831. ............ L ord GEORGE HAMILTON, M.P. .......... H on . S. PONSONBY.FANE. .......... H. PERKINS. TRUSTEES. E arl op D udley . | E arl of S epton . | E arl op B essborouqii . R. B roughton . | W. N iciiolson . S. B irciiin . F. L ee . A. W. R idley . C olonel D enne . E arl W interton . H on . R . G rimston . COMMITTEE. H . M . M arshall . A lgernon R utter . E . L. B ateman . L ieut .-C ol . K enyon - S laney . G . F. V ernon . R ev . A . R . W a r d . S ir W . H a r t -D yke , M.P. H on . A . L yttelton . C . E . B oyle . E . H ume . AUDITORS. 0 K. C. A ntrobus , R ev . J. R andolph , and E. S. E. HARTOrr. L e n g t h y a s w a s t h e m . c . c . p r o g r a m m e i n i 8 so, a still longer list of matches was got through during the past season. Notwithstanding the strain put upon the resources of the Club, however, the results were more than satisfactory. In all, 117 matches were played, and of these, 56 were won, only 11 lost, and 50 left drawn. In explanation of the large number unfinished, it is perhaps scarcely necessary to say that no M.C.C. match is ever decided on the first inuiugs. Eleven of the 117 engagements were of first-rate importance—two each with Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Yorkshire, and one each with Kent, Sussex, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and an Eleven of England. Only against Lancashire was the result unfavourable. The two great fixtures—Oxford v. Cambridge, and Eton v. Harrow—were slightly inter­ fered with by rain, but the former excited more interest and probably attracted more people than in any previous year. It must be remarked here that the condition of Lord’s Ground was not so good as in some former seasons. The wickets, though looking well enough at first, wore badly, and matches ended abruptly on the second day. The Gentlemen and Players match produced some very fine cricket, but from start to finish the batsmen were at a manifest disadvantage. The staff of ground men in 188J consisted of T. Ilearne, A . Shaw,