John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

6 that cricket-grounds were metamorphosed into quagmires, and more thau half of the closing matches of the year were seriously interfered with However, we must take the rough with the smooth in cricket as in other matters, and it is subject for congratulation that the smooth was decidedly predominant in 1881. The marvellously high scoring was perhaps the main feature of a season not otherwise eventful or remarkable for novelty. No teams from Australia or Canada visited our shores, and, after the excitement of the previous year, our cricketers were enabled to devote themselves exclu. sively to their old, time-honoured contests, which were brought off with fclat at least equal to that of former seasons. It strikes us as a somewhat singular circumstance that the N orth met the S outh but once in J881. ^ «•* a Not so many years ago no fewer than seven matches under this title were played in a single season ; the arrangements have now culminated in the opposite extreme. Perhaps with almost the entire bowling strength of the country distributed over the Northern counties, and Mr. W. G-. G race no longer obtaining a three-figure score every third or fourth innings, such a match may be looked upon as promising to be one-sided. The meeting at the O val this year certainly partook of this character, but it must be borne in mind that the S outhern captain was disappointed of several of his leading players. The batting of Southern amateurs is so strong that we think it will be matter for regret if this match does not annually figure in the programmes both at L ord ’ s and the O val . On account of the ever-increasing number of important County matches, there is no little difficulty involved in arranging a new fixture in which the leading Amateurs and Professionals may appear. U nder T hirty v . O ver T hirty has been played more than once with fairly satisfactory results, but in our opinion we want a match of much greater importance, in view of the fact that England is to be invaded early next summer by the strongest Eleven that our Australian Colonies can muster. There can be no sort of doubt amongst all ranks of cricketers—for even those who have not visited Australia have seen the performances of two A ustralian Elevens in England—that no efforts must be spared if our leading Elevens are to hold their own against the full strength of the Colonies. rl he visitors already know each other’s play to a nicety, and before leaving for England will have played a series of matches in Australia which will have enabled them to attain that thorough concert and combination which is invaluable to a side. Individually first-class