James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1884

49 it is hard to see how harm can come of it, while from the health-seeker’s point, of view it must, one would think, result in good. H aileybuky has latterly been turning out elevens of more than average strength, and their team last year was one of the best they have had for some years. Of the eight matches which make up their annual complement, they won five and lost but one—results which were mainly owin^ to considerable bowling talent, backed up by irreproachable fielding. We have had occasion in these pages more than once to carp at deficiencies in the'fielding line, and we cannot, therefore, refrain from an additional word of praise here to the really brilliant fielding shown universally by the H aileybuky Eleven. D ’A etii was a fine hat, a fact to which an average of over 30 runs fully testifies; and indeed there was not a member of the team who was not capable of making runs. But it was, as we have said, in howling that their chief strength lav. The analyses of S mithson and B arton , which show respectively results of 8 and 7'9 runs per wicket, need little comment, while S purway A rkwright , and C ampbell were all bowlers of no mean capacity. Altogether, the School has every reason to congratulate itself on the results of the past season, and to be encouraged for the future. L oretto is domiciled so far distant that it is difficult, as a rule, to make an approximate estimate of its merit. They play, it is true, an annual encounter witli K ossall , and in 1882 they inflicted a decisive defeat upon their opponents. This victory they followed up last year by a draw very much in their favour— B ossall , at the call of time, being in a minority of 161, with six wickets to fall. Last season, with praiseworthy enterprise, they journeyed as far south as U ppingham , and were rewarded for their pluck by winning on the first innings by 80 runs. They had a good all-round cricketer in B lair , who xxo^ xx § d tx ^> a good bat and on a humpy wicket a dangerous bowler. Great things are expected of him by the Northerners, who Lave sanguine expectations of his following in the footsteps of his old schoolfellows, M c L achlan , J. G. W alker , A sher , and others, who have already made L oretto famous for excellence in athletic pursuits, thanks to the untiring.energy of Mr. A lmond . . • E epton turned out an eleven considerably above the average of the last few years, and succeeded in winning nine matches, including their two school matches, against U ppingham and M alvern , out of eleven. K earsey (their captain), who has gone to Cambridge, was the mainstay of the team, a steady left-hand bonier, and a very fair bat. Some of his performances with the ball in school practice matches were quite phenomenal. S pilsbury , a new choice, developed into a very useful .bat, and B ruce , L. F ord , and F. F ord all at times made runs. C heltenham were unlucky in having but three of the twelve who obtained colours for them in 1882 available last year. They certainly have not had a successful season ; indeed, we should imagine that they turned out the weakest team that has played under C heltenham colours for some time. T aylor , H eath , B lair , and H ornby were amongst their best bats, and the last named, with E dmondson and F erguson , were their most useful bowlers. E dmondson at times bowled very well, notably in the match against C lifton , but, though a keen cricketer, he was not always to be relied on to get wickets. Their captain, T aylor , again proved 4