James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1884

% feithct anil Cmkettrs in 1883. c ] A REVIEW OF THE SEASON. B y the E d itor . if it > ), it it i T HE MOST CONF IRM ED OF C A V IL LER S can liave found but little fault with the past cricket season. When the complete list of first-class matches made its appearance there were some who expressed an opinion that it seemed tame as compared with that of the previous year, in which the fixtures of the A u str a l ian Eleven had figured so prominently. But, though the programme boasted of no novel or extraneous features, it preserved all the matches round which are gathered the time-honoured traditions of the game, and with these and a not inconsiderable addition to the County fixtures all genuine cricketers were amply satisfied. It may be set down as an impossibility to arrange a satisfactory programme of first-class matches when an A ustralian team is in England, unless the Counties agree to forego one half of their usual fixtures. And as County cricket is the backbone of English cricket, such an arrangement would be eminently unpopular and most detrimental to the interests of the game. It may be advanced that, even if N otts and Y orksh ire were to play only half as many matches as usual, their cricketers would be fully employed in some way or other, and it is quite possible that such might be the case. But it can hardly be contended that under such circumstances the combined strength of a County Eleven would be as great, or the individual play of their professionals of as high a standard, whilst the colts just about to blossom into County players would suffer still more materially by reason of the check administered to their training. The interest displayed by the public in County cricket was perhaps greater in 1883 than in any previous year, and not only was the high standard ol play 'veil maintained, but many seasons have elapsed since so large a number °f young players, both amateur and professional, have proved them­ selves worthy of a place in their County Eleven.