James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

130 8 Ije ®reat Iftetdjes 1884 * G E N T L E M E N v. P L A Y E R S . T WAS AT ONE TIME in contemplation to abandon the aim- matches between Gentlemen and Players at the Oval and Lord* and substitute trial contests for a representative English elev 8* prior to the first meeting of England and Australia. However, it ^ found impracticable to play the trial matches under the condition8 which would have rendered them of practical benefit, so the orthodoS engagements between the Gentlemen and Players were carried out v in previous years. The first of the two encounters took place J the Oval on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of July. The Surrey Committee were unfortunate in not being able to secure a representative eleven of Gentlemen, the most notable absentees among men who were regularly playing cricket at the time being Mr. A. G. Steel, Lord Harris, Mr. Christopherson, and Mr. M. C. Kemp. Mr. C. T.’studd had played a week before against the Australians on the same ground but that proved to be his last appearance for the season in first-class matches. The professional team was very strong indeed, but had the match been decided a week or two later, places would certainly have had to be found for Scotton and Attewell. The Players had from the first so manifest an advantage, that the game excited less than its usual interest. Ulyett, who seems nearly always at his best in Gentle- men and Players matches, played a superb innings of 134. He went in first, and was out third, the total when he left being 213, and except for a possible chance of being caught and bowled, his play was altogether free from fault. During the early weeks of the season he had not met with much success as a batsman, and his complete return to form gave great satisfaction. There was nothing noteworthy in the support accorded him. For the Gentlemen, Mr. W. G. Grace played a very moderate first innings, but batted most brilliantly when he went in for the second time. In the second innings of the Gentlemen, Barlow took three wickets with three successive balls—the last of one over, and the first and second of the next—and, curiously enough, the three Surrey batsmen, Mr. Shuter, Mr. Read, and Mr. Diver were all out from the first balls sent down to them. Peate bowled uncommonly well, and Pilling’s wicket-keeping was up to his very highest standard. From the following score it will be seen that the Players won by nine wickets:— PLAYERS . Barnes, b W h itby .......................... 1 4 U lyett, c Robertson, b L u c a s .................134 Barlow, b W h itb y ..........................................26 Shrewsbury, c Robertson, b W h itby 25 Hall, c H ine-Haycock , b Page.., ... 27 Flowers, c Welman, b W h itb y .............. 14 Bates, c D iver, b L u ca s .......................... 5 Briggs, b Grace......................... Read, not out ......................... B illing , run out .............. Peate, c H ine -H aycock , b Grace B 12, l b 10 .............. Total I t * f t * • V # • t • t • • • # • • t • t • • 15 11 3 3 22 299 In the second innings, Barnes scored (not out) 16, Shrewsbury (b Whitby) 6, Bates (not out) 25 ; leg by e 1—Total 48,