James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

134 st&udin^ slid two or three f&lso stiokes, tlieie ^ ns little fxmli to f\xi(\ with his play. His hits were one six, sixteen fours, seven threes, ten two« and thirteen singles. Barlow kept up his wicket while the great hitter was at work, and his 39 was an admirable innings. Peate carried off the bowling honours for the Smokers, and few of his peiformanccs last season were more remarkable. He took Gwickets for 30 runs, and his analysis after going on for the second time gave the following wonderful figures:—13 overs, 6 maidens, 10 runs, and G wickets. There was nothing specially good about the batting of the Smokers, but. Gunn played well for 18 awl 43 (not out), Mr. C. C. Clarke scored 20 (not out) and 19, Mr. Bowden 29 and 0, and Mr. Thornton 5 and 27. O X F O R D v. C A M B R I D G E . I N THE TRIAL MATCHES preparatory to the annual meeting at Lord’s, on June 30, Oxford had met with so much success, and Cam. bridge with so little, that among practical cricketers a victory for the Lark Blues was looked upon as almost certain. Once or twice during the game there seemed the prospect of an exciting struggle, hut in the end, events fell out as they had been expected to, and Oxford won easily by seven wickets. Had the two elevens played five successive matches we do not think that Cambridge would have been successful in one. Oxford had a really admirable team—well disciplined, full of confidence, and strong at all points of the game—while Cambridge had certainly a weaker side than in any season since 1874. In the winning eleven there were no fewer than seven new choices— Mr. T. C. O’Brien; Messrs. Brain and Key, of Clifton, Mr. E. II. Buck- land, of Marlborough, Mr.‘B. E. Nicholls, of Winchester, Mr. H. 0. Whitby, of Leamington, and Mr. L. L. Hildyard. The last named gentleman was only chosen after the last trial match. lie owed his place less to his own performances than to the ill success of Mr. A. R. Cobb. In the Cambridge team there were seven old Blues, the new men being Mr. H. W. Bainbridge (a senior from Eton). Mr. Spiro (a senior from Harrow), Mr. l Marchant (a freshman from Eton), and Mr. C. W. Rock (a senior who is by birth an Australian). There is not a great deal to be said about the game, the most remarkable feature of the cricket being the complete failure of Mr. O’Brien. This gentleman, who during May and June had been playing with wonderful success against all sorts of howlers, was dismissed in each innings without getting a single run. The Cambridge men were 98 runs behind on the first innings, but on going in for the second time, they did so well that when the fourth wicket fell they had hit off the arrears and were G2 rum to the good. Then it was that an interesting match seemed in prospect. However, the last 6 wickets went down in a surprising fashion for the addition of 17 runs, and Oxford had only 80 to get to win. Messrs. Brain and O’Brien were howled in the first over, and again Cambridge looked to have a chance, hut Mr. Hine-Haycock and Mr. Rage played with admirable judgment and soon put the result beyond doubt. Something more than a word is due to Mr. Rock. He bowled very well, and 1m