James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

29 formerly, and, as a rule, he has been but poorly supported. With S tephenson to superintend, and a good professional for May and June the school will soon regain her former prestige. There is a *rand opportunity this year, as no fewer than eight of the old team are available. harly in the season we heard that B epton cricket would probably be very good, and here again, as in the case of Tonbridge, rumour did not lie. So far as we can iudge, the team of 1881 was the strongest the school has ever had. While other schools Avere deploring the absence of bowling talent, Hepton could boast the possession of five bowlers—all of Avhom Avere Avell up to the mark, and tAvo of them, C ochrane and F. F ord undoubtedly good. Then the fielding, Avith one exception, was very safe’ Avhile L ivingston and D ewuurst Avould have shone in any team—in fact, tAvo or three of L ivingston ’ s catches were positively marvellous. The strength of the team was not confined to their bowling and fielding, for there Avas more than one man likely to score against any boAvling. L. F ord , C ochkane , and G raburn Avere the most suc­ cessful batsmen, but had it not been for unfortunate accidents F. F ord —the youngest of a long line of cricketers—and B ruce Avould have dis­ puted the supremacy Avith the best of them. As an all round man C ochrane Avas certainly the pick of the eleven, and his performances against Lancashire and Surrey proved liim to be one of the best, if not absolutely the best, Public School cricketer of the year. We hope that, even among the giants of Oxford, a place may be found for him in this season’s eleven. One performance of the L ancing Eleven deserves a place in this sketch. Playing against Brighton College, the brothers H amjiond com­ piled over 300 runs between them, and, as both of them possess fair bowling talent, they Avill very probably develop into more than average cricketers. S hekborne could boast I avo good men last year. Indeed, N epean took our fancy immensely. He bats in really good style, and as a boAvler will, Ave believe, be found very useful. We shall be much surprised if lie does not confirm our good opinion of him this season at Oxtoi d. 1 lie captain L ester . Avas also a very useful all round man a stylish left band bat bitting Arery hard on the off side, and a safe and biilliant field. The rest of the team Avere only of model at e calibie. M alvern turned out a capital eleven last season, though they Ayere not good enough, even on their own ground, to turn the tables on their old rival, Kepton. HoAvever, throughout the term they showed con­ sistently good form, and if they could have discovered a greater variety of boAvling they would have been a high class team lliere was plenty of bowling, most of it very fair, but, as we have said, it had a sameness about it Their fielding was very fair indeed, and then captain, Y ak „ i p v ' avrs one of the best cover points Ave have ever seen. C opleston ™ rdecwIdTy“ he best bat, and oS the good Oxford grounds will get to havehada very Mrteanr T l» annual .natch with LorettS proved the Scotch hoys to be considerably stronger than their southern rivals.