James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

64 As I shall not have the space to refer specially to each match I m as well here state that of the eighteen contests in which they took thev were successful in eight, while five were lost and five drawn Si ’ of the eight which ended in their favour were easy victories, the ‘other two—those against Liverpool and the Gentlemen of Surrey—being woi respectively by four runs and by three wickets. All the defeats’were decisive, the most crushing being that administered by the Marylebone Club, in which our visitors were beaten by an innings and 171 runs. Of the five drawn games, three were considerably in their favour, and the remaining two in a fairly even position Of this result the Philade], phians have no cause to be ashamed. Taking the team as a whole, the principal weaknesses were in bowling and wicket keeping, although in giving this opinion it should not be forgotten that their best fast bowler was incapacitated from taking part in seven of the matches, and that their best, I might almost say their only, wicket-keeper was unable to accompany them on the trip. The greatest room for improvement is in their bowling. ^t times, and against inferior batsmen, however, some capital performances have been accomplished. For instance, when they were opposed to the Gentlemen of Gloucestershire, which team included Messrs. G. and E. M. G race , G ilbert , and C ranston , Mr. E W. C lark obtained seven wickets for 33 and Mr. C. A. N ewhall five for 24 runs. Several other similar instances could be given, but in spite of these isolated cases the bowling was not of a high class, the only deserving feature in it being the average for the tour of Mr. W. C. L owry , the slow bowler. This gentleman, who had to bear the chief brunt of the bowling, and who sent down nearly 300 overs more than any other member of the team, has the capital average of 12.79 for 110 wickets, and considerable credit is due to him for the performance. For myself, I do not think that Mr. Fox was bowled enough. He was very successful in some of the early matches, but when Mr. C harles N ewhall was able to play he was tried very seldom, although he generally proved of service to his side. Turning to the batting, the side possessed in Messrs. S cott , R. S. N ew * hall , and T hayer , three men who, in addition to playing a steady and sound game, were very brilliant hitters. Mr. S cott particularly deserves praise for his hard and safe driving. To Mr.' D. P. S toever , however, belongs the honour of having twice scored an innings of over 100, and it is to these two achievements that he owes his position in the list of averages. Mr. R. S. N ewhall played the highest individual innings during the tour, making 126 at Stockport on June 20. Mr. B bockie alone of the others reached three figures. Of the sides to whom they were opposed only three men scored a hundred or more in an innings, and one of these three was Mr. C. T. S tudd , in the Marylebone match. The fielding of the Philadelphians was, generally speaking, smart and accurate, but once or twice it \vras very loose and erratic. It must be mentioned in their favour that of their twenty-seven completed innings, they ten times totalled over 200, their highest score being 520, against the Gentlemen of Cheshire at Stockport. On several occasions during their tour, the Americans were entertained by the teams to whom they were opposed, notably at Lord’s after the M.C.C. match, and at the Oval when they met the Gentlemen of Surrey.- Perhaps the most interesting occasion, however, was when they were present at the Nile Banquet,