James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

6 Mr. A. G. S teel , who could not play in either of the matches for the N orth op E ngland against the A ustralians . The fact that the N orth op E ngland , in the absence of their best cricketer, gained a couple of brilliant victories does not affect the question in the least. With regard to the much discussed and vexed question of the relative superiority of English and Australian cricket, it cannot be said that the three test matches between E ngland and A ustralia gave us any real information that we did not possess before. Our representative eleven gained a decisive victory at Lord’s, but we had all the worst of the drawn c matches at Manchester and Kennington Oval. Some of the Australian papers complained very bitterly that the three international matches were not so arranged as to be played out under any circumstances, and their complaint was not unreasonable. With such a list of fixtures, 4 ♦ * however, as we had last summer, it would have been obviously incon­ venient to allot more than three days to any one match. It remains to be seen whether, in the event of a future A ustralian visit, those who have the arrangement of our home cricket will consent to practically " m put aside all other first-class games for three separate weeks in the season, in order that test matches may be brought to a definite issue. % Even had the three matches been played out last summer, however, we cannot see that the question would have been completely answered. In the first place the A ustralian team did not rexiresent so neai'ly as the team of 1882 the absolute strength of Colonial Cricket; and in the second place, thoroughly satisfactory test matches could only be x>layed if the contending sides met under equal conditions. By this, of course, we mean that the E nglish eleven should enjoy something like an equal amount of preparation and organisation to that of their Colonial opponents. The < * * * suggestion that was seriously entertained last summer of abandoning the G entlemen and P layers ’ matches in favour of trial matches for the 9 E ngland eleven was right enough in intention, but we cannot profess any regret that it fell through. An English season without the regular G etnlesien and P layers matches would certainly have seemed something of an anomaly, and a couple of severe trial games would scarcely have been a good prexhalation for the E nglish eleven on the eve of their first match with the A ustralians . What we would suggest in view of the next A ustralian visit is this, that the M.C.C. should select thirteen players early in the season, and, if possible, give them two or three trial matches at Lord’s on dates that would ordinarily be filled up by