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 CRICKET 1000 runs and taking 200 wickets. From 1873 to 1902 Middlesex won 131 matches, losing 117, with 96 unfinished. Surrey, one of the oldest counties, passed through vicissitudes when Jupp, Pooley, Southerton, and Humphrey grew old. Under the energetic direction of Mr J. Shuter they again came to the front, and for several years the excitement over the Bank Holiday match with Notts was intense, 63,763 people witnessing the game in 1892. So remarkable a cricketer as George Lohmann would alone have made a side famous, and he received admirable support from Beaumont and Bowley. In those days Mr W. W. Read was performing marvels with the bat, and Abel showed extraordinary ability, being the finest cricketer of his inches in the world. His biggest score was 357 not out v. Somerset in 1899. Maurice Read, a dashing hitter, Mr W. E. Roller, and the late Mr M. P. Bowden also did yeoman service. Mr K. J. Key then became captain ; and Brockwell, a valuable and hard-working allround player, sprang into prominence. With Abel he scored 379 v. Hants, 1897, the largest of many notable stands. Sharpe had a brief and sensational success with the ball, and Lockwood became almost as deadly as Lohmann. Yet more famous has been Tom Richardson, who from 1893 to 1898 was absolutely a terror to all Surrey’s opponents, taking 1340 wickets for 20,000 runs. Hayward, nephew of the famous Cambridgeshire professional, gained fame as a wonderfully judicious bat; and his superb play in the test matches of 1899, when he averaged 65, may be considered the highest standard attained by any salaried cricketer. Mr D. L. A. Jephson, advancing on his university reputation, developed dogged defence combined with great punishing power, and became the only modern lob bowler of calibre. Surrey up to 1902 had won 242 victories against 138 defeats and 109 drawn games. Sussex has always been hampered by lack of effective bowling and by the run-getting capability of the county ground at Brighton. In the ’eighties the performances were of the feeblest, but betterdays came when the Australian, Mr W. L. Murdoch, qualified. Of more value was the inclusion of Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, the Indian cricketer, whose dexterity and grace as a batsman have never been surpassed. He actually scored 2780 runs in 1896, averaging 57, w’hile in county matches in 1899 he amassed 2555, averaging 75, and in 1900 his average of 83 was obtained for an aggregate of 2563 runs. Mr C. B. Fry is a brilliant bat ; Mr P. H. Latham has scored largely ; and Mr W. Newham, with Mr G. Brann, bore the brunt of the batting for fifteen years. The bowling, in spite of the brothers Hide, has always been weak, though the lobs of Walter Humphreys were sometimes puzzling, and Alfred Shaw emerged successfully from his retirement in 1894. Sussex from 1873 to 1902 could claim only 80 victories against 195 defeats, with 104 undecided fixtures. Kent (the modern county club, dating from 1870) has varied considerably, and has played more cricketers in its team in the past twenty-five years than any other county. The incalculable value of Lord Harris as batsman and captain was terminated by his appointment as governor of Madras. In the earlier period Messrs Frank Penn and Ivo Bligh were the greatest batters, with Mr E. F. S. Tylecote as wicket-keeper. Then came Mr W. H. Patterson, a remarkably sound bat, and Rev. W. Rashleigh, with Mr M. C. Kemp behind the stumps, Mr Stanley Christopherson as bowler, and that hard hitter Mr F. Marchant. In 1898 the latter handed over the reins of office to the Wykehamist, Mr J. R. Mason, an admirable all-round cricketer, who has been assisted by the fast bowler Mr W. M. Bradley and by Mr C. J. Burnup, an obstinate bat difficult to dislodge. The family of the Hearnes have done admirable service for Kent, and the bowling of Martin and Wright has proved effective, whilst Blythe is useful with left-handed deliveries. From 1873 to 1902 Kent won 119 matches, lost 165, and drew 95. Derbyshire, founded in 1870, fared so poorly after the decline of their two fast bowlers, Hay and Mycroft, that conspicuous failures in 1886 and 1887 caused the county to be dropped from first-class fixtures until 1895. The re-inclusion was due to the excellent allround play of Davidson, the steady batting of Chatterton, and the fine cricket of Storer, a great wicket-keeper, who could bat and on occasion bowl. Hulme bowled well when health permitted. The achievements of the county, whilst reckoned first-class, up to 1902 were only 36 successes against 123 defeats, with 53 unfinished fixtures. _ Somersetshire only came into the first rank in 1891, and has since played an attractive though not always a successful game. The retirement of the captain, Mr H. T. Hewett, a brilliant lefthanded hitter, was an incalculable loss, though his successor, Mr S. M. J. Woods, has worked with untiring courage and ability. Mr L. C. H. Palairet, the best bat in the county, with Mr H. T. Hewett, scored 346 in partnership-!;. Yorkshire 1892. Messrs R. C. N. Palairet, V. T. Hill, and W. N. Roe, have been valued batsmen, Rev. A. P. Wickham and Mr A. E. Newton excellent stumpers, and Tyler a successful slow bowler. Up to 1902, 36 victories were scored against 89 defeats, with 39 unconcluded games. Essex, a comparatively new county, owes its elevation in 1895 originally to the exertions of Mr C. E. Green. The eleven

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possesses a quartette of bowlers with notably diversified styles: Messrs C. J. Kortright, F. G. Bull, Mead, and Young. The batting of Messrs P. Perrin, C. M‘Gahey, and A. J. Turner, with Carpenter, has been wonderfully good. No small part of the success is due to the presence of that fine player, Mr A. P. Lucas, who took part in the first test match in 1880, and twenty years later still averaged over 27. To 1902 the county had 41 gains to 36 losses and 50 undecided fixtures. Warwickshire has played steady but unattractive cricket. Mr H. W. Bainbridge has proved valuable as captain and bat, the brothers Quaife have scored heavily though slowly, Diver has often made long innings, and Lilley has been pre-eminently the modern English wicket-keeper. The achievement from 1895 to 1902 was 28 victories against 35 defeats and 62 draws. Leicestershire has been least successful of all. Apart from Pougher, Mr C. E. de Trafford has had no player of rank under his captaincy, though Woodcock is a straight fast bowler. From 1895 to 1902 only 16 wins, 67 losses, and 36 draws make a poor chronicle, and the batting collapses have been frequent. Worcestershire, only promoted in 1899, owes its advance mainly to the capital cricket of the Foster family. Largely relying on military assistance the form of Hampshire has been uncertain. The batting of Major Poore in 1899 has neverbeen approached. In two months he scored 1399, with an average of 116. Grand batting capacity has also been displayed by Captain Wynyard. These two scored 411 v. Somerset in 1899 before they were separated. From 1895 to 1902, 24 wins, 62 losses, and 39 drawn games form the record of what is the oldest cricket county in England. In December 1894 Mr P. H. Foley announced that the majority of the eighteen counties outside the important shires had agreed to the institution of a championship among the second-class counties. This met with complete success, though it was unfortunate at the outset that Cheshire, wdio had not lost a game in 1894, could not enter the competition. In 1895 Worcestershire was bracketed champion with Norfolk and Durham, though third according to the ruling of M.C.C. In 1896 Worcestershire came out easily first, with only one defeat inflicted by Northamptonshire, whilst in 1897 and 1898 they possessed an unbeaten record, which caused their elevation to the front rank. In 1899 Northamptonshire and Bucks obtained the highest percentage of points, though the record of Glamorganshire, who only lost one game to the Surrey Second Eleven, was infinitely superior. In 1900 Glamorganshire and Northamptonshire alike came through their list of fixtures without sustaining any defeat. It must be pointed out that the level of play in minor county cricket is of a standard distinctly lower than that of even the less successful first-class counties. In 1899 and 1900 the following minor counties played eight games apiece :—Northamptonshire (Mr T. Horton, captain), Bucks (Mr P. J. de Paravicini), Glamorganshire (Mr J. H. Brain), Norfolk (Mr L. C. Y. Bathurst), Hertfordshire, Durham (Mr J. F. Whitwell), Northumberland (Mr F. G. Clayton), Wiltshire (Mr A. M. Miller), Berkshire (Mr A. C. M. Croome), and Cambridgeshire. Oxfordshire (Mr C. C. Bradford), Bedfordshire (Mr L. C. R. Thring), Devonshire, Cornwall, Monmouthshire, Rutlandshire, Cumberland, and Lincolnshire have also put elevens of varying ability in the field within the last few seasons. The popularity of cricket does not seem to progress much in either Scotland or Ireland, though the Dublin University crack, Mr Lucius Gwynne, twice played for Gentlemen v. Players, and proved himself a steady left-handed bat. The Marylebone Cricket Club has always remained the dominating authority on the game. Apart from its legislative powers, it has played an unparalleled number of matches. Between 1878 and 1899 no less than 3151 fixtures have ontaken place, of which the premier club won 1730, losing cnc e 607, with two ties and the remainder drawn. First‘ class fixtures between 1878 and 1902 numbered 289, of which 135 were successful, 105 ended in defeat, and 50 were unfinished. With increased interest in county fixtures, the engagements of M. C. C. with counties have latterly deteriorated into trial matches for promising colts, the best amateurs of the county often declining to encounter the weak and unsatisfactory elevens put into the field by the club even at headquarters. As an example of the increase in county fixtures, it may be mentioned that the match-list for the following season was first published in Lillywhite’s Annual for 1882, and occupied two pages, whilst in the issue for 1899 the forthcoming matches filled nine pages. Mr Henry Perkins, as secretary to M.C.C., was in 1898 succeeded by Mr F. E. Lacey, who used to play for Hants, and represented Cambridge in 1882. The M.C.C. celebrated its centenary in 1887 by a banquet at which the president for the year, Mr E. Chandos Leigh, took the chair, the matches for the commemorative week being England v. M.C.C., and Ground and Gentlemen of M.C.C. v. Eighteen Veterans. In 1895 I Zingari celebrated their jubilee by playing the Gentlemen of England at Lord’s. The historic wandering club is still paramount at the Canterbury Week, though county fixtures are now