Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/204

 had a very disastrous season, losing 11 of the 12 matches played.

Great improvement was displayed by one or two of the second-class counties: Somersetshire in particular played grandly, and went through the season without knowing defeat.

The Gentlemen were beaten by the Players at the Oval, but had the best of a drawn match at Lord's.

In the beginning of the season Shrewsbury and Gunn attracted great attention by their wonderful batting displays; but after the wet set in, the former fell off. Their grand stand for Nottinghamshire v. Sussex, in which they made 398 before being parted, was a new record for longest partnership in first-class cricket; and Gunn's 228 for the Players was the highest ever made against an Australian eleven in England. Messrs. A. N. Hornby, A. J. Webbe, and Hall and Ulyett, batted consistently the greater part of the season, and Abel finished up in fine form.

Mr. A. E. Stoddart played two very fine innings in the earlier part of the season: one for the South v. North, at Lord's, when he scored 115 out of 169 without a mistake on a difficult wicket; the other for the Gentlemen v. Players, at the Oval, when he hit a brilliant 85 on another difficult wicket; but later on he fell woefully off, and could hardly get a run.

Three young Cambridge University players came to the front, Messrs. G. McGregor, E. C. Streatfeild, and R. N. Douglas. McGregor's reputation as a wicket-keeper was made the year before, but 1890 saw him in improved form, and he was paid the very high compliment of being chosen to play for England v. Australia. All three played for the Gentlemen. Under the leadership of Mr. S. M. J. Woods, they helped very materially by their good form to give their University a high position. The four professionals,