Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/296

 in the Lancashire Eleven at the present time, and may be described as an exceptionally good little one. In batting, bowling, and fielding he is quite first-class, and no English representative eleven would be complete without him. His bowling is above medium pace, round- arm, left-hand, and he breaks both ways; but he is most destructive with his leg-breaks. He fields his own bowling and everybody else's with the quickness of a cat, and he has had no superior at cover-point for years. He bats right-hand, and plays in a free style; and, for a player of his size, he hits very hard. As he is only in his 29th year, he may be expected to shine for some years to come.

He represented Lancashire in his seventeenth year, and made his mark as a batsman and field; but it was not until 1884 that he bowled so well and took his position amongst first-class players, and played in representative matches against the Australians and the Gentlemen. He has been to Australia on several occasions; and his most successful years with bat and ball so far have been:


 * 1885 || 31 || 857 || 186 || 27.20
 * 1887 || 29 || 819 || 68 || 28.7
 * 1888 || 41 || 872 || 126* || 21.11
 * 1890 || 38 || 708 || 129* || 18.24
 * }
 * 1888 || 41 || 872 || 126* || 21.11
 * 1890 || 38 || 708 || 129* || 18.24
 * }
 * }


 * 1885 || 657 || 326 || 921 || 67 || 13.5
 * 1886 || 1176 || 612 || 1471 || 92 || 15.91
 * 1887 || 1592 || 831 || 2018 || 114 || 17.80
 * 1888 || 1450 || 763 || 1679 || 160 || 10.79
 * 1889 || 1040 || 447 || 1646 || 140 || 11.106
 * 1890 || 1113 || 456 || 1950 || 158 || 12.54
 * }
 * 1888 || 1450 || 763 || 1679 || 160 || 10.79
 * 1889 || 1040 || 447 || 1646 || 140 || 11.106
 * 1890 || 1113 || 456 || 1950 || 158 || 12.54
 * }
 * 1890 || 1113 || 456 || 1950 || 158 || 12.54
 * }

Mr. was a first-class player almost before I was born, and had not lost much of his power as a bowler when I met him in some of the big matches