Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/344

 and it was generally admitted that he was the best wicket-keeper of his day.

George Lohmann was born at Kensington on the 5th June, 1865. His height is 5ft. 10¼in.; weight, 12 st. 6lbs. I have little hesitation in saying that no cricketer has attracted more attention in cricket circles during the last two or three years than Lohmann, and that Surrey is mainly indebted to his exceptional performance with the ball for its very high position among the counties any time in the last four years. His rapid success has been almost phenomenal; and to-day he has no superior as a bowler. Since he first represented his county, in 1884, his bowling has been the theme of admiration in England; and very good judges in Australia have said he is the best bowler that ever visited them. He has the enviable and exceptional power of rising to the occasion; and the better the company, the better he performs. He is rapidly developing into a first-class batsman. In the field he is good anywhere, his quickness being almost electrical; and the amount of ground he covers, especially at short-slip, is something remarkable. He rarely allows anything to pass him, and nearly everything possible in the way of a catch he brings off.

He bowls right-hand, round-arm, above medium pace indeed he might almost be classed as fast has a beautiful action, and keeps a splendid length; and he alters his pace without altering his action, which is one of the strongest characteristics of a first-class bowler. His command of the ball is half the secret of his success. To a right-hand batsman he bowls on or just outside the off-stump, and breaks back very quickly, but now and then he puts in a very fast one with a break from leg. Should a left-hand batsman follow, especially if he can hit well on the leg-side, he pitches everything on the wicket or off-stump,