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70 accurate that the astonished English public saw a wicket-keeper standing up to the wicket with no long-stop, and for a time English batsmen were in a sort of panic when they played him. It is true that the year was wettish, but Grace was in his prime, or nearly so, and yet he could not in that year be said to have proved himself Spofforth's master. There were Allan, Boyle, Garrett, and Midwinter to help Spofforth, and a rare good bowling lot they were; whilst in fielding there was no eleven in England that could surpass or even equal them. The field knew their bowlers and believed in them; Blackham as a wicket-keep was marvellous; and the eleven, with the keenness inseparable from a first visit, threw themselves heart and soul into the whole season's cricket, with the result that only three matches were lost.

Much has been said of the bowling and fielding of this first Colonial team: how can the batting be described? There was Charles Bannerman, a grand hitter, and with good,