THE ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

Evening Star, Issue 4298, 5 December 1876, Page 4

THE ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

Now that the present All-England Eleven have begun their career of conquest in Australia, it will be interesting i to cricketers to note the results of the | matches played by the three previous elevens which visited the Australian colonies. The first eleven, of which Mr H. H . Stephenson, the famous Surrey player, was captain, won all their matches but two—viz., that against a combined twenty-two of Victoria and New South Wales, in which the eleven were beaten by 12 wickets ) and that against twenty-two of Castlemaine, in which the latter won by 2 wickets. The next eleven, under the renowned George Parr, won every match they played out, both in Australia and New Zealand. The third eleven was that brought out in 1874 by Mr W. G. Grace, the greatest batsman the world has ever seen. This team was by no means so successful us their predecessors, being beaten ignominiously in their fh»t match by the

Victorian 18 in one innings, with 21 .uns to spare, and also by the 18 of New South Wales, with 8 wickets to go down. The eleven then j played a reduced combined team, 15; of New South Wales and Victoria,: beating them by 218 runs, and the samoj number of Victorian cricketers, whoj were beaten by 6 wickets. The Tas-i manian 22 were defeated in one! innings, and the Bathurst 22 by 7; wickets. It is noteworthy that whereas ; the first eleven was entirely composed; of professional players, the second included one amateur (Dr E. M. Grace), while the last team comprised equal numbers of amateurs and professionals.. The present team—the fourth that has visited these colonies, consists entirely, like the first, of professional players.