THE ALL ENGLAND ELEVEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4900, 5 December 1876, Page 3

THE ALL ENGLAND ELEVEN.

As before long our provincial team will have to face the doughty champions who have lately arrived in the Australasian colonies, it will not be amiss to give an account of each individual player. We take the ’following description from the Austrofasian, in which in order to avoid making any invidious distinction the names are set out in alphabetical order:— Thomas Armitage is a native of Yorkshire, and about 31 years of age.' He has played for his county, : and is described as being a very serviceable man in all departments of the game. He can bowl round-arm, medium’pace,-and with that style of delivery is very straight, but of late years he has devoted his attention to slows, or “lobs,” as they are called in England, and at the present time he is the best truhdler of slows in the old country. Against Surrey recently he secured six wickets for 20 runs in the first innings, and seven for 26 runs in, the second. He is also a splendid batsman, and an excellent field anywhere. ’ -. Henet Chaelwood, bom at Horsham, Sussex, about 30 years of age, is one of the freest and most dashing professional players in England. He hits well oh both ,oh and off sides, and has a wonderful defence all round. He has never been in better form than during the past seasons. He is also a good .field. Thomas Emmett, aged Si, is a native of Yorkshire, and one of thhmost effective allround cricketers in England. 1 His forte, however, lies in the bowling’department.' He is a very fast left-handed bowler, at times.a little off the wicket, but when on the spot he is almost, unplayable. He is also a grand field and a’ determined hitter. The ■ result of the past two or three seasons has shown that Emmett is one of the best batsmen of bis county. Andrew Greenwood, who will be remembered as having ; been one of Grace’s eleven, who visited Australia about three years ago, has lost none of that fine batting form he, exhibited when here. lAUywhite’a Annual says of him “ One of the best professional, batsmen in England, plays thorough cricket, and is a good field ; had the best batting average of the professionals of 1375.” Allan Hill, about thirty years of age, a Yorkahireman, and the best fast bowler at home. He bowls very straight, and has an easy, delivery, with a good break. He can also hat well, and, is very smart in the field. Altogether he ,is one ,of the most serviceable players that. has . donned, flannel for his ' county. ' , . Henbt Jcpp, of Surrey, who came out, to Australia,with Grace’s eleven, is still reckoned one of the l best batsmen, of the day. He is possessed of an unlimited supply of patience, and has a wonderful stubborn defence.; Of l late years he has obtained more freedom in hitting and cutting. > He is a sure field, a safe catch, can either longstop or keep wickets, and, in fact, cannot be put out of his place anywhere in the field.

James Lilltwhite,. jun., another of those players who came out with W. G. Grace, is too well known to need any special mention. He is a veiiy fine left-hand, round, medium-pace bowler, who never tires. He is in grand bowling form how. 1 He hits well, and generally comes out with a score. : ’

Edwabd Poolet, a native of Surrey, aged, about 34 years,’ is one of the chief attractions of the eleven. He is acknowledged on all hands, to be at the present moment the finest wicket-keeper of the day, being particularly effective in taking the leg balls. He is'as active as a cat behind the wickets. He is also a splendid batsman, with tremendous hitting powers, being able to score from any bowling. Alfred Shaw, of Nottingham, about 34 years of age, is the best bowler of the day. Lilly-white says Alfred Shaw has no equal.' To quote from' “ Lillywhite’s Annual of 1876” : —ln the first place, his accuracy of pitch is surprising;- even when one recalls the wonderful certainty of pitch possessed by many of his rivals. Secondly, he possesses to perfection the art. of , delivering the dropping ball, by which, of course, I mean a ball tossed high in the air and eminently deceptive to. batsmen ; in the case of the majority of bowlers, a most .dangerous ballto give to a player quick on his legs, though generally a succesful manoeuvre when Alfred' Shaw is' the operator. Thirdly, and what contributes, most to his success, is the extraordinary! facility with: which he adapts his bowling to every new batsman he has to meet, discover-, ing almost intuitively the weak points in his defence. In addition,, he has, ol course, great break and variety of pace, but these are arts common to all good bowlers, though not pos-, sessed by others in such a, marked degree., ; ~. ~ One of the very best cricketers of i the day gives it as, his opinion that ‘ Shaw on a wet day is unplayable, and on a dry day one ought to play very carefully, and' try and tire him out with singles,'waiting' for the hit till the loose ball comes; -though such luxuries are few and far between.’ As a fieldsman he is at times brilliant, and always sure and reliable. He is .a wonderful safe catch, and is perhaps the best short-slip of the day; his return of the ball being as quick as lightning. As a batsman he is a resolute hard hitter, and as a judge of the.game he has no equal, Alfred Shaw, outside.the cricket field, by his urbanity of manner, is a wonderful favorite.- 1 :,! ■ • " !

James Southbrton, another who came to the colonies with Grace, is still one of the best bowlers of his style in England, and can get runs when they are most wanted. ‘ 1

John Selby, of Nottingham, the youngest man of the 12, is‘a very improving player, ■being a fine bat against all kinds'of bowling, and an excellent field. He showed fine cricket in 1875, and proved himself one of the best professional cricketers of the day.

G. Ulyett is one of, the best all round professional players in the Ignited: Kingdom, and a very valuable acquisition‘to his county, Yorkshire. He is a very good bowler with a high delivery, a sterling batsman," and a splendid field.

Bowling is the strong point of the Eleven, but still they cannot be surpassed in fielding, and Undoubtedly there is a fine batting ele; ment. There seems to be hardly enough practice going on’ at the Basin Reserve, and we hope our local men Will take the hint in the spirit it is given.