THE ALL-ENGLAND ELEVEN.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 172, 2 December 1876, Page 3

THE ALL-ENGLAND ELEVEN.

The following is a brief jskctcli of these famous cricketers who have arrived in Australia— Thomas Aumitaoe is a native of Yorkshire, am! 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 roundarm, medium pace, and with that style of delivery is very straight, but of late years he lias devoted his attention to slows, or lobs as they are called in England, and at the present time he is the best.trundler of slows in the old country. Against Surrey recently lie secured six wickets for 20 runs in the first innings, and seven for 2G in the second. He is also a splendid batsman, and an excellent held anywhere. Henry Charlwood, born at 'Horsham, Sussex, about 30 years of age, is one of the freest and most dashing professional players in England. He hits well on both on and off sides, and has a wonderfully strong defence ail round. He has never been in better form than during the past two seasons. lie is also a good held. Thomas Emmett, aged 34, is a native of Yorkshire, and one of the most effective all-round cricketers in England. His forte, however, lies in the bowling department. He is a very fast bowler, at times a little off the wicket,’ biit when on the spot he is almost unplayable. He is also a grand held 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 re~mCnbered as having been one of Grace’s Eievc-m, who visited Australia about three years ago, has lost none of that line batting form he exhibited when here. Lilly white’s Annual says of him;—“ One of the best professional batsmen in England, plays thorough cricket, and is a good held ; bad the best batting average ■•of the professionals of 1875.” Allan Hill, about 30 years of age, a Yoikshireman, and the best fast bowler ■at home. He bowls very straight and has ■an easy delivery, with a good break. He can also bat well, and is very smart in the field. Altogether ho is one of the most serviceable players that has ever donned ■Humid for his County. Henry Jupr, of Surrey, who came out to Australia with Grace’s Eleven, is still reckoned one of the best batsmen of the day. He is possessed of an unlimited supply of patience, and has a wonderfully stubborn defence. Of late years he has obtained more freedom in hitting and cutting. He is a sure field, a safe catch, ■can either longstop or keep wicket, and, in fact, cannot be put out of his place ■anywhere in the held, James Lillvwhxte, jum, another of those players who came out with W. G, Grace, is too well known to need any special mention. He is a very hue lefthand, medium-pace bowler, who never tires. He is in grand bowling form now. He hits well and generally comes out with ■a score.

Edward Pooley, 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 time, 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. Ho is a splendid batsman, with tremendous bitting powers, being able to score from any bowling. Alpred Shaw, of Nottingham, about 34 years of age, is the best bowler of the clay. Lilly white says Alfred Shaw has no equal. To quote from Lilly white’s Annual of 4876 :—" In 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,.l mean a ball tossed higher in the air, and eminently deceptive to batsmen ; in the case of a majority of bowlers, a most dangerous ball to give to a player quick on his legs, though generally a successful 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, discovering almost intuitively the weak points in his defence. In addi-tic-ii, ho has, of course, great break and continued variety of pace, but those are arts common to all good bowlers, though not possessed by others in such a remarkable degree. 0 0 0 0 One of the best cricketers of the day, gives it as bis opinion that Shaw, on a wet day, is unplayable, and on a dry day one onght to play very carefully, and try and lire 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 shortslip 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. James Southerton, 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. J. Selity, of Nottingham, the youngest man of the twelve, is a -'cry improving player, being a iine 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 United Kingdom, and a very valuable acquisition to Lis county, Yorkshire, He is a very good bowler, with a high delivery, a sterling batsman, and a splendid field. It will be seen from the above description of the team that its principal strength lies in the bowling department, but taking the Eleven all-round it is universally acknowledged to be one of the finest professional teams ever got together in England. There is plenty of batting in it, and it cannot be surpassed for fielding.