CHAPTER VI.
AUSTRALIAN ELEVENS AND FIRST-CLASS COUNTY CRICKET.
T seems a good many years ago since, in 1878, the first Australian eleven visited England, and it is rather difficult to remember the exact feeling which prevailed about it at the time. I can just recollect we were very glad to see them, but not very much alarmed about being defeated by them. We had their victory against Lillywhite's team the previous year in Australia fresh in our memories, and inferred from it that the game had advanced rapidly in that country; but we never for a moment thought of classing them with an English representative team; although we thought that they might do fairly well against the best of our counties. Their first match was against Nottinghamshire; and A. Shaw and Morley being in their best form, they were defeated by an innings and fourteen runs. Their bowling, batting, and fielding did not impress us very favourably in that match; and good judges of the game very naturally shook their heads, and predicted a weary and trying time for them before the season was over.
Their match v. M.C.C. and Ground, on the 27th May, was a great surprise. It was all over in one day; the Australians winning by nine wickets, against one of the strongest batting and bowling teams in England, or anywhere else. M.C.C.—first innings, 33; second, 19. Australians—41 first innings; 12 for one wicket, second.
The wicket was as bad as it could be, and small
