deliveries of Mr Evans disposed of Mr Steel, the Messrs Studd, and the whole Cambridge Eleven for 123. Oxford by this victory was now only one behind.
It was a momentous but momentary success. In 1882-83 Cambridge again won. But in 1884 Oxford came again under another good captain, Mr M. C Kemp—a man of spirit. Early in the year Oxford had played the Australians for the second time, and beaten them by thoroughly good cricket. Nothing could have been better than Mr Whitby's bowling—8 wickets for 82 runs in the first innings of the Australians; nothing grander than Mr (now Sir. Timothy) O'Brien's hitting for his 92 in the first innings of Oxford; nothing more spirited than Mr Kemp's 63 not out in knocking off the runs in the second innings. Mr Kemp's year is memorable in Oxford annals as that in which Oxford beat first the Australians and afterwards Cambridge, and both by 7 wickets.
In 1885 Cambridge won again, and thereby had three victories in hand. But in 1886-87 Oxford won twice in succession, and thus came within one of Cambridge, where they have never been since. Thus, beginning with Mr Evans's great victory in 1881, there had been an oscillation of success between the two universities. This oscillation was due to many causes, one of them the batting performances of two men, Mr C. W. Wright on the Cambridge and Mr K. J. Key on the Oxford side. Mr Wright (1882-85) for Cambridge made 17, 102 and 29 (not out), 16 and 34, 78 and 15, or in all 291, with an average of 48·3—the highest aggregate and the highest average in Oxford and Cambridge matches down to 1885. Mr Key (1884-87) for Oxford scored 17, 5 and 51, 6 and 143, 64 and 8 (not out), or in all 294, with an average of 49; and he was warmly congratulated when he thus obtained the highest aggregate and average up to 1887. Both these gentlemen may perhaps be called exponents of the useful style, encouraged by the increasing keenness of competition to win the match rather than to play the game. But there can be no doubt of Mr Wright's importance in Cambridge's victory of 1883, and with Mr Bainbridge in Cambridge's victory of 1885. Similarly, Mr Key's 143 with Mr Rashleigh's 107 in the second innings decided the victory for Oxford in 1886, and his 64 in the first innings came at the right moment in 1887. At the same time, in the latter match a still more important factor in Oxford's victory was the performance of Lord George Scott, who, although he only got his colours at the last moment before the match, scored 100 in
