wonderful average—78; but for winning a match give us W. G., our first choice. Shrewsbury may be the best to prevent his side being beaten; but we want to win, and if one man stays in a couple of days for 150 runs there is a great chance of drawing the game. We like the man who makes 150 in four or five hours, and then gets out and helps to get the other side out afterwards. So our captain annexes W. G. as No. 6. No. 7— Arthur Shrewsbury. No. 8—W. W.Read. No. 9—A. J. Webbe. No. 10.—And now having got nine of his team our captain must consider what he has and what he has not got.
His team at present consists of W. G. Grace, Shrewsbury, W. W. Read, A. J. Webbe, Pilling, Briggs, Barnes, Attewell, Bowley. He has therefore five of the very best batsmen in England—Grace, Shrewsbury, Read, Webbe, and Barnes—a very good run-getting bat in Briggs, and three comparatively indifferent batsmen in Bowley, Pilling, and Attewell. He has five bowlers, the four chosen and W. G. Grace, the best change bowler in England, bar none. Now what has he in the field? Not quite so good a lot as one would wish the English side to be. Grace, Shrewsbury, and Read are all candidates for point; as Shrewsbury is a fairly good point, and is almost useless anywhere else in the field, owing to his not being able to throw, he must take this place. Grace and Read and Barnes must all be in places somewhere near the wicket, as none of these are quick enough or good throwers enough for fielding in the country. Briggs might be sent into the country, but he is so excellent at cover that it would be a pity to take him from that most important spot Webbe must then go into the country, as Attewell and Bowley will be wanted to bowl; now Webbe is a very safe catch, and a good field anywhere you like to put him; but we must have some really first-class quick outfield with a good return—the team will not be complete without such a one. He must also be a good batsman, or else the team will have a passenger on board. Is there such a man? Yes, our captain thinks there are two who may do—Gunn of Nottingham, and Ulyett: which of these
