Page:Cricket (Steel, Lyttelton).djvu/380

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350
CRICKET.

wickets. The Cambridge eleven of 1878 had a most extraordinary run of success, never, as far as we know, equalled by any University eleven. They won no fewer than eight matches, and not a defeat or a draw is found against them. They beat Oxford by 238 runs, and the Australians in one innings. There is no doubt that during that year, if a representative English eleven had been chosen to play Australia or any other eleven, no fewer than four out of the Cambridge eleven would have been found in the English team. They were not all good, but the superlative excellence of those four made the eleven one of the best that has yet played in these matches; and that of 1879 was almost as good.

It may interest some of our readers if we make a few remarks as to the standing of the various public schools in regard to the composition of the University elevens. We have analysed the elevens from 1860 to 1887 inclusive, and, as is perhaps natural, Eton comes first, having had during that period forty of her alumni representing one or other of the Universities. We are not reckoning the number of years that each played, but forty different Etonians have in the last twenty-seven years played in the University match: twenty-three for Cambridge, seventeen for Oxford. Harrow is represented by thirty-six players: eighteen at Oxford, and eighteen at Cambridge. Rugby comes next with twenty-two: fourteen for Oxford and eight for Cambridge. At one time Rugby was almost on a level with Eton and Harrow, for from the years 1861 to 1873 inclusive there were always two Rugby men playing in the match, and sometimes more; since that time, however, more than two Rugbeians have never played, two have played only twice, and from 1884 downwards not one has played. Mr. Leslie was the last good cricketer Rugby sent out, and her prowess seems much diminished as compared with the days of Pauncefote, Yardley, Francis, Kenney, and Case. Winchester and Marlborough have each been represented by thirteen. No fewer than eleven of the thirteen Marlborough men have played for Oxford, but Cambridge men will ever gratefully tender their