LILLYWHITE, Frederick. The Guide to Cricketers. London: W. and T. Piper, Rudolph Ackermann, W.H. Crockford printer [and similar imprints], 1850-1862, 1864-1866. 21 volumes, 8° (150 x 95mm). Wood-engraved plate of Frederick William Lillywhite in editions 8-10 and 21. Several preliminary advertisement leaves printed on coloured paper. (Occasional light spotting or browning to page edges, 9th edition lacks the final page of text, about half the volumes without some or all end advertisements, 9th and 13th editions without the blue half slips, 10th edition without the two blue preliminary advertisement leaves.) Modern uniform blue cloth, the final volume with original front wrapper bound in (others without wrappers). Provenance: R. S. Holmes (the 4th and 6th editions with place and date in his hand, ‘Liverpool 24.2.86’ or ‘Liverpool 30.6.86’, but with his signature cropped away; the 9th-13th, 16th, 18th-19th editions with more legible signature and date ‘21.4.87’; the 14th, 20th -21st editions with same date but signature cropped away) – Anthony Woodhouse (bookplate in 22nd edition). A GOOD SET WITH CLEAN, UNDAMAGED PAGES, third to sixteenth edition (both issues), and eighteenth to twenty-second edition. The 6th edition of 1853 is complete with the preliminary pink leaf advertising William Lillywhite's farewell benefit at Lord's and all end advertisements This is one of fifteen volumes with the ownership marks of Rev. Robert Stratten Holmes (1850-1933) and occasional notes in his hand (as in vol. 13 p. 38 or vol. 20, his note inserted between pp. 104-105). Holmes is known to have offered his entire collection to the MCC for £91-10-3 in 1891 after twenty years of collecting; in the end it was sold at Hodgson's Rooms, 20 October, 1933, some nine months after his death. The first two editions are lacking, but have been supplied in facsimile and uniformly bound. Padwick 1086.