in h ji ▁played ▁several ▁large ▁inn ings ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁season , ▁scoring ▁faster ▁and ▁impress ing ▁critics ▁with ▁more ▁d aring ▁sh ots . ▁Before ▁June , ▁he ▁had ▁hit ▁hundreds ▁against ▁the ▁highly ▁regarded ▁York shire ▁bow lers ▁and ▁in ▁match - s aving ▁performances ▁against ▁Gl ouc esters hire ▁and ▁Som erset ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁b ats man , ▁and ▁first ▁amateur , ▁to ▁reach ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁runs ▁in ▁the ▁season . ▁In nings ▁of ▁ 7 9 ▁and ▁ 4 2 ▁against ▁the ▁tour ing ▁Australian ▁team ▁under lined ▁his ▁status ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁b ats men ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁the ▁visitors ' ▁bow ling ▁spe ar head , ▁the ▁highly ▁regarded ▁Er nie ▁Jones ; ▁he ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁leg - gl ance ▁and ▁cut ▁shot , ▁which ▁the ▁Austral ians ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁counter ▁through ▁alter ed ▁tact ics . ▁ ▁These ▁performances ▁brought ▁him ▁into ▁cont ention ▁for ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁England ▁team ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁Test ▁match , ▁but ▁although ▁ ▁his ▁form ▁mer ited ▁selection , ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁M CC ▁committee ▁which ▁chose ▁the ▁team . ▁Lord ▁Harris ▁was ▁primarily ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁decision , ▁possibly ▁under ▁influence ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁Government ; ▁Simon ▁Wil de ▁believed ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁fe ared ▁establish ing ▁a ▁preced ent ▁that ▁made ▁races ▁inter change able ▁or ▁wished ▁to ▁cur tail ▁the ▁invol vement ▁of