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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2be3984 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52684 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52684) diff --git a/old/52684-0.txt b/old/52684-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index aecca94..0000000 --- a/old/52684-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14682 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Cricket, by Allan Gibson Steel and Robert Henry Lyttelton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Cricket - -Author: Allan Gibson Steel - Robert Henry Lyttelton - -Illustrator: Lucien Davis - -Release Date: July 31, 2016 [EBook #52684] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Fay Dunn and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - - -In this text version of “Cricket”: Words in italics are marked with -_underscores_. Words in small capitals are shown in UPPER CASE. - -The three asterisks which mark the note at the end of Chapter I, -were originally printed as an inverted asterism. - -Full page figures have been moved near to the text they illustrate. -Figures in the text have been moved to the start or end of the -paragraph. - -In the ‘Likely balls’, and ‘Off breaks’ diagrams, the ball positions -are lettered from left to right. - -Footnotes have been moved to the end of chapters. - -Variant spelling and inconsistent hyphenation are retained, in a -few cases, missing punctuation has been added for consistency, e.g. -to match quotation marks. A few palpable printing errors have been -corrected. - -Other changes that have been made are listed at the end of the book. - - - - - The Badminton Library - - OF - - SPORTS AND PASTIMES - - EDITED BY - - HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G. - - ASSISTED BY ALFRED E. T. WATSON - - _CRICKET_ - - - - -THE BADMINTON LIBRARY. - -28 Volumes. Crown 8vo. 10s. 6d. each volume. - - ARCHERY. By C. J. LONGMAN, Col. H. WALROND, &c. 195 Illustrations and - 2 Maps. - - ATHLETICS. By MONTAGUE SHEARMAN. 51 Illustrations. - - BIG GAME SHOOTING. By C. PHILLIPPS-WOLLEY, &c. - - - Vol. I.--AFRICA AND AMERICA. 77 Illustrations. Vol. II.--EUROPE, - ASIA, AND THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 73 Illustrations. - - BILLIARDS. By Major W. BROADFOOT, R.E. 29 Illustrations and numerous - Diagrams. - - COURSING AND FALCONRY. By HARDING COX and the Hon. GERALD LASCELLES. - 76 Illustrations. - - CRICKET. By A. G. STEEL and the Hon. R. H. LYTTELTON. 65 - Illustrations. - - CYCLING. By the Earl of ALBEMARLE and G. LACY HILLIER. 59 - Illustrations. - - DANCING. By Mrs. LILLY GROVE, F.R.G.S., &c. 131 Illustrations. - - DRIVING. By the Duke of BEAUFORT. 65 Illustrations. - - FENCING, BOXING, AND WRESTLING. By WALTER H. POLLOCK, F. C. GROVE, C. - PREVOST, &c. 42 Illustrations. - - FISHING. By H. CHOLMONDELEY-PENNELL. - - Vol. I.--SALMON, TROUT, and GRAYLING. 158 Illustrations. - - Vol. II.--PIKE and other COARSE FISH. 132 Illustrations. - - GOLF. By HORACE HUTCHINSON, the Right Hon. A. J. BALFOUR, M.P., &c. - 89 Illustrations. - - HUNTING. By the Duke of BEAUFORT, K.G., and MOWBRAY MORRIS. 53 - Illustrations. - - MOUNTAINEERING. By C. T. DENT, Sir W. M. CONWAY, &c. 108 - Illustrations. - - POETRY (THE) OF SPORT. Edited by HEDLEY PEEK. 106 Illustrations. - - RACING AND STEEPLECHASING. By the Earl of SUFFOLK AND BERKSHIRE, W. - G. CRAVEN, &c. 58 Illustrations. - - RIDING AND POLO. By ROBERT WEIR, J. MORAY BROWN, &c. 59 Illustrations. - - ROWING. By R. P. P. ROWE and C. M. PITMAN. With Chapters on Steering, - Metropolitan Rowing, and on PUNTING. With 75 Illustrations. - - SEA-FISHING. By JOHN BICKERDYKE, W. SENIOR, Sir H. W. GORE BOOTH, - Bart., and A. C. HARMSWORTH. 197 Illustrations. - - SHOOTING. By Lord WALSINGHAM and Sir RALPH PAYNE-GALLWEY, Bart. - - Vol. I.--FIELD AND COVERT. 105 Illustrations. - - Vol. II.--MOOR AND MARSH. 65 Illustrations. - - SKATING, CURLING, TOBOGGANING, &c. By J. M. HEATHCOTE, C. G. TEBBUTT, - &c. 284 Illustrations. - - SWIMMING. By ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR and WILLIAM HENRY. 119 Illustrations. - - TENNIS, LAWN TENNIS, RACKETS, AND FIVES. By J. M. and C. G. - HEATHCOTE, &c. 79 Illustrations. - - YACHTING. By Lord BRASSEY, the Earl of ONSLOW, &c. - - Vol. I.--CRUISING, CONSTRUCTION, RACING RULES, &c. 114 Illustrations. - - Vol. II.--YACHTING IN AMERICA AND THE COLONIES, RACING, &c. 195 - Illustrations. - - - - -LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO. 39 Paternoster Row, London and Bombay. - - - - -[Illustration: CAUGHT AND BOWLED] - - - - - CRICKET - - BY - A. G. STEEL - AND THE - HON. R. H. LYTTELTON - - WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY - A. LANG, W. G. GRACE, R. A. H. MITCHELL, AND F. GALE - - [Illustration: Roundel of Batsman waiting on bench] - - _WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS AFTER LUCIEN DAVIS - AND FROM PHOTOGRAPHS_ - - Sixth Edition, thoroughly revised - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON - AND BOMBAY - - 1898 - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - -_BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE._ - - -_First Edition, June 1888; Reprinted August 1888, January 1889, -September 1890. New Edition, thoroughly revised and with additions, -December 1893. New Edition, thoroughly revised and with additions, July -1898._ - - - - -_DEDICATION TO H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES._ - - - BADMINTON: _June, 1888_. - -Having received permission to dedicate these volumes, the BADMINTON -LIBRARY of SPORTS and PASTIMES, to HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF -WALES, I do so feeling that I am dedicating them to one of the best and -keenest sportsmen of our time. I can say, from personal observation, -that there is no man who can extricate himself from a bustling and -pushing crowd of horsemen, when a fox breaks covert, more dexterously -and quickly than His Royal Highness; and that when hounds run hard -over a big country, no man can take a line of his own and live with -them better. Also, when the wind has been blowing hard, often have I -seen His Royal Highness knocking over driven grouse and partridges and -high-rocketing pheasants in first-rate workmanlike style. He is held to -be a good yachtsman, and as Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron is -looked up to by those who love that pleasant and exhilarating pastime. -His encouragement of racing is well known, and his attendance at the -University, Public School, and other important Matches testifies to -his being, like most English gentlemen, fond of all manly sports. I -consider it a great privilege to be allowed to dedicate these volumes -to so eminent a sportsman as His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, -and I do so with sincere feelings of respect and esteem and loyal -devotion. - - BEAUFORT. - - - - -[Illustration: BADMINTON.] - - - - -PREFACE. - - -A few lines only are necessary to explain the object with which these -volumes are put forth. There is no modern encyclopædia to which the -inexperienced man, who seeks guidance in the practice of the various -British Sports and Pastimes, can turn for information. Some books there -are on Hunting, some on Racing, some on Lawn Tennis, some on Fishing, -and so on; but one Library, or succession of volumes, which treats -of the Sports and Pastimes indulged in by Englishmen--and women--is -wanting. The Badminton Library is offered to supply the want. Of the -imperfections which must be found in the execution of such a design we -are conscious. Experts often differ. But this we may say, that those -who are seeking for knowledge on any of the subjects dealt with will -find the results of many years’ experience written by men who are in -every case adepts at the Sport or Pastime of which they write. It is to -point the way to success to those who are ignorant of the sciences they -aspire to master, and who have no friend to help or coach them, that -these volumes are written. - -To those who have worked hard to place simply and clearly before the -reader that which he will find within, the best thanks of the Editor -are due. That it has been no slight labour to supervise all that -has been written he must acknowledge; but it has been a labour of -love, and very much lightened by the courtesy of the Publisher, by -the unflinching, indefatigable assistance of the Sub-Editor, and by -the intelligent and able arrangement of each subject by the various -writers, who are so thoroughly masters of the subjects of which they -treat. The reward we all hope to reap is that our work may prove useful -to this and future generations. - - THE EDITOR. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I. THE HISTORY OF CRICKET 1 - _By Andrew Lang._ - - II. BATTING 34 - _By the Hon. R. H. Lyttelton._ - - III. BOWLING 94 - _By A. G. Steel._ - - IV. CAPTAINCY 187 - _By A. G. Steel._ - - V. UMPIRES 217 - _By A. G. Steel._ - - VI. FIELDING 245 - _By the Hon. R. H. Lyttelton._ - - VII. COUNTRY CRICKET 280 - _By F. Gale._ - - VIII. BORDER CRICKET 292 - _By Andrew Lang._ - - IX. HOW TO SCORE 299 - _By W. G. Grace._ - - X. THE AUSTRALIANS 313 - _By A. G. Steel._ - - XI. THE UNIVERSITY CRICKET MATCH 328 - _By the Hon. R. H. Lyttelton._ - - XII. GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS 356 - _By the Hon. R. H. Lyttelton._ - - XIII. THE ART OF TRAINING YOUNG CRICKETERS 375 - _By R. A. H. Mitchell._ - - XIV. SINGLE WICKET 386 - _By the Hon. R. H. Lyttelton._ - - - INDEX 395 - - - - -_ILLUSTRATIONS._ - - (ENGRAVED BY J. D. COOPER AND R. B. LODGE, AFTER DRAWINGS BY LUCIEN - DAVIS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY G. MITCHELL, MARTIN & TYLER, AND - MEDRINGTON & CO.) - - -FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. - - ARTIST - - CAUGHT AND BOWLED _Lucien Davis_ _Frontispiece_ - - {_From a picture ascribed_ } - A YOUNG CRICKETER { _to Gainsborough,_ } _To face p._ 1 - { _belonging to the M.C.C._} - - CRICKET {_After Hayman’s picture,_ } ″ 12 - { _belonging to M.C.C._ } - ROYAL ACADEMY CLUB IN } - MARYLEBONE FIELDS } ″ ″ ″ 28 - - CAUGHT AT THE WICKET _Lucien Davis_ ″ 68 - RUN OUT ″ ″ 198 - - A. E. STODDART _From a photograph_ ″ 212 - - COUNTRY CRICKET _Lucien Davis_ ″ 280 - (_Mitcham_) - - M.C.C. AND GROUND _v._ } - AUSTRALIANS, LORD’S, } ″ ″ 308 - MAY 22, 1884 } - - THE CRITICS ″ ″ 324 - - THE INTERVAL ″ ″ 348 - - KENNINGTON OVAL, 1854 ″ 366 - - OUR NATIONAL GAME _Lucien Davis_ ″ 376 - - -ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT. - - ARTIST PAGE - _Vignette on Title-page_ _Lucien Davis_ - - ‘MISS WICKET’ { _From an old print,_ } 7 - { _1770_ } - - THE CHAMPION _Lucien Davis_ 34 - - W. G. GRACE READY TO RECEIVE THE } ″ 44 - BALL } - - FORWARD PLAY _From a photograph_ 50 - - ‘HALF-COCK,’ OR OVER THE CREASE PLAY ″ 52 - - ‘BACK-PLAY’ TO A BUMPING BALL ″ 55 - - GUNN CUTTING ″ 59 - - SHREWSBURY CUTTING ″ 60 - - OLD-FASHIONED SWEEP TO LEG (GUNN) ″ 62 - - SQUARE-LEG HIT (W. G. GRACE) ″ 64 - - ‘THE GLIDE’ (W. G. GRACE) ″ 66 - - FORCING STROKE OFF THE LEGS ″ 68 - - OFF DRIVE ″ 70 - - RUNNING OUT TO DRIVE (SHREWSBURY) ″ 77 - - GUNN PLAYING FORWARD ″ 93 - - ‘THE DEMON BOWLER’ _Lucien Davis_ 94 - - THE LEG-BREAK DIAGRAM 110 - - POSITION OF FIELD IF BOWLING ON LEG } 111 - SIDE } - - THE LEG-BREAK _From a photograph_ 113 - - LIKELY BALLS; AND WHAT MAY BECOME } 114 - OF THEM IF NOT CORRECTLY PLAYED } - - THE OFF BREAK _From a photograph_ 116 - - ‘OFF BREAKS’ 117 - - SLOW BALL 123 - - FAST BALL 123 - - A HOT RETURN _From a photograph_ 127 - - A POKEY BATSMAN DEALING WITH A } _From a photograph_ 139 - HIGH-DROPPING FULL-PITCH } - - LOW DELIVERY ″ 167 - - DOUBTFUL DELIVERY ″ 174 - - THE FIELD FOR A FAST RIGHT-ARM } 176 - BOWLER } - - THE FIELD FOR A FAST LEFT-ARM BOWLER 177 - - GOING IN _Lucien Davis_ 187 - - ETON _v._ HARROW ″ 208 - - AT WICKET AFTER BOWLING _From a photograph_ 214 - - ‘GUARD, PLEASE, UMPIRE’ _Lucien Davis_ 217 - - A CLEAR CASE _From a photograph_ 224 - - ‘YOU MUST GO, JACK’ ″ 229 - - STUMPED _Lucien Davis_ 243 - - ‘SAVING THE FOUR’ ″ 245 - - BACKING UP ″ 247 - - ‘OVERTAKING AND PICKING UP’ _From a photograph_ 249 - - THE RIGHT WAY TO CATCH ″ 250 - - THE WRONG WAY TO CATCH ″ 251 - - WICKET-KEEPER--SHERWIN IN POSITION ″ 252 - - WICKET-KEEPER--ANOTHER POSITION ″ 254 - - HIT TO SQUARE-LEG _Lucien Davis_ 256 - - POINT _From a photograph_ 261 - - SHORT-SLIP ″ 264 - - THE WRONG POSITION FOR STOPPING THE } ″ 273 - BALL } - - AN ANXIOUS MOMENT _Lucien Davis_ 279 - - A SIX-YEAR OLD _From a photograph_ 375 - - DRAWING AWAY FROM THE WICKET _Lucien Davis_ 379 - - - - -[Illustration: A YOUNG CRICKETER - -(_From a Picture ascribed to Gainsborough belonging to the M.C.C._)] - - - - -CRICKET. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE HISTORY OF CRICKET. - -(BY ANDREW LANG.) - -_Archæology of the Game._ - - -Hundreds of pages have been written on the origin and early history of -Cricket. The Egyptian monuments and Holy Scriptures, the illuminated -books of the Middle Ages, and the terra-cottas and vases of Greece -have been studied, to no practical purpose, by historians of the game. -Outside of England,[1] and before the fortieth year of the reign -of Elizabeth, there are no documents for the existence of cricket. -Doubtless in rudimentary and embryonic forms, it may have existed. Of -those forms we still possess a few, as ‘rounders’ and ‘stool-ball,’ and -we can also study degraded shapes of cricket, which naturally revert to -the early germs of the pastime as degenerate human types throw back to -the monkey. There is a sport known at some schools as ‘stump-cricket,’ -‘snob-cricket,’ or (mysteriously and locally) as ‘Dex,’[2] which is -a degenerate shape of the game, and which is probably very like the -rudimentary shapes. These degradations are reversals or returns to -primitive forms. - -A ball, more or less light and soft, is bowled or tossed at any fixed -object, which, in turn, is defended by a player armed with a stick, -stump, hair-brush, or other instrument. The player counts as many -points as he can run backwards and forwards, after hitting the ball, -between the object he defends and some more or less distant goal, -before the ball is returned. He loses his position when the object -he defends is struck by the ball, or when the ball is caught, after -he has hit it, before touching the ground. Such is the degraded form -of cricket, and such, apparently, was its earliest shape. Ancient -surviving forms in which a similar principle exists are ‘rounders’ -and ‘stool-ball.’ The former has been developed in America into the -scientific game of ‘base-ball,’ the name being Old English, while the -scientific perfection is American. It is impossible to trace cricket -farther back than games in which points are scored in proportion to -the amount of ground that the hitter can cover before the return of -the struck ball. Now other forms of ball-play, as tennis, in different -guises, can be found even among the ancient Aztecs,[3] while the Red -Indians practised the form which is hockey among us, and the French and -Walloons have sports very closely corresponding to golf; but games with -the slightest analogy to cricket are very rare. Stool-ball is the most -important foreshadowing of cricket. As early as 1614, Chapman, in his -translation of the sixth book of the ‘Odyssey,’ makes Nausicaa and her -girls play stool-ball. Chapman gives certain technical terms, which, -of course, have nothing corresponding to them in Homer, but which are -valuable illustrations of the English game. - -Nausicaa seems to have received a trial ball-- - - Nausicaa, with the wrists of ivory, - The _liking-stroke_ struck. - -Again, - - The Queen now, for the upstroke, struck the ball - Quite _wide_ of th’ other maids, and made it fall - Amidst the whirlpools. - -thereby, doubtless, scoring a lost ball. He describes this as ‘a -stool-ball chance.’ Chapman does not say whether the ball was bowled to -Nausicaa. Everything shows that Dr. Johnson was writing at random when -he described stool-ball as a game ‘in which a ball is driven from stool -to stool.’ Chapman conceives Nausicaa as making a ‘boundary hit.’ There -would be no need of such hitting if balls were only ‘driven from stool -to stool.’ - -Strutt’s remarks on stool-ball merely show that he did not appreciate -the importance of the game as an early form of cricket. ‘I have been -informed,’ he says, ‘that a pastime called stool-ball is practised to -this day in the northern parts of England, which consists simply in -setting a stool upon the ground, and one of the players takes his place -before it, while his antagonist, standing at a distance, tosses a ball -with the intention of striking the stool, and this it is the business -of the former to prevent by beating it away with his hand, reckoning -one to the game for every stroke of the ball,’ apparently without -running. ‘If, on the contrary, it should be missed by the hand and -strike the stool, the players change places.’ Strutt adds, in a note, -that he believes the player may be caught out. He describes another -game in which stools are set as ‘bases’ in a kind of base-ball. He -makes the usual quotations from Durfey about ‘a match for kisses at -stool-ball to play.’[4] - -Brand’s notes on stool-ball do no more than show that men and women -played for small wagers, as in Herrick, - - At stool-ball, Lucia, let us play - For sugar, cakes, and wine.[5] - -It is plain enough that stool-ball was a game for girls, or for boys -and girls, and Herrick and Lucia. As at present played stool-ball is -a woman’s game; but no stool is used: what answers to the wicket is a -square board at a certain height on a pole, much as if one bowled at -the telegraph instead of the stumps. Consequently, as at base-ball, -only full pitches can be tossed. However, in stool-ball we recognise -the unconscious beginnings of better things. As much may be said for -‘cat-and-dog.’ This may be regarded either as a degraded attempt at -early cricket, played by economists who could not afford a ball, or -as a natural _volks-kriket_, dating from a period of culture in which -balls had not yet been invented. The archæologist will prefer the -latter explanation, but we would not pedantically insist on either -alternative. In Jamieson’s ‘Scotch Dictionary,’[6] cat-and-dog is -described as a game for three.[7] Two holes are cut at a distance of -thirteen yards. At each hole stands a player with a club, called a -‘dog.’ A piece of wood,[8] four inches long by one in circumference, -is tossed, in place of a ball, to one of the dogsmen. His object is to -keep the cat out of the hole. ‘If the cat be struck, he who strikes it -changes places with the person who holds the other club, and as often -as the positions are changed one is counted as won in the game by the -two who hold the clubs.’ Jamieson says this is an ‘ancient sport in -Angus and Lauder.’ A man was bowled when the cat got into the hole he -defended. We hear nothing of ‘caught and bowled.’[9] - -Cat-and-dog, or, more briefly, cat, was a favourite game with John -Bunyan. He was playing when a voice from heaven (as he imagined) -suddenly darted into his soul, with some warning remarks, as he was -‘about to strike the cat from the hole.’ The cat, here, seems to have -been quiescent. ‘Leaving my cat on the ground, I looked up to Heaven,’ -and beheld a vision. Let it be remembered that Bunyan was playing on -Sunday. The game of cat, as known to him, was, apparently, rather a -rude variety of knurr and spell than of cricket. This form is mentioned -by Strutt.[10] Both stool-ball and cat-and-dog have closer affinities -with cricket than club-ball as represented in Strutt’s authorities.[11] -Perhaps we may say that wherever stool-ball was played, or cat-and-dog, -there cricket was potentially present. As to the derivation of the word -‘cricket,’ philologists differ as much as usual. Certainly ‘cricket’ -is an old word for a stool, though in this sense it does not occur -in Skeat.[12] In Todd’s ‘Johnson,’ we find, ‘Cricket: a low seat or -stool, from German _kriechen_, to creep.’ In Scotland we talk of a -‘creepy-stool.’ - - It’s a wise wife that kens her weird, - What though ye mount the creepy! - -says Allan Ramsay, meaning the stool of repentance. If, then, -stool-ball be the origin of cricket, and if a cricket be a stool, -‘cricket’ may be merely a synonym for stool-ball. Todd’s ‘Johnson,’ -with ignominious ignorance, styles cricket ‘a sport in which the -contenders drive a ball with sticks or bats in opposition to each -other.’ Johnson must have known better. In the ‘Rambler,’ No. 30, he -writes, ‘Sometimes an unlucky boy will drive his cricket-ball full in -my face.’ Observe, he says ‘drive,’ not ‘cut,’ nor ‘hit to leg.’ - -Professor Skeat says nothing of this derivation of ‘cricket’ from -cricket, a stool. He thinks ‘et’ may be a diminutive, added to the -Anglo-Saxon _cricc_, a staff. If that be so, cricket will mean -club-play rather than stool-ball. In any case, Professor Skeat has a -valuable quotation of ‘cricket’ from the French and English Dictionary -compiled in 1611, by Mr. Randle Cotgrave. He translates the French -_crosse_, ‘a crosier, or bishop’s staffe, also a _cricket staffe_, -or the crooked staffe wherewith boies play at cricket.’ Now the name -of the club used in French Flanders at the local kind of golf is _la -crosse_. It is a heavy, barbaric kind of golf-club.[13] - -Thanks to Cotgrave, then, we know that in 1611 cricket was a boy’s -game, played with a crooked staff. The club, bat, or staff continued -to be crooked or curved at the blade till the middle of the eighteenth -century or later; and till nearly 1720 cricket was mainly a game for -boys. We may now examine the authorities for the earliest mentions of -cricket. - -People have often regarded Florio’s expression in his Italian -Dictionary (1598) _cricket-a-wicket_ as the first mention of the noble -game. It were strange indeed if this great word first dropped from -the pen of an Italian! The quotation is ‘_sgrittare_, to make a noise -as a cricket; to play _cricket-a-wicket_, and be merry.’ I have no -doubt myself that this is a mere coincidence of sound. The cricket -(on the hearth) is a merry little beast, or has that reputation. The -term ‘cricket-a-wicket’ is a mere rhyming reduplication of sounds like -‘hob-nob’ or ‘tooral-ooral,’ or the older ‘Torelore,’ the name of a -mythical country in a French romance of the twelfth century. It is -an odd coincidence, no doubt, that the rhyming reduplication should -associate wicket with cricket. But, for all that, ‘cricket-a-wicket’ -must pair off with ‘helter-skelter,’ ‘higgledy-piggledy,’ and -_Tarabara_ to which Florio gives cricket-a-wicket as an equivalent.[14] - -[Illustration: ‘Miss Wicket.’ (From an old print, 1770.)] - -Yet cricket was played in England, by boys at least, in Florio’s -time. The proof of this exists, or existed, in the ‘Constitution -Book of Guildford,’ a manuscript collection of records once in the -possession of that town. In the ‘History of Guildford,’ an anonymous -compilation, published by Russell in the Surrey town, and by Longmans -in London (1801), there are extracts from the ‘Constitution Book.’ -They begin with a grant _anno_ li. Ed. III. For our purpose the only -important passages are pp. 201, 202. In the thirty-fifth year of -Elizabeth one William Wyntersmoll withheld a piece of common land, -to the extent of one acre, from the town. Forty years before, John -Parvishe had obtained leave to make a temporary enclosure there, -and the enclosure had never been removed. In the fortieth year of -Elizabeth this acre was still in dispute, when John Derrick, gent, aged -fifty-nine, one of the Queen’s Coroners for the county, gave evidence -that he ‘knew it fifty years ago or more. It lay waste and was used -and occupyed by the inhabitants of Guildeford to saw timber in and for -saw-pitts.... When he was a scholler in the free school of Guildeford -he and several of his fellowes did run and play there at crickett and -other plaies.’ - -This is the oldest certain authority for cricket with which I am -acquainted. Clearly it was a boy’s game in the early years of -Elizabeth. Nor was it a very scientific game if it could be played on -a wicket agreeably diversified by ‘saw-pitts.’ William Page may have -played cricket at Eton and learned to bat as well as ‘to hick and hack, -which they will do fast enough of themselves, and to cry _horum_.’ It -has already been shown that, in 1611, ‘boyes played at crickett,’ with -a crooked bat or ‘cricket-staffe.’ - -In 1676 we get a view of a summer day at Aleppo, and of British sailors -busy at the national game. - -Henry Teonge, Chaplain on board H.M.S. ships ‘Assistance,’ ‘Bristol,’ -and ‘Royal Oak,’ Anno 1675 to 1679, writes:-- - - [At Aleppo]. - - 6.--This morning early (as it is the custom all summer longe) at the - least 40 of the English, with his worship the Consull, rod out of the - cytty about 4 miles to the Greene Platt, a fine vally by a river syde, - to recreate them selves. Where a princely tent was pitched; and wee - had severall pastimes and sports, as duck-hunting, fishing, shooting, - handball, krickett, scrofilo; and then a noble dinner brought thither, - with greate plenty of all sorts of wine, punch, and lemonads; and at 6 - wee returne all home in good order, but soundly tyred and weary.[15] - -When once the eighteenth century is reached cricket begins to find -mention in literature. Clearly the game was rising in the world and -was being taken up, like the poets of the period, by patrons. Lord -Chesterfield, whom Dr. Johnson found a patron so insufficient, talked -about cricket in a very proper spirit in 1740.[16] ‘If you have a right -ambition you will desire to excell all boys of your age at cricket -... as well as in learning.’ That is the right style of fatherly -counsel; but Philip Stanhope never came to ‘European reputation as -mid-wicket-on,’ like a hero of Mr. James Payn’s. Lord Chesterfield -also alludes to ‘your various occupations of Greek and cricket, Latin -and pitch-farthing,’ very justly coupling the nobler language with the -nobler game. Already in the fourth book of the ‘Dunciad,’ line 592, Mr. -Alexander Pope had sneered at cricket.[17] At what did Mr. Pope not -sneer? The fair, the wise, the manly,--Mrs. Arabella Fermor, Lady Mary -Wortley Montagu, Mr. Colley Cibber, and a delightful pastime,--he turns -up his nose at them and at everyone and everything! - - _O le grand homme, rien ne lui peut plaire!_ - -See, he cries to Dulness, see-- - - The judge to dance his brother serjeant call, - The senator at cricket urge the ball. - -Cricket was played at Eton early. Gray, writing to West, says, -‘There is my Lords Sandwich and Halifax--they are statesmen--do you -not remember them dirty boys playing at cricket?’[18] In 1736 Walpole -writes, ‘I can’t say I am sorry I was never quite a school-boy: an -expedition against bargemen, or a match at cricket may be very pretty -things to recollect; but, thank my stars, I can remember things very -near as pretty.’[19] The bargee might have found an interview with Miss -Horace pretty to recollect, but when Horace pretends that he might have -been in the Eleven if he liked, the absurdity becomes too glaring. We -are reminded of Charles Lamb’s ‘Here is Wordsworth saying he might -have written “Hamlet” if he had had the “mind.”’ Cowper pretends (in -1781) that ‘as a boy I excelled at cricket and football,’ but he adds, -with perfect truth, ‘the fame I acquired by achievements that way is -long since forgotten.’ The author of the ‘Task,’ and of a good many -hymns, was no Mynn nor Grace. We shall find but few of the English -poets distinguished as cricketers, or fond of tuning the lyre to sing -Pindaric strains of batters and bowlers. Byron tells a friend how -they ‘together joined in cricket’s manly toil’ (1807). Another noble -exception is George Huddesford,[20] author of ‘Salmagundi’ (1791, p. -66)-- - - But come, thou genial son of spring - Whitsuntide, and with thee bring - _Cricket_, nimble boy and light, - In slippers red and drawers white, - Who o’er the nicely measured land - Ranges around his comely band, - Alert to intercept each blow, - Each motion of the wary foe. - -This passage gives us the costume--white drawers and red slippers. The -contemporary works of art, whereof see a little gallery on the walls -of the pavilion at Lord’s, show that men when they played also wore -a kind of jockey cap. In a sketch of the Arms of Shrewsbury School, -little boys are playing; the bat is a kind of hockey-stick as in the -preceding century. There are only two stumps, nor more in Hayman’s -well-known picture engraved 1755. The fields are well set for the -bowling, and are represented with their hands ready for a catch. There -are umpires in their usual places; the scores are kept by men who cut -notches in tally-sticks. Such ‘notches’ were ‘got’ by ‘Miss Wicket’ a -sportive young lady in a somewhat later caricature (p. 7). The ball -(1770) has heavy cross-seams. But a silver ball, about a hundred years -old, used as a snuff-box by the Vine Club at Sevenoaks, is marked with -seams like those of to-day. Miss Wicket, also, carries a curved bat, -but it has developed beyond the rustic crooked stick, and more nearly -resembles some of the old curved bats at Lord’s, with which a strong -man must have hit prodigious skyers. We may doubt if bats were ever -such ‘three-man beetles’ as the players in an undated but contemporary -picture at Lord’s do fillip withal. The fields, in this curious -piece, are all in a line at square-leg, and disappear in a distance -unconscious of perspective. - -[Illustration: After a Picture by Hayman, R.A., belonging to the M.C.C.] - -Cricket had even before this date reached that height of prosperity -which provokes the attention of moralists. ‘Here is a fine morning: -let us go and put down some form of enjoyment,’ says the moralist. In -1743 a writer in the ‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ was moved to allege that -‘the exercise may be strained too far.... Cricket is certainly a very -good and wholesome exercise, yet it may be abused if either great or -little people make it their business.’ The chief complaint is that -great and little people play together--butchers and baronets. Cricket -‘propagates a spirit of idleness at the very time when, with the -utmost industry, our debts, taxes, and decay of trade will scarcely -allow us to get bread.’ The Lydians, according to Herodotus, invented -games to make them forget the scarcity of bread. But the gentleman in -the magazine is much more austere than Herodotus. ‘The advertisements -most impudently recite that great sums are laid’; and it was, indeed, -customary to announce a match for 500_l._ or 1,000_l._ Whether these -sums were not drawn on Fancy’s exchequer, at least in many cases, we -may reasonably doubt. In his ‘English Game of Cricket’ (p. 138) the -learned Mr. Box quotes a tale of betting in 1711, from a document which -he does not describe. It appears that in 1711 the county of Kent played -All England, and money was lost and won, and there was a law-suit to -recover. The court said, ‘Cricket is, to be sure, a manly game and not -bad in itself, but it is the ill-use that is made of it by betting -above 10_l._ on it that is bad.’ To a humble fiver on the University -match this court would have had no kind of objection to make. The -history of betting at cricket is given by Mr. Pycroft in the ‘Cricket -Field’ (chap. vi.). A most interesting chapter it is. - -The earliest laws of the game, or at least the earliest which have -reached us, are of the year 1774. A committee of noblemen and gentlemen -(including Sir Horace Mann, the Duke of Dorset, and Lord Tankerville) -drew them up at the ‘Star and Garter’ in Pall Mall. ‘The pitching of -the first wicket is to be determined by the toss of a piece of money.’ -Does this mean that the sides tossed for which was to pitch the wicket? -As Nyren shows, much turned on the pitching of the wicket. Lumpy -(Stevens) ‘would invariably choose the ground where his balls would -shoot.’[21] In the rules of 1774, the distance between the stumps is -the same as at present. The crease is cut, not painted.[22] The stumps -are twenty-two inches in height; there is only one bail, of six inches -in length. ‘No ball,’ as far as crossing the crease goes, is just like -‘no ball’ to-day. Indeed, the game was essentially the game of to-day, -except that if a ball were hit ‘the other player may place his body -anywhere within the swing of his bat, so as to hinder the bowler from -catching her, but he must neither strike at her nor touch her with his -hands.’ - -At this moment of legislation, when the dim heroic age of cricket -begins to broaden into the boundless day of history, Mr. James Love, -comedian, appeared as the epic poet of the sport.[23] His quarto is -dedicated to the Richmond Club, and is inspired ‘by a recollection of -many Particulars at a time when the Game was cultivated with the utmost -Assiduity, and patronised by the personal Appearance[24] and Management -of some of the most capital People in the Kingdom.’ Mr. Love, in his -enthusiasm, publishes an exhortation to Britain, to leave all meaner -sports, and cultivate cricket only. - - Hail CRICKET, glorious, manly, _British_ game, - First of all sports, be first alike in fame, - -sings Love, as he warms to his work. He denounces ‘puny Billiards,’ -played by ‘Beaus, dressed in the quintessence of the fashion. -The robust _Cricketer_ plays in his shirt, the Rev. Mr. W----d, -particularly, appears almost naked.’ - -One line of Mr. Love’s, - - _Where fainting vice calls folly to her aid_, - -appears to him so excellent that he thinks it must be plagiarised, and, -in a note, invites the learned reader to find out where he stole it -from. To this a critic, Britannicus Severus, answers that ‘Gentlemen -who have CRICKET in their heads cannot afford to pore over a parcel of -musty Authors.’ Indeed, your cricketer is rarely a bookworm. - - ‘Leave the dissolving song, the baby dance, - To soothe the slaves of Italy and France, - -and play up,’ cries this English bard. - -In the second book, the poet comes to business--Kent _v._ All England. -The poet, after the custom of his age, gives dashes after an initial, -in place of names. In notes he interprets his dashes, and introduces -us to Newland, of Slendon, in Sussex, a farmer, and a famous batsman; -Bryan, of London, bricklayer; Rumney, gardener to the Duke of Dorset; -Smith, keeper of the artillery ground; Hodswell, the bowling tanner of -Dartford; Mills, of Bromley; Robin, commonly called Long Robin; Mills, -Sawyer, Cutbush, Bartrum, Kips, and Danes; Cuddy, the tailor; Derigate, -of Reigate; Weymark, the miller, with Newland, Green, two Harrises, and -Smith made up the teams. The match is summed up in the Argument of the -Third Book. - - _The Game._--Five on the side of the Counties are out for three - Notches. The Odds run high on the side of Kent. Bryan and Newland go - in; they help the Game greatly. Bryan is unfortunately put out by - Kips. Kent, the First Innings, is Thirteen ahead. The Counties go in - again, and get Fifty-seven ahead. Kent, in the Second Innings, is very - near losing, the two last Men being in. Weymark unhappily misses a - Catch, and by that means Kent is victorious. - -It was a splendid close match--but let us pity Weymark, immortal -butter-fingers. In the first innings the wicket-keeping of Kips to the -fast bowling of Hodswell was reckoned fine. - -If Love was the Homer of cricket, the minstrel who won from -forgetfulness the glories of the dim Heroic Age, Nyren, was the -delightful Herodotus of the early Historic Period. John Nyren dedicated -his ‘Cricketer’s Guide and Recollections of the Cricketers of my Time,’ -to the great Mr. William Ward, in 1833. He speaks of cricket as ‘an -elegant relaxation,’ and congratulates Mr. Ward on ‘having gained the -_longest hands_ of any player upon record.’ This famed score was made -on July 24, 25, 1820, on the M.C.C. ground. The number was 278, ‘108 -more than any player ever gained;’ Aylward’s 167 had previously been -the longest score I know. Mr. Ward’s feat, moreover, was ‘after the -increase of the stumps in 1817.’ Old Nyren was charmed in his declining -hours by a deed like this, yet grieved by the modern bowlers, and their -habit ‘of throwing the ball.’ The history of that innovation will -presently be sketched. - -Nyren was born at Hambledon, in Hampshire, on December 15, 1764, and -was therefore a small boy when Love sang. He died at Bromley, June 28, -1837. Like most very great men, he was possibly of Scottish blood. He -was a Catholic and believed that the true spelling of the family name -was Nairne, and that they came south after being ‘out in the ’15 or -’45.’ Mr. Charles Cowden Clarke describes him as a thoroughly good and -amiable man, and as much may be guessed from his writings. - -Mr. Clarke agreed with him in his dislike of round-hand bowling, save -when Lillywhite was pitted against Fuller Pilch--a beautiful thing to -see, as the Bishop of St. Andrews testifies, ‘speaking,’ like Dares -Phrygius of the heroes at Troy, ‘as he that saw them.’ In Nyren’s -youth--say 1780--Hambledon was the centre of cricket. The boy had a -cricketing education. He learned a little Latin of a worthy old Jesuit, -but was a better hand at the fiddle. In that musical old England, where -John Small, the noted bat, once charmed an infuriated bull by his -minstrelsy, Nyren performed a moral miracle. He played to the gipsies, -and so won their hearts that they always passed by his hen-roost when -they robbed the neighbours. Music and cricket were the Hambledon man’s -delight. His father, Richard Nyren, was, with Thomas Brett, one of the -chief bowlers. Brett was ‘the fastest as well as straightest bowler -that was ever known’; no _jerker_, but with a very high delivery. -The height of the delivery was not _à la Spofforth_, but was got by -sending the ball out from under the armpit. How this manœuvre could -be combined with pace is a great mystery. Richard Nyren had this art, -‘always to the length.’ Brett’s bowling is described as ‘tremendous,’ -yet Tom Sueter could stump off it--Tom of the honourable heart, and the -voice so sweet, pure and powerful. Yet on those wickets Tom needed a -long-stop to Brett--George Lear. The Bishop has seen three long-stops -on to Brown; ‘but he _was_ a jerker.’ At that date the long-stop -commonly dropped on one knee as he received the ball. An old Eton boy, -G. B., who was at school between 1805 and 1814, says, in a letter to -the _Standard_ (dated September 21, 1886), that ‘a pocket-handkerchief -was allowed round the dropping knee of long-stop.’ A bowler with a low -delivery was Lambert, ‘the little farmer.’ ‘His ball would twist from -the off stump into the leg. _He was the first I remember who introduced -this deceitful and teasing way of delivering the ball._’ Cricket was -indeed rudimentary when a break from the off was a new thing. ‘The -Kent and Surrey men could not tell what to make of that cursed twist -of his.’ Lambert acquired the art as Daphnis learned his minstrelsy, -while he tended his father’s sheep. He would set up hurdles instead of -a net and bowl for hours. But it needed old Nyren to teach him to bowl -outside the off stump, so little alert was the mind of this innovator. -Among outsiders, Lumpy, the Surrey man, was the most accurate ‘to a -length,’ and he was much faster than Lord Frederick Beauclerk. In these -days the home bowlers pitched the wickets to suit themselves. Thus they -had all the advantage of rough wickets on a slope; yet, even so, a -yokel with pluck and ‘an arm as long as a hop-pole,’ has been known to -slash Lumpy all over the field. But this could only have been done at -single wicket. A curious bowler of this age was Noah Mann, the fleetest -runner of his time, and a skilled horseman. He was a left-handed -bowler, and, as will be seen, he anticipated the magical ‘pitching’ -of experts at base-ball. How he did this without throwing or jerking -is hard to be understood. ‘His merit consisted in giving a curve to -the ball the whole way. In itself it was not the first-rate style -of bowling, but so very deceptive that the chief end was frequently -attained. They who remember the dexterous manner with which the Indian -jugglers communicated the curve to the balls they spun round their -heads by a twist of the wrist or hand will at once comprehend Noah’s -curious feat in bowling.’ He once made a hit for ten at Windmill-down, -to which the club moved from the bleakness of Broadhalfpenny. - -We have followed Nyren’s comments on bowlers for the purpose of -elucidating the evolution of their ingenious art. All the bowlers, -so far, have been under-hand, but now we hear of ‘these anointed -clod-stumpers’ the Walkers. They were not of Broadhalfpenny, but -joined the club at Windmill-down, when the move there was made on -the suggestion of the Duke of Dorset. ‘About a couple of years after -Walker had been with us’ (probably about 1790), ‘he began the system -of throwing instead of bowling, now so much the fashion.’ He was -no-balled, after a council of the Hambledon Club, called for the -purpose. This disposes of the priority of Mr. Willes (1807), and -incidentally casts doubt on the myth that a lady invented round-hand -bowling. Nyren says, ‘The first I recollect seeing _revive_ the custom -was Wills, a Sussex man.’ - -From the heresiarch, Tom Walker, we come to the classic model of a -bowler in the under-hand school--that excellent man, christian and -cricketer, David Harris. - - It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to convey in writing an - accurate idea of the grand effect of Harris’s bowling; they only who - have played against him can fully appreciate it. His attitude, when - preparing for his run previously to delivering the ball, would have - made a beautiful study for the sculptor. Phidias would certainly have - taken him for a model. First of all, he stood erect like a soldier - at drill; then, with a graceful curve of the arm, he raised the ball - to his forehead, and drawing back his right foot, started off with - his left. The calm look and general air of the man were uncommonly - striking, and from this series of preparations he never deviated. I am - sure that from this simple account of his manner, all my countrymen - who were acquainted with his play will recall him to their minds. His - mode of delivering the ball was very singular. He would bring it from - under the arm by a twist, and nearly as high as his arm-pit, and with - this action _push_ it, as it were, from him. How it was that the balls - acquired the velocity they did by this mode of delivery, I never could - comprehend. - - When first he joined the Hambledon Club, he was quite a raw - countryman at cricket, and had very little to recommend him but his - noble delivery. He was also very apt to give tosses. I have seen old - Nyren scratch his head, and say,--‘Harris would make the best bowler - in England if he did not toss.’ By continual practice, however, and - following the advice of the old Hambledon players, he became as steady - as could be wished; and in the prime of his playing very rarely - indeed gave a toss, although his balls were pitched the full length. - In bowling, he never stooped in the least in his delivery, but kept - himself upright all the time. His balls were very little beholden to - the ground when pitched; it was but a touch, and up again; and woe - be to the man who did not get in to block them, for they had such a - peculiar curl that they would grind his fingers against the bat; many - a time have I seen the blood drawn in this way from a batter who was - not up to the trick: old Tom Walker was the only exception--I have - before classed him among the bloodless animals. - - Harris’s bowling was the finest of all tests for a hitter, and hence - the great beauty, as I observed before, of seeing Beldham in, with - this man against him; for unless a batter were of the very first - class, and accustomed to the first style of stopping, he could do - little or nothing with Harris. If the thing had been possible, I - should have liked to have seen such a player as Budd (fine hitter as - he was) standing against him. My own opinion is, that he could not - have stopped his balls, and this will be a criterion, by which those - who have seen some of that gentleman’s brilliant hits, may judge of - the extraordinary merit of this man’s bowling. He was considerably - faster than Lambert, and so superior in style and finish, that I can - draw no comparison between them. Lord Frederic Beauclerc has been - heard to say that Harris’s bowling was one of the grandest things of - the kind he had ever seen; but his lordship could not have known him - in his prime; he never saw him play till after he had had many fits of - the gout, and had become slow and feeble. - - To Harris’s fine bowling I attribute the great improvement that - was made in hitting, and above all in stopping; for it was utterly - impossible to remain at the crease, when the ball was tossed to a fine - length; you were obliged to get in, or it would be about your hands, - or the handle of your bat; and every player knows where its next place - would be. - -This long extract is not too long, for it contains a dignified study of -the bowler. - - This is the perfect Trundler, this is he, - That every man who bowls should wish to be. - -Harris was admired for ‘the sweetness of his disposition and his -manly contempt of every action that bore the character of meanness,’ -and he chiefly bowled for catches, as did Lord Frederick Beauclerk. -Nyren is no great hand at orthography, and he soon comes to speak of a -Sussex bowler named Wells. This is apparently the Wills, or Willes, who -has more credit than perhaps he deserves for bringing in round-hand. -‘He was the first I had seen of the new school, after the Walkers -had attempted to introduce the system in the Hambledon Club.’ Willes -had a twist from leg, and Nyren thinks Freemantle showed astonishing -knowledge of the game because he went in front of his wicket and hit -Willes, and ‘although before the wicket, he would not have been out, -because the ball had been pitched at the outside of the stump.’ A man -might play hours on that system ‘by _Shrewsbury_ clock,’ but I doubt if -David Harris would have approved of Freemantle’s behaviour. - -The student of the evolution of round-hand and over-hand bowling now -turns to the early exploits of William Lillywhite (_b._ June 13, -1792). Whatever Mr. Willes may have done, whatever Tom Walker may have -dreamed, William Lillywhite and Jem Broadbridge are practically the -parents of modern bowling. When Lillywhite came out, the law was that -in bowling the hand must be below the elbow. Following the example of -Mr. G. Knight, of the M.C.C., or rather going beyond it, Lillywhite -raised the hand _above_ the shoulder, though scarcely perceptible. -Lillywhite’s performances in 1827 caused much discussion among -cricketers and in the ‘Sporting Magazine.’ Letters on this subject are -reprinted by Mr. W. Denison, in ‘Sketches of the Players,’ London, -1846.[25] - -The last great match of 1827 was between Sussex and Kent, with -Saunders and Searle given. Mr. Denison, reviewing the match at the -time, predicted that if round-hand were allowed, there would be no -driving and no cutting to point or slip. This of course is part of -Unfulfilled Prophecy. ‘Broadbridge and others will shew that they -cannot be faced on hard ground without the most imminent peril.’ As a -compromise, Mr. Denison was for allowing straight-armed bowling, ‘so -that the back of the hand be kept under when the ball is delivered.’ -Mr. Steel’s chapter on bowling shows what the effect of that rule must -have been. - -In February, 1828, Mr. Knight published his letters in defence of -round-hand bowling. There had been, in the origin of cricket, no law to -restrain the bowlers. About 1804, the batting acquired such mastery, -and forward play with running-in (as Nyren knew) became so vigorous, -that Willes and Tom Walker tried round-hand. This round-hand was -‘straight armed, and for a time (1818–28) did very well, till bowlers -took to raising the hand, even above the head.’ M.C.C. then proclaimed -an edict against all round-hand bowling. Mr. Knight proposed to admit -straight-armed bowling, which could not be called ‘throwing.’ To define -a throw was as hard then as now--a man knows it when he sees it; it is -like the trot in horses. Mr. Knight’s proposed law ran, ‘The ball shall -be bowled; if it be thrown or jerked, or if any part of the hand or arm -be _above_ the _shoulder_ at the time of delivery, the umpire shall -call _No Ball_.’ - -In one of the trial matches (Sept. 1827) it is said that Mr. Knight, -Broadbridge, and Lillywhite, all bowled high over the shoulder. There -are no wides in the score. When a man was caught, the bowler’s name was -not given. Lillywhite has thus no wicket to his name. - -Mr. Knight’s law was discussed at Lord’s (May 19, 1828), and the word -_elbow_ substituted for _shoulder_. But Lillywhite and Broadbridge -bowled as before, and found many followers, till the M.C.C. passed -the law proposed by Mr. Knight. But the hand was soon raised, and the -extraordinary pace of Mr. Mynn (born 1807) was striven for by men who -had not his weight and strength. These excesses caused a re-enactment -of the over-the-shoulder law in 1845. - -Lillywhite was now recognised as the reviver of cricket. His analysis -in 1844 and 1845 gives about 6⅞ runs for each wicket. Round-hand, with -a practical license for over-hand, was now established; but, as late as -1860, a high delivery was a rarity. The troublesome case of Willsher -ended in permitting any height of delivery, and the greatest of all -bowlers, Mr. Spofforth, sends in the ball from the utmost altitude. - -This is a brief account of the evolution of round and over-hand -bowling. As to slow and fast bowling, Lord Frederick Beauclerk and -one of the Walkers were very slow bowlers in old days. William Clarke -(_b._ Dec. 24, 1798) was the classical slow bowler. Clarke was not a -regular lob bowler, but, like Lambert, delivered ‘about midway between -the height of the elbow and the strict under-hand, accompanied by a -singular peculiarity of action with the hand and wrist just as the -ball is about to be discharged.[26]’ He had a tremendous twist, and -great spin and ingenuity. Perhaps his success was partly due to the -rarity of slow bowling in his time. Men imitated Mr. Mynn, who was as -big a man as Mr. W. G. Grace, and a very fast bowler. In old underhand -times, Brett had a ‘steam-engine pace,’ and later, Browne of Brighton -was prodigiously fast. The Bishop of St. Andrews remembers seeing a -ball of Browne’s strike the stumps with such force and at such a point -that both bails flew _back_ as far as the bowler’s wicket. That was at -Brighton. He also remembers how at Lord’s, when Browne bowled, all the -field were placed _behind_ the wicket, or nearly so, that is at slip, -leg, and long-stop, till Ward went in, who, playing with an upright -bat, contrived to poke the ball to the off, and Browne himself (a tall, -heavy man) had to go after it. But this having happened more than -once, a single field was placed in front. Yet Beldham, as Mr. Pycroft -tells, quite mastered Browne, and made 76 off him in a match. Beldham -was then fifty-four. Browne’s pace was reckoned superior to that of -Mr. Osbaldeston. It is not easy to decide who has been the fastest of -fast bowlers. In our own day, I think that Mr. Cecil Boyle, when he -bowled for Oxford (1873), was the swiftest I have seen, except a bowler -unknown south of the Tweed, Mr. Barclay, now a clergyman in Canada. Mr. -Barclay was faster with under-hand than with round-hand. Beldham and -his comrades played Browne without pads; I have seen this tried against -Mr. Barclay--the results were damaging. Famous names of fast bowlers -are Mynn, Marcon, Fellowes, Tarrant, Jackson, Freeman, Hope Grant, -Powys, and Robert Lang. - -The history of bowling precedes that of batting, because the batsman -must necessarily adapt his style to the bowling, not _vice versâ_. He -must also adapt it to the state of the wickets. There are times when -a purely rural style of play, a succession of ‘agrarian outrages,’ is -the best policy. Given an untrustworthy wicket, good bowling, fielding -ground in heavy grass, a stone wall on one side, and another wall, -with a nice flooded burn beyond, on another side, and a batsman will -be well advised if he lifts the ball over the boundaries and into the -brook. Perhaps Mr. Steel will recognise the conditions described, and -remember Dalbeattie. In the origin of cricket, when the stumps were -low, and the bat a crooked club, hitting hard, high, and often must -have been the rule. A strong man with good sight must have been the -pride of the village. When David Harris, Tom Walker, Lumpy, Brett, and -other heroes brought in accuracy, spin, twist, and pace, with taller -wickets to defend, this batting was elaborated by Beldham and Sueter -and others into an art. Tom Sueter, first, fathered the heresy of -leaving the crease, and going in to the pitch or half-volley.[27] Sir -Horace Mann’s bailiff, Aylward, was the Shrewsbury of an elder age. ‘He -once stayed in two whole days, and got the highest number of runs that -had ever been gained by any member--_one hundred and sixty-seven_.’ Tom -Walker was a great stick. Lord Frederick was bowling to him at Lord’s. -Every ball he dropped down just before his bat. Off went his lordship’s -white, broad-brimmed hat, dash upon the ground (his constant action -when disappointed), calling him at the same time ‘a confounded old -beast.’ ‘I doan’t care what ee zays,’ said Tom, whose conduct showed -a good deal more of courtesy and self-control than Lord Frederick’s. -Perhaps the master-bat of old times was William Beldham from Farnham. -He comes into Bentley’s ‘Cricket Scores’ as early as 1787. The -players called him ‘Silver Billy.’ He was coached by Harry Hall, the -gingerbread baker of Farnham. Hall’s great maxim was ‘the left elbow -well up.’ - -From Nyren I extract a description of Beldham’s batting:-- - - BELDHAM was quite a young man when he joined the Hambledon Club; and - even in that stage of his playing, I hardly ever saw a man with a - finer command of his bat; but, with the instruction and advice of - the old heads superadded, he rapidly attained to the extraordinary - accomplishment of being the finest player that has appeared within - the latitude of more than half a century. There can be no exception - against his batting, or the severity of his hitting. He would get - in at the balls, and hit them away in a gallant style; yet, in this - single feat, I think I have known him excelled; but when he could cut - them at the point of the bat, he was in his glory; and upon my life, - their speed was as the speed of thought. One of the most beautiful - sights that can be imagined, and which would have delighted an artist, - was to see him make himself up to hit a ball. It was the _beau idéal_ - of grace, animation, and concentrated energy. In this peculiar - exhibition of elegance with vigour, the nearest approach to him I - think was Lord Frederick Beauclerc. Upon one occasion at Mary-le-bone, - I remember these two admirable batters being in together, and though - Beldham was then verging towards his climacteric, yet both were - excited to a competition, and the display of talent that was exhibited - between them that day was the most interesting sight of its kind I - ever witnessed. I should not forget, among his other excellencies, to - mention that Beldham was one of the best judges of a short run I ever - knew; add to which, that he possessed a generally good knowledge of - the game. - -In 1838 Beldham used to gossip with Mr. Pycroft. That learned writer -gives Fennex great credit for introducing the modern style of forward -play about 1800; this on the evidence of Fennex himself (1760–1839). -But probably accurate bowling, with a fast rise, on fairly good -wickets, must have taught forward play naturally to Fennex, Lambert, -Fuller Pilch, and others. It is not my purpose to compile a minute -chronicle of cricket, to mark each match and catch, nor to chant the -illustrious deeds of all famous men. The great name of Mr. Ward has -been already mentioned. The Bishop of St. Andrews, when a Harrow -boy, played against Mr. Ward, and lowered his illustrious wicket for -three runs.[28] Thus, with Mr. Ward, we come within the memory of -living cricketers. Much more is this the case with Mr. Budd, Fuller -Pilch, Alfred Mynn, Hayward and Carpenter, Humphrey and Jupp. Mr. Mynn -was the son of a gentleman farmer at Bearstead, near Maidstone. His -extraordinary pace actually took wickets by storm; men were bowled -before they knew where they were. The assiduous diligence of Mr. Ward -was a match for him. When about to meet Mynn, he would practise with -the fastest of the ground bowlers at Lord’s, at eighteen or nineteen -yards’ rise, so to speak. Mr. Ward’s great reach also stood him in good -stead. Mr. Mynn’s pace, and the excesses committed by his imitators, -for some time demoralised batting. Few balls were straight (among the -_imitatores, servum pecus_), and men went in to hit what they could -reach. The joy of getting hold of a leg-ball from a very fast bowler, -or of driving him, overpowered caution, and these violent delights -might have had violent ends if accuracy had not returned to bowling. In -1843 Mr. Mynn’s analysis gave 5⅖ a wicket. His average was but 17 an -innings. Scores were shorter fifty years ago.[29] - -My attempt has been to trace the streams of tendency in cricket rather -than to produce a chronicle--a work which would require a volume to -itself. Nothing has been said about fielding; because, however the ball -is bowled, and however hit, the tasks of catching it, stopping it, and -returning it with speed have always been the same. True, different -styles of batting and bowling require alterations in the position of -the fielders.[30] But the principles of their conduct and the nature -of their duty remain unaltered. One change may be noted. In ‘Juvenile -Sports,’ by Master Michel Angelo,[31] the author speaks of _byes_ -and _overthrows_ as ‘a new mode,’ ‘an innovation with which I am by -no means pleased. It is indeed true that this places the seekers out -continually on their guard, and obliges them to be more mindful of -their play; but then it diminishes the credit of the player, in whose -hands the bat is, as a game may be won by a very bad batsman owing to -the inability of the wicket-man, or the inattention of the seekers-out.’ - -The fallacy of this argument does not need to be exposed. - - * * * * * - -M.C.C. - -No sketch of the history of cricket would be complete without a note on -the fortunes of the Marylebone Club. This is the Parliament of cricket, -and includes almost all the amateurs of merit. There is nothing very -formal in its construction; and any clubs which please may doubtless -arrange among themselves to play _not_ according to M.C.C. rules. But -nobody so pleases; and Marylebone legislates practically for countries -that were not even known to exist when wickets were pitched at -Guildford in the reign of Henry VIII. Marylebone is the _Omphalos_, the -Delos of cricket. - -The club may be said to have sprung from the ashes of the White -Conduit Club, dissolved in 1787. One Thomas Lord, by the aid of some -members of the older association, made a ground in the space which -is now Dorset Square. This was the first ‘Lord’s.’ As to Lord, he is -dubiously said (like the ancestors of Nyren) to have been a Scot and -a Jacobite, or mixed up, at least, in some way with the ’45. Lord was -obliged to move to North Bank, and finally, in 1814, to the present -ground. The famous Mr. Ward had played at Lord’s before this migration; -his first match here was in 1810, and he played, more or less, till -1847, being then sixty years of age. His bats are said to have weighed -four pounds. Mr. Ward bought the lease of the ground from Lord in 1825, -‘at a most exorbitant rate;’ and, in 1830, Dark bought the remainder of -the lease from him. The first match on our present Lord’s, or the first -recorded, was M.C.C. _v._ Hertfordshire, June 22, 1814. In 1825 the -pavilion was burned, after a Winchester and Harrow match. The burning -of the Alexandrian Library may be compared to the wholesale destruction -of cricket records on this melancholy occasion. In 1816 the Club -reviewed the Laws: the result will be found in Lillywhite’s ‘Scores,’ -i. 385. ‘No more than two balls to be allowed at practice when a fresh -bowler takes the ball before he proceeds.’ A great deal too much time -is now wasted over these practice balls. ‘The ball must be delivered -underhanded, not thrown or jerked, with the hand below the elbow at the -time of delivering the ball.’ The umpire is to call ‘no ball,’ ‘if the -back of the hand be uppermost.’ As to l.b.w., the batter is out ‘if -with his foot or leg he stop the ball which the bowler, in the opinion -of the umpire, shall have pitched in a straight line to the wicket, and -would have hit it.’ - -The names of the Presidents are only on record after the fire. -Ponsonby, Grimston, Darnley, Coventry are among the most notable. The -renowned Mr. Aislabie was secretary till his death in 1842; in the -pavilion his bust commemorates him. Mr. Kynaston and Mr. Fitzgerald, -of ‘Jerks In from Short Leg,’ are other celebrated secretaries. In -1868 the Club purchased a lease of 99 years, at the cost of 11,000_l._ -There have been recent additions to the area, and to that celebrated -monument, the pavilion. - -[Illustration: The Royal Academy Club in Marylebone Fields. (After -Hayman, R.A. The property of the M.C.C.)] - -Lord’s is, as all the world knows, the scene, not only of Club and -of Middlesex matches, but of Eton and Harrow, Oxford and Cambridge, and -Gentlemen and Players, which is also contested at the Oval. Winchester -used moreover to play Eton here, but the head-masters have long -preferred a home and home affair. In other chapters these great matches -will be chronicled and criticised. - - * * * * * - -The various epochs in the history of the game may now be briefly -enumerated by way of summary. First we have the prehistoric age, when -cricket was dimly struggling to evolve itself out of the rudimentary -forms of cat-and-dog, and stool-ball. This preceded 154-, when we find -an authentic mention of the name of CRICKET. Just about the end of -the seventeenth century it was mainly a boys’ game. With the Augustan -age it began to be taken up by statesmen, and satirised by that ideal -whippersnapper, the ingenious but in all respects unsportsmanlike, Mr. -Pope. By 1750 the game was matter of heavy bets, and scores began to -be recorded. The old Hambledon Club gave it dignity, and the veterans -endured till quite modern times dawn with Mr. Ward. Then came the -prosperous heresy of round-hand bowling, which battled for existence -till about 1845, when it became a recognised institution. The wandering -clubs, chiefly I. Z. and the Free Foresters at first, carried good -examples into the remoter gardens of our country. The migratory -professional teams, the United and All England Elevens at least, showed -the yokels what style meant, and taught them that Jackson and Tinley -were their masters. But the lesson lasted too long. Nothing was less -exhilarating than the spectacle of twenty provincial players, with -Hodgson and Slinn, making many duck’s eggs, and fielding in a mob. -‘The first ‘ad me on the knee, the next on the wrist, the next blacked -my eye, and the fourth bowled me,’ says the Pride of the Village, in -‘Punch,’ after enjoying ‘a hover from Jackson.’ Such violent delights -had violent ends. The old travelling elevens are extinct, but railways -have ‘turned large England to a little’ field, so to speak, and -clubs may now meet which of old scarcely knew each other by name. -The Australian elevens have in recent days given a great impulse to -patriotic exertions. - -Scotch cricket is a thing of this century. Football and golf are the -native pastimes of my countrymen, as hurling is of Ireland. The Old -Grange Club is the M.C.C. of the North. The West of Scotland and -Drumpellier are other clubs of standing. That ever-flourishing veteran, -Major Dickens, still upholds the honour of Kelso. The Moncrieffs have -been the Wards and Budds of Edinburgh, nor will a touching patriotism -allow me here to omit the name of George Charles Hamilton Dunlop. For -some reasons Scotland has not been productive of bowlers. Professionals -are seldom reared there, nor have amateurs devoted themselves to the -more scientific and less popular part of the game. Mr. Barclay has -already been commemorated for his speed; a few only will remember Mr. -Sinclair and Mr. Glassford, who died young, and very much regretted. -Few men have done more for Scotch cricket than Mr. H. H. Almond, -head-master of Loretto School, which has contributed several players -to the Oxford eleven. An old ‘pewter’ may here congratulate Mr. Almond -on the energy with which he kept his boys to the mark, and on the -undaunted example which he set by always going in first. The names of -Arthur Cheyne, Jack Mackenzie, Edward Henderson, Chalmers, Hay Brown, -Leslie Balfour, and Tom Marshall are only a few that crowd on the -memory of the elderly Caledonian cricketer. In the Border district, of -which more hereafter, the houses of Buccleuch and Roxburgh have been -great friends of the game, and that was a proud day for ‘the Rough -Clan’ when Lord George Scott scored over 160 in the University match of -1887. Abbotsford, too, has been well to the front, thanks to the Hon. -J. Maxwell Scott, and, for some reason, Scotland has been occasionally -represented by Mr. A. G. Steel, and the Hon. Ivo Bligh, known to the -local press as ‘the Titled Batsman.’ But these are alien glories _et -non sua poma_. - -Three things are prejudicial to Scotch cricket. First, there is the -climate, about which more words were superfluous. Next, boys leave -school earlier than in England, for professions or for college. Lastly, -the University ‘session’ is in the winter months, and the University -clubs are therefore at a great disadvantage. I shall never forget -the miraculous wickets we tried to pitch on the old College Green at -Glasgow, and the courage displayed by divinity students in standing up -to Mr. Barclay there. As for St. Andrews, golf is too much with us on -that friendly shore, and will brook no rival. - - * * - * The author of the historical introduction is much indebted to - the Bishop of St. Andrews, a veteran of the first University Match, - for his kindness in revising proofs, and adding notes. He has also to - thank the Viscountess Wolseley for the loan of her picture of ‘Miss - Wicket’; and Mr. Charles Mills, M.P., for a sight of the silver ball - of the Vine Club. It was filled with snuff, and tossed from hand to - hand after dinner; he who dropped it being fined in claret, or some - other liquor. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Outside of England Mrs. Piozzi found ‘a game called _Pallamajo_, -something like our cricket.’ If she meant _Pallone_, she merely proved -herself no cricketer. Mr. Arthur Evans has noticed, in Dalmatia, a kind -of trap-bat, a ‘cat’ being used in place of a ball, and the length of -hits being measured by the stick that serves as bat. - -[2] The learned have debated as to the origin of the local term ‘Dex.’ -Let it suffice to say that it is not what they suppose. - -[3] See M. de Charnay’s _Ancient Cities of the New World_, p. 96. -London, 1887. - -[4] Strutt’s _Sports and Pastimes_, 1810, pp. 89, 90; cf. Durfey’s -_Pills to Purge Melancholy_, i. 91. - -[5] _Popular Antiquities_, i. 153, _note_. London, 1813. The lines are -quoted by Brand from _A Pleasant Grove of New Fancies_, p. 74. London, -1657. He might have gone straight to Herrick, _Hesperides_ (1648), p. -280. - -[6] Edinburgh, 1841. - -[7] In married life, two are quite enough to play ‘cat and dog.’ - -[8] Compare _Loggat_. See _Hamlet_, v. 1, and _Nares’ Glossary_, s. v. - -[9] Brand, ii. 287, quotes a reference to ‘cat and doug’ from the _Life -of the Scotch Rogue_. London, 1722. The Scotch Rogue says nothing about -cricket. - -[10] P. 101. - -[11] The miniature in which a woman bowls to a back-handed player -with no wicket is dated 1344. Bodl., 264. But the evidence of art is -never very trustworthy. The painter may have been a woman, or a monk, -or an uneducated person. Many of the pictures in modern books give a -misleading view of cricket. - -[12] _Etymological Dictionary_, 1882. The writer here owes a great -deal to Dr. Murray, of the _English Dictionary_, who kindly lent him -the ‘slips’ (short, of course) on Cricket, as far as they have been -collected.--A. L. - -[13] See M. Charles Deulin’s tale, ‘Le Grand Choleur,’ in _Contes du -Roi Gambrinus_. There is a good deal of information in _Germinal_, by -M. Zola. The balls are egg-shaped, and of boxwood. The game is a kind -of golf, played across country. - -[14] Cotgrave’s _French Dictionary_, ‘Crosse,’ 1611. - -[15] _Diary_, p. 159; May, 1676. - -[16] i. p. 197. Letter xxi. - -[17] The bibliography of the _Dunciad_ is not a subject to be rushed -into rashly, nor in a note; but this must have been written between -1726–1735, there or thereabouts. The Scholiasts recognise Lord John -Sackville as the Senator, and quote a familiar passage from Horace -Walpole (June 8, 1747) about _Cricketalia_, instituted in his honour. -We may, perhaps, regard Lord John as one of the early patrons of the -game. - -[18] Gray’s _Works_, 1807, ii. p. 2. See also ‘urge the flying ball,’ -which must refer, I think, to cricket. That ode was first published in -1747. Johnson carelessly paraphrases ‘drives the hoop, or _tosses_ the -ball!’--C. W. - -[19] To George Montagu, May 6, 1726. - -[20] See also his _Wiccamical Chaplet_, 1804, where there is an -excellent ‘Cricket Song’ (p. 131 to 133) for the Hambledon Club, Hants, -1767, in the course of which the following names of cricketers occur: -Nyren, Small, Buck, Curry, Hogsflesh, Barber Rich (‘whose swiftness in -bowling was never equalled yet’), ‘Little George, the longstop, and Tom -Suter, the Stumper,’ Sackville, Manns, Boyton, Lanns, Mincing, Miller, -Lumpy, Francis.--C. W. - -[21] _The Cricketers Guide_, fourth edition, _s. a._, p. 58. - -[22] The Bishop of St. Andrews can remember when the creases were cut, -before chalk was used. - -[23] _Cricket_, An Heroic Poem, illustrated with the critical -observations of Scriblerus Maximus. By James Love, Comedian, London. -Printed for the Author, MDCCLXX. (Price, One Shilling.) - -[24] Talking of appearances, there is just one story of a ghost at a -cricket match. He took great interest in the game, and went home in -a dog-cart as it seemed to the spectators, though he (the real man, -not the wraith) was on his death-bed at a considerable distance. The -spectral dog-cart is the puzzle of the Psychical Society. The scene of -the apparition was the cricket ground of a public school. - -[25] The edition of Nyren’s _Cricketer’s Guide_, used here, is the -fourth, London, _s. a._ I owe it to Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald. Any -cricketer who has borrowed my own copy of the Editio Princeps will -oblige me by returning it.--A. L. - -[26] _Sketches of the Players_, p. 23. - -[27] Nyren, _op. cit._ p. 50. - -[28] It was three or five--I forget which. I know it was the _lowest -score_ he had that year!--C. W. - -[29] Was this so? The long scores caused the introduction of -round-hand bowling. From among my brother’s papers (late Bishop of -Lincoln) a letter has lately been returned to me which contains the -following:--‘Christ Church, Oxford: May 24, 1831.--Cricket, I suppose, -does not interest you; but you may like to know that in three following -innings, on three following days last week, I got 328 runs. Christ -Church has been playing--and beating--the University.’--C. W. - -[30] My experience, in one respect, is, I suppose, unique. Hitting a -leg-ball, I alarmed the umpire, who turned round, and I was caught by -the wicket-keeper off his back! Naturally enough--but yet--justly? he -gave me out!--C. W. - -[31] London, 1776, p. 76. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -BATTING. - -(BY THE HON. R. H. LYTTELTON.) - - -[Illustration: FIG. 1.--The champion.] - -The great and supreme art of batting constitutes to the large majority -of cricketers the most enjoyable part of the game. There are three -especially delightful moments in life connected with games, and only -those who have experienced all three can realise what these moments -are. They are (1) the cut stroke at tennis, when the striker wins -chase one and two on the floor; (2) the successful drive at golf, -when the globe is despatched on a journey of 180 yards; (3) a crack -to square-leg off a half-volley just outside the legs. When once the -sensation has been realised by any happy mortal, he is almost entitled -to chant in a minor key a ‘Nunc Dimittis,’ to feel that the supreme -moment has come, and that he has not lived in vain. - -After what has been said in the foregoing chapter we shall here only -touch upon the cricket of the past in so far as seems necessary to make -this dissertation on batting tolerably complete, and shall then proceed -to discuss the principles and science of the art as it now exists. - -The shape of the bat in the year 1746--which may be taken as a -beginning, for it was in that year that the first score of a match -was printed and handed down to posterity, at any rate in Lillywhite’s -‘Scores and Biographies’--resembled a thick crooked stick more than a -modern bat. - -From the shape of the bat, obviously adapted to meet the ball when -moving along the ground, one may infer that the bowlers habitually -delivered a style of ball we now call a ‘sneak.’ How long this system -of bowling remained in vogue cannot exactly be told. The famous William -Beldham, who was born in 1766, and lived for nearly one hundred years, -is reported by Nyren to have said that when he was a boy nearly all -bowling was fast and along the ground. As long as this was the case it -is probable that the bat was nothing but a club, for if the ball never -left the ground the operative part of the bat would naturally be at -the very bottom, as is usual in clubs. The renowned Tom Walker was the -earliest lob bowler; he probably took to the style late in life, or -about the year 1800, and several bowlers, notably the great E. H. Budd, -raised the arm slightly; but it is believed that the first genuine -round-arm bowlers were William Lillywhite and James Broadbridge, both -of Sussex, who first bowled the new style in 1827. That year was from -this cause a year of revolution in cricket, and the shape of the modern -bat dates from that period. As a rule, up to the year 1800 the style of -batting was back. William Fennex is supposed to have been the inventor -of forward play, and Beldham reports a saying of one Squire Paulett, -who was watching Fennex play: ‘You do frighten me there, jumping out -of your ground.’ The great batsmen of the early era of cricket were -Lord Frederick Beauclerk, Mr. Budd, Beldham, Bentley, Osbaldeston, -William Ward, Beagley, William Lambert, Jem Broadbridge, W. Hooker, -Saunders, and Searle. The great skill of these players, when opposed to -under-hand bowling, was what determined the Sussex players to alter the -style of bowling, and, indeed, it is generally the fact that too great -abundance of runs raises questions as to the desirability of altering -rules. - -After the year 1827 the shape of the bat became very like what it is -now, but it was much heavier in the blade and thinner in the handle, -which seems to indicate that the play was mostly of the forward driving -style, and the great exponent of this method of play was the renowned -Fuller Pilch. Anyone who has the opportunity of handling a bat of this -period will find that its weight renders it inconvenient for cutting, -but suitable for forward play. The change from under-hand bowling to -round-arm having been effected by slow developments makes it probable -that the style of play was generally forward until the under-hand -bowling was altogether superseded by round-arm. Some bowlers followed -the new order of things by changing from under to round-arm. Round-arm -bowling was at first less accurate than under-hand, and consequently -all-round hitting greatly developed; and we find Felix, the father of -cutting, who began play in 1828, chiefly renowned for this hit. Scoring -greatly diminished when round-arm bowling was thoroughly established, -and increased again as grounds got better. - -Judging from the scores of that day, the best bat in England from 1827 -to 1850 was Fuller Pilch, and his scoring would compare favourably with -that of nearly all modern players till 1874, with the exception of W. -G. Grace. He was a tall man, and used to smother the ball by playing -right out forward. - -The principle on which his whole play was founded was evidently to -get at the pitch and take care of the ball before breaks, bumps, and -shooters had time to work their devilries. In order to carry out this -method, he used frequently to leave his ground, and consequently the -famous Wm. Clarke always found Pilch a harder nut to crack than any of -his other contemporaries. - -Clarke’s slow balls tolerably well up were met by Pilch, who left his -ground and drove him forward with a straight bat. His master appears -to have been the great Sam Redgate, who was fast and ripping, and -who on one occasion got him out for a pair of spectacles, while, on -the other hand, twice in his life he got over 100 runs against Wm. -Lillywhite’s bowling, considered in those days to be an extraordinary -feat. After Pilch, Joseph Guy, of Nottingham, and E. G. Wenman, of -Kent, were considered the best; but several--C. G. Taylor, Mynn, Felix, -and Marsden, for example--scored largely, and they all passed through -a golden age of bowling, namely, about 1839, when Lillywhite, Redgate, -Mynn, Cobbett, and Hillyer all flourished, to say nothing of Sir F. -Bathurst, Tom Barker, and others. - -From the year 1855, when Fuller Pilch left off play, to the year 1868, -when W. G. Grace burst on the world with a lustre that no previous -batsman had ever approached, there was, nevertheless, a grand array of -batsmen--among professionals, Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, Daft, Caffyn, -Mortlock, and Julius Cæsar; and among amateurs, Hankey, F. H. Norman, -C. G. Lane, C. G. Lyttelton, Mitchell, Lubbock, Buller, V. E. Walker, -and Maitland. These are a few of the great names. They are, however, -surrounded by several almost as renowned, such as Stephenson, T. -Humphrey, Hearne, Cooper, Burbidge, Griffith, and others; all these, we -think, made this era of the game productive of more exciting cricket -than has been known since. It may seem odd, but the overpowering -genius of W. G. Grace after this time somewhat spoilt the excitement -of the game. His side was never beaten. Crowds thronged to see him -play, all bowling was alike to him, and the record of Gloucestershire -cricket, champion county for some time through his efforts, is the only -instance of one man practically making an eleven for several years. -The other Gloucestershire players will be the first to acknowledge -the truth of this. Gloucestershire rose with a bound into the highest -rank among counties when W. G. Grace attained his position amongst -batsmen, a head and shoulders above any other cricketer. In his prime -Gloucestershire challenged and on one occasion defeated England; when -he declined, Gloucestershire declined; in his old age she shows signs -of renewing her youth, for which all credit is due to young Townsend, -Jessop, Champain, and Board. To return to the period between 1855 and -1868: the greater equality of players made the matches more exciting -and established a keener because more evenly balanced rivalry. The -grounds were not so true as those of to-day, and the matches were not -so numerous; consequently cricketers were not so frequently worn out -by the wear and tear of long fielding and days and nights of travel as -they are now. The long individual scores having been less in number and -at longer intervals, the few great innings were more vividly stamped on -the memory, and it is doubtful if even the modern 200 runs per innings -will survive as historical facts longer than Hankey’s famous innings of -70 against the Players on Lord’s, Daft’s 118 in North _v_ South on the -same ground, and Hayward’s 112 against Gentlemen, also on Lord’s. - -The bowling during this period was generally fast or medium, varied -by lobs, but of genuine slow round, like that of Peate, Buchanan, -Alfred Shaw, and Tyler, there was hardly any in first-class matches. To -fast bowling runs come quicker than they do to slow; consequently the -game was of more interest to the ordinary spectator, and there was none -of that painful slowness, in consequence of the extraordinary accuracy -of modern slower bowling, that is so common now, and helps to produce -so many drawn matches. Though now, in the year 1897, the average -bowling pace is slower than it was in the sixties, it is nevertheless -faster than it was in the seventies. The professionals had literally -only one genuine slow round-arm bowler in those days--George Bennett, -of Kent--and of course this fact accounted largely for the batting -style of the period. Wickets being often rough, the most paying length -for fast bowling was naturally that length which gave the ground most -chance, and prevented the smothering style of play--a little shorter -than the blind spot, compelling back play over the crease, instead -of forward play. The best batsmen were great masters of this style -of play, with which the name of Carpenter is strongly identified. To -modern players the sight of Carpenter or Daft dropping down on a dead -shooter from a bowler of the pace of George Freeman or Jackson was a -wonderful one; but it is rapidly becoming a memory only, for in these -days a shooter may be said not to exist. Now, in 1897, a wonderful -feature of our great fast bowlers--pre-eminently Richardson--is not -that they bowl straighter than Freeman or Jackson, but that they -never bowl a ball on the legs or outside the legs. The result is that -orthodox leg hitting, and in particular the smite to long-leg with a -horizontal bat, and much nearer the ground than a square-leg hit, is -never seen. During the entire progress of a match nowadays, between -Notts and Lancashire, or Yorkshire and Notts, the unhappy batsman will -not get a single ball outside his legs to hit. So great is the accuracy -of the bowling, that over after over will go by, and not even a ball -on his legs will soothe his careworn and anxious brain. This accurate -bowling has caused another change in the way of batting. As no ball is -bowled on the leg side at all, so it consequently follows there is no -fieldsman on the on side except a forward short-leg and a deep field. -The batsman therefore waits till the bowler slightly overtosses a -ball--whether pitched outside the off stump or on the wicket he cares -not; he sweeps it round to square leg, where no fieldsman stands, and -he makes four runs by the hit. In other words, he deliberately ‘pulls’ -it. Twenty years ago, on seeing such a hit, the famous Bob Grimston -would have shown his emphatic disapproval in a characteristic manner. -But the match must be won by runs; to attain this object the ball must -be hit where there is no field, and it is useless to waste energy by -hitting the ball to every fieldsman on the off side. - -W. W. Read, Stoddart, and F. S. Jackson are all masters of this stroke, -which revives the drooping attention of the crowd and relieves the -monotony of the scorers. To all fast bowling the cut is a hit largely -in vogue, and the perfection to which some players arrive with regard -to this stroke is a joy to themselves and to the spectators. It is, of -course, as will be explained later on, much easier to cut fast bowling -than slow, and the heroes of the cut whenever fast bowling is on are, -and were, always numerous. - -The champion cutter of old times, by universal testimony, was C. G. -Lyttelton, whose hits in the direction of point are remembered by -spectators to this day. Tom Humphrey, of Surrey, was another great -cutter; and there was a player, not of the first rank, who was famous -for this hit--namely, E. P. Ash, of the Cambridge University Eleven, -1865 and 1866. - -The five champion bats of this era--1855 to 1868--were, in the opinion -of the writer, Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, Daft, and R. A. H. Mitchell. -The scoring of Hayward and Carpenter between 1860 and 1864 was very -large; both excelled on rough wickets, and it is on these wickets that -genius exhibits itself. - -In all times of cricket, until the appearance of W. G. Grace, there -has been a large predominance of skill amongst the professionals -as compared with the amateurs. We are talking now of batting; in -bowling the difference has been still more to the advantage of the -professionals. The Gentlemen won a match now and then, but their -inferiority was very great. W. G. Grace altered all this; and from 1868 -to 1880 the Gentlemen had a run of success which will probably never -be seen again. It was entirely owing to him, though the Players were -astonishingly weak in batting from 1870 to 1876; but nothing could -stop the crack, and his scoring in the two annual contests was simply -miraculous. - -We will now attempt to lay before our readers a more detailed -exposition of the principles which ought to govern sound batting, and -a careful observance of which is found in the method of every sound -player. The first consideration is the choice of a bat, and as to this -each individual must determine for himself what is the most suitable. -It is probable that a strong man will prefer a heavier bat than a -batsman of less muscular calibre. In any case the style of play is an -important consideration, but the secret of all batting, and especially -hitting, is correct timing; this is a quality which cannot be taught, -but this is what makes a weak man hit harder than a strong man--the one -knows exactly the fraction of a second when all that is muscular, all -that he has got in wrist and shoulders, must be applied, the other does -not. - -At the beginning of this century, when the bowling was fast -under-hand, the bat used was of a style suitable for meeting such -balls--namely, a heavy blade with great weight at the bottom; for, -as already mentioned, the bowling being straight and frequently on -the ground, driving was the common stroke, and for this a heavy blade -is best adapted. So now, if a player finds that he does not possess -a wrist style of play, but a forward driving game, he will probably -choose a heavier bat than the wrist-player; for a forward drive is more -of a body stroke--that is, the whole muscular strength of the shoulders -and back is brought into use, and the ball, being fully met, gives -more resistance to the bat than a ball which is cut. This, perhaps, -needs a little explanation. Just consider for a moment, and realise -the fact that a tolerably fast ball, well up and quite straight, has -been delivered. Such a ball is just the ball that ought to be driven. -The batsman lunges forward and meets it with very nearly the centre of -his bat, just after the ball has landed on the ground, at the time, -therefore, when, if there is any spin on it, it is going at its fastest -pace. Obviously, therefore, when the pace and weight of the ball are -taken into consideration, there is great resistance given to the lunge -forward of the bat. The heavier the blade of the bat the better is -it able to withstand and resist the contrary motion of the ball. As -a rule, players are not equally good both at the forward driving and -the wrist-playing games. Some few excel in both, but usually batsmen -have preferences. Now let us examine the cut--of course we are now -discussing a ball on the off side of the wicket. A wrist-player will -cut a ball that the exponent of the driving style would drive, and -therefore meet with the full, or nearly full, bat. The cutter does -not meet the ball, for the ball has gone past him before he hits it. -Take a common long-hop on the off side. The driver meets it with a -more or less horizontal bat, and hits it forward between cover-point -and mid-off, or cover-point and point, thereby resisting the ball and -sending it almost in an opposite direction to its natural course. He -hits the ball some time before it arrives on a level with his body, -while the cutter, on the other hand, does not hit the ball so soon; -in fact, he hits it when it is about a foot in front of the line of -the wicket, sometimes almost on a level with the wicket. He then, with -his wrist, hits it in the direction of third man. He does not meet the -ball at all, but he takes advantage of the natural pace of the ball -and, as it were, steers it from the normal course towards long-stop, -in the direction of third man. The whole essence of the distinction -lies in this fact, that in driving the ball is met directly by the -bat; in cutting this is not so; but the ball is, as it were, helped -on, only in a different direction. The faster the bowling, the harder, -therefore, will be the cut. The reader will at once see from this that -the wrist-player will probably prefer a lighter bat than the driving -batsman, and a bat that comes up well, as it is called, or is more -evenly balanced. - -We will now suppose a batsman properly equipped in pads and, at any -rate, one glove on the right hand, and with a bat to his taste; our -next inquiry must be as to his position at the wicket. He must remember -that, after having chosen one position--the most natural and convenient -to him--he ought to adopt that position invariably; not alter it from -day to day. You never see any material alteration in the position of -any great player, and if anyone takes the very necessary trouble to -find out the easiest position, he will be a foolish man who varies -it, as any change must be for the worse. There is an old engraving, -often seen, of a match between Surrey and Kent about the year 1840. -Old William Lillywhite is about to bowl, and Fuller Pilch is about to -play. The attitude and position of Pilch were taken by the author of -‘The Cricket Field’ as a model; and there is no objection to be raised -to the position: it is a fair assumption that it was the natural and -most convenient position for Fuller Pilch himself. The author, however, -goes on to say that this is substantially the attitude of every good -batsman. To this we can only rejoin, that out of the thousands of -batsmen who have played cricket, it would be difficult to find two who -stand exactly alike. To begin with, some stand with their feet close -together, others have them apart; some indeed so far apart that it -almost seems as if they were trying to solve the problem of how much -length of ground can be covered between the two feet. Some stand with -the right foot just on the leg side of a straight line drawn between -the leg-stump of the batsman’s wicket and the off stump of the opposite -wicket; others stand with the right foot twelve inches or thereabouts -from the leg-stump in the direction of short-leg. Players who adopt -this position run a risk of being bowled off their legs, one would -think; but they ought to know best; we should not, however, advise -a beginner to adopt this attitude. W. G. Grace faces the ball, and -there is no intervening space between his hands whilst holding the bat -and his legs. If you look at the position of Pilch, you will see a -considerable interval of distance from the back of his left hand and -the right leg. There were three notable batsmen--namely, A. N. Hornby, -W. Yardley, and F. E. R. Fryer--who used to throw their left leg right -across the wicket so as almost to hide it from the view of the bowler. - -[Illustration: FIG. 2.--W. G. Grace ready to receive the ball.] - -Mr. A. J. Webbe stoops very much in his position, while some players -stand almost at full height; notably is this the case with W. G. Grace. -There are, as far as we know, only three rules which must be observed -in taking up a position. The first is (1) stand so that no part of the -right foot is in front of the wicket or outside the crease; (2) stand -in the attitude most natural and convenient to yourself; (3) do not -place the toes of the right foot materially nearer the wicket than the -heel. The first rule is essential, for the good player never ought to -move his right foot to fast bowling. If, therefore, any part is in -front of the wicket, he runs a risk of being leg before wicket when the -ball beats the bat; if his foot is outside the crease he is in danger -of being stumped; and if the toes of the right foot are materially -nearer the wicket than the heel, he will find himself in a very awkward -position, unable to get over the ball. Subject to these rules, the -batsman takes any position he pleases. The bat should be held firmly -with the right hand and loosely or comparatively loosely with the left; -neither hand should be tightly clenched. The late Mr. Wm. Ward spoke -the truth when he told a sculptor who had made a statue of a batsman -at guard that he was no cricketer--the wrists were too rigid and hands -too much clenched. It seems that most players lift their bat from the -block-hole while the bowler is running prior to delivering the ball, -and fig. 2 shows W. G. Grace standing just before the ball leaves the -bowler’s hand. His whole position is changed from what it was a few -seconds before. His first position before the bowler has begun his run, -is given in the sketch at the head of the chapter. The figure here -shows him to be standing almost at his full height, his bat suspended -in the air, and his weight if anything thrown rather on his right foot. -Most players, however, take up a position and stick to it, except that -they raise the bat slightly just before the ball leaves the bowler’s -hand. Nature is the best guide. Let every player therefore find out the -easiest attitude and always adopt it. - -We will now consider the manner in which the bat should be held by -the hands. This varies in a few trifling particulars with different -players: but in very rare instances is there any substantial -difference. The muscles ought not to be in a state of rigidity, and -whilst the batsman is standing in position waiting for the ball the -bat should be held firmly, but not by any means tightly. The batsman -cannot depend on any particular ball coming to him; consequently, while -the ball is in the air, his mind has to be made up; he has then to set -himself for a stroke determined absolutely by the pace, length, and -direction of the ball, and there are only a few seconds for him both to -make up his mind and make the stroke. There is, no doubt, a scientific, -anatomical reason why quickness of hand and muscles is incompatible -with rigidity of muscle, but quite practicable when the muscles and -sinews are in a natural and easy state of elasticity; but any man will -find this out for himself if he begins to play. Hold the bat, then, -loosely with the left hand, nearly at the top of the handle, with the -back of the hand turned full towards the bowler, the fingers folded -round the handle, and the thumb lying easily between the first and -second fingers. The right hand is fixed exactly contrary to the left as -far as the back and fingers are concerned, for the back is turned away -from the bowler and the fingers are turned towards him. The thumb lies -across and rests on the top of the first finger, touching the finger -about a quarter of an inch from the top on the inside. When any sort of -hit or block is made the bat at that instant is held tightly, and both -thumbs are slightly shifted so as to lie on and clutch, not the fingers -that hold the handle, but the handle itself. Whether the hands are -high up on the handle or low down near the blade depends very much on -the style of the player. There is no rule on the subject, but we think -the old motto, ‘In medio tutissimus ibis,’ is good to observe, and -the middle of the handle is, on the whole, the safest. Some players, -however--notably Mr. Frank Penn, in his day a tremendous off-hitter -and altogether a grand bat--hold the bat with the knuckle of the first -finger of the right hand almost touching the top of the blade; and big -hitters, rather of the slogging order, as a rule hold the bat higher -up, with the left hand almost on the top; in fact, they adopt what may -be called the ‘long-handled style.’ In holding the bat, however, follow -the precept given before--namely, ascertain the most natural method, -and cling to it for your cricketing life. - -The actual position at the wicket is the same for both slow bowling and -fast, with perhaps this trifling difference, that the batsman ought -not to stand so firmly on the right foot to slow as he would to fast. -The reason of this will be explained hereafter, when we consider the -right method of playing slow bowling. At present we will confine our -attention to playing fast bowling, and let us assume that the batsman -has taken his natural position with his right toe clear of the wicket -and that a fast right-handed bowler is bowling with hand raised above -the shoulder and over the wicket. This is the method of bowling most -in vogue in these days; in fact, the strict round-arm bowling round -the wicket, with a curl from leg, is for some inscrutable reason now -comparatively rare. Why this is so nobody can tell, and we believe that -some of the present gigantic scoring is partly owing to the absence of -this sort of bowling. - -However, the popular method will be the first we shall try and -instruct the batsman to meet successfully, and we will suppose that -the wicket is fast and true. We will begin with laying down one or two -rules that must rigorously be observed by every player if he wishes -to become a first-rate cricketer. (1) _Never move the right foot when -playing fast bowling except to cut, or when you want to pull a very -short ball._ Nobody will ever become a first-rate player if he does -not strictly observe this rule. The spot of ground on which the right -foot rests is the vantage-point from which every batsman has to judge -of the direction of the ball, and if he shifts away from this, all -sorts of faults will crop up, chief of which will be an inability to -play with a straight or perpendicular bat. He will also, if he moves -his right foot towards short-leg--which is the commonest form this -vice takes--find that he will drive balls with a crooked bat to the -off, when from a proper position he would have hit them on the on -side. He will also find himself further removed from the off side, -and quite unable, therefore, to play with a straight bat on the off -stump. These are a few of the faults that come from not keeping the -right foot still. All coaches know that this habit of moving the right -leg is the fault most commonly found in young players, and it is most -difficult to remove. This arises from the fact that the ball is a -hard substance; the beginner naturally dislikes being hit anywhere on -the body, and his first and most powerful instinct is therefore to -run away. But many instincts are base in their nature, and the young -cricketer must realise in this, as in other cases, that the old Adam -must be put away and the new man put on. He will find, as he improves, -that in these days of true wickets he will not often get hit; the bat -will, as a rule, protect him, and if he is hit anywhere on or below -the knee the pads will perform a similar function. If he does get -hit, well, he must grin and bear it, and try to emulate the heroism -of some giants of old in ante-pad-and-glove days, of one of whom, the -famous Tom Walker, we read that he used to rub his bleeding fingers in -the dust, after the Mold of those days had performed a tattoo on his -fingers. (2) Never pull a straight fast ball to leg unless it is very -short and you are well in. If you miss it, you are either bowled out or -else you run a great chance of being given out leg before wicket. The -dead true wickets of these days have no doubt made many more batsmen -proficient at this stroke, but still it is sound to remember that you -must have got thoroughly used to the pace of the ground before you -try this stroke. Ranjitsinhji’s skill at this stroke is marvellous, -but few have such supple wrists. (3) Never slog wildly at a ball -well outside the off stump, but of a good length. This hit also may -occasionally come off, but there is no trap more frequently laid by -modern bowlers. Attewell, for example, bowls it so frequently that ‘the -Attewell trap’ is becoming a stock phrase, and a little consideration -will show how dangerous a stroke it is. A good length ball is one that -it is impossible to smother at the pitch, and if it is outside the -off stump it has to be played with a more or less horizontal bat, if -the slog is attempted. What must be the consequence? The ball is not -smothered, consequently any break, hang, or rise that the bowler or -the ground may impart to the ball must almost inevitably produce a bad -stroke, frequently terminating in a catch somewhere on the off side. -The proper way to play such a ball will be discussed later on, but -under no circumstances must the ball be hit at wildly at the pitch. (4) -Keep the left shoulder and elbow well forward when playing the ball. It -is more important in back play than forward, because in forward play -the ball is, or ought to be, smothered at the pitch, and the value of -the left shoulder being forward is that you are much more master of -the ball if it should happen to bump or hang; besides which, the bat -cannot easily be held straight unless this rule is observed, neither -can the full face of the bat be presented to the ball. In the case of -the shooter, or ball which keeps low after the pitch, the movement of -the left shoulder towards the left or leg side will inevitably make it -more difficult to ground or lower the bottom of the bat. - -The art of defence--which is the style of play adapted to stop the -ball, as distinguished from the offensive method, where the object -is to hit the ball so as to obtain runs--may be roughly divided into -forward play and back play. The object of all forward play is to -smother the ball at its pitch; that is to say, the contact of the bat -with the ball must be almost simultaneous with the contact of the ball -with the ground. The player must reach out with a straight bat as near -to the pitch of the ball as is possible. It stands to reason that a -tall man will reach out much further than a short man, and a bowler, if -he is wise, will bowl shorter-pitched balls to a tall man than he will -to a short. Let anybody take a bat and reach forward as far as he can, -keeping the bat, when it touches the ground at the end of the stroke, -slanting so that the top of the handle is nearer to the bowler than -the bottom of the blade. There comes a distance when this slant cannot -be maintained, and the bat has either to be held in a perpendicular -position or with the handle sloping behind the blade and pointing -towards the wicket-keeper. Here, then, we come to an invariable rule, -viz. never play forward to a ball so that you are unable to keep the -bat at the proper slant, with the handle of the bat further forward -than the blade. Also, let every player remember that the left foot -must be placed as far forward as the bottom of the bat, and all play, -whether forward or back, is really between the two feet, or, more -strictly speaking, in forward play the bat must not be put further -forward than the left foot, and in back play not further back than the -level of the right foot. - -Some old players may very likely not agree with this precept, and -players of the date of Fuller Pilch constantly had their bat a great -deal further out than the left foot, which used not to be thrown out -so far. Mr. C. F. Buller, again, in his day a magnificent bat, used to -play forward in the same style. But let anyone take a bat and throw out -his left foot to the fullest extent; he will find that the bat ought -not to go any further if the proper slant be maintained, and he will -find also that he has greater command over the ball in this position -than in Fuller Pilch’s. Look at the position in fig. 3, and you will -see that the bat has come down strictly on a level with the left foot. -That a greater command is obtained by this method cannot be proved -in writing, but anyone who tries the old and the new style will find -that the new is preferable as far as command of the ball is concerned. -We are not implying that the great players of the old style were bad -players because they played in the contrary way, for great players -rise above rules and play by the force of their greatness; but we are -chiefly concerned with the ordinary mortal, and our advice is, throw -the left leg right out and play to the level of the left foot. Some -good players maintain that, as the shooter comes so seldom nowadays, -it is wasting power to ground the bat when playing forward, it being -sufficient if it is placed according to circumstances, varying with the -state of the ground. This is no doubt true when the wickets are hard, -but if the miraculous should happen and a shooter come, the batsman is -out, and on soft wickets they still come. Fig. 3 illustrates grounding -the bat in forward play, and fig. 14, at the end of this chapter, -illustrates playing forward without grounding. - -[Illustration: FIG. 3.--Forward play.] - -The ball which is too short for the player to play forward to with his -bat at the proper slant must be played back and not forward. To be a -good judge of a ball’s length is a source of strength in any player, -and a strictly accurate player seldom makes the mistake of playing -forward when he ought to play back, and _vice versâ_. In cricket, -however, poor human nature is apt to err oftener perhaps than in most -walks of life, and the question may now be asked, What is the batsmen -to do when he finds himself playing forward, but unable to smother the -ball at the pitch? He has made a mistake; how is he to get out of the -difficulty? Let it be remembered that we are at present only concerned -with a fast and true wicket, the play on a slow tricky wicket being so -different that it will be noticed separately. - -Let us assume, then, that the batsman is forward in the position here -shown, but that he finds he cannot reach far enough to smother the ball -at the pitch. On a fast wicket there is no time to rectify the error -by getting back and playing the ball in the orthodox manner; and yet -the batsman must do something or he will be bowled out. There are three -courses open to him. (1) He must trust to Providence and a good eye, -and take a slog, or adopt what a humorous cricketer once called ‘the -closed-eye blow,’ in which case, if hit at all, the ball will probably -be hit into the air, but perhaps out of harm’s way, or, as is quite as -likely, into a fielder’s hands. The famous E. M. Grace, who is blessed -with as good an eye as any cricketer, frequently plays this stroke with -success. (2) He may adopt what lawyers would call the cy-près doctrine; -in other words, though he ought to play forward and smother a ball, -he may at the same time play forward and not smother the ball, which -may hit the bat nevertheless. The dangers of this play are obvious -to every cricketer, for it leaves him at the mercy of the ball that -bumps, hangs, or turns. Modern grounds are so good that this stroke -is far safer than it used to be; for in the majority of instances the -ball comes straight on, and only the experienced observer sees that -the batsman comes off with flying colours owing to the excellence of -the ground rather than to his skill. (3) He may, after he has got -forward and perceived his error, effect a compromise and perform what -is sometimes called a ‘half-cock stroke.’ This stroke does not require -a violent shuffling about of the legs and feet, which are placed as -they would be while playing forward, but, instead of the arms and -hands reaching forward, they are brought back so as to hold the bat -quite straight over, or a little in front of, the popping crease. This -position and style of play may be observed in fig. 4, and it is worth -a careful examination; for, in our opinion, it is the proper way for a -man to extricate himself out of the difficulty he has been led into by -misjudging the length of the ball. Nobody can play a ball in this way -more skilfully than W. G. Grace, and the figure shows him in the act -of thus playing to a ball which is on the blind spot--that is, either -adapted for forward or back play, and therefore eminently qualified for -over the crease play, a compromise between the two. The merit of this -style of play is that it gives the batsman time to watch the ball, and -if it should bump or turn he may alter his tactics to meet it, whereas -by the second method his play is fixed and cannot be altered, and the -awkward hanging, bumping, or twisting ball beats him. Practise by all -means this half-cock stroke; on fast grounds it may be found more -useful than even the orthodox back play; for in back play, unless the -ball is very short, the pace of the ground may beat a man, especially -when he first goes in and has not got accustomed to the pace. The -golden rules to guide the beginner in playing forward may be very -briefly stated. (1) Play forward when the ball is fairly well pitched -up, but remember that the faster the bowling and the faster the wicket -the more frequently will forward play be the safer style of play. -(2) Keep the bat quite straight and the left shoulder and elbow well -forward. (3) Get as near to the pitch of the ball as possible. (4) Do -not put the bat further forward than the level of the left foot, which -ought to be thrown right forward. - -[Illustration: FIG. 4.--‘Half-cock’ or over the crease play.] - -It is often a doubtful question whether a straight drive forward is -what is technically a drive or hit, or mere forward play. Of course, -when the batsman is well set he may hit as hard as he can to a straight -half-volley; but there are many players whose forward play is so -powerful that it practically amounts to a drive. Stoddart’s forward -play frequently makes mid-off tremble, and the same used to be said of -Ford and several other players. - -But to the beginner again: until you are well set, do not let all your -strength go out to any straight ball; if you do, you will lose more -than you gain. On Lord’s, for instance, a hit over the ropes can only -realise four, the same as a hit under the ropes; you will very likely, -therefore, score as many for a straight hard bit of forward play as you -will for a regular swipe. - -When the art of back play to fast bowling is discussed, the converse -of what has been said about forward play is true, viz. that as the -faster the ground the more balls ought to be played forward, so -under the same circumstances will fewer balls be played back. As a -general rule, it may be observed that strong-wristed players play more -back than batsmen who play chiefly with their arms and shoulders. A -weak-wristed player playing back on a very fast wicket will frequently -be late, and either miss the ball altogether or else half-stop it, -in which latter case it may dribble into the wicket. The value of a -strong wrist is that the batsman can dab down on a ball and do the feat -in a far shorter space of time than a shoulder-and-arm player. The -difference between a strong wrist and a weak wrist in playing back is -a little similar to what is observed in an altogether different line. -Look at a great underbred cart-horse with a leg like a weaver’s beam, -and then look at the real thoroughbred with its slim proportions; at -first sight it appears that a kick from the cart-horse will inflict -much greater damage than a kick from the thoroughbred. People who -are learned in horses, however, inform us that the contrary is the -case, and the greater weight of the leg of the cart-horse is more -than counterbalanced by the far more rapid and sudden movement of the -thoroughbred. The bat wielded by a player with a strong wrist goes -through the air like lightning, and comes down on the ball far quicker -and harder than a ponderous stroke from the arms and shoulders of the -batsman with no wrist action. Perhaps the champion back-player of the -century was Robert Carpenter, of Cambridgeshire and United All England -renown, whose back play on Lord’s to the terrific fast bowling of -Jackson and Tarrant will never be forgotten by those who beheld it. - -[Illustration: FIG. 5.--‘Back play’ to a bumping ball.] - -A back style of play does not smother the ball at the pitch, but -plays at the ball when its course after contact with the ground is -finally determined, and a careful watching of the ball is therefore of -the highest importance. It is bad ever to assume that, because a ball -has pitched on a line with the off stump, therefore you are safe if you -protect the off stump only, on the assumption that the ball is going on -straight. The ball may break back, and in order to ascertain that it -has done so, and to shift your bat to guard the middle and leg stumps, -you must carefully watch the ball. Apart from breaking or curling, the -ball may shoot or bump; in either case the batsman has only his eye to -guide him, and the wrist has to obey the eye. Fig. 5 represents ‘back -play’ to a bumping ball. Sometimes a ball may be so short that if the -batsman has got his eye well in, and is thoroughly accustomed to the -pace of the ground, he may by a turn of the wrist, keeping the left -shoulder and elbow well forward, steer the ball through the slips. The -beginner, however, must be careful to attempt nothing but the orthodox -forms of play; he is not W. G. Grace or Shrewsbury and such-like, who, -in their turn, do not attempt exceptional feats until they are well -set. The ball ought to be met with the full face of the bat, and under -no circumstances ought the ball to be allowed to hit the bat, which -must be the propeller, not the propelled. Mind to respect and carefully -follow out the two great commandments--never to move the right foot, -and to keep the left shoulder forward and left elbow up. The number of -hours that a youngster has to be bowled at before that fatal right foot -can be relied upon to keep still is prodigious; but the bat cannot be -straight if the body is gravitating towards the direction of short leg -while the ball is in the air. To a very short ball different methods -of play may be adopted. The one alluded to above, the steering of the -ball through the slips, is not often attempted, and a safer method -would be to try and come heavily down on the ball and force it past -the fields for two or three runs. This is a safe stroke, much safer to -adopt than the other. The bat must be straight, and it is wise not to -let your whole strength go out, for one or two contingencies may arise -for which the player ought to be prepared. In the first place, the ball -may shoot, and the crisis must be met accordingly. Now, if the whole of -the strength and all the faculties of a batsman are bent towards the -carrying out of one particular stroke, there will be no reserve left to -provide for any other contingency, for the muscles will be wholly set -for one stroke, and one stroke only, and the player will infallibly be -late if the ball should keep a little low. Of course, on a great many -grounds in these days the chances of such contingencies are reduced -almost to a minimum on account of the excellence of modern wickets; but -still we have to inform the reader what _may_ happen, not only what -happens commonly. Some few players rise superior to grounds, and though -of course they can get many more runs on easy wickets, still they show -good cricket when the wicket is in favour of the bowler. - -The prevalence of easy wickets is not, in our opinion, an unmixed -blessing. You may go and watch a match when the ground is as hard as -iron and as true as truth, and see a magnificent innings played by some -batsman. The same player on a bowler’s wicket is not less uncomfortable -than the proverbial fish out of water. A man may be a lion on a lawn, -but a mere pigmy when the ground is not a lawn. There are a great -many of these lions on lawns in these days, and to hear them all with -one consent begin to make excuse when they have been bowled out on a -crumbling wicket is very amusing. The ball hung, or it kept low, or -‘broke back a foot, I assure you, dear boy. W. G. in his best days -wouldn’t have been near it.’ In his best days, and almost in his worst, -Mr. Grace would have often played it, and so would Steel, Shrewsbury, -and one or two others--planets among the stars, to watch whom getting -thirty runs out of a total of eighty on a difficult wicket is far more -enjoyable to a skilled spectator than to see the hundreds got on ABC -wickets. The chances that on a hard smooth wicket the very short ball -will do anything abnormal is, nowadays, reduced to a minimum. But still -it may happen, and it is therefore wise to have in reserve a little -strength and a little elasticity. You can play very hard, nevertheless, -and for this hard forcing stroke off a short straight ball W. Yardley, -the late B. Pauncefote, H. C. Maul, and F. G. J. Ford have never been -surpassed. - -The ball most to be dreaded for the forcing stroke is the hanging -ball, which stops and does not come on evenly and fast to the bat. The -batsman will fail to time the ball, with the almost certain consequence -that the bat will go on and the ball will be hit from underneath, and -up it will go. The advice that has been given to keep a slight reserve -of strength to provide against such contingencies as the hanging ball -has the same force now. If you have not altogether let the whole force -go out, you will have a better chance of doing the correct thing to a -ball of this description--namely, to drop the bat and allow the ball -to hit it, the exact opposite of your original intention. This is an -exception to the general rule that the bat should hit the ball, and not -the ball the bat. - -In all cases a quick and correct eye will enable its owner to come out -of the difficulty with flying colours, and any rules that may be laid -down will be utterly useless to him who puts his bat just where the -ball is _not_, but where his inaccurate eye thinks it is. If a youth -with the best intentions, but with a false and crooked eye, after -reading and thoroughly comprehending every rule directing how every -ball ought to be played, stands up and tries to play cricket, what -will be the result? He may even have courageously learnt to pin his -right foot firmly to the ground; but, notwithstanding this, the result -of his efforts will be that, though all proper and necessary postures -may be assumed, he will be bowled out, for the bat, except by a lucky -chance, will always be in the wrong place, though held quite straight. -If cricket could be played with no ball, the careful eyeless cricketer -would shine; but the introduction of that disturbing element dashes all -his hopes to the ground. - -There is a ball that in these days more frequently than any other -succeeds in bowling people out, and that is the familiar ‘tice’ or -‘yorker.’ This is nothing else than a ball right up, that pitches in -fact near the block-hole, but is not a full pitch. This ball ought to -be met by the bat just when it touches the ground, and the bat ought -to come down very heavily on the ball. It is a little difficult to -understand why this ball is so frequently fatal, as it comes straight -up and only requires a straight bat and correct timing. Probably most -batsmen hope that the eagerly-looked-for half-volley has at length -come; this induces them to lay themselves out for a smite, and when -they see their mistake it is too late to alter the tactics. Others, on -the contrary, think that a full-pitch is coming, and advance their bat -to meet it; the result is, the ball gets underneath it. In fact, the -length of the ball is not correctly judged, and the batsman is caught -in two minds. A bowler who is in the habit of sending down ‘yorkers’ is -fond of doing so the first ball after a new batsman comes in, and if -a batsman is known to be of a nervous temperament there is no better -ball to give in the first over. It may be here said, however, that it -is next door to impossible to bowl a ‘yorker’ to some batsmen. W. G. -Grace, for instance, seems always to be able to make a full-pitch of -this ball, and a fourer often results. It is obvious that if a ball -pitches near or on a level with the block-hole when the batsman is -standing still, it ought to be easy to make it a full-pitch by stepping -out to meet it. Mr. Grace does this even to fast bowling. - -Having endeavoured to the best of our ability to enunciate a few -principles as to defensive tactics, we will now try and discuss -offensive tactics, or hitting. A curious feature of the present day -is that new hits have come into existence. These have not sprung up -because they were not occasionally brought off in earlier days, but -formerly when they were the batsman used to apologise to the bowler -for having wounded his feelings, and a sort of groan used to be heard -all round, as if there had been some gross violation of a cricket -commandment. The grounds have improved to such an extent that bowlers -have had to resort to new tactics to effect the grand object of all -bowlers--namely, to get wickets. - -A fast bowler has one system of tactics, a medium and slow bowler -another. On hard level wickets a fast bowler in these days is very apt -to bowl short on the off stump and try and make the ball bump, and to -cram a lot of fields in the slips, while the wicket-keeper stands back. -The sort of ball that bowls a man out is frequently a ‘yorker.’ This -is not the perfection of bowling, it is a bad style that the modern -perfect wicket has caused to come in. A bowler who keeps a splendid -length with really scientific methods, like Hearne, has his reward in -uncertain weather and on catchy wickets, but the baked smooth wickets -of modern-day cricket produce such bowlers as Jessop and Jones the -Australian, who mainly bowl for catches in the slips--and who can blame -them? Slow bowlers have to sacrifice accuracy and length to get twist -or break like Trott, the Australian captain, and Hartley the Oxonian, -and Wainwright; this is also because the perfect wickets will not allow -the combination of length and break. So the bowlers have to cultivate -an abnormal break, which cannot be done without the sacrifice of length. - -[Illustration: FIG. 6.--Gunn cutting.] - -Of all hits, the most fascinating to the intelligent spectator is the -cut. This requires a very strong use of the wrist, and, like all wrist -strokes, charms the spectator by accomplishing great results at the -expense of apparently little effort. Cricket reporters of the present -day are very apt to call any hit that goes in any direction between -cover-point and long-slip a cut, and thereby make the term include both -snicks and off drives. This is a mistake, as nearly every cricketer -can sometimes make an off drive, and all can snick the ball, even the -worst; indeed, with some it is the only stroke they seem to possess, -but there are many who have hardly ever made a genuine cut in their -lives. The real genuine cut goes to the left side of point--assuming -that point stands on a line with the wicket--it is made with the right -leg thrown over, and its severity depends largely on the perfectly -correct timing of the ball. The ball is hit when it has reached a -point almost on a line with the wicket, and the length of the ball is -rather short; if far up, it is a ball to drive and not to cut. The bat -should hit the ball slightly on the top, and the most correct cutting -makes the ball bound before it gets more than six yards from the -player. Figs. 6 and 7 show Gunn and Shrewsbury in the position proper -for cutting. It is a mistake to suppose that the right leg should be -thrown over a long way; it is sufficient if the foot be put in front -of the off stump. When the player is well in and has thoroughly got -the pace of the ground, he very often makes what may be called a clean -cut; that is to say, he hits with a bat quite horizontal to the ball, -and not over it. This produces a harder hit, as the force is wholly -directed towards sending the ball in the proper direction, and not hard -on the ground. It is not so safe, because, if the ball should bump, the -bat, not being over the ball, may hit its lower side and send it up. -Therefore be careful to hit over, and sacrifice some of the severity, -if you wish to play a safe game. - -[Illustration: FIG. 7.--Shrewsbury cutting.] - -Some careful players would hit over the ball even after they have -scored one hundred runs, and we have never seen Shrewsbury, for -instance, cut in any other way. In the figure the ball must be -presumed to lie rather low, for it is certain that he is following his -invariable custom of getting over the ball. In any case we should never -recommend the clean cut to any but the best players, and that only on a -perfect wicket and when they are well set. If you are in the position -to cut and the ball should bump, it is wise to leave it alone, for the -danger of being caught at third man is very great. We have seen lusty -hitters get right under a bumping off ball and send it high over third -man’s head, but it is a perilous stroke, and is not correct cricket. If -the ball, on the other hand, keeps a bit low after the pitch, it is a -most effective stroke to come heavily down on it; if the force is put -on the ball at the right moment it will go very hard, and may be called -a ‘chop.’ Messrs. K. J. Key and O’Brien, who are strong players from -every point of view, excel at this stroke, and they hit the ground at -the same time as the ball with a great power of wrist. It is useless -for anybody to hope to cut well unless he has both a strong wrist and -the power of timing. - -The question now arises, What is the player with a weak wrist to do -with a ball that a strong-wristed man cuts? Some would say that if -he cannot cut in the orthodox vigorous way he ought at any rate to -go as near to it as he can, and if he cannot make a clean cut for -four, at least he should content himself with two. We think, however, -there is for such players a more excellent way. In the cut we have -been describing the right foot is shifted across: suppose the player -now moves his left foot, not across, but simply straight forward to a -ball that is in every way suitable to cut; let him then wait till the -ball has gone just past his body, and then hit it with the full force -of his arms and shoulders and with as much wrist as he has got. The -ball will naturally go in the same direction as the orthodox cut, and -quite as hard. The player must stand upright, and must especially be -careful not to hit the ball before it has passed his body. If he does -this off a fast long hop, he will bring off a vulgar sort of stroke, -which cannot go so hard as the ball hit later, because there is greater -resistance to the bat; in the correct way the bat hits the ball partly -behind it and, as it were, helps it on in its natural course, whereas -at the incorrect moment the ball has to be thumped in order to send it -in an exactly opposite direction from that in which it is going before -meeting the bat. - -In our judgment coaches ought to teach all beginners this stroke -whenever they find weakness of wrist. The body is put in such a way as -to compensate for a weak wrist, and if anyone takes up this position -with a bat in his hand he will find that the stroke partakes of the -qualities of a drive more than of a cut. Young players are generally -rather impatient, and very apt to hit the ball before it reaches the -level of the body, and this fault must be removed. - -[Illustration: FIG. 8.--Old-fashioned sweep to leg. (Gunn.)] - -Let us now discuss the leg hit--most glorious of hits--where every -muscle of the body may safely be exerted; for if you miss it the ball -is not straight, so you cannot be bowled, and the harder the hit the -less chance is there of being caught, at any rate in first-class -matches in these days of boundaries. Bowling having become more -accurate, there is not half so much leg hitting now as there used to -be, and in the present day you hardly ever hear of a batsman known for -his hitting as George Parr was formerly, as also Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, -and several others. - -There are plenty of men who can hit to leg, but in these days they -do not often get a chance, and it is a rare event nowadays to see any -fieldsman standing at the old-fashioned position of long-leg. There is -generally a field stationed against the ropes to save four byes when -a fast bowler is on, who can also stop leg snicks from going to the -ropes; but, to carry the illustration farther, as in leg hitting there -is no George Parr, so in fielding at long leg there is no Jack Smith -of Cambridge. It is rapidly dying out. In a match which we ourselves -saw at Sheffield in 1887, between Notts and Yorkshire, for a whole day -and a half there was not one genuine leg smack except off lobs, and at -no time was a field placed there. This is hard for the batsman, but it -is even harder for the spectators, who love to see a grand square-leg -hit. George Parr’s leg hit, for which he was unrivalled, was the sweep -to long-leg off a shortish ball that many modern players would lie -back to and play off their legs. George Parr would extend his left leg -straight forward, and sweeping round with a horizontal bat, send the -ball very hard, and frequently along the ground. This hit has really -totally disappeared in these days. When George Parr played he used to -punish terrifically bowlers like Martingell, of Surrey and Kent, who -relied on a curl from leg and bowled round the wicket--a most effective -style, naturally producing, however, many leg balls. It is all the -other way now, and it may be taken for certain that for every leg ball -you see now in first-class matches you saw ten or twenty in former -days. However, young players in schools are certain to get plenty of -convenient balls to hit, so they must remember to throw out the left -leg and hit as near to the pitch as possible and as hard as they can. -The ball may start in the direction of square-leg, but its natural bias -after it has gone a certain distance will be towards long-leg or behind -the wicket, and the fieldsman must remember this, or he will find the -ball fly away behind him on his right side. Be very careful never to -try this stroke to balls that are on the wicket, or even nearer the -wicket than four inches at least. If it is within that distance it is -a ball to drive, and not to hit to leg. Fig. 8 shows Gunn carrying -out this stroke, and the batsman may put his left leg in front of the -wicket if he is certain the ball did not pitch straight. This hit -ought only to be attempted when the ball is short of a half-volley. If -the ball is a half-volley or at any rate well up, the proper hit is -in front of the wicket or to square-leg, and with a vertical, not a -horizontal bat. In this hit, how far to throw out the left leg depends -on the length of the ball; the batsman may even sometimes have to draw -it back a little and stand upright and face the ball if it is well up. -There is no hit that can be made harder than this to square-leg, and -there have been many records of gigantic square-leg hits. Some hitters -have sent the ball as far by the lofty smack straight over the bowler’s -head, but more batsmen can generally hit farther to square-leg, and -only a short time ago Mr. Key sent a ball right out of the Oval. In -years gone by Lord Cobham and R. A. H. Mitchell were renowned for their -square-leg hitting, as was Carpenter also. There is no very special -rule to be observed for this hit, except that the ball must be on the -legs or just outside them, and not straight, or within four or five -inches of the leg stump. If the ball is tolerably wide on the leg -the bat will be more horizontal as it hits the ball, which will in -consequence go sharper, and _vice versâ_, if the ball is just crooked -enough to hit; it will, when hit, go more straight, and be called by -the cricket reporters an ‘on drive,’ though it is a square-leg hit. -Fig. 9 is supposed to represent W. G. Grace hitting to square-leg, and -the reader must assume that the fieldsman is running to field the ball -going on a line or in front of the wicket, and not behind it. - -[Illustration: FIG. 9.--Square-leg hit. (W. G. Grace.)] - -Some players there are who never seem to hit at any ball, but push -it all along the ground, and for this purpose they get farther over -the ball, and simply use the weight of the body, using the arms and -shoulders but little. - -This is an eminently safe game, but to these players we would only -observe that they deprive themselves of the glorious sensation, -alluded to at the beginning of this chapter, which comes when a ball -is hit with all the force that nature can supply and a fine driving -bat can supplement. Cricket is a game; the primary object of games is -to give pleasure to the players, and it is quite impossible that the -same amount of keen gratification can await the stick who never hits -as is realised by the man who, though he may only be at the wickets -half the time, yet in that time makes at least ten great hits that -will realise forty runs. There is, however, a good length ball on the -legs to which this push can be usefully applied if the batsman is one -of the numerous class of cricketers who cannot make use of the sweep -to leg. This stroke is made by slightly moving out of the ground, or -rather, the whole weight of the body being inclined forward the right -foot is dragged forward also. This may seem to violate a cardinal -rule laid down before--that the right foot should never be moved. It -must be remembered that the reasons why the right foot should not be -moved mainly apply when the foot is moved in front of the wicket or -towards short-leg. It is invariably wrong to go out of your ground -when the fast ball is straight or on the off side, for in both these -instances, if you miss the ball, even if it does not hit the wicket, -you are under the risk of being stumped. But to move out of your ground -to a fast ball on your legs practically lays you open to no danger of -being stumped, for if you should miss the ball you will stop it with -your legs. Now imagine yourself utterly unable to sweep the ball to -leg as George Parr used to do, and receiving a ball that you cannot -reach at the pitch so as to hit with a straight bat--in other words, -rather a short ball--what are you to do? If the ball is very short you -will probably get back, bring your left foot on a line with, and close -to, the right, and try either to make the ball glide off your bat to -long-leg or play it with a full face for a single in front of short-leg. - -Fig. 10 shows W. G. Grace attempting the glide, and apparently he has -hardly moved either leg; presumably, therefore, the ball is not very -short, but only just too short to hit. This is a stroke in which W. G. -Grace excels, as indeed he does in most others; but it is a dangerous -one unless the left elbow is kept well up, for otherwise, if the ball -bumps, you will find your bat sloping backwards and the ball will go up. - -[Illustration: FIG. 10.--‘The glide.’ (W. G. Grace.)] - -We must now think of the proper way to play a ball on the legs that -is not short enough for the batsman to play back to in this way, -though, on the other hand, it cannot be hit to square-leg with a -straight bat. The batsman also, on account of some natural disability, -has always been unable to learn the secret of the George Parr sweep. -This sort of ball must be played forward, and, if necessary, the -batsman may even leave his ground and push it in front of short leg. -As has been said before, if he should miss the ball his legs will save -him from being stumped. The ball must be smothered as far as possible -and pushed on in front of short-leg, and the reason why it is not hit -harder is simply because you cannot quite get at the pitch, and if, -therefore, you hit hard at it, you would probably sky the ball. The -bat must be kept at the proper slope: as the body is lunging forward -a great deal of impetus will be given to the hit by the mere weight -of the body, and the ball will frequently find its way to the ropes. -This play is most useful when opposed to left-handed bowlers, for then -the ball is apt to follow the arm and come straight in the direction -of the batsman’s left hip. The famous trio of Uppingham cricketers, -Messrs. Patterson, Lucas, and D. Q. Steel, were very strong in this -stroke, and in an innings of over a hundred which Mr. Patterson played -at Lord’s in 1876 against Oxford a large proportion of his runs were -made in this way. In ancient days many balls on the leg side used to be -played by a now practically obsolete stroke called the ‘draw,’ which -consisted of an ugly lifting up of the left leg and letting the ball -glide off the bat between the legs towards long-leg. It was as much -part of the _répertoire_ of a player of the old style as a cut or a -drive, but it has utterly gone out of fashion as a stroke to be learnt, -simply because it had no further effect than the glide off the bat as -now practised; the modern style has also the additional advantage of -being more elegant, and there is less chance of the ball hitting the -foot. The famous Jemmy Grundy used frequently to play this stroke, -and his mantle appears to have descended on some younger Nottingham -players, for at the present day they sometimes use it. It used to be -brought off occasionally by the famous Richard Daft, and was in fact -the only stroke of this graceful and most correct player that was not -elegant. As we have now got on the subject of the draw, we may as well -describe the other sort of obsolete draw, which was performed by just -touching the ball with the bat quite straight, but with its left side -turned towards the wicket-keeper, or what soldiers would call left -half-face, held some way behind the body. Tom Hearne used to be great -at this sort of draw, but it is even more entirely gone out of fashion -as a stroke than the other style. The same effect is produced by what -is frequently seen--namely, a batsman only just snicking a ball off the -leg stump, or just touching it, leaving the spectator uncertain whether -the ball has been played or has hit the wicket. Tom Hearne, who was -the last player who used to practise this stroke methodically, was in -the habit of jumping with both feet towards short-leg, and leaving the -bat in the correct position for the draw; and not unfrequently he was -caught at the wicket owing to the ball not being turned sufficiently; -sometimes, though not often, if the bound towards short-leg happened -to be a little too much in front, he used to be stumped. This stroke -necessitated moving the right leg towards short-leg, and it is on this -ground mainly that we contend that it is not sound cricket; but, as has -before been stated, it is now quite obsolete, and to imagine it you -must also imagine yourself in the days of tall hats, pads under the -trousers, and braces holding up a curious type of pantaloon, such as -the late Mr. Burgoyne, treasurer of the M.C.C., used to wear up to the -day of his death. The play shown in fig. 11 is made by drawing back the -left foot, coming hard on to the ball, and forcing it in the direction -of short-leg. In our judgment, this is the right play for all short -balls on the legs, for the ball is near to the body and consequently -to the eye; you have therefore great facility in placing it, and you -have also the bat at a proper angle. It is more correct than the stroke -shown in fig. 10, for there if the ball should bump it will run up the -shoulder of the bat, and possibly get caught by the wicket-keeper, -short-slip, or even point and short-leg, and we have seen several -instances of the ball hitting the bat, not in the front but at the -side of the bat. In the former play the ball has to hit the bat, in -the latter the bat hits the ball, and, according to the fancy of the -batsman, can either be hit in front of short-leg or be suffered to -glide towards very sharp long-leg. The figure, however, does not quite -convey the impression that the ball is being hit hard. The bat may have -descended from over the batsman’s head, especially if the ball is very -short, while the figure only shows the end of the stroke. - -[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Forcing stroke off the legs.] - -The off drive in the direction of cover-point and to the right hand -of point is a favourite hit with many players. Barnes of Nottingham -plays it to perfection. The ball to hit in this way is one well up on -the off side, though it need not be a half-volley. The left foot is -thrown across, the ball is hit with a nearly perpendicular bat, and -the stronger the wrist the cleaner and harder will be the hit. In this -and every other hit correct timing is most important, and whatever the -beginner may try, do not let him attempt to hit wildly at the pitch of -the ball. Let the left foot be put across, and be careful to hit over -the ball in order to keep it down, for if you do not, and the ball -bumps, it will inevitably go up. The ball should be a foot or so wide -of the wicket; the batsman at the moment of striking the ball will be -facing cover-point, and will have his left shoulder well forward, as in -fig. 12. The bat is well over the shoulder, and is coming down nearly -perpendicularly on the ball, which is not a half-volley; if it were, -the bat would be straighter and the ball would be driven straighter. -But the ball is hit after it has gone about a foot from the pitch. If -the ball is a foot or two wide of the wicket and well up it would be -hit in a similar position, for the bat cannot be held straight to hit -a ball at this distance from the wicket; if it should go straight it -would be a pull and not a clean hit, and the further the ball from the -wicket the further ought the left foot to be moved across. Whatever you -do, refrain from hitting a ball when there is reasonable expectation of -the umpire calling ‘Wide.’ You may hit it for two or three runs; you -are more likely only just to touch it with the end of the bat and get -caught by third man or point; you are still more likely to cover it and -not score off it, thereby losing a run for your side. - -[Illustration: CAUGHT AT THE WICKET] - -So completely has the modern method of bowling on the off side for -catches established itself, that cautious players like Donnan and -Abel have got into the habit of leaving off balls altogether alone. -Granted that the bowling is accurate and the fields well placed, county -clubs will very soon find out that, if this course is pursued much -further, cricket will become a very dull game to watch, and a match -will probably seldom lead to a decisive result. It may be done to a -good length ball outside the off stump when you first go in, and have -neither got a good sight of the ball nor the pace of the ground; but -that batsmen should habitually watch the wicket-keeper take the ball -while they stand right in front of the wicket, with their bats behind -them, is carrying caution so far that some people would call it not -a virtue but a vice. We actually saw a cautious player receive four -consecutive off balls and not make an attempt to hit one. What pleasure -can there be in batting if these tactics are adopted? And let such -players please think of the unhappy spectators. The ball can be hit -if you will only get your left foot well across and get well over the -ball, and even if your energies are chiefly directed towards hitting -the ball on the ground, the ball will be hit, and the field may make -a mistake; at any rate you have made an effort, and not given up in -despair. It is like a timid man running away from danger instead of -facing it, as he should, and it is better to try and to fail than not -to try at all. Never mind your average; you cannot win a match by such -tactics, though you may make a draw of it. - -[Illustration: FIG. 12.--Off drive.] - -The off drive by cover-point must be always made by putting the -left leg across, and not the right; and the old principle never to -be departed from, namely, to keep the left shoulder and elbow well -forward, must be again emphasised. When you have once got into position -you are master of the situation: you are right over the ball, and you -may leave it alone if it should bump; or you may wait till the ball -has passed you, and then make the cut with left leg over in the way -described before. You are not in the most favourable attitude for the -cut, because your left leg is too much over, but it can be brought off; -and if only a great deal of practice is given to this off drive there -will be no necessity for leaving balls alone. - -There are several players to whom is denied the ability and capacity -to make these off strokes, who are defective in wrist and careful -timing of the ball, but who are fully capable of taking quite proper -care of a half-volley or balls well up. Such players are under a great -disadvantage when they get balls on the off side that are shorter than -the half-volley, for they certainly cannot take the same advantage of -them. But they have a great many courses open to them, and if they will -get the left leg over, and hit over the ball, they will run no risk of -getting out, and a casual ball will be well timed and hit accordingly. -But they have also the waiting stroke open to them, and this consists -of letting the ball get past them, and simply letting it glide off the -bat in the direction of long-slip. The faster the bowling the more -runs will result from this stroke, as the ball is hit at a longer time -after it has pitched than it is when the batsman meets it by the more -effective method; there is more time to observe its pace and direction; -and if such a player is only careful to get over the ball, he will get -a lot of runs in this way. - -Lastly, there is the hard drive, which partakes largely of forward -play, but yet is a hit to which you can open your shoulders. It is made -with a straight bat either on the off side, on side, or straight over -the bowler’s head. - -To fast bowling the difficulty arises of distinguishing this stroke -from forward play, for so many balls from fast bowlers on hard wickets -are played forward that are not by any means half-volleys and yet go -very hard. In fact, there are occasions when fast grounds and fast -bowling combine to make batting very easy--when, as a well-known -Yorkshire fast bowler said, ‘If you poke at her she goes for four.’ -There is no real necessity for ever having a regular smack at straight -balls from a very fast bowler; it is practically as effective to play -them forward, with the weight of the body thrown on the left foot -and the arms and shoulders kept free and loose. No more beautiful -exponent of this graceful forward play has ever lived than Lionel -Palairet of Somerset. But by all means hit as hard as you possibly -can at a half-volley outside the off stump; the ball will either make -mid-off tremble, or else go straight to the ropes between mid-off and -cover-point. You move the left foot slightly forward a little in front -of the wicket, and you hit at the ball with a straight bat and get -well over it to keep it along the ground. Hold your bat tight, for if -it should turn in your hands there will be a miss-hit and you will be -caught at cover-point or elsewhere. You can hit your hardest at the -half-volley just off the wicket, for the simple reason that if you do -miss the ball you cannot be bowled, and there is no more chance of -missing if you put out your whole strength to it than if you simply -drive it forward with a straight bat. So keep a little reserve of -strength in all straight balls, but to a crooked half-volley put your -whole force into the blow and hit as though you wished to do the ball -an injury. - -About the half-volley on the on side very little need be said. We have -observed before that the ball just outside the leg stump, to within two -or three inches of it, is a ball to drive and not hit to leg. It should -be hit towards mid-on or between the bowler and mid-on; and to apply -what has been said before, hit it as hard as you can, as if you do miss -it you will not be bowled. Keep the right leg still and lunge forward -on to your left foot, which should be a little thrown forward, and hold -the bat tight. - -We have now sufficiently discussed the principles that ought to guide -the young player in playing fast bowling on a good fast wicket, and -if he observes what has been said he will find that he plays a good -safe game, assuming that his eye is straight and that he is able to -put his bat in the place where his eye shows him it ought to go. The -play to fast bowling on slow tricky wickets brings out the batsman’s -real talent, and he will discover that what was easy on a hard wicket -is full of difficulty on a soft. There are no decisive rules to guide -the player on such wickets; he must trust to his eye and capacity for -watching the ball. The player that can watch the ball carefully is the -man who will succeed on slow difficult wickets; and anybody who has -seen Grace, Shrewsbury, and A. G. Steel bat under these circumstances -will understand what this watching the ball means. If the ground is -very fast there is hardly any time for a careful watching of the ball; -the player must play largely by instinct, which will tell him where -the ball is going, and as the wickets nowadays are so very true the -ball will nearly always take a natural course, that is, straight from -the pitch. The left-handed bowler round the wicket will come with -the bowler’s arm slightly from off to leg, the right-handed bowler -also round the wicket from leg to off, but these are both the natural -courses the ball ought to take. On slow wickets, however, the ball will -come slower; it will take all sorts of fantastical turns and twists, -it will get up straight, and sometimes hang or stop a little. It will -generally be found that very fast bowlers do not shine on slow soft -wickets, for they have great difficulty in getting a good foothold. -It is the medium and slow bowlers who revel on such ground, as Briggs -and Giffen can tell you. The batsman will find that he is bound to -play more back and less forward, for it is little good to play forward -unless the ball can be smothered, owing to the extraordinary pranks the -ball will indulge in after it has pitched. He will therefore be found -playing more on his right leg, and the runs will inevitably come much -slower. It has been ascertained by experience that hitters are of more -value on these difficult wickets than sticks; for the latter, though -they may stay in for an hour, will perhaps not get a dozen runs during -that period. The hitter, however, if he brings off four hits, does more -execution in a quarter of an hour than the stick will do in thrice that -time. - -The value of three or four hitters in an eleven was never more -distinctly shown than in the case of the Australian Elevens of 1882 -and 1884, and the Gloucestershire and Cambridge Elevens of 1897. In -the Gloucestershire and Cambridge Elevens of 1897 Jessop’s hitting -has on several occasions turned a match in a quarter of an hour, and -this player certainly has the greatest gift we ever saw of hitting -balls of any and all lengths. The Australian 1882 eleven had four -big hitters--McDonnell, Bonnor, Giffen, and Massie. In the great -international match at the Oval in 1882, Massie got the fifty-five runs -in Australia’s second innings that practically won the match, and to -say he hit at every ball is scarcely an exaggeration. There was also a -match against Yorkshire at Holbeck, where McDonnell’s scores of over -thirty in one innings and over forty in the other certainly won the -match for his side. In 1886 Surrey had to go in to get eighty-seven -runs to win. Abel was playing for an hour and three-quarters, while -Garrett and Evans were bowling, every ball dead on the wicket, and -during that time laboriously compiled thirteen runs. The result of the -match was really very doubtful after the fall of the seventh wicket, -but Jones, a courageous cricketer, seeing what was the right game, -went out and hit Palmer over the ropes for four, and the value of this -hit cannot be exaggerated. As a rule it may be taken for granted that -steady and slow play, useful and good as it is in its way, will not win -matches on slow difficult wickets unless there is a sprinkling of three -or four hitters in the eleven. By the doctrine of chances you will find -that one of the number will come off, and one innings like Massie’s -may win the match. To the player who has any hit in him we therefore -advise the playing of a freer game on slow difficult wickets than on -easy ones. In the latter case runs are bound to come if only you stop -there, but they will not in the former. You may leave your ground even -to fast bowling on slow wickets if you think you can bring off a hit -by so doing, and generally hold the bat nearer the top and give her -the long handle. The defensive player, if he cannot do this, must play -generally back with the weight on the right leg, watch the ball very -carefully, take advantage of any loose ball that may be bowled, and -try and place the ball for singles to short-leg, or in the slips. The -bowlers find it more easy to put on break or curl on soft wickets, -so whereas on hard wickets you may almost assume that the ball will -play no pranks but come on straight, on soft you may almost assume the -contrary. The ball that hangs or stops a bit after pitching instead -of coming on is perhaps the most fatal ball that is bowled. If the -batsman plays forward to such a ball he will very likely find that he -has done playing before the ball has reached his bat; this means that -the bottom of the bat goes on and gets under the ball, and he is caught -and bowled. So frequently does this ball come that it is well not to -play hard on soft wickets, for if the ball hangs at all it must go up -on being hit. For defensive play, we think the bat ought not to be held -at all tightly, but rather slackly, for you cannot get a run by hard -forward play or hard back play on such wickets. - -The general characteristics of play to slow bowling such as that of -Tyler, Peel, Briggs, and others are so very different that we must make -a few special remarks on them. The great amount of slow bowling is a -development of modern times; not that slow round-arm bowling did not -formerly exist, but it certainly did not to anything like the extent -it does now. In the days which we all of us have heard talked about by -old cricketers at Lord’s, when Mynn, Redgate, Hillyer, and Lillywhite -flourished, there were some lob bowlers, notably the famous Wm. Clarke, -but there were few genuine slow round-arm bowlers, and Wm. Lillywhite -had a long stop even when the renowned Tom Box was keeping wicket, as -may be seen in the well-known engraving of the match between Kent and -Sussex played about the year 1840. Coming to later times, from 1860 to -1868, there was, as far as we can gather, but one real professional -slow round-arm bowler, namely, George Bennett. Between 1870 and 1887 -may be said to be the dark age of amateur fast bowling, and to a less -degree of professional. Since that date, however, the amateur fast -bowling has wonderfully improved, and the famous S. M. J. Woods led the -way, and has been followed by Jessop, Jackson, Kortright, Cunliffe, and -others, while the great Richardson, we think, is the best fast bowler -that has ever bowled, when the amount of work and the perfect wickets -are considered. - -From a theoretical point of view, to real slow bowling all forward -play ought to be banished. If the ball is short, play back to it; if it -is tolerably well up there ought to be time to go out and meet it, and -drive it at the pitch. There are some quick-footed players who carry -this theory into practice, but generally, if you observe first-class -cricket, you will find that there are plenty of players who never -leave their ground, even to slow bowling, unless they are really well -set. This partly comes from the great caution which is undoubtedly -exercised more now than it was twenty or thirty years ago, and partly -from the fact that the bowling, though some of it very slow, is not -tossed up so high in the air as it was by Bennett and earlier bowlers. -Peate, for instance, in his prime the best length bowler for the last -twenty years, did not toss the ball at all high in the air, nor did -the renowned Alfred Shaw, the most accurate bowler that ever lived. -But we still think that more running in might be practised, for there -is nothing that more completely demoralises a bowler than a player who -comes out and drives when the ball is at all over-pitched. We have seen -slow bowlers who do not possess much head completely demoralised by a -quick-footed player like Mr. A. G. Steel. They preserve their dignity -by bowling so short, that though maiden overs might abound wickets -certainly would not fall. Let the cricketer, when playing to slow -bowling, stand a little easier, in order that, when he has made up his -mind to meet the ball, his right foot will not be rooted to the ground, -as it ought to be when playing to fast bowling on fast wickets. Fig. 13 -shows Shrewsbury going out to drive, but he is evidently only at the -beginning of his jump, and by the time the bat has got over the ball he -will be a couple of yards outside the crease. Remember, if you are to -be stumped, you may as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. You -are equally out if you are an inch or ten yards out of your ground, so -never hesitate to go out as far as you can in order to make the hit a -certainty, and if you can hit the ball full-pitch by all means do so, -as you ought never to miss a full-pitch. You can also pull a full-pitch -to leg or anywhere on the on side where fieldsmen are scarce, and it is -a sign that for that particular occasion the bowler is defeated if the -batsman has not permitted the ball to touch the ground. - -[Illustration: FIG. 13.--Running out to drive. (Shrewsbury.)] - -If you find, on going out to hit a ball, that it is too short, and -you cannot get at the pitch of it, you have several courses open to -you. If you are a very big hitter, and the field is not very far out, -it is worth while to try the experiment of hitting as hard as you can; -the ball must go high, and may go over the ropes or out of harm’s way; -indeed, some great hitters seem to prefer a ball that is not quite a -half-volley. Mr. C. I. Thornton, the biggest hitter the world has ever -beheld, with the exception of G. J. Bonnor and perhaps Lyons, has made -his longest hits off such balls as these; while Bonnor, who possesses -a prodigious reach, seldom leaves his ground at all, and constantly -sends the ball out of the ground by hitting short of the actual pitch. -If the ball is smothered it cannot go up in the air, and though it is -more correct cricket to get over the ball and drive it forward, as -Shrewsbury and A. G. Steel do, it is probable that the great hitters -would lose more than they gained by playing the orthodox game. There -is a golden rule to be carefully remembered in playing slows, and that -is, never to run out to a ball that is well outside the off stump. -We do not mean to bar the player from running out to a ball which is -absurdly over-pitched, and which he is certain to get full-pitch if -he goes out; but he should not leave his ground to the half-volley -unless it is nearly straight. There is more than one reason for this. -In the first place, if you miss the ball, it is the easiest sort for -the wicket-keeper to take, and any moderately decent wicket-keeper -will certainly have you out. In the second place, an off ball is one -that it is impossible to hit or play with a straight bat, and if you -run out to slows you ought always to hit thus; and this rule is sound -even when you run out to a ball on your legs, for that is generally -hit to long-on with a straight bat, and not to leg. It is generally -true that you should never leave your ground to any ball that may be -called crooked, whether it is to leg or to the off, for in either case -you run a serious risk of being stumped; it is only straight or nearly -straight balls that you ought to meet by going out of your ground. The -modern slow bowler is so very accurate that he very rarely bowls on the -leg side at all, and the old-fashioned lobber who used to bowl on the -leg side with a twist from leg and have four or five fields on the leg -side is gradually disappearing. The ball that in nineteen cases out of -twenty you have to meet by going out of your ground is, therefore, the -straight ball. - -As far as lobs are concerned, you can play them by stopping in your -ground; but the really good player to lobs runs out to a certainty -when the ball is overpitched, and the famous Wm. Clarke used to say -that Pilch played him best, as he used to wait his opportunity and -meet him and run him down with a straight bat. If you come to reason -out the theory of batting to slows, and think how you can best defend -your wicket and best score off such bowling, you will easily satisfy -yourself that by playing back and gently forward you may ensure safety -for a considerable period, but you cannot score even moderately fast. -The ball does not come up to the bat fast off the ground as in fast -bowling, and if you play forward hard you run the enormous risk of -being caught and bowled or caught at mid off. In other words, while -to fast bowling you play forward to get runs, to slow bowling you -play forward to defend your wicket. If, therefore, you play the -extra-cautious game and stick in your ground, or from some cause or -another are unable ever to ‘give her the rush,’ you will not be able -to score except by casual singles, unless you wait and fully avail -yourself of a full pitch or an outrageous long hop, relished, and often -obtained, when amateurs are bowling, but very seldom delivered in -first-class matches, and practically never by professional players. - -It is difficult to know what to do with the good length off ball. -It is much harder to cut slow bowling than fast: greater strength -of wrist is wanted, and there are many players who are unable to do -more than merely pat the ball towards third man for a single or two -runs. Slow bowlers have a great fancy for bowling without a field at -third man, and this is to the advantage of the batsman; but even if -there is a third man, at any rate he cannot cover more than a certain -amount of ground, and you will find that many a run may be got by the -pat. Mind and get over the ball, and you cannot then come to grief -by being caught at third man or short-slip, and very rarely by the -wicket-keeper. The bumping ball ought to be left alone; this sort of -ball is the only one in meeting which prudence is the better part of -valour, and no attempt ought to be made to hit at all. The old Adam -within them forces a great many players to try and hit, but it is -almost a certainty that if the ball is hit it must be from underneath, -and up in the air it will consequently go. On a soft slow wicket any -run getting to good slow bowling is extremely difficult, but even on -such wickets you will lose nothing and gain the casual single by the -pat. - -The good length ball on the off side is the modern batsman’s bugbear, -but it is far easier to play when the bowling is fast than when it is -slow. It is easier to cut in the first instance, and there are seldom -so many fields on the off side to the fast bowler. But the slow ball -can be and ought to be driven along the ground if the batsman gets -well over it, times it correctly, and throws the left leg across in -the same way as we explained in describing the proper method of making -this stroke off fast bowling. It is more difficult to time good slow -bowling, when the bowler is continually altering his pace, than fast, -and herein lies the difficulty of hitting these off balls. Bear in -mind, however, that by keeping well over the ball you practically run -no risk of being caught anywhere; sooner or later you will get your eye -in, and when that desirable consummation is accomplished, you will be -astonished to find how safely you will hit many balls that when you are -looking on it seems impossible to hit without incurring considerable -danger. But nothing can be gained by leaving balls alone; you run the -minimum of risk by hitting at them, if only you observe the two rules -which ought to be hung in your bedroom and branded into your brain, -‘Put the left leg over,’ and ‘Get on the top of the ball.’ Above all -things do not play for a draw. - -From what has been said on the principles which govern the proper -playing of fast and slow bowling, the reader may be led to think that -slow bowling is far more difficult to play successfully than fast. -_Chacun à son goût_ is true, no doubt, but we are inclined to think -that, to the majority of players in the prime of their play, slow -bowling is on the whole more difficult to play, especially on hard -wickets. Take the case of W. G. Grace. It was almost a waste of time on -hard wickets to put on fast bowlers when Mr. Grace was at his best. The -sole advantage to be derived from so doing arose from the fact that it -was advisable to distract his eye, and for this purpose a fast bowler -was useful. By this we mean that, when slow bowlers were on at both -ends, his eye would become more accustomed to the pace of the ground, -and in a shorter time than it would have been if a fast bowler had been -on at one end. But the fast bowler was on mainly to enable the slow -bowler to get him out, and if the reader looks at Mr. Grace’s enormous -scores of twenty years back he will find that Shaw, Southerton, Peate, -and Lillywhite got him out a dozen times to the fast bowlers’ once. And -the runs that came from bowlers like Martin McIntyre were astonishing; -anywhere, cuts, pushes through any number of short-legs, big drives and -colossal leg hits--all were alike to the great batsman. - -On soft wickets, though many think otherwise, we believe that fast or -medium-paced bowling is more difficult. This must be assumed only in -the case of those fast bowlers who have power to keep their precision -and pace on slow wickets, like Morley and Richardson. The variety of -wickets, as is shown in the chapter on Bowling, is very great, and on -the real mud farmyard sort of wicket it is generally safe to presume -that fast bowlers cannot act. When there is a slight drizzling rain, -which keeps the ball and surface of the ground wet, fast bowlers -flounder about like porpoises, and the only bowlers who can act at all -are the slow, though they are very much handicapped. But on the real -bowler’s wicket, soft, yet gradually hardening by the effect of the -sun, _cæteris paribus_, the fast or fast medium bowler will, as a rule, -be the most deadly. The year 1879 was, on the whole, the wettest year -for cricket that the present generation has seen, and it is instructive -to turn to the result of the season’s bowling for the county of -Nottingham. This county possessed in Alfred Shaw and Morley the two -best bowlers in England--one slow, the other fast. Here is the analysis -of each for Nottingham:-- - - Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average - Morley 725 349 867 89 9·66 - Shaw 794 453 651 62 11·31 - -It will be seen from this pair of analyses that Morley’s is slightly -better all round than Shaw, with the exception of the number of -maiden overs. But maiden overs are not the final goal of the bowler’s -ambition. They are only means to an end. The true bowler’s one idea -is to get wickets. The reader will note that Morley, the fast bowler, -got no fewer than twenty-seven wickets more than Shaw, which more than -makes up for the latter’s greater success in bowling maidens. The year -1879 was doubtless a great year for bowlers, but none the less we doubt -whether, taking a whole season’s work for a county, this record has -ever been surpassed by any _pair_ of bowlers at any time, and it is as -good an illustration of the truth of our theory that in wet years slow -bowlers are not likely to succeed so well as fast or medium-pace. - -It has always appeared to us that the reason why real slow bowling is -slightly less deadly than fast or medium on slow wickets is simply that -the batsman is more at the mercy of the eccentricities of the ground -when playing to the latter class of bowling than when playing to the -former. He always has the power, if he would only exercise it, of -leaving his ground to balls of a certain length from the slow bowler, -and smothering them. And again let the beginner lay this axiom to -heart: the ground can commit no devilry if the ball is smothered at the -pitch. On slow wickets, therefore, to slow bowling leave your ground -with even less hesitation than on fast, and argue in this way, that as -life against these bowlers and on this wicket is certain to be a short -one, therefore it had better be a merry one for the sake of the score. - -There are and have been a few great men with the bat who obey no -law, but possess that strange indefinable gift called genius, which -rises superior to any difficulty of ground or bowling; these batting -luminaries may play their ordinary game on slow difficult wickets, and -their genius enables them to do what ordinary mortals cannot. On really -difficult wickets Shrewsbury shone, and on the whole he has proved -himself the best player the world has ever seen on caking, difficult, -soft wickets. But let the ordinary player, who has acquired a certain -amount of skill in batting, remember that cricket on hard and fast -wickets and cricket on slow are two quite different things, and that -he must alter his game to suit the circumstances. The very fast-footed -bookish sort of player is the one who is most at sea on soft wickets; -and this last bit of advice we respectfully urge upon him--that one -hit for four and out next ball will probably be of more value to his -side than twenty minutes’ careful defence and no run. It is not on soft -wickets that drawn games are played, unless there is rain after the -match has begun; it is on dry wickets, with boundaries close in, that -the plethora of runs makes the game dull to all except the ignorant -spectator and the voracious batsman. Of course, if there is only a -short time left before the drawing of stumps and conclusion of the -match, say an hour and a half or two hours, it may be of importance to -play for a draw; then the twenty-minutes-without-a-run batsman may be -the means of salvation for his side, as Louis Hall has proved to be -more than once for Yorkshire; but, except under such circumstances, -the hitter who runs a certain risk for the sake of a hit is the more -valuable man. - -A few words now on running. A man is out if run out as decisively -as if his middle stump is knocked down; but being run out is more -annoying than being bowled, so everybody ought to learn how to run. -Some fieldsmen are so renowned for their throwing and rapidity of -movement that when such a man is going for the ball the batsman will -not venture on a run which, under ordinary circumstances, he might -safely make. In any event do not run if you feel any doubt of its -safety. The first invariable rule is that the striker calls the run -if the ball is hit in front of the wicket. This is simple to remember -and there is no exception unless it be when the ball is hit to third -man under certain circumstances. These circumstances refer to the -fieldsman himself. If the third man knows his business and throws to -the bowler, the striker has to run the risk; therefore he ought to -call. If the third man is a player of tradition and always throws to -the wicket-keeper, the non-striker is in danger, but if he is backing -up he never will be run out. All hits behind the wicket--except in -the case above mentioned--must be called by the non-striker, and the -striker must not look at the ball after he has hit it, but at the -non-striker. The man who has not to judge the run must have a simple -childlike faith in the judgment of his partner, and if he gets run out -he may remonstrate gently with him afterwards with good reason. The man -who is receiving the ball can easily get into the habit of watching -it after it has passed him on its way to the long-stop or if he has -hit it to long-slip; but this is a bad habit, and if indulged in will -result in the two batsmen holding different ideas as to whether a run -can be got or not, on which subject there must be no difference of -opinion. If the batsman to whom rightly belongs the call shouts ‘run,’ -and his colleague shouts ‘no,’ unless one gives way promptly there may -be a crisis at hand. Never do batsmen look so foolish as when they -affectionately meet at the same wicket, and nothing is so maddening to -the supporters of a side as to see a good batsman well set deliberately -lose his wicket by the folly of either his colleague or himself. If -batsmen will only remember that the decision of the run must rest with -one man, and that his call must be obeyed at once, there will not be -many runs out. When, say, the third run is being made, and the question -whether a fourth can be successfully attempted arises, that batsman who -has to run to the wicket nearest the ball ought to call. The reason -of this is, that as the ball is a considerable way from the nearest -wicket it is almost certain to be thrown there, and the batsman who -calls ought to be he who runs the risk. We will give the following -rules to be remembered by every cricketer with regard to running. (1) -The striker must call every time when the ball is hit in front of the -wicket. (2) The non-striker must call every run when the ball is hit -behind the wicket, except in the case of hits to third man as mentioned -above. (3) Whoever has to shout, let him shout loudly; there is no -penalty attaching to a yell, and it is comforting to a man to know his -colleague’s intention without any doubt. (4) If a bye is being run, -the striker must run straight down the wicket, as he may be saved from -being run out by the ball hitting his head instead of the wicket, for -which mercy he ought to be duly thankful. (5) On all other occasions -run wide of the wicket so as not to cut it up. (6) Always run for a -catch if sent reasonably high into the air; if it is caught no harm is -done to you, and to be missed and to secure a run in one and the same -hit is a veritable triumph. (7) Run the first run as hard as you can, -and turn quickly after grounding your bat within the popping crease, -for the fieldsman may bungle even the easiest ball, and it is never -safe to assume that there can be no second run. - -We hope that we have now explained the true principles of batting to -guide the youthful player in his path. One other word of caution. A -young cricketer may go to Lord’s and watch a great match; he may see -the giants of the game perform--MacLaren, Ranjitsinhji, Jackson, and -Palairet. He will wonder and admire, but let him beware of imitation, -which may lead him into innumerable quagmires. In another walk of -life, literature, you will find facetious writers who are fond of -imitating the style of famous authors, and very amusing the attempts -sometimes are; but it is easily seen that the points they successfully -imitate are the roughnesses and eccentricities which are frequently -characteristic of great authors. An imitator of Carlyle, for instance, -revels in the brusque eccentricities of the great man’s style, but he -never succeeds in portraying his noble qualities. It is much the same -in cricket: genius defies imitation, and is only by poor struggling -humanity to be admired. In the prime of his play nothing in cricket -was grander than the sight of W. G. Grace scoring two runs off a ball -that any other cricketer would have been only too happy to stop. No -school coach that understood his business would tell a youth to play -certain balls as they are played by Mr. A. G. Steel, who sometimes -adopts the most daring methods, and it is not safe to infer that -anybody else in the world can play in a like manner. It is so with -hitting. Bonnor, Lyons, O’Brien, Ford, and Jessop can hit many balls -which the great majority of other cricketers would only venture to play -gently forward. Some critics who are great at criticism, but great -at nothing else, have been known to shake their heads at some of the -methods of great players; but we can assure these gentlemen that real -genius admits no more of criticism than it does of imitation. The four -never-to-be-violated rules previously mentioned need not trouble the -genius at all; no human law need concern him: he is a law to himself, -and looks down from a lofty eminence on his weaker brethren. What is -the good of telling A. G. Steel not to move out of his ground to fast -bowling, seeing that he does so constantly, and gets four runs by a -fine hit when he ‘gives her the rush’? He will not heed you; and why -should he? - -Apart altogether from the natural accuracy and quickness of hand and -eye, without a proper allowance of which labour will be in vain, a -great deal depends on the temperament of each player. Whether failure -is owing to health, to inability to recover elasticity of spirits -after a few defeats, or to some other cause, it is impossible to say. -But let the good player who goes through a whole month, or perhaps -even a season, with very bad luck, and comes out in the end with a bad -average, comfort himself with this reflection, that not only have good -players had these reverses, but even the very best. Mr. W. G. Grace -must be accustomed to hear and see his name referred to, but even he -has had spells of bad luck, and he will, we are sure, excuse us if we -put in full the following figures of innings which were played when he -was in his prime:-- - - _June 15 and 16, 1871._--_Gloucestershire_ v. _Surrey_. - c. R. Humphrey, b. Street 1 - - _June 19 and 20, 1871._--_M.C.C._ v. _Cambridge University_. - c. Ward, b. Bray 4 - c. Thornton, b. Bray 4 - - _June 22 and 23, 1871._--_M.C.C._ v. _Oxford University_. - c. and b. Butler 15 - - _June 29 and 30, 1871._--_Gentlemen of South_ v. _Players of South_. - c. Lillywhite, b. Southerton 4 - b. Lillywhite 11 - -These figures show how the mighty do sometimes fall, and this certainly -ought to console those in the humbler walks of the cricket world. Some -players have shot up like rockets, played for a season or so, and then -have been heard of no more; but the county that plays a series of -county matches will act unwisely if it shunts a player who has shown -that he possesses real batting ability. Of course there are limits to -the patience of every club committee, but all committees would be wise -if they were to err on the side of leniency in this matter. - -It is of very little avail writing any sort of homily on nervousness, -which is in the constitution, and cannot be got rid of by much or any -reading. It is common to all, in greater or less degree, and if any -man tells you that he does not know what nervousness in cricket is, -do not believe him. To say that there is no sensation other than a -distinctly pleasant one in walking to the wickets is absurd. It is true -that nervousness does not appear to affect the play of some batsmen, -who on first going in seem to be playing their ordinary game. But the -sensation is there, and these are the fortunate men whose play suffers -but little in consequence. - -Nervous players must try and reason to the effect that they are -sometimes in the habit of making runs, and that therefore there is no -great presumption on their part if they assume that the chances are -they will do so again. They must also remember that, after all, cricket -is but a game, and no moral disgrace will attach to them if they -fail. These are but poor consolations at the best, but the game is so -glorious that, as we have before remarked, it is better to try and to -fail than never try at all. - -It has always been assumed that the crack English Eleven that failed -to make the necessary seventy-nine runs against the Australians in -1882 were nervous because they did not succeed in making them. We are -not sure that they all were, or that there was more nervousness than -usual; but the wicket was difficult, the Australians’ fielding superb, -and their bowling extraordinarily good. Certainly two or three of the -Englishmen were nervous, and no eleven could be got together anywhere -to play such an important match without this being the case. But the -longer anyone plays the less nervous will he become, and the fortunate -men in cricket are those, like the famous Tom Emmett of Yorkshire, who -can, as he modestly said, ‘bowl a bit sometimes.’ The player who plays -only because he is a good bat, and never bowls after he has laid his -duck egg, has no opportunity of retrieving his character by getting -four or five wickets with the ball. The unhappy batsman makes one bad -stroke and his wicket is lost, and he has possibly no further chance in -the match. But though the bowler may bowl a wide one ball he may take a -wicket the next, and we believe that these all-round players find more -enjoyment in cricket than the man who only bats. To their credit be it -said that at no previous period have the professionals combined the -two more than they do now, and we congratulate Peel, Briggs, Attewell, -Rawlin, Davidson, Hirst, and Wainwright accordingly. - -The obvious advice to give to players whose success depends mainly on -health is to implore them to look after and pay great respect to the -laws by which health is regulated. Not to eat and drink too much, great -though the temptation may be to do both, is a rule that ought to be -observed by cricketers; but there is another, not so obvious, but of -great importance, and that is, avoid sitting up late at night. There is -such a lot of cricket in these days that some amateurs and a great many -professionals play six days in the week. There is the corresponding -amount of travelling to be got through, and a lot of fatigue to be -undergone; sleep, therefore, must not be neglected, and long hours -devoted to convivial evenings not only entail loss of health but loss -of runs also. It is a curious and unwholesome feature of the present -day that it is judged expedient to have enormous meals in the middle -of the day, with salmon, forced meats, creams, jellies, champagne, and -everything calculated to disturb digestion and pervert the sight. This -meal is not only the cause of much indigestion, but also of a gross -waste of time. Instead of half an hour being taken up by the legitimate -luncheon, a precious hour is stolen from the middle of the day. It must -be said that on the principal public grounds there is no reason to -complain of the luncheons: excess is more the custom on private grounds. - -As we have in this chapter implored captains of elevens to be merciful -to good players who may happen to be out of luck, so now, in justice -to the other side of the question, let us beg the batsman not to be -superstitious. - -Superstitions abound in most games, but we have no objection to -examples of the weakness which cause inconvenience to nobody except the -possessor. We have heard, for instance, of a really great player who -never goes in to bat in a match with anything new about him, not even -a shoe-lace; but such superstitions are harmless. There is, however, -the man who has got it into his head, or possibly has dreamt, that it -is quite impossible for him to score if he goes in first or fifth, or -in some particular place; consequently the unhappy captain, after he -has written out, with great care, an order of going in, is bothered and -worried by men who begin to make excuse. One is certain that he cannot -score if he goes in first, another thinks he ought not to be put so low -down as eighth, and so on. Our advice to the captain is to care for -none of these things; let him use his own judgment and not consider the -absurd whims and eccentricities of nervous batsmen. The responsibility -of managing a match is quite enough anxiety and trouble for him without -being bothered by a mutinous eleven, and we entreat batsmen to obey -without murmuring their captain’s orders, and go in without grumbling. - -The rules of cricket are imperfectly understood even by some -reputedly famous umpires; it may be well, therefore, to remind batsmen -how many ways there are of getting out. They know what it is to be -bowled out, caught out, stumped, run out, to get out leg before wicket, -or to hit wicket; and a great many think that nothing else will get -them out. This is a mistake, and it was a comical sight to see, as we -saw some years ago, a first-rate professional diddled out in another -way. It is against the rules, properly understood, to wilfully hit the -ball twice. The rule runs: ‘The batsman is out if the ball be struck -... and he wilfully strike it again, except it be done for the purpose -of guarding his wicket.’ But if a batsman plays a ball and a proper -interval elapses the ball is dead, and he may return the ball to the -bowler. The old rule reads: ‘if the striker touch or take up the ball -while in play.’ In the case alluded to, Barlow was batting in a North -and South match at Lord’s. He hit the ball twice, and, unfortunately -for him, started to run. This starting to run proved the more or less -wilful nature of the act. There was a roar of ‘How’s that?’ from the -colossal throat of W. G. Grace, standing at point; it was a case -of ‘You’ll have to go, Barlow,’ and naturally, in a somewhat moody -manner, Barlow went to the pavilion. It is absurd to say that there -was anything unfair in this; he violated a distinct rule of cricket. -A lot of players think that the ball must not be hit twice under any -circumstances, and they would as soon think of touching a red-hot coal -as hitting the ball a second time. If there is no wicket-keeper and -the ball is played dead against the foot, it may save a few seconds -of time if the batsman shove the ball back to the bowler with his bat -and stand still, thus saving point the trouble of picking the ball up -and returning it. The ball while ‘in play’ must never be picked up by -the hand, for handling the ball wilfully loses a wicket as much as -having two stumps knocked down. It is an easy rule to remember, and -is very rarely broken, but still it is a rule that must be observed. -Obstructing the field is another violation of rule for which the -extreme penalty is exacted. Of course a witness may tell an untruth in -the witness-box, but unless it is spoken wilfully it is not perjury. So -it is with obstructing the field. Many hundreds of times has a batsman -standing in his ground prevented a wicket-keeper from catching him out; -the mere fact that the player’s body, being in a certain position, -forces the wicket-keeper to run round him instead of straight at the -ball will make an uppish ball as unreachable as the sun. The fieldsman -is obstructed, but not wilfully, so no penalty is incurred. But if the -batsman were to hit up a ball to point, for instance, and either strike -at the ball with his bat or wilfully baulk the fieldsman in any way, he -would be out, and deservedly so. In this, as in other like matters, the -umpire must be the sole judge, and it ought to be pretty plain and easy -for him to give a right decision. About twenty years ago the well-known -Cambridge University cricketer, Mr. C. A. Absalom, playing for his -University against Surrey, was running a bye, and whilst running to -the opposite wicket the ball hit his bat, possibly preventing him from -being run out. The umpire gave him out; but the umpire was wrong, for -the ball came from behind him, and as it was never alleged that he -looked to see the course the ball was taking and then interposed his -bat, it was obviously impossible that he could have wilfully obstructed -the ball: it merely chanced that while running in towards the wicket -the ball by accident hit his bat. We do not mean to imply that the -batsman ought to run wide of the wicket to a short run in order to give -the fieldsman every chance of running him out; on the contrary, if a -short bye is to be run, we advise the batsman to run straight down the -wicket, for then, as pointed out elsewhere, the ball will very likely -hit him and prevent him being run out. But he must not deliberately get -in the way of the ball or in any way contribute to the fact of the ball -hitting him. A case of wilful obstruction ought easily to be detected -by any decent umpire. - -It is amusing to ask experienced cricketers in how many ways it is -possible for a man to be got out at cricket, and it is astonishing -to find many who give most absurd answers. There are nine distinct -ways of getting out--(1) bowled; (2) caught; (3) stumped; (4) leg -before wicket; (5) hit wicket; (6) run out; (7) handling the ball; -(8) obstructing the field; (9) hitting ball twice. It is well to know -these facts, for the batsman who gets out in an untoward and unusual -way feels himself to be a fool, and generally looks like one. Mr. -Alfred Lyttelton, when playing some years ago for Cambridge University -Eleven against M.C.C. at Lord’s, got back to a slow long hop and with -his foot just touched the leg stump, the bail of which did not at once -fall off. Oblivious of this fact, and only conscious that he had caught -the ball in the middle of the bat and sent it far away, off he started -for his runs with radiancy on his face and a mocking smile on his -lips. No less than five runs were run, and not until then did anyone -except the wicket-keeper notice that the leg bail, after hanging on a -frail basis for a few seconds, had fallen off. The appeal was made and -the facts examined, the deadly verdict was given, and it was a case -of a return to the pavilion. The batsman on such occasions as these -may look pleasant; but that is only one of the beneficent results of -civilisation, for, as a matter of fact, he feels extremely bitter, -and there are innumerable swords in his heart. In the case mentioned -the unhappy batsman felt hot and out of breath after his exertions in -running the five runs, and there was a sad reversal of the pleasant -feelings that attend a successful hit--the applause of the crowd was -all wasted, the expected increase to the score was not realised, all -had vanished, and a melancholy man walked drearily to the dressing-room. - -Batting may be called the most enjoyable feature of the great and -glorious game of cricket. A man even in full training invariably -feels the effect of fatigue after bowling sixty or seventy overs, and -fieldsmen go through the same experience during a long outing. But -it may with truth be said that the keen pleasure which is realised -by every cricketer worthy of the name, while he is actually at the -wickets, prevents him from feeling fatigue as an inconvenience until -the innings is over. We do not believe, though with bated breath let -it be said, that the fine rider on a fine horse in a good position -and over a grass country with a burning scent can feel so supremely -content with the world and its glorious surroundings while galloping -and jumping close to hounds, as does a batsman who feels himself -master of the bowling on a good wicket in a first-class match, with a -fine day and a large crowd keenly anxious for his well-doing. He is -conscious that his side is gaining a glorious victory by his efforts, -and life can give him no prouder moments. To the young cricketer let us -therefore say, in conclusion, that, as the pleasure is so intense and -the excitement so keen, he should strive to attain proficiency by care, -practice, and the advice of great masters. Above all, he must cultivate -the moral qualities that of necessity must have a place in such a -great, glorious, and unsurpassable game as cricket. - -[Illustration: FIG. 14.--Gunn playing forward.] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -BOWLING: BY A. G. STEEL. - -[Illustration: ‘The demon bowler.’] - - -Everyone who knows anything at all about cricket will at once admit -that bowling is, to say the least, as important a feature of the game -as batting. The same share of fame has always been conferred on a -really good bowler as on an expert at the other great branch of the -game; but, though this has been so from the very earliest days of -cricket, there is no doubt that the number of good bowlers whose names -figure in the chronicles of the game is much smaller than the number -of good batsmen. This would seem to show that the art of bowling is -more difficult of attainment than its sister accomplishment, and in -face of this supposition, it seems strange that the energy devoted to -practising bowling by all beginners at the game should be so greatly -exceeded by that devoted to batting. The reason for this may easily -be found in the fact that the pleasure derived from making a long -score, and the indescribable feelings of delight experienced by every -keen cricketer when he has a bat in his hand, seem to offer greater -attractions than the more sober, less flashy, and apparently more -mechanical duties of a bowler. It is a great pity, in the interests -of the game, that at our large public schools and universities more -care is not taken to coach beginners in bowling. Hours upon hours are -devoted to the teaching of batting, but it is very, very seldom any -professional ever thinks of endeavouring to instil into his pupils any -of the most elementary rules of bowling. - -A question which cannot fail to present itself to the minds of all -cricketers, and especially those who recollect some of the heroes -of bygone days, is whether the bowling of to-day is as good as it -used to be. This particular question--so often put, and answered so -differently--seems to me to be one which it is impossible to decide, -as the whole nature of the game has altered so much in the last few -years. This alteration is due, firstly, to the great improvement in the -condition of the grounds; secondly, to the corresponding improvement -in batting, for ‘the better the grounds the better the batsmen,’ is -generally a correct saying. Formerly bowlers were greatly assisted by -the unevenness of the grounds; whereas now, on our billiard-table-like -wickets, even our very best bowlers know well that their chance of -getting rid of a strong batting side for anything under 300 runs is -extremely remote. It is impossible to compare the tall-hatted old -heroes of the ball with bowlers of the present day. In olden days -the badness of the grounds caused the best batsman’s wicket to be in -frequent jeopardy, and fast erratic bowlers were well aware that there -would be ample compensation for any accuracy which might be wanting -in their delivery in the far from infrequent shooters and abruptly -rising balls which so often either levelled the stumps or compelled -the retirement of the batsman by a catch in the slips. Nowadays a -bowler is nothing unless he has command of the ball and can practise -variety: batting is so good and grounds are so level that the merely -accurate bowler may keep down runs, but he cannot get wickets, but this -fact is hardly realised yet, and our best bowlers--and these consist -almost exclusively of the professional class--seem to aim not so much -at getting rid of a batsman as at keeping down the runs by bowling a -good even straight length, and trusting to chance or the impatience of -the batsman for his dismissal. As, however, this subject is one which -will best be treated later on, and about which there is a good deal to -be said, we will leave it for the present, and turn our attention to a -short retrospect of bowling from the earliest days. - -Round-arm bowling seems to have come into vogue in 1825. It has been -generally supposed that Mr. Willes was the first to start it, and the -following story is told of the way in which that gentleman found out -the advantages of the round-arm delivery. Mr. Willes, being a most -enthusiastic cricketer, and not content with the summer months for his -favourite sport, used in the winter daily to repair to his barn, and -there measure out the proper distance, pitch the stumps, and, with -his sister (also an enthusiast) as bowler, enjoy a good practice. Now -everyone who has seen ladies attempting to throw a stone or cricket -ball will remember that they invariably have a half-round, half-under -sort of delivery, and this Miss Willes, in common with the majority -of ladies, seems to have possessed. Her brother, accustomed to play -against what in those days was the only known style of bowling, viz. -under-arm, was somewhat perplexed and worried with this unknown -feminine species of ball, which doubtless he found difficult to tackle. -How amusing it would have been to have watched this keen cricketer, -probably not unconscious of his own merits as a batsman, entirely -puzzled by the deliveries of a lady! We are not told whether his -feelings of shame at being thus defeated, or of delight at discovering -this new style of bowling, predominated, but we _are_ told that shortly -afterwards he made his _début_ as a round-arm bowler, and met with -(until he was stopped by the conservatism of the crowd) the greatest -success. - -From the year 1825 down to the present, round-arm bowling has been -universal, and it is now quite an exceptional occurrence to come -across a fast under-arm bowler of the old style. This is not much to -be regretted, as every attribute of good bowling which was obtainable -by the fast under-arm delivery is much more easy of attainment by -the round or over-arm style; and many accomplishments pertaining to -the bowler’s art are possible to the round-arm which, from the very -nature of the action, are impossible to the fast under-arm bowler. -Break, spin, and quickness from the pitch are common to both styles, -but certainly the two latter are made easier of acquirement by the -round-arm style; and with regard to break--an easier matter for the -under-arm bowler--the ball that breaks or twists the most is not -as a rule the ball that gets the most wickets. To a fast under-arm -bowler the variations in flight and pace, so well known to the best -round-arm bowlers, are unknown. Slow under-arm bowling, of course, -must be excepted from these remarks; later on in this chapter I shall -have something to say on the subject of this most useful style, which -unfortunately in later years seems almost to have died out. - -It was formerly the reproach of amateurs that from the year 1875 to, -say, 1887 they had no bowlers. When Appleby and Buchanan retired from -first-class cricket in 1875, there was practically nobody except Grace -and Studd to carry on the lamp of amateur bowling till Woods, Jackson, -Kortright, Streatfeild, Wells, Bull, Jessop, Cunliffe, and Wilson by -their pace and accuracy have shown the public what can be done. Woods, -Kortright, Jackson, and Jessop for pace, Bull and Wells for slow, and -Cunliffe and Wilson for medium are all excellent in their respective -classes, and in the sixties, when the grounds would have given them -more assistance, they would have been far more deadly than now. Still -it is a fact that at most public schools more teaching ought to be -bestowed upon bowling. A few words of instruction or encouragement to -a beginner might have the effect of awakening in him the interest and -keenness about bowling which would eventually cause his development -into a good, or at any rate a fairish bowler. Who has not seen over and -over again a boy come up to a net where a companion is practising, and -picking up a ball, which as likely as not is about half as large again -as a match ball, proceed to hammer away at the batsman for about ten -minutes or more in all directions, with all pitches, and, what is worse -than everything, with different lengths of run? Then, perhaps, getting -a little tired, as any bowler will who bowls for long without a rest -(which he would get in a match at the end of each over), he exclaims, -‘Now I’ll give you some of Spofforth’s patents!’ and then, with a long -run and a kangaroo-like bound (but, probably, altogether unlike the -famous Australian bowler), he proceeds to hurl the ball wider and in a -more erratic style than ever. Then, perhaps, he will say, ‘Would you -like some of W. G.’s?’ and immediately assuming the well-known and -somewhat inartistic pose of the English champion, proceed to toss the -ball lifeless up in the air. Now this is not the way to learn how to -bowl. Bowling, like everything else worth doing, takes a lot of careful -practice before it can be expected to meet with success. - -There can be no doubt that were boys carefully trained at school in -the art of bowling, as they are in that of batting, our universities, -from which the ranks of our first-class cricketers are usually -replenished, would be continually sending up men who could take the -position as leading bowlers now occupied by professionals. But, it -may be asked, if we have a supply of fairly good bowlers, what does -it matter whether they are professionals or amateurs? There are two -answers to this question: first, that the Gentlemen every year play -the Players, and are naturally always anxious to beat them; and, -secondly, that the more cricket gets into the hands of professional -players, the worse it will be for the game and its reputation. We -would not say one word against the personal character of the English -professional cricketer, for the great majority of this class are -honest, hard-working, and sober men. We only say that it is not in -the interests of cricket that any branch of the game should be left -entirely in their hands. Your professional, as a rule, is the son of -a small tradesman, or person in that rank of life, and has been born -in a neighbourhood where the greatest interest is taken in sport of -all kinds, cricket during the summer months being sedulously played. -These neighbourhoods are far more frequent in the northern than the -southern counties, the sporting tendencies of the people of Lancashire, -Yorkshire, and Nottingham being developed to a much greater extent -than in the more southern shires. These three counties, and especially -Notts, turn out large quantities of young professionals yearly. - -A boy who has been born in one of these cricketing districts is sure to -devote a fair share of his time to watching the victories and defeats -of his village club, and consequently to imbibing that feeling of -‘pleasing madness’ connected with the game which attacks every cricket -enthusiast. The height of his ambition is to bowl a ball or two to the -village champion batsman, and when the opportunity arises to gratify -his wish you will see him, hardly higher than the stumps, bowling with -an action exactly similar to the crack village bowler, and scorning to -encroach so much as an inch over the line of the bowling stump. And oh! -what sleepless nights ensue from the anticipation of actually seeing -with his own eyes on the following Saturday one of the real cracks -of England--one who has positively played in Gentlemen _v._ Players, -or represented England against Australia! No wonder the boy becomes -imbued with keenness for the game, when everyone in the village, from -the parson to the old lady who keeps the sweetshop, is continually -talking about cricket. As the boy grows older he begins to make his -mark in the village club, and when he is eighteen or nineteen, to the -delight of his father, mother, sisters, and himself, he is selected -to make one of the twenty-two colts of his county that are chosen -to play against the county team. After having played in public, and -perhaps tasted the pleasures of success, the father finds that his son -is restless and disturbed in his trade, and wishes to give it up and -become a professional cricketer. So it happens that his name is sent up -to the county secretary as wanting a situation, and the young fellow -finds himself launched into the world on his own account as a cricket -professional. - -With regard to the young man’s prospect of success on starting in his -new life, we are bound to say that, assuming he has only the average -cricket ability of the ordinary professional, his chances of even -making a livelihood are not particularly bright. He may, and no doubt -will, earn as much as 2_l._ a week, or even more, during the summer -months; but at the end of August or beginning of September he will find -himself with very little money in his pocket, and seven of the coldest -and worst months of the year to face. He _may_ get employment in the -winter months--many professionals do, either as colliers or as porters, -or some other work. We have known them to do clerk’s work for railways -in the winter; but all work for men only willing to stick to it for a -few months is extremely uncertain, and there can be no doubt that many -cricket professionals have a bad time in the winter. - -On the whole, professionals who have an assured place in their county -eleven have, for men of their social position, a very good time. They -only get nominally 5_l._ a match, but this often means a minimum wage -of 10_l._ a week, and besides this they are well known and consequently -well advertised, and this means a good deal. Many have shops for sale -of cricket goods and golf clubs, footballs and archery, _cum multis -aliis_. A great many become publicans, which, though many of us think -a loathsome profession, is at any rate a livelihood, and they become -publicans because they are well known and popular, and brewers like -such men to manage their public-houses. Even if they keep no shop, -they are constantly selling bats and balls, and a fair proportion of -them, the picked men of the profession, get permanent posts in public -schools. When there is no county match on a great many, especially in -the North, get engagements in the detestable modern one-day league -match. Leaving publicans out of the question, at the present day, from -our own knowledge, the following old and young professionals keep -cricket shops: Daft, Shaw and Shrewsbury, Gunn, Watson, Briggs, Sugg, -Nichols, Abel, the two Quaifes, Walter Wright, Baldwin, Peate, Ward, -Tunnicliffe, and George Hearne, and there are no doubt many more; while -the following have permanent engagements as coaches at schools, often -with a shop also: Wright of Nottingham, Louis Hall, Woof, Emmett, F. -Ward, Wootton, and Painter. - -In addition to all this, in some counties there has arisen, in the last -year or so, a system of winter wages, or a bonus paid about Christmas, -and when all things are considered, we cannot help thinking that a -professional of ability who is steady has a better time of it than any -other working man; and even if not a publican or shopkeeper, many have -trades to which they can turn their hands in the winter. - -The first-class professional cricketer is usually a well-made, -strong-looking man, ranging from two or three and twenty to thirty -five, with agreeable, quiet manners. He is a great favourite with the -crowd, and when his side is in may be seen walking round the ground -surrounded by a body of admirers, any one of whom is ready and willing -at any moment to treat his ideal hero to a glass of anything he may -wish for. It is greatly to the player’s credit that in the face of this -temptation to insobriety he is such a sober, temperate man. I have -never seen on a cricket field a first-class professional player the -worse for drink, and I have only on one occasion heard the slightest -whisper against the sobriety of such a man during the progress of a -match. I believe that, as a class, and considering the thirsty nature -of their occupation and the opportunities that offer themselves for -drinking, there is no more sober body of men than cricket professionals. - -Having attempted to give a short, and it is hoped impartial, -description of the cricket professional, let us, before resuming the -subject of bowling, return to the assertion that the more cricket gets -into the hands of professional players the worse it will be for the -game and its reputation. At present cricket is perhaps the most popular -of all our national recreations; it is certainly the most popular -_game_, though football has lately made great strides in popular -opinion, and it is rightly considered to be the manliest and the freest -from all mischievous influences. What these latter are, and what a -pernicious and enervating influence they exercise on other branches -of our national sports, is known to everyone. I allude to the betting -and book-making element, which from the earliest days has been the -curse of sport. What is the worst feature about horse-racing? To what -do English lovers of true sport owe the fact that every racecourse is -the rendezvous of the biggest blackguards and knaves in the kingdom? -Is it not betting, and the pecuniary inducement it offers to every -kind of dirty, shabby practice? The sullying influence has spread -to the running-path, and even, if report says true, to the river -and football field. Happily there is never the slightest whisper of -suspicion against the straightness of our cricket players, and this is -entirely owing to the absence of the betting element in connection with -the game. It is an unfortunate fact that the tendency of first-class -cricket nowadays is to swamp the amateur by the professional. Some of -our best county teams are almost wholly composed of the latter class. -The time taken up in big matches is so great, owing to their being -drawn out by a late start and early finish each day, that the amateur -is beginning to realise his inability to give up from his business or -profession so much of this valuable commodity. What has happened in -consequence? Cricket--i.e. first-class cricket--is becoming a regular -monetary speculation. Thousands upon thousands troop almost daily to -see the big matches, flooding the coffers of the county or club, which -does its very best to spin out the match for the sake of the money. -If this continue, our best matches will become nothing better than -gate-money contests, to the detriment of the true interests of the game -and its lovers. - -Bowling is as much worthy of the name of an art as any other branch -of sport. The skill, science, and practice which are necessary before -a man can throw a good salmon fly, or before he can reckon on bringing -down a good average of high rocketing pheasants, are equally necessary -for one who wishes to become an adept at bowling. Perhaps bowling -does not require the same oneness of hand and eye as batting, but -it demands, if possible, more practice and experience, and to a far -greater extent the exercise of mental qualities. The object of the -bowler is to outmanœuvre the batsman; he has either to hit the stumps -or draw him into some incautiousness or hesitation of play, which will -result in the ball being caught from the bat or in the batsman being -stumped out by the wicket-keeper. This is a wide field, and suggests at -once that to become proficient a bowler must think--and think deeply -too--not once or twice every few minutes, but before each ball, for -none should ever be delivered without a particular object. Every ball -must be part and parcel of a scheme which the bowler has in his mind -for getting rid of the batsman. The object of every bowler, whether -fast or slow, is always to bowl what is called a ‘good length’--i.e. -to pitch the ball so close to the batsman that he cannot play it on -the ‘bounce,’ or, in cricket parlance, ‘on the long-hop,’ and yet so -far from him that he cannot play it just as it touches the ground -or immediately on the rise--i.e. on the ‘half-volley.’ There can be -no precise measurement of the exact spot on which the ‘good-length’ -ball must pitch, as it is constantly varying according to the state -of the ground, the pace of the bowler, and the size and style of the -batsman. When the ground is ‘slow’ and ‘sticky’ from recent rain, the -good-length ball will have to be pitched considerably farther than when -it is ‘hard’ and ‘fast,’ as of course the ball will come faster off -the ground when it is in the latter state than when in the former. The -reason why the bowling of this particular ball is always the object of -every bowler is because it compels the batsman to meet the ball with -the bat by forward play, and because in so doing he often loses sight -of the ball from the moment it touches the ground till it strikes the -bat. No one can be called a good bowler until he has the power at will -of bowling ball after ball of this sort. It often happens when two -batsmen are well set, and every wile and ‘dodge’ of the bowlers has -been tried without avail, that two bowlers will have to go on to bowl, -or try to bowl, nothing else but good-length balls, in the hopes of -keeping down the runs. If this can be done effectually, a batsman is -bound through impatience to make a mistake which in time may cost him -his wicket. - -Every ball that leaves the bowler’s hand has, in addition to the -propelling power imparted by the bowler, one of four different motions. -The ball as it travels is either spinning from right to left; or -from left to right; or with a downward vertical motion; or an upward -vertical motion. It is a fact that it is well-nigh an impossibility for -a ball to leave the hand of the veriest beginner without having one of -these four motions to a certain extent imparted to it. - -On these four rotary motions depends how much and in what direction -the ball will twist or deviate from its course, and also the speed and -height it will assume after touching the ground. One of the arts of a -bowler is to cheat the batsman by making the ball pitch in one spot -and, after the pitch, suddenly take a different direction; another is -to make the ball rise quicker off the ground than a batsman would be -led to expect from the ordinary rules of reflection. These arts are -accomplished by different movements of the fingers and hand at the -moment of delivering the ball; for the reason why every ball has a -certain amount of spin on it is because the fingers, being in contact -with the ball as it leaves the hand, cause it to rotate (though perhaps -so infinitesimally as not to be noticeable) on its journey to the -ground. - -The spin, or rotary motion, from right to left is gained by grasping -the ball chiefly with the thumb and first and second fingers, the -third and fourth fingers being placed together round the other side -of the ball. The moment the ball leaves the hand the latter is turned -quickly over from right to left, and at the same time the first and -second finger and thumb, coming over with the hand, impart a powerful -twist to the ball, which leaves the hand when the latter is turned -palm downwards. There is also at the time of delivery an outward and -upward movement of the elbow which gives the arm the shape of a curve, -or almost a semicircle. The ball goes on its way spinning rapidly from -right to left, and the moment it touches the ground twists very sharply -towards the off side of the batsman. This ball, termed in cricket -parlance the ‘leg-break,’ when well bowled is perhaps one of the most -deadly of all balls, but it is also the most difficult for a bowler to -master. It is always a slow ball, as to bowl it fast with any accuracy -of pitch is an impossibility--at any rate, it may be assumed to be -so, as no bowler has ever yet appeared who could bowl it otherwise -than slow. Palmer, the Australian bowler, was about the fastest ever -known at this ball, but his faster ones were very inaccurate in pitch, -and he could only bowl them, strange to say, very occasionally. The -author, although he has played innings after innings against this -bowler, never remembers receiving a single fast leg-break from him. -The fact of the hand having to turn over from right to left, and of -the ball being delivered underneath the hand, so to speak, causes it -to be extremely difficult to attain accuracy of pitch and direction. -There are many men who can bowl this ball in practice at the nets, but -who never dare attempt it in a match, having no confidence whatever -in their ability to bowl it straight, or even fairly straight. It is -no uncommon occurrence to see this ball, bowled by one who has tried -it in practice, travelling somewhere near to where point is standing. -There are some slow bowlers who have become fairly proficient at it, -and who have enjoyed at various times, and especially against batsmen -they have never met before, a certain amount of success; but it is -a style of bowling which should only be encouraged to the extent of -enabling every bowler to use it occasionally. If nothing but this ball -is bowled over after over, by constant repetition it loses its sting. -The batsman gets wary, and when the ball is pitched on his leg side -gets before his stumps to protect them, and hangs his bat in front of -him, thereby rendering the loss of his wicket extremely improbable; -and when it is pitched straight for the middle stump or on the off -side, knowing the danger of a hit at the pitch of this ball, he will -simply satisfy himself with protecting his stumps with his legs, and -with letting the ball pass the off stump without further protest. The -trap laid for the batsman in this style of bowling is the danger he -incurs by hitting unless he is actually on the pitch of the ball; if -he falls into the snare, the ball is perfectly certain to go up in the -air, and generally in the direction of cover-point or mid-off. This, of -course, is owing to the twist of the ball causing it to hit the side -and not the centre of the bat. Should the batsman in the act of hitting -miss the ball altogether, as is not infrequently the case, he pays the -penalty of being stumped unless he happens to be a fast-footed hitter. -Now, of course, these two traps are well known to every good batsman, -and consequently it is, as a rule, useless to bowl ball after ball of -this nature to him--one might just as well whistle for grouse at the -end of November to come and be shot. - -This ball, therefore, should only be bowled at intervals, and when -according to the bowler’s judgment it may have a fair prospect of -success. Usually this happens on two occasions. The first is when -a batsman has just begun his innings, and is playing nervously and -without confidence; a twisting ball then from the leg side is extremely -apt to fluster and annoy him, and a catch in the slips or at point, or -a catch and bowl, is not infrequently the result. The second is when a -hitter is in, and is hitting to all parts of the field. Then the ball -may be bowled with a great chance of success, especially if the man -is anxious and impatient to hit every ball. He is extremely likely to -hit a little short of the pitch, with the above-mentioned result. It -is not a good thing for the bowler to worry the batsman with this ball -if the latter seems not to like it or to play it nervously; it should -at most be used not more than twice in an over. Let the bowler always -remember that too much of one particular ball, even if distasteful to -the batsman, will frighten and steady him, and perhaps in the end teach -him to play it correctly. There are some batsmen, and good batsmen -too, who never seem to be at home to this ball, although they may -have played it scores of times, and I remember once seeing an amusing -incident at a match in which a bowler who had adopted it was playing -sad havoc with the other side. The first three batsmen had all rushed -out to try and hit the leg-break ball, and, failing to do so, paid the -inevitable penalty of being stumped. Their captain was furious at their -rashness, especially as they were all three good players; he explained, -and rightly, that the proper way to play the ball was either by hitting -it on the full volley--i.e. before it touched the ground--or else -remaining inside the crease and playing it quietly. He went in himself, -intending to illustrate this principle, and, lo and behold! was stumped -the very first ball he received. He scraped forward a long way to meet -the ball, missed it, and remained in a most elegant Fuller Pilch-like -attitude, fondly imagining the toe of his boot was inside the crease. -It was, as a matter of fact, a good inch outside it. In that match -there were five stumped each innings off the same bowler, and the -captain was one of them both times. On another occasion a batsman with -rather thin and weedy looking legs kept jumping in front of his stumps -every time this ball was delivered. Finally the ball, discovering the -weak spot in this gentleman’s physical proportions, managed to find -(just above the knees) an opening large enough for it to pass through -and dislodge the bails. Great was his astonishment and disgust, and as -he retired crestfallen to the pavilion he said to the writer, who was -one of the fielding side on that occasion, ‘It was not the ball or the -bowler that did that; it was all owing to my confoundedly skinny legs!’ -A dodge well worth trying with this ball is to bowl a good length about -two feet to the leg of the batsman; he is nearly sure to have a hit, -and there is a great chance of the spin on the ball causing it to be a -miss-hit, which may go straight up in the air, for the wicket-keeper, -point, or bowler to secure; even if it is a clean hit to leg it is -nearly bound to be in the air, and long-leg may possibly have a chance. -If this scheme is to be practised it will be generally a good thing for -the bowler to have his long-leg perfectly square, and bring his long -field on round till he is almost in the position of a forward long-leg. -This should be done by quietly waving the hand in such a manner as -to attract the attention of the batsman as little as possible. It is -impossible to lay down any rule for the way in which the fieldsmen -should be placed for this style of bowling, as this depends so much -upon the play of each particular batsman. A long-leg is, however, -nearly always necessary, and very often an extra man out on the leg -side, as mentioned already. Two men out in the field for the average -batsman cannot be dispensed with. The bowler himself, as a rule, will -know how to place his field for each batsman, but on no occasion should -he ever omit to have a short-slip. This is such a very likely place -to get a batsman snapped up that it should never be dispensed with to -any style of bowling, except perhaps to slow under-arm, and not always -then. A slow bowler who intends to use the leg-break, let us say, once -an over, or even once in two overs, and who relies on this ball as most -likely to secure wickets, may on ordinary occasions place his men thus, -but, as we said before, they must be changed to suit the circumstances. - -If the ground is hard and fast, as a rule a third man cannot be -dispensed with; but if inclined to be slow, he may be brought forward -to extra cover-point, between cover-point and mid-off, or else put -deep in the field on the on side. The bowler may, however, see that -the batsman is wide enough awake to restrain himself from hitting -blindly at the pitch of this ball when straight or on the off stump; -it will then be advisable to try him entirely on the leg side--a man -may refuse the bait on one side but take it on the other. In these -circumstances extra cover-point, and sometimes even cover-point as -well, may be brought across the wicket and placed for half-hits wide -on the on--i.e. about half the distance from the batsman that a deep -field would stand. If the batsman assumes a poky style of play, it is -often advantageous, both for saving runs and getting wickets, to have -a short-leg a little nearer the stumps than the umpire, and the mid-on -as near to the batsman as he can venture consistently with safety. In -this, as in every other style of bowling, it is a sovereign rule to -make the batsman play to the ball--i.e. to keep it well pitched up, and -compel him either to hit or play forward. - -A very novel style of this kind of bowling was seen on English cricket -grounds in the summer of 1884, when the Australian team of that year -included W. H. Cooper, so well known to all our cricketers who have -visited the colonies. He bowled round the wicket, and nearly every ball -almost a wide to leg. There was more spin and twist on the ball than -had ever been seen in this country before (excepting, perhaps, in the -bowling of Mr. Stratford, who played for a year or two for Middlesex, -but who never made his mark in first-class cricket). The ball seemed -to be twisted or screwed out of the side of his hand in the way a -billiard-marker will screw a billiard-ball along the table to a certain -spot, and then bring it back to him. But, unfortunately for him, he was -unable to combine any pace with this tremendous twist. The ball was -extraordinarily slow in the air, but directly it pitched it would spin -off the ground comparatively quickly, twisting into the batsman on the -faster wickets, sometimes as much as a yard or more. All his men except -two were on the on side, and he expected his wickets to be obtained -by the impatience of the batsman causing him to rush out, miss, and -get stumped, or else by wide hitting at the pitch of the ball on the -leg side, where there were seven fielders with seven pretty sure pairs -of hands waiting for it. In Australia he had met with a fair share -of success, especially against some of the English elevens which had -been over there. It was this latter consideration which induced the -Australian authorities to believe that he would be a useful addition to -their team. His bowling was most unsuccessful in this country. Whether -this was due to an accident to his hand on the voyage to England, or -from the light here being not so glaring and bright for our English -eyes as it is in Australia, cannot be said for certain, but I have a -strong opinion from my own experience that the reason of his success in -Melbourne against Englishmen was owing to the dreadful glare on that -ground. - -One peculiarity of the leg-twisting ball is that when the ground is -soft and sticky it is comparatively of no avail. The ball then, of -course, twists to a greater extent than when the ground is hard, but it -leaves the pitch so very slowly that the batsman can either wait for -it on the long-hop or hit it on the full or half-volley. The leg-break -ball on a soft ground, if bowled at all, must be bowled faster than on -hard, in order to counteract the deadness of the turf. The best states -of the ground for this bowling, as indeed for most, are when the ground -has been hard and fast, and has since become crumbly and covered with -loose bits of grass and worn turf, and when there has been heavy rain -to saturate the ground which is being rapidly dried and caked by a -hot sun. In the former state the ball takes plenty of twist, and also -leaves the ground very quickly, in addition to sometimes getting up -uncomfortably high for the batsman. In the caked state the ball takes -lots of twist, and puzzles the batsman by the varied and uneven paces -at which it leaves the ground, sometimes coming sharply and high, at -other stopping on the ground and, in batsman’s parlance, ‘getting up -and looking at you.’ - - SHORT SLIP - - ● - WICKET KEEPER - ╔╦╗ - ● ║║║ - POINT ¯¯¯¯¯ LONG LEG - - - - - ● - COVER POINT - ● - MID ON - - ● - EXTRA MID OFF - ╔╦╗ - ║║║ - ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ - ● ● - MID OFF BOWLER - - - - - - - - ● - DEEP MID OFF - ● - DEEP MID ON - - The leg-break diagram. - - These positions of the fieldsmen will suit under-arm bowling, except - that, perhaps extra mid-off may be put out on the on side. - -The ‘leg-break’ ball is usually bowled from round the wicket, as -from this side there is more scope for the bowler to make the ball -twist. It is doubtless the best side of the stumps to choose for the -delivery of this ball, but every bowler should remember that it is very -nearly as good as a change of bowling to change from ‘round’ to ‘over’ -the wicket, and this is especially so with leg-break balls. The ball -delivered from round the wicket generally leaves the hand a good foot -outside the extremity of the bowling crease; this means that it starts -about 4 feet 4 inches from the middle stump of the bowler’s wicket, and -in its journey through the air, even if pitched in a line with the leg -stump of the batsman’s wicket, it has to make considerable way from -the leg side of the wicket. This, of course, makes the ball go across -the wicket more from the pitch, and, as a rule, means that a leg-stump -leg-break ball round the wicket misses the wicket on the off side. A -batsman, if the ball is pitched off his wicket, may defend it, as the -rule of leg before wicket now stands, with his legs, and consequently -the bowler has not much chance of hitting it. When bowled from over -the wicket the leg-break ball, being delivered in a direct line with -the batsman’s wicket, will naturally, if pitched on the leg-stump or -between the legs and the wicket, not twist so much, thus making it more -likely to hit the wicket if missed by the batsman. There is also a -direct advantage to be gained by bowling over the wicket if the batsman -is inclined to get in front of his stumps, as there is always a better -chance for the bowler to get an appeal for leg before wicket answered -in his favour than when bowling from the other side. - - ● - SHORT SLIP - ● - WICKET KEEPER - ╔╦╗ - ║║║ - ● ¯¯¯¯¯ - POINT ● - LONG LEG - - - - ● ● - MID ON HALF HIT - - - - HALF HIT - ╔╦╗ ● - ║║║ ↑ - ¯¯¯¯¯ ● | - ● BOWLER OR| - MID OFF _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _| - ● - - - - - - - ● - DEEP MID OFF - ● - DEEP MID ON - - Position of field if bowling on leg side. - -Although, as previously mentioned, there has never been any instance -of the leg-break ball being bowled by a fast bowler, some of the best -bowlers of the past generation of cricketers used to bowl with a -considerable bias from the leg side, and were also of well over medium -pace. Martingell and Silcock were bowlers of this class. This old -style was very effective, and it is greatly to be regretted that it -has almost entirely disappeared from the game at the present day. It -differed from the slow ball that has been discussed only in the amount -of spin; and as there was so much less power expended in spinning or -twisting, the pace of the ball was greatly in excess of that which -can be got on to the slow leg-break. The ball was delivered round the -wicket, at the very extent of the crease, in order to make the angle -from the hand to an imaginary straight line between the two middle -stumps as great as possible. The hand was very little higher than the -hip when the ball was delivered, and instead of the hand and wrist -being completely turned over at the moment of delivery, as in the slow -leg-break, the fingers imparted a right to left spin to the ball. -The ball, coming from a great distance round the wicket and with a -considerable amount of leg spin, would be gradually working away to the -batsman’s off side every inch of its journey, both before and after -pitching. Catches in the slips and on the off side were numerous from -this style of bowling, and it required the batsman’s greatest care and -caution to guard himself against playing inside the balls. It is a -great pity we do not see more of this bowling now. - -The next spin or twist on the ball which we will discuss is the rotary -motion from left to right. This, in cricket phraseology, is termed the -‘off’ break, and is far more universal than that from the ‘leg.’ In -fact, so common is it, and so easy to learn, that nearly everyone who -has ever bowled in a match knows more or less how to put this spin on -the ball. It is, of course, always easier to get spin on to a slow ball -than on to a fast one. - -[Illustration: The leg-break.] - -When the ball to be delivered is a slow one, the fingers and hand -may be twisted into almost any shape, as so little power is required -actually to deliver the ball; all the strength of hand, of wrist, and -of the fingers may be utilised for the purposes of spin alone. When the -ball has to be a fast one, the power necessary to propel the ball at -the required pace prevents so much of the power of fingers, &c., being -expended on spin. A slow ball always takes the spin, after leaving -the ground, to a greater extent than a fast one, because it is longer -on the ground when it pitches, and the spinning has more time to take -effect on the turf. - -[Illustration: Likely balls; and what may become of them if not -correctly played. - - _a_, a likely one for a wild hitter to get himself out on the off - side; _b_ and _c_, likely for a stump, or, if hit with straight bat, - a catch to deep field-off; _d_ and _e_, likely for ‘catch and bowl;’ - _f_, long-leg and half-hit chances--short-slip and wicket-keeper - often get an easy chance off this ball.] - -The natural spin on every ball which is bowled is from left to -right--i.e. the off break. Even when a fielder throws in a ball from -a distance it almost invariably has this spin on it. If you watch the -smallest boy in the street throwing a stone, you will find, nine times -out of ten, the stone has acquired this spin. It is then no wonder -that almost every right-handed bowler relies upon this twist as his -principal artifice. The twist depends rather more on the power of the -fingers than on the hand and wrist, as in the ‘leg-break.’ The ball is -usually, by a slow bowler, grasped firmly with all the fingers resting -on the seam, as this gives more purchase and resistance for the fingers -to operate. The latter at the moment of delivery spin the ball, almost -in the same way as they would spin a top, and instead of an upward and -outward motion of the elbow, as in the ‘leg-break,’ there is an inward -motion towards the side of the bowler. The hand is turned over outwards -when the ball is delivered, and, if properly bowled and pitched just -outside the off stump, and under good conditions of ground, the ball, -after the pitch, will change its course abruptly towards the batsman -and the wicket. - -Differing from the ‘leg-break,’ this ball can with practice be -accompanied by a great accuracy of pitch--an accuracy which has been -attained almost to perfection by some of our best known bowlers. The -late James Southerton, the famous Surrey bowler, could bowl in this -style for hours with only a very occasional variation from a perfect -‘good length.’ Alfred Shaw, of Nottingham, in his day was perhaps the -greatest exponent of accuracy of pitch combined with the slow ‘off -break,’ or what is generally termed ‘break-back.’ This ball should be -bowled a good length, and generally about two or three inches outside -the off stump. - -Of course the amount of twist the ball will take depends on the state -of the ground, and this should at once be apparent to the bowler. The -danger most to be apprehended by the batsman from the off break is that -in playing forward, if not quite on the pitch of the ball, he is very -apt, owing to the twist, to play outside, and allow it to pass between -his bat and right leg to the wicket. It is never a wise thing for the -bowler to use the ‘off break’ every ball, although there are many who -do so. Even if he is devoid of all other artifice, and has no command -over the arts of ‘change of pace,’ ‘flight,’ or the ‘leg-break,’ he -should often vary his style by a ball without any twist at all, and -this should not always be straight. If a batsman has been playing over -after over nothing but good-length ‘off break,’ a ball pitched about -the same spot, two or three inches outside the off stump, and without -any off break at all, will very often be found to go to hand in the -slips, because the batsman is expecting the break and plays inside the -ball. - -[Illustration: The off break.] - -The fast ‘off break’ is a most deadly ball, and Lockwood, Richardson, -Mold, and Hearne are four bowlers who have a consistent break. A slight -slope in the ground from the off side is always a great advantage to -fast bowlers who try the ‘break-back.’ This comparatively rare ball, -when it does come, is sure to try the very best batsman. Its difficulty -arises from the fact that the ball is of such a pace as to necessitate -quick forward play, when the sudden turn after the pitch causes it to -be missed. For playing ‘off breaks’ of all paces, it is a great and -golden rule for batsmen to remember: _Never allow space between the -bat and the left leg for the ball to pass through_. This rule, which -insures the left leg of the batsman being placed well across the wicket -when playing forward, if followed, will render it almost impossible for -him to be bowled out with an ‘off break.’ It is an astounding fact that -this simple rule, which should be patent to everyone, seems unknown to -all our best batsmen with one or two notable exceptions. W. G. Grace -has always played with his leg up to his bat, thereby preventing the -ball from finding an opening between the two. W. W. Read, of Surrey, -is another who plays thus. We do not express any opinion here as to -the bearing of this rule on the leg-before-wicket question. It is -sufficient for a batsman at present, as the rule now stands, that so -long as the ball does not pitch between the two wickets he cannot be -given out ‘l.b.w.’ - -[Illustration: ‘Off breaks.’ - - A, B, C, all good ones; D, if the batsman stands with his legs some - way from the leg stump, this is likely to bowl him off his legs; but - it is a beauty to hit on the on side.] - -The two ‘spins,’ from the leg and the off, are the chief and most -important for all practical purposes. If a bowler by constant practice -has acquired the power of twisting the ball from off or leg at will, -and can at the same time bowl a ‘good length,’ he has laid a tolerable -foundation for future success. We say tolerable, because, in bowling, -twist, as we shall see later on, is not everything; it is an essential -element in good bowling, but it is only one of several, all of which -must combine together before anyone can earn the reputation of a -first-class bowler. - -The two other spins which can be put on the ball are what have been -called the ‘upward vertical’ and the ‘downward vertical.’ By the -‘upward vertical,’ I mean when the ball spins in its way to the ground -vertically, and upwards with regard to the bowler. It may be compared -to the spin imparted to the billiard ball in the screw stroke. This -is effected by striking the ball low down, which makes it revolve in -its course upwards. The effect this upward revolution has is seen when -the striker’s ball meets the object ball, the former having a decided -inclination to stop and return to the striker. In the same way a -cricket ball, when made to revolve upwards, has a tendency to stop and -go slower off the pitch than it went before it reached the ground. - -This twist, as a matter of fact, is never practised; and it is a great -pity that more attention has not been paid to it. Of course it is very -much more difficult to make the ball revolve in this manner than in -either the leg or the off break, but it is quite within the powers of -the possessor of a fairly strong set of fingers. The lower half only -of the ball should be held, so that the upper half protrudes above the -hand and fingers, and at the moment of delivery, which must be from the -level of the shoulder or lower, the fingers and hand must impart as -much upward spin as possible. - -The downward vertical spin is the reverse of this, and is caused by -the upper half of the ball being grasped instead of the lower, as in -the upward. This spin imparts to the ball a tendency to come quicker -from the pitch than the pace in the air would seem to suggest, and is -analogous to the ‘following up’ stroke at billiards. The latter is -made by striking the ball at the top, making it revolve downwards and -vertically from the striker. Very many bowlers possess this downward -spin in their bowling without being at all aware of the fact. They -know, as also do those who play against them, that every now and then -one of their balls will, in cricket slang, ‘make haste from the pitch.’ -The batsman finds he has mistaken the pace of the ball, which flies -past him before he is anything like ready to play it, and when his -stumps lie prostrate, as often as not he will come back to the pavilion -with the old, old story, ‘Bowled with a shooter;’ whereas, in fact, -the ball has hit the middle or even upper part of his stumps. He has -entirely lost the ball from the pitch owing to his misjudgment of its -pace, and concludes erroneously that it has shot underneath his bat. - -We have now considered the four kinds of spin which can be put on to -a cricket ball. Of course there may be combinations of two kinds, as, -for instance, the ball may be spinning from right to left or left to -right, and at the same time be revolving to a certain extent vertically -downwards or upwards; but it would be impossible to discuss the result -of every such combination. - -The ball may break from ‘leg,’ and at the same time show by its -acceleration in speed after the pitch that it has been revolving -downwards as well, and the same may happen with the break from the -‘off;’ but such variations are beyond the reach of any practical -discussion. - -Let us now turn to another element of good bowling--change of pace. -It does not require any great amount of technical cricket knowledge to -understand that, if a bowler delivers every ball at the same uniform -pace, his bowling is easier for a batsman to judge and play than -when he is continually altering and changing the pace. If a batsman -misjudges the pace of the ball he often loses his wicket. If he plays -too slow for a fast ball, or too fast for a slow one, he generally -makes a fatal mistake. As it is necessary for a shooter to accurately -judge the pace of a driven grouse before pulling the trigger, so is it -equally necessary for a batsman to judge the pace of the ball before -he plays to it. This power of judging pace only comes after long -experience; but when it does exist it seems to be exercised almost -intuitively, and without any conscious thought--indeed there is often -no time for thought. - -Perhaps the one thing which made Mr. Spofforth, the famous Australian -bowler, superior at his best to all others, and has earned him the -reputation of being the best bowler that has ever lived, was his -wonderful power of changing the pace of the ball without making it -perceptible to the batsman. In his bowling the same run, action, and -exertion were apparently used for delivering a slow or medium-paced -ball as for a fast one. Many a time, especially on his first arrival in -England, when this bowling was strange to our batsmen, the ball seemed -to dislodge the bails long after the bat had completed the stroke, and -was perhaps high in the air. Change of pace, to be effective, must -not mean change of action; and the first thing a bowler who wishes to -practise this art must understand, is that the slightest variation -in style or action for a slower or faster ball will at once put the -batsman on the _qui vive_ and destroy the effect of the device. - -C. T. B. Turner, the Australian bowler, was a great adept at changing -the pace of the ball without sounding any warning note to the batsman. -He is one of the very finest bowlers we have ever seen bowl; he has -great command over the ball, and a beautiful and easy delivery. His -performances in this country have been wonderful; the only defect -in his bowling which, in the writer’s opinion, keeps him from being -considered Spofforth’s equal is that his action is too easy to see. A -good batsman is not so likely to be deceived by him as readily as by -Spofforth’s windmill deliveries. - -When a slow or medium-pace bowler wishes to deceive the batsman by -a change of pace, he has, of course, two courses open to him--either -to accelerate the speed of the ball or diminish it. When he wishes -to bowl a faster ball than usual, he must remember that the object -of the experiment is to make the batsman play slower to the ball -than he has been doing, and that this result will be far more easily -accomplished by pitching a good-length--if anything, a little further -than a good-length--ball, than by a short one. If the latter is bowled, -the batsman, although deceived in the pace up to the pitch, has time -to discover his mistake before the ball reaches him, and consequently -has his bat ready in time to stop it. If a ball is, however, pitched a -good length, or a trifle beyond it, and up to the pitch is successful -in deceiving the batsman, he will not have much chance of stopping it -afterwards. - -Palmer, another of the famous Australians, sends down the best fast -ball that has been seen from a medium-pace bowler. There is no change -of action to warn the batsman, no longer or faster run, but the ball -comes with lightning rapidity, generally pitched well up, and very -often in the block-hole, making that most deadly ball a ‘fast yorker,’ -about which something will be said farther on. The change from slow or -medium-pace bowling to quite slow is much more frequently practised -than the change to fast, and consequently we may presume it is more -easy of accomplishment. There are few slow or medium-pace bowlers who -do not try occasionally to deceive the batsman by making the high slow -ball pitch a little shorter than the rest have been doing. But although -there are many bowlers who endeavour thus to deceive, there are but few -who are really skilful in the art. - -It is an extremely difficult thing to reduce the pace on the ball -without altering the action. Mr. Spofforth, the Australian, as we have -observed, excelled in this, as also did Alfred Shaw, of Nottingham, -when at his best. For many years Shaw had the reputation of being the -best slow bowler in England, and justly so. His most deadly device was, -after he had bowled three or four of his ordinary paced ones, to toss -the ball a little higher, a little slower, and a little shorter. Unless -the batsman detected the alteration in speed at the moment of delivery, -he made what was often a fatal mistake. If he hit, the ball would go -high in the air, generally in the direction of deep field-on; if he -played forward, a catch and bowl was the very likely result. If this -ball is bowled without deceiving the batsman, it generally meets with -a very heavy penalty, as, if rightly judged at first, it can generally -be either waited for and hit almost to any part of the field on the -‘long-hop’ or bound, or run down and driven past the bowler; but the -latter feat can only be accomplished by batsmen who are very quick on -their legs. - -Some of the best exponents of this ball appear, just prior to -delivery, to greatly exert their bodies, and go through their whole -customary action, while the arm, dragged slower than usual through -the air, delivers the ball when the body is comparatively at rest. -This, no doubt, gives the batsman the idea that the ball is going to -be delivered before it really does leave the bowler’s hand. But it -would be quite beyond the capabilities of the writer to furnish any -intelligible hints as to how to bowl this ball; every bowler will with -practice find this out for himself. - -As a rule, good bowlers of the present day bowl with their arms above -the shoulder, and it is a rudiment in the art that the action of -delivery should be as high as possible. The high delivery is certainly -the most successful where the ground is hard, fast, and true, as then -little or no twist can be put on to the ball, and the higher it is -made to bound the more chance there is of the batsman making an uppish -stroke. In addition to this advantage which the high has over the low -delivery, the higher the arm is raised above the shoulder the more -difficult it is for a batsman to judge the pitch and flight of the ball. - -With regard to the amount of success that slow and fast bowling meet -with, a great deal depends on the state of the ground, but speaking of -England, and on hard wickets, fast bowlers are having the best of it; -at any rate, Richardson is far the most deadly, while Mold, Hearne, -Davidson, Bland, Cuttell, and Hirst are very successful. In a later -chapter, however, the causes are discussed which seem to show that head -bowlers, bowlers who change their pace and methods, will have to be the -bowlers of the future. But it is also true, as a general rule, that -slow bowling is more difficult to play than fast. The advantages that -it possesses over fast are as follows:-- - -First.--The slowly delivered ball describes a curved line in the air -both before it pitches and afterwards to the bat; and balls coming in a -curved line are far more difficult to play accurately than those which -come quick and straight from the pitch. If the batsman properly judged -the fast ball, by simply putting his bat straight forward he would -always meet and stop it. It is not quite so with the slower ball. The -ball, coming on to the ground in a curve, will leave it in a curve, and -may consequently go over the shoulder of the bat. Besides, the quicker -the ball is, the shorter time the batsman has to play it; his mode of -playing must be decided on instantaneously, so he has no time to get -into two minds on the subject. - -[Illustration: _SLOW BALL_] - -[Illustration: _FAST BALL_] - -Secondly.--In slow bowling there is always more actual hitting than -in fast, and the more hitting the greater chance there is of the ball -going up in the air. Fast bowling may perhaps be driven more--that -is to say, it may be pushed hard by good forward play in front of -the wicket in all directions; but it is not often with this style of -bowling that the bat is lifted high in the air, and the shoulders, -arms, and whole body combine together for a big hit or ‘slog,’ as it -is sometimes called, whereas slows often tempt the best of batsmen to -hit without quite getting on to the pitch of the ball, the consequence -being that the ball goes up in the air somewhere. - -It is a very common occurrence to see a slow bowler who is bowling -really well, and with tolerable success, taken off at once on the -advent of some batsman who has earned a reputation for big hitting. -He himself may be nervous about the fearful smashing the batsman may -give him, and suggest to his captain to put on some fast bowler in -his place, or else the captain may make the change himself. What is -the usual result? The fast bowler compels the hitter to play a steady -game, and then, when the latter has just got his eye well set and fit -for hitting, on go the slows again, with the probable result of being -utterly knocked to pieces in a few overs. If the slows had been allowed -a chance at first, when the batsman’s eye had not got settled down to -the light, and he himself was still suffering from the nervousness -inevitable to every man on first going in, what a different tale might -have been told! It is always the best thing to put on slows to a big -hitter when he first comes in. His anxiety to begin to hit at once is -fostered by the slow, easy-looking balls that give him such time to -lift his bat and put his whole strength into the stroke; this anxiety -is often helped, too, by his nervousness, which in many instances -produces a tendency to hit. - -On a certain occasion one of the biggest hitters our cricket grounds -have ever seen made about eighty runs without having a single slow ball -bowled to him. The captain at last put on a slow bowler out of sheer -desperation. As the slow bowler walked up to the wicket to bowl, the -big hitter turned to him and said, ‘What, are _you_ going to bowl your -donkey-drops? I’ll hit them all out of the ground.’ ‘If you _keep on_ -doing it I shall have to go off,’ was the modest reply. The third ball -of the over there was a terrific slog; the bat fairly whistled with the -speed it went through the air, and the ball, touching the shoulder, -landed in short-slip’s hands. - -There are only two exceptions to the golden rule to put on slows when -a hitter first comes in: the first is when there is something peculiar -connected with the condition of the ground which is making a fast -bowler at that particular time especially deadly; and the second, when -the condition of the game renders it imperatively necessary to keep -down the runs at all costs. In the latter case a slow bowler may prove -too expensive, as even the miss-hits of a strong hitter are apt to go -to the boundary. - -Thirdly (to resume the consideration of the advantages of slow bowling, -interrupted by the anecdote and the statement of the rule and its -exceptions).--Slow bowling offers more opportunity to the wicket-keeper -for stumping than fast. It is so tempting for a batsman to rush in and -drive the slow tossed-up ball that often he chooses the wrong one, -misses it, and is left standing still a yard or two out of his ground. -Chances to the wicket-keeper are also much easier off slows than fast, -and consequently a great many more wickets are taken. - -Fourthly.--The very slowness of the ball induces liberties of all sorts -to be taken, besides that of hitting mentioned above. The batsman, -when his eye is well in, often tries to score by placing balls to -a particular spot, which their pitch does not justify. A favourite -error that even the best batsmen fall into is that of trying to hit -the leg-stump half-volleys too much to the on side, and sometimes -absolutely to leg, a stroke which would never enter his head were a -fast bowler bowling. - -Fifthly.--A slow bowler has much greater command of pitch, pace, and -spin than a fast one. The power which is expended by the latter on -the pace of the ball is available by the former for these more subtle -devices. There is consequently a much wider field for experiment open -to the slow bowler. Usually a fast bowler bowls away ball after ball -in the hopes of breaking down the batsman’s defence by a good-length -ball or a ‘yorker;’ if he fails to do this he retires in favour of the -next change. A slow bowler has many devices, of which actually bowling -the batsman out is perhaps very seldom resorted to. He should be able -to pitch the ball within a few inches of the spot he wishes, and thus, -when he has ascertained any particular weakness the batsman seems to -possess, he is able to take advantage of it. There are very few batsmen -who have not certain favourite strokes; some may have a partiality for -cutting, others for playing on the on side for ones and twos, others -for off driving; but whatever the particular _penchant_ may be, a slow -bowler’s business is to make himself acquainted with it and then take -the greatest possible advantage of it. Suppose a batsman shows by his -play that he is always on the look-out for a cut, and even goes so far -as to cut balls which should be driven or played forward to, on the -off side, a slow bowler by his command of pitch and pace may do much -execution. A ball pitched a trifle further up than usual on the off -side and a trifle faster may, and often does, induce the batsman to -try his favourite stroke, at the imminent peril of placing the ball in -the hands of point or third man, or of being caught at the wicket. A -slower and higher ball than usual pitched on the leg-stump will often -induce a batsman to try a favourite ‘on side’ stroke, at the risk of -playing with a cross bat and being bowled or out leg before wicket. In -fact, every fault that it is possible for a batsman to possess may be -taken advantage of by a slow bowler to a much greater extent than by -one of great pace. How often one sees a batsman who has given great -trouble dismissed by a slow bowler who seems to have absolutely no -merit whatever! The ball is tossed high in the air with apparently no -spin of any sort, and so slow as hardly to reach the wicket, and yet -the well-set batsman falls a prey to his over-anxiety to play the ball -where the pitch of it does not warrant. - -Sixthly.--A slow bowler has the advantage over a fast one of having -what is equivalent to an extra man in the field, viz. himself. After -the ball is bowled he is firm on his legs, ready to run in for a catch -and bowl, or to dart to the on or the off side as the batsman shapes to -play the ball. No matter how hard the ball is returned from the bat, he -has always ample time to get down with the right hand or the left or to -jump high in the air; when the batsmen are running he is always able to -get behind his wickets ready to receive the ball when returned by the -fielder, a golden rule for every bowler which is too often neglected. -A fast bowler is generally unsteady on his legs after the ball is -delivered; the pace with which he runs up to the wicket carries him -on a few paces after the delivery, and he is thus generally unable to -exhibit the same activity and sharpness in fielding his own bowling as -a slow bowler does. In days gone by, when grounds were bad and rough, -slow bowling was not so successful as fast, but the general improvement -in the ground has altered this. - -[Illustration: A hot return.] - -And now, having seen some of the advantages slow bowling possesses -over fast, and before discussing the latter’s merits, let us see on -what principles a slow bowler should endeavour to bowl, and what -rules he should follow in order to attain success. Whilst speaking of -slow bowling we shall refer to any pace under that of medium, as the -rules and principles of medium are included in what is said on fast -bowling. Perhaps the most important thing that every bowler, whether -fast, medium, or slow, should realise is, as we have said before, -to keep the ball well pitched up when a batsman first comes in. The -importance of this rule is manifest, as a short-pitched ball requires -no play, whereas one pitched a good length, or even farther, requires -steadiness and accuracy of eye to play; because there is a moment after -its pitch when it is lost to the vision, and consequently if the eye -lacks accuracy the ball will be missed or bungled. An old professional -cricketer, one who has made his mark in times gone by both with bat -and ball, once observed to the author, ‘Anything rather than straight -long-hops, sir, when a man first comes in; wides and full-pitches are -better,’ and he was right; straight long-hops, which, alas! many of -our professional bowlers bowl only too often, in order to prevent runs -being made off them, do more to get in the eyes of batsmen than any -other sort of ball. Often and often one sees a bowler, and perhaps -one who has the name of being first-class, send down to a new batsman -straight long-hops one after the other--balls which it is impossible, -or nearly so, to score off, and then at the end of each over walk to -his place with a thoroughly satisfied air, as if adding one more maiden -over to his analysis had really helped his side on to the ultimate goal -of victory. It is always better for a bowler to see a fresh batsman -make half a dozen runs from well-pitched balls or half-volleys his -first over than to see him stop four straight long-hops. - -On the fall of a wicket the bowler should always remember that the -new batsman is entirely unaccustomed to the light and not yet warm -to his work, and that consequently the pet devices which may have -been clearly seen through and mercilessly punished by the retiring -batsman are for the present quite fresh for the new one. He should -consequently begin by doing all he can to get rid of him at once -before he gets ‘set.’ He should in the first two or three overs try -every effective ball he knows--and certainly in the first over he -should try a ‘yorker.’ This ball, called in days gone by a ‘tice,’ an -abbreviation of ‘entice,’ is certainly one of the most deadly balls -that can be bowled, if not absolutely the most deadly. We believe -that, if statistics could be kept of how every wicket fell during the -course of a season, more would be found victims to the ‘yorker’ than -to any other ball. We can find no derivation for the word ‘yorker,’ -but are told that it came from the Yorkshiremen, who were fonder of -bowling this ball than any other. A story is told of a famous old -Yorkshire professional who, on being asked whether he knew why this -ball was called a ‘yorker,’ replied, ‘Of course I do.’ ‘Well?’ said -his questioner. ‘Why, what else could you call it?’ was the answer, -with a puzzled look and a scratch on the top of his head. The ordinary -definition of a ‘yorker’ is a ball that pitches inside the crease, -and this, no doubt, is correct so far as it goes, but it does not -go far enough. It really should be, any ball that pitches directly -underneath the bat. It is quite possible for a man to be bowled out -with a ‘yorker’ when he is two or three yards out of his ground, if he -misjudges the ball, and allows it to pitch directly beneath his bat, -although the ball pitches as far from the crease as he is standing. The -most deadly sort of ‘yorker,’ however, is the one that pitches about -three or four inches inside the crease. One mistake which the batsman -makes with this ball is that he imagines it is going to pitch shorter -for a half-volley, and gets ready to hit, when he finds the ball coming -farther than he expected, and is then too late to stop it. Another -grave error which many batsmen fall into is that of lifting their bats -up, after judging the pace and pitch of the ‘yorker,’ intending to come -down on it as it touches the ground, which really is at the very last -moment. It seems an easy thing to stop a ‘yorker’ in this way, but it -really requires the greatest nicety in timing, and a moment late means -that the ball has passed and the stumps are down. Whenever a batsman -is playing ‘yorkers’ by chopping down on them inside his crease, it -is as certain as can be that he is not at all at home with them, and -the bowler may hope for success with every one he tries. Even if the -bat does come down on a ‘yorker’ in the crease at the last moment, it -often dribbles on with the spin, and just dislodges the bails. The -only proper, workmanlike way to deal with ‘yorkers’ is to play them -forward. The bat should be thrust forward directly the ball is seen to -be right up to the batsman, and then it cannot fail to be stopped. One -great peculiarity of ‘yorkers’ is that it is impossible to bowl such a -ball to some batsmen. W. G. Grace hardly ever gets one; directly the -ball leaves the bowler’s hand he sees its destination, viz. an inch -inside the crease; he puts the bat out to meet the ball, and makes it -one of the easiest possible, viz. a full-pitch. If there were no such -thing as misjudgment on the part of a batsman, there would be no such -thing as a ‘yorker.’ It depends for its very existence on being taken -for something else. If every batsman were perfectly accurate in his -sight and judgment of pitch, every so-called ‘yorker’ would be neither -more nor less than a ‘full-pitch.’ However, as every batsman, we are -thankful to say, is liable to err in judging the pitch, and as nearly -every batsman when first going in is more liable to err with a ‘yorker’ -than any other ball, the bowler should most decidedly try it. A slow -bowler should first try a medium-paced ‘yorker,’ somewhat faster than -his usual pace, and then a slower one. It is astonishing how many -wickets fall to slow ‘yorkers;’ the ball is mistaken for everything but -what it really is, viz. a full-pitch--for every ball pitching inside -the crease must be playable as a full-pitch. - -When a bowler is put on to bowl by his captain, it is his duty to do -everything in his power to dislodge the batsman. It is really quite a -secondary consideration for him whether many or few runs are being made -off his bowling. It is the duty of the captain to tell the bowler when -he wants the pace in the run-getting to be diminished, and then, and -not till then, must the bowler begin to bowl straight and short with -that object. But until certain instructions are given, the bowler must -never stop for an instant in his endeavour to get the batsman’s wicket. -If he has experimented with every one of his arts and is unsuccessful, -or even if he becomes too expensive in run-getting before he has done -this, the captain’s duty is to take him off. - -It is a common sight enough to see a bowler put on in a match who -simply dare not try the experiments which he has practised with -success, for fear of being hit for a four or two and taken off. He is -quite content to see ball after ball played full in the middle of the -bat straight back to him, knowing well that with such bowling he has -not the remotest chance of getting a wicket. In the hopes of getting -a wicket a slow bowler should often try leg half-volleys; they are, -of course, delightful balls for a batsman to hit, but, at the present -day, when the old George Parr leg hit is comparatively unknown--viz. to -fine long-leg all along the ground well behind the wicket--and the leg -hitting off slows is generally high and square, they often result in a -long-leg catch, and sometimes one at the wicket, through the batsman -hitting too quick at the ball. A bowler who has been sending down ball -after ball with the off break on should often try pitching one on the -same spot but without the break; the batsman is very apt to play inside -this ball, and place it in short-slip’s hands. In addition to the -change of pace which we have above commented on, it is a most excellent -thing occasionally to lower and heighten the action. Alfred Shaw used -continually, by lowering his action, to send in a ball which skimmed, -so to speak, from the pitch at a great pace, and much faster than his -ordinary balls. The raising of the arm higher than usual makes the ball -bound higher, which is very often an advantage, especially on rough -cut-up grounds. The good-length ball outside the off stump, pitched -perhaps eight inches to a foot wide of it, and without any break on -at all, is often a most telling ball, especially to eager, excitable -batsmen. The ball, not being straight, cannot be met with the full face -of the bat, and consequently, unless the batsman puts his left leg -right across the wicket, he must, in playing it, lift it up in the air, -when it is probably captured by cover-point or mid-off. If this ball -can be made to go ever so little from the leg side after it has pitched -it becomes more deadly, as then there is a much greater chance of the -batsman being unable to get over the ball sufficiently to keep it along -the ground. - -There has grown up in late years a most deplorable practice amongst -batsmen of leaving balls on the off side alone, for fear of risking -their wickets. In every match, big and little, one may see batsmen jump -in front of their wickets time after time to off balls, allowing the -ball to go by unplayed at, or if it twists to hit their legs. We call -this a most deplorable practice, because it is not real cricket. The -true object of the batsman is to defend his wicket with his bat; let -him use his legs as well if he likes, but his bat he should certainly -use, and when he holds the bat high in the air and guards his wicket -with his legs, and legs alone, in our opinion he goes beyond the limit -of legitimate batting. A batsman is perfectly right in refusing to hit -or play at wide balls on the off side, but when he remains passive to -balls a few inches only outside the off stump, he not only acknowledges -his want of confidence in himself, but also degrades the dignity of -a cricket bat by substituting in its place his own usually nervous -legs. We remember seeing, some years back, a batsman who had completed -his hundred refusing, on a perfectly good wicket, to play ball after -ball on the off side. The famous old bowler David Buchanan was bowling -at one end, and could not understand how some of his most lovely -half-volleys were allowed to pass by unlooked at and despised. The -batsman, however, was thoroughly well roasted by his own side and the -other for his tame play; and it was satisfactory afterwards to learn -that he had given up his weakness for seeing long-hops and half-volleys -pass on the off without being first heavily taxed for the good of his -side. It is rather a difficult thing for a slow bowler to know what to -do when he has to bowl to a batsman of this sort. He might, of course, -go on bowling on the off side, and try to tire the batsman out and -make him play; but this, in these present days of good wickets and -lengthy matches, would take far too long. The best course for a bowler -to take is continually to alter his pace, and endeavour by pitching a -ball sharper from the pitch and quicker than usual on the off stump to -get the batsman out leg before wicket. Just the very slightest degree -outside the off stump is also a good place for this class of player; he -gets undecided whether to adopt his mawkish style of play or not, and -in his indecision is apt to make mistakes. - -A favourite scheme for a slow bowler to get rid of a batsman is by -bowling him off his legs. This is always more easy of accomplishment -when the batsman’s legs stand some distance from the leg-stump and his -bat. When this is going to be tried an extra man should be put out on -the on side between long-leg and deep field-on, as the ball which is to -be bowled will, if hit by the batsman, generally go in that direction. -If the bowler can dispense with a long-leg, it is advantageous to have -a short-leg, perhaps a yard or two in front of the umpire, and also a -mid-wicket on as near to the batsman as he can with safety venture. The -ball should then be bowled with as much off break and as good a length -as possible, in a line with the leg-stump; if played at and missed on -account of the twist it hits the legs, and so cannons into the wicket. -If it is met with the bat there is always a chance of the twist taking -it into the hands of short-leg or mid-on. The place on which the ball -pitches must depend on the state of the ground and the amount of twist -that can be put on to the ball. - -Spofforth, the Australian, was a bowler who used this ball very -successfully, as indeed he did most others. When he had the ground -in a suitable state--i.e. when it was sticky or else crumbled and -loose--he used to place a short-leg close in to the batsman about two -yards behind the wicket; he would also have another short-leg or mid-on -close in to the batsman and fairly straight. He would then bowl about -medium pace, pitching ball after ball a good length on the leg-stump, -and with as much off break as he could get on, which, of course, would -vary with the state of the ground. The result of this manœuvre was -to make the batsman’s chance of remaining at the wickets for long -extremely doubtful. The pace (medium) would compel him to play forward -to all good-length balls; the break-back and abrupt rise or kick then -made it very probable that he would either place the ball in the hands -of one of the expectant short-legs or else be bowled off his bat or -legs. The author recollects on one occasion having to play against the -redoubtable Spofforth under the above circumstances. After receiving a -few balls he came to the conclusion that it was absolutely impossible -to prevent being captured by one of the short-legs, who were both -standing ridiculously close, and every ball was rising uncomfortably -high. He determined to take the liberty of pulling, and did so once -or twice with success, till he paid the usual penalty of the practice -on a kicking wicket by being badly cut over. He then tried jumping in -front of his wicket and trying to slide the breaking balls off his bat -to very fine long-leg. Spofforth, however, was too much for him, and -almost immediately bowled a straight middle stump ball without any -break on it and rather faster than the others; it kept low, hit the -shin, and there was as dead a case of ‘l.b.w.’ as any bowler could wish -for. - -A favourite trick of some slow bowlers is to bowl from different -distances. Sometimes the bowler will have one leg behind the wickets -and the other in front, and sometimes both behind; we have even seen -some bowl occasionally with the front leg as much as two yards behind -the wicket. The object of this is to deceive the batsman as to the -pitch of the ball by changing the distance the ball has to travel. -This is doubtless an excellent theory, but in our opinion it is not -of much worth in actual practice. We have seen bowlers of all sorts -repeatedly try this experiment, but in our experience it never meets -with any appreciable success. This is perhaps owing to the fact that -the batsman can always see very clearly when the bowler does not come -up the whole way to the wicket, and is accordingly on the alert for a -shorter pitched ball than usual. The only practiser of this trick who -ever seems to turn it to good account is Tom Emmett, the left-handed -Yorkshire veteran; he usually bowls his slow wides from some distance -behind the crease, and certainly obtains a fair share of wickets with -these balls; but even in his case we think that it is generally not so -much the difference in the distance that the ball has to travel which -causes disaster to the batsman, as the latter’s anxiety and impatience -to score from slow wide off balls, which look so easy and are really -so deadly. However, though our opinion of this bowler’s ‘dodge’ is -not particularly high, we still think it is worthy of trial at times -by every slow bowler. A slow bowler should try every wile that can -possibly be attempted; by adopting slow bowling he has undertaken to -use the ‘wisdom of the serpent’ in the guise of the ‘harmlessness of -the dove,’ and has sacrificed pace to cunning and thought. No slow -bowler is worth his salt who merely tosses the ball into the air and -trusts to chance for success, even if it has a little spin on it; he -must continually think and diagnose every particular case which comes -before him, and then adopt the measures necessary for each one. With -this object it is the duty of every slow bowler to take advantage of -any local peculiarity which the size and situation of the ground may -afford. He should almost always have the choice of ends, except on -occasions when the captain of the side considers that for some reason -his fast bowler is more likely to get rid of the batting side for a -small score than the slow, and then, of course, the fast must have the -choice. - -For example, in the University matches from 1878 to 1881, Oxford was -so overmatched by Cambridge that in each of these years before the play -began it was considered by the outside public as a foregone conclusion -for the latter. The really knowing ones, however, who thoroughly -understood the game, were aware that there was one man on the Oxford -side who might any day get rid of the best side in England for a very -small score. That man was Mr. Evans, the famous fast bowler. He was the -only man on the side who, humanly speaking, seemed capable of turning -the chances of the game. He consequently chose his own particular -end--the one he thought most suited to his style, quite irrespective of -any mediocre slow bowler that was on his side; and the havoc he played -amongst the Cambridge wickets for those four years may be seen from the -old scores. It is, however, an exception when a side depends almost -entirely on its fast bowling, and it is only when this exception arises -that a slow bowler (assuming him to be one who is competent to judge) -must not have his choice of ends. Of course we mean his choice of ends -at the commencement of an innings, as after that it is the captain’s -duty to put any bowler on at either end, and it is the duty of every -bowler to obey his captain cheerfully. - -As already remarked, every slow bowler should take advantage of every -local peculiarity that may offer itself. For instance, there may be a -ground where a high tree is behind one of the wickets; the slow bowler, -if he thinks this tree will help him at all, should take his measures -accordingly. We hope none will think we are advocating anything at -all unfair in the game, or anything that is even on the line between -fairness and ‘not quite straight.’ As a rifle-shooter takes advantage -of a lull in the wind to pull his trigger, as a deerstalker of every -rock and unevenness of ground to approach his game--in short, just -as in every kind of sport natural facilities may be utilised--so in -bowling every peculiarity of time and place should be enlisted on the -side of the bowler in his (in these days of good wickets and good -batting) by no means easy task of getting rid of the batsman. If a -bowler, who, we will say, usually bowls over the wicket, perceive that -by bowling round the wicket he may make his bowling more difficult to -see, and consequently more effective, on account of a tree, house, or -hedge that is directly behind that side of the wicket, he should most -certainly change and make the most of that advantage. An injudicious -and talkative batsman often materially assists a bowler by such remarks -as, ‘I can’t see your bowling a little bit. When tossed high in the air -that beastly tree is right behind;’ or, ‘When you bowl over the wicket -the ball gets right in a line with the dark windows of the pavilion, -and I can’t see it at all.’ Can anyone imagine for a moment that a -bowler will not do his very best instantly to make the most of the dark -branches of the tree or the windows of the pavilion? The sun, too, -often materially assists a slow bowler, especially during the last hour -or hour and a half of the day’s play. If there are any trees round the -ground, the shadows, beginning to lengthen, will often lie right across -the pitch, and if there is one anywhere near where a good-length ball -should pitch, it is advisable to try pitching one occasionally on it. -If the sun is behind the bowler’s wicket and getting a little low, the -bowler should try by bowling high slow ones to get it in the line of -the batsman’s vision. Every possible advantage within the limits and -spirit of fair play may be considered legitimate for a bowler. Local -advantages of ground and weather are certainly within these limits, but -any peculiarity of dress or tricks of manner, which are in themselves -calculated to baulk or annoy a batsman, are not. - -For example, bowling with a long loose and flapping sleeve in order -to distract the batsman’s attention from the ball, a habit which of -late has been seen on our English grounds, is in itself intrinsically -unfair and unworthy of any true cricketer. And again, waving the arms -behind the ball after it has been delivered, or any other trick adopted -in order to worry or harass the batsman, is manifestly unfair. Some -batsmen are extremely fastidious, and are distracted by the merest -trifle. The writer remembers on one occasion taking part in a match -when a batsman objected to a bowler on the ground that he was wearing -a stud made of some bright material or stone, which glistened so in -the sun that it diverted his attention from the ball. This, of course, -sounded absurd, but the bowler at once removed the glittering nuisance, -and rightly too. - -A slow bowler must bear in mind what has before been mentioned, viz. -that it is often almost as good as a change of bowling to change -from over to round the wicket, or _vice versâ_, quite apart from -the advantage he may gain from any local obstruction to good light. -Supposing a slow bowler has been ‘on’ for some time over the wicket, as -a rule the great majority of his balls have been pitched a few inches -outside the off stump and breaking in to the middle or middle and leg. -The batsman has got thoroughly into the way of playing this particular -ball, and does not show any signs of making a mistake. The bowler goes -round the wicket, and although he still continues to pitch a little -outside the off stump, the ball is quite different now from what it -was from over the wicket. It is, of course, impossible to get as much -‘break-back’ spin on to the ball when bowling round as over the wicket, -because the ball is delivered several feet from a straight line between -the two wickets, but in most conditions of the ground it is possible -to get a certain amount on. The change in the direction of the ball, -or rather in the spot from which it is delivered, combined with the -diminution in the amount of break, makes it often a most effective -change and one well worth the trial. In addition there is always from -round the wicket the chance of a batsman playing inside a ball which, -delivered without any spin at all, keeps going across the wicket, as it -is technically called, ‘with the arm.’ - -[Illustration: A pokey batsman dealing with a high-dropping full-pitch.] - -We cannot omit, when enumerating the different balls of which a slow -bowler may avail himself, one which is by no means used as often as -it should be, viz. the full-pitch. In slow bowling there are three -different kinds of full-pitches--the high-dropping full-pitch, which -will pitch either on the top of the wicket or a few inches before it; -the ordinary slow full-pitch, which reaches the batsman about the -height of his knees; and the medium-paced full-pitch, which will hit -the stumps nearly at the top. The high-dropping full-pitch is a ball -that is seldom used, the reason for its rarity probably being the -extreme difficulty of bowling it accurately and the certain punishment -it will meet with if it falls at all short either in height or length -of what it should be. It should be delivered as high as possible; there -is no limit to the height this ball may go in the air, as the higher -it ascends the more difficult it is to play. It should be bowled so -that it reaches its highest point when it is almost directly over the -head of the batsman, and should pitch on the very top of the stumps. -It is strange that this ball is not more often practised by slow -bowlers, as, especially to the pokey, nervous style of batsmen, it is -fraught with considerable uneasiness and requires some skill to play -properly. To really first-class punishing batsmen it is a ball which -has comparatively no terrors, and on which not much reliance can be -placed, though it should always, in our opinion, be tried at least once -to every batsman who is getting ‘well set.’ But to the poker, the man -who refuses to do anything but stick his bat in front of the wicket, -who lets half-volleys, full-pitches, and long-hops pass unscathed and -unplayed on both sides of him--to him who considers he is doing his -side good service by wasting three hours of valuable time for a dozen -runs on his side of the balance, and three hours’ wear and tear of the -wicket on the other--to him who helps so greatly to fill up the records -of drawn matches, the high-dropping full-pitch is an excellent ball. He -does not know what to do with it; he is afraid to step back to play it -for fear of hitting his wicket, and he hardly likes to be so bold as to -try to cut or hit it on the on side. One of the most amusing sights we -have ever seen at cricket was one of these batsmen having ball after -ball of this sort bowled to him; it was not till after he had nearly -lost his wicket a dozen times, only keeping it by exceptional good -luck, and had afforded the greatest merriment to players and spectators -alike, that he burst out from sheer desperation into wild and furious -hitting--a line of conduct which had the immediate effect of compelling -the bowler to desist from his lofty attacks. - -The second kind of full-pitch--the one reaching the batsman about the -height of his knees--is the most usual of full-pitches, and enjoys the -distinction of being considered the easiest of all balls to hit. A -good batsman can hit this ball from a slow bowler to almost any part -of the field; consequently, though it often happens in the chapter of -accidents that a wicket falls to this ball--a catch in the country -perhaps, or a hard catch and bowl--it is of all balls the very worst -for a slow bowler to deliver, except perhaps a long hop. - -The third kind--the medium-paced full-pitch straight to the top of -the stumps--is occasionally, for a slow bowler, a very useful ball. In -the first place, it is not quite so easy to hit as it appears to the -batsman; the change in pace from slow to medium often causes him to -hit a trifle slower than he should do, when the ball, coming on faster -than expected, hits the top or splice of the bat, and goes straight up -in the air. This ball is generally more successful with players who -have a partiality for on-side hitting than with others, as it is never -a difficult one to play quietly; it is only when the batsman tries to -hit that it becomes likely to get a wicket. It is also useful when a -hitter, by running out and hitting every ball, is demoralising bowler, -fielders, and the whole side. If the bowler sees the intention of the -hitter to run out before the ball is delivered--and he is often able -to do this--he can do nothing better than bowl a good medium-paced -full-pitch straight at the top of the middle stump; if the batsman goes -on with his intention of running out, he is not only apt to overrun -this faster than usual ball, and let it pass over the top of his bat, -but if he does hit it he is likely to send it high in the air, from -the above-mentioned cause of catching it with the top or splice of the -bat. There is, however, nothing so flurrying to a bowler as a batsman -who runs out to every ball, and who evinces his intention of doing -so before the ball is delivered. The writer has often talked with -old cricketers on this subject, and they have remarked how well the -old bowlers of their early days used to keep their heads under these -trying circumstances. Doubtless they deserve the very greatest credit -for doing so, for there is nothing so trying to a bowler; it spoils -his pitch, and is rather apt to do the same to his temper. The regular -attendant at matches may have seen almost every bowler of reputation in -England so thoroughly flurried and upset by a batsman doing this, that, -in spite of all efforts to keep cool, the bowling was simply paralysed -and rendered useless to the side for the time being. The best courses -for a slow bowler to pursue on these occasions is, 1st, to bowl the -sort of full-pitch just discussed; and, 2nd, to increase his pace a -little, and bowl a little short of a good length, about a foot or more -outside the legs of the batsman. There is nothing a rushing-out batsman -finds so hard to hit as a ball well outside his legs. - -Widish off balls are also useful, as a batsman going down the wicket is -not only apt to miss, but also, if he can reach, to sky them. A high -full-pitch into the hands of the wicket-keeper is likewise sometimes -successful; but, though we may lay down certain rules and suggestions -as to what is best for a bowler to do at this very trying time, we are -afraid that, unless he is able to keep exceptionally cool, they will be -of no practical assistance. - -The variableness of the English climate plays a very important part -in the success or otherwise of slow bowlers. A shower of rain in the -night often has the effect of making particularly deadly a slow bowler -who, the day before, on a hard and fast ground, was comparatively -harmless and ineffective. Up to 1884 the disadvantage of a rainfall in -the night to a side that had begun but not finished its innings was -increased by the rule forbidding the ground to be rolled except before -the commencement of each innings. Rain in the night not only softens -the ground, but brings up to the surface numbers of worms, which cover -the pitch with little heaps of earth mould. These little heaps, in the -absence of any rolling, made the ground bumpy and treacherous, and -consequently entailed serious discomfiture to the batting side. The -only plausible argument ever advanced for this injustice was that it -might happen to either side, and was one of the chances of the game. -However, the M.C.C. wisely decided, though not till quite recently, -that this rule should be abolished, the reason for the decision being -that the side which won the toss had a great advantage as it was, from -having the first and best of the wicket, and that, as the other side -was usually batting at the end of the day, it gave the men an extra -and unfair disadvantage in having the wicket spoilt by rain and worms -without the chance of having it rolled. No rule, however, can affect -the drawback under which a batting side is placed whose wicket is -softened by a heavy rainfall in the night. The roller may level the -worm moulds, but it cannot alter the slow, sticky state of the ground; -in fact, it often brings up more water, and makes the pitch still more -sticky and slow. It is on occasions such as these that slow bowlers -meet with their greatest success. So frequently during the course of -the season do these soft wickets occur, even in what are called our hot -summers, that it is part of the science of bowling to know how to turn -such grounds to the best advantage. The different states of the ground -caused by the weather may be roughly, and for all practical purposes, -divided into five: 1st, the hard and dry state; 2nd, the hard state, -with the grass wet; 3rd, the very soft and slow state, (_a_) with the -grass dry, (_b_) with the grass wet; 4th, the drying state, when it has -been very slow and soft, but is gradually drying under the influence -of a hot sun or wind; 5th, the hard and crumbled state. The hard and -dry state calls for no comment, as everything written on the subject -of bowling, unless otherwise specified, refers to the ground in this -condition. The hard state, with the grass wet, is perhaps the most -trying time for a slow bowler. He has to bowl with a wet ball, which -he has great difficulty in holding; he cannot get on the slightest -degree of twist, as the wet ball slips off the wet grass directly it -pitches, allowing no time for the ball to ‘bite’ the ground and take -the twist. A good batsman on these wickets knows that all he has to do -is to play forward with a straight bat when the ball is anything like -a good one, and he is bound to meet it. The slippery ball flies off -the bat like lightning, and travels, if the grass is short and not too -thick, over the hard ground faster than it does when the grass is dry. -Every now and then a ball may be inclined to keep low or shoot; but a -shooter does not possess the same terrors on a wet as on a dry ground, -because in almost every instance it can be played forward to, and a -good batsman in playing forward always keeps his bat low enough to stop -shooters (especially on wet wickets) until he actually sees the ball -rise. - -The only course for a slow bowler to adopt on these wickets is to bowl -as good a length as he can, and as straight as possible. He should also -bear in mind that the ball leaves the ground far more quickly than -usual in its wet, slippery state, and that, consequently, the most -likely place in the field to capture a batsman is short-slip. Easy as -the ground is for a batsman when once he gets the pace of it, it often -happens that at first he is surprised at the great pace from the pitch, -plays back instead of forward, and places the ball in the slips. It -is a golden rule for every bowler, slow and fast, on these wickets -to have short-slip ‘finer’ than on ordinary occasions, and a trifle -further back. It is often advisable to have an extra man standing about -three yards squarer than the regular short-slip, but no farther from -the wicket. Two quick active men, who are capable at times of bringing -off smart one-hand catches, should be chosen for these places. They -are by far the most likely men in the field to dismiss good batsmen -on wet hard wickets; in fact, it is often difficult to see how two -such batsmen are to be separated on these occasions except by a catch -at one of these places, or at the wicket. A bowler should with this -object keep bowling a good length on the off stump and just outside it, -recollecting that good-length balls must pitch considerably shorter -than usual on these very quick wickets. - -The very soft and slow state is the result of heavy rain which has -left the surface of the pitch dry, but the ground itself thoroughly -sodden. This condition of the ground is popularly supposed to favour -a slow bowler. How often, on coming on to the ground to inspect the -wicket after a night’s rain, is he accosted something in this style: -‘Well, Jack, this ought to suit you; those twisters of yours will want -some watching to-day!’ Jack, after looking at the pitch, which is as -soft and sodden as a piece of dough, knows full well that it will be a -long time before the ground gets back enough of its half-drowned life -to help him in the slightest degree. There is no poorer fun for a slow -bowler than having to bowl on these utterly lifeless wickets. On a -hard true ground, though it may be favourable to the batsman, he has -good sport in trying every dodge he can think of; he fishes and feeds -and angles as warily as Izaak Walton himself; the ground and ball are -full of life and go, and very often, unfortunately for the bowler, the -batsman too. On wet hard wickets, when he can get no twist on, there -is still life and pace in the ground; but in the sodden dead state, -directly the ball touches the ground it sinks in, loses all life and -pace, and comes on to the batsman like what a Yorkshire professional -was once heard to call a ‘diseased lawn-tennis ball.’ There is no -greater fallacy at cricket than to suppose that a sodden wicket is an -advantage to a slow bowler. The time when it begins to assist him is -when the surface is ‘caking’ under the influence of the sun or a drying -wind; and then it is that, as we said above, the greatest successes of -slow bowlers are met with. A slow bowler having to bowl on a sodden -wicket perceives at once that it is extremely difficult for him to bowl -to a good batsman a ‘good-length’ ball for the following reasons:-- - -What is called a ‘good-length’ ball on ordinary occasions remains on -the ground so long and comes off the pitch so slow that a batsman, if -he is so minded, can with ease play it back--i.e. he can see it coming -on from the pitch in time for him to get back and play it as a simple -‘long-hop.’ Anything short of this will all the more be capable of -being played as a ‘long-hop.’ If the ball is pitched farther than a -good length, it becomes at once--certainly to batsmen quick on their -legs--a half-volley. Thus, if a batsman really gets the time of the -ground, he has only to play these two simplest of balls. No amount of -spin will help the bowler; the ball in the soft ground may twist at -right angles, but it does it so slowly that the batsman has ample time -to defend his wicket. In these circumstances there is only one thing -for a slow bowler to do, and that is to bowl faster and endeavour, by -giving extra pace to the ball, to make it come off the ground quicker. -There are some batsmen whom, on these sodden wickets, it is almost -impossible to get rid of. They remain for hours, perfectly contented if -a whole day is taken up with their innings and forty runs added to the -total, the chances of a draw being thereby greatly augmented. A famous -professional stick, on one occasion, remained at the wickets when the -ground was sodden for one hour and fifty minutes before troubling the -scorer; he was then so flustered by the jeering of the mob that he -rushed out, hit a catch, was missed, and, amidst as much cheering as if -he had wanted one run to complete his hundred, broke his duck’s-egg. -Louis Hall, of Yorkshire, was a desperate man to bowl to on these -grounds; every ball that was bowled he either played back or smothered. -Nothing in cricket could be more dull or dismal than bowling to this -batsman on a sodden wicket at Bramall Lane Ground in a real Sheffield -fog. A. Bannerman, the Australian batsman, is another terrible hard nut -for a bowler to crack on these sodden wickets. - -Although, as has been said, slow bowlers are not assisted by the ground -when in this condition, and it is extremely difficult to bowl anything -approaching a good ball to a good batsman, there are some batsmen, and -real good ones too on a hard true ground, who are utterly unable to -adapt their style of play to a slow ground, or rather never can realise -that a ball pitched into a lump of dough will leave it much slower than -when pitched on to a stone. These batsmen, if they kept their keenness -of eye and activity till they were a hundred, would still be seen -playing a quick forward stroke on the sodden ground, sending the ball -up in the air in every direction. A batsman who persists in playing -forward on a dead wicket and finishing his stroke as he would do on a -fast wicket is certain not to last long. It is very curious to notice -how sometimes nearly a whole batting side will make a mistake about -the condition of the wicket. The first batsmen see the ground slow and -the ball twisting a good deal, and begin playing as they would do on a -faster wicket, viz. playing forward to the pitch instead of waiting and -playing a back game. Four or five batsmen will follow, play in the same -style, and lose their wickets, generally bowled, or caught and bowled. -Some batsman will then come in who at once finds out what the slow -bowlers have long since known--that it is a slow easy wicket he has to -bat on, and not a ‘caked,’ ‘kicky’ one. What happens? He plays every -ball back except those that he hits, and he hits everything except a -long-hop, because he can get to the pitch of anything else. The slow -bowlers who have been doing the mischief are soon knocked off, and -his side, in spite of the failure of its four or five most competent -batsmen, makes a good score. On one occasion in a first-class match -the first seven wickets fell for fifty runs, the wicket being deadly -slow and dull; the eighth man came in, and, by dint of playing back and -hitting and a little luck, made over a hundred in about an hour and a -half, being fortunate enough to have some one to stick in with him at -the other end. - -When the ground is very soft and the grass wet, the bowler is in -about the same position as when the grass is wet on a hard wicket; -he has to bowl with a wet slippery ball, and cannot get any twist at -all upon it. This is called the ‘cutting through’ state, which means -that, the ball being slippery and the ground and grass wet, it cuts -through the surface of the pitch, taking with it a small piece of wet -sticky turf. As in the hard state with wet grass, short-slip is an -important place and likely to get chances. Although the ground when -in this condition is in favour of the batsman, cricket is miserable -under such circumstances, and is enjoyed neither by batsman, bowler, -nor fielders. The batsman cannot stand on the slippery mud; the bowler, -with wet dirty hands, and boots and trousers bespattered with slush, is -utterly unable to do anything with the slimy ball; and the fieldsmen -can neither hold nor stop it. The ground is covered with sawdust, -without the use of which it would be impossible for the bowler to grasp -the ball firmly, and altogether the whole scene is so unlike cricket, -essentially a fine-weather game, that it always seems a pity under such -conditions to go on playing. - -The drying state, when the ground has been very soft and sodden, but -is gradually drying and caking on the surface under the influence of a -hot sun or wind, is the time when slow bowlers have it all their own -way. It is on this condition of ground that in former days bowlers -like Alfred Shaw, and Peate, of Yorkshire, and in present times -Tyler, Briggs, and Wainwright, have so often astonished the cricket -community with wonderful analyses. When the ground has got into this -state, it will often remain so for several hours. At Lord’s, when the -ground after being soft has become caked on the top, it is no unusual -occurrence to see thirty good wickets or more fall in the course of the -day. When a side, no matter how many really good batsmen it may number, -has to go in on ‘caked’ wickets against good bowling, they may think -themselves lucky if they get 100 runs. The ball takes almost as much -twist as a bowler wants to put on; it comes off the ground at different -paces, one part of the pitch being a trifle drier and harder than -another. The first ball of the over will perhaps get up almost straight -and very quickly from the pitch as a batsman is playing it; the next -pitches a trifle shorter, may stop in the ground, and ‘get up and look -at you,’ as it is called, making correct play an impossibility. Or -perhaps one ball will get up very quickly and high, and hit the batsman -on the arm or side, and the next, pitched in almost the same spot, -will leave the pitch equally quickly, but never rise more than an inch -from the ground. It is no recommendation to a bowler to be able to get -wickets on such grounds as these; any bad bowler might bowl a good -batting side out for a small score with such assistance. The only way -a batsman can reasonably hope to add any notches to the score of his -side is to grasp the situation at once, throw careful correct play to -the winds, and hit, pull, and slog in every direction where he thinks -he can get rid of the teasing ball. The Australian eleven of 1882 were -particularly good on this class of wicket; they had four men--Giffen, -Bonnor, McDonnell, Massie--who, rarely needing much inducement to hit, -used to launch out most vigorously and successfully on these occasions, -often cracking up twenty or thirty runs in about half the number of -minutes, and securing victory for their side. - -Although very badly caked wickets are not uncommon, perhaps the best -for bowling and the worst for batting in modern experience was at the -Oval during the last innings of the England _v._ Australia match, in -1882. It is the only disastrous match for England in the whole list -of national fixtures that have been played in this country. It may be -remembered that England, having only a few runs to get to win, nearly -made them for the first two wickets, Grace and Ulyett both making about -twenty. The ground at this time was drying and becoming every minute -more difficult, and the way in which our English wickets were mowed -down by Spofforth is now a matter of cricket history, too well known to -repeat. Spofforth was bowling rather more than medium pace, bringing -the ball back a foot or more very quickly from the pitch, sometimes -kicking to the height of the batsman’s head, and at others shooting. -Some of our cricket reporters talked in an airy manner about the ‘funk’ -of the English team on that occasion, but the charge was wholly without -foundation. A batsman’s consciousness that twenty thousand spectators -were watching each ball with breathless interest, and that on his own -individual efforts depended the reputation of English cricket, that -the bowling was about as good and the ground as bad as any cricketer -had ever seen, might, and probably did, cause a feeling of intense -anxiety in the minds of each of the English players who failed in his -efforts to win victory for his side; but to say that their efforts were -paralysed, or that any one of them was unnerved by what is popularly -called ‘funk,’ is certainly unjust to the well-tried cricketers who did -battle for England on that memorable and disastrous occasion. - -The hard and crumbled wicket is perhaps almost more difficult for -batsmen than when it is caked. The ball will twist a great deal on this -class of wicket, and does it very quickly. It is also inclined both to -‘pop’ and keep low. Spofforth and Turner of the Australian bowlers, and -Peel, Briggs, and Attewell of the English ones, are all most deadly -bowlers on such a wicket as this. - -Some of our most successful slow bowlers have been left-handed. The -peculiarity and difficulty about left-hand bowling is that the natural -spin imparted to the ball by a left-handed bowler is the off-spin, -which, of course, makes the ball after the pitch twist from the leg -side of the right-handed batsman to the off. This, as we have mentioned -above, is the most difficult twist for a batsman to play, as an off -break is more easy to watch after the pitch than a leg-break. The -leg-break which a batsman has to meet from a right-handed bowler is not -so difficult to play as that from a left-hander; because, first, the -latter is usually faster than the former, and, secondly, it is much -more disguised. The right-hand leg-break is impossible without getting -the ball in the centre of the hand and screwing the hand round just -as if it were twisting a corkscrew the reverse way--an action which -at once prepares the batsman for the leg twist. Thirdly, because it -usually twists very much less than the right-hand leg-break. It is not -the ball which twists the most that gets the wickets; it is the ball -that just twists enough to beat the bat. - -The mode of attack generally adopted by a slow left hander is to place -all his men, with the exception of a short-leg and a deep mid-on, on -the off side. He then proceeds to bowl on the off stump and outside -it, making the ball go away from the batsman to the off as much as -possible after the pitch. Great care has to be taken by the batsman, -as the slightest mistake in hitting or forward play will give a catch -to one of the numerous traps laid all round on the off side. It is the -object of the bowler to get the batsman either to hit at a ball which -is not quite far enough to be smothered, or to reach out and play -forward at one which is a little beyond his reach. A favourite device -of the left-handed bowler is to get the batsman to hit at widish ones -on the off side, a stroke that must cause an uppish hit somewhere, -as it is impossible for a batsman to smother a ball that is a trifle -out of his reach. It is often a good thing for a left-handed bowler -to send down a ball without any twist on it at all, especially if he -is bowling on a wicket where he is able to ‘do’ a good deal. The ball -without any spin on it should pitch on the middle and off stumps; and -if the bowler is bowling from round the wicket, as left-handers usually -do, it will then come on in a line with the pitch and the hand at the -moment of delivery, and if not stopped by the bat, take the leg-stump. -This slow ball that comes with the arm in the middle of others going -the other way is very successful. Slow left-handed bowlers often have -their tempers sorely tried by a class of batsmen that were discussed in -a previous portion of this chapter, namely, those who are so frightened -of getting out that they will never play at an off ball, long-hop, -half-volley, or good-length. There are many enticing balls bowled by -left-handed bowlers that ought to be left alone by every batsman, -notably those that pitch too wide to enable them to be played forward -and smothered. There is no greater or more successful trap for wild -young players than these widish off balls. But it is indeed a trying -time for the bowler when he keeps pitching just outside the off stump, -and is not even played at by the batsman. Bowlers should, in these -circumstances, bowl ball after ball on the off stump and just outside -it. It is by no means an uncommon occurrence to see these punishing -batsmen taken in by a ball that comes in a little with the arm, and -removes the bail while they are striking an attitude, bat over shoulder. - -We have had some excellent left-handed bowlers in England, and there -can be no doubt that every team should possess one of this sort if -possible. Peate for some years enjoyed the reputation of being the -best left-hander in England, and rightly so. He was an exceptional -good length, difficult to see, and had a lot of work on. Some of his -performances against the Australians are truly wonderful. When Peate -first began to play cricket he was a very fast, high-actioned bowler, -and the writer remembers finding him on the slow sticky wicket of -the Carlisle ground very nasty to play. He subsequently altered his -pace to slow, and it is a remarkable fact that after this alteration -he completely lost the power of sending down a really fast ball. -Another of our great slow left-handed bowlers was David Buchanan, and, -strangely enough, he too was in his early days a fast bowler. As one of -the slow school he is best known, and we have no doubt that he at the -present moment has taken nearly twice as many wickets in the course of -his career as any other living cricketer. His bowling was celebrated -for the great amount of work he got on to the ball; unless the batsman -was on the pitch of it, a mistake was certain. The only team that ever -seemed to enjoy Buchanan’s bowling was the Rugby boys, and constant -practice had robbed it of all terrors for them. - -It is a doubtful point amongst cricketers whether Peel of Yorkshire -or Briggs of Lancashire was the best left-handed slow to medium -bowler. In the writer’s opinion Peel was the best. He bowled perhaps -a slightly better length than Briggs, and as he had a more difficult -action to see, was not so easily hit by a resolute batsman as Briggs. -They were both, however, excellent bowlers, but both are now a little -past their prime. Briggs possesses a marvellous strength of wrist and -fingers, which give him great power of twist and pace. His very fast -ball is nearly as good as that of Palmer, the Australian. One of his -best performances was in England _v._ Australia at Lord’s in 1886. None -of the English bowlers on this occasion could do much with the ball -except Briggs. There is one Australian left-handed bowler who we regret -has never been seen on English cricket grounds--Tom Kendall. In 1878, -when the first colonial team visited this country, great accounts of -Kendall’s prowess with the ball had reached us. His name was included -in the list of the players whom we were led to expect, but for some -reason or other, though he did actually start with the team, he left it -at Adelaide or at some other port at which the ship touched. The writer -saw him and played against him in 1882 in Tasmania, and, though getting -on in years and rather on the big side for bowling, he was about as -nasty a left-hander as any batsman could wish to play. He had a high -action, changed his pace well, from slow to medium, and then to very -fast, had lots of work both ways on his slow and medium balls, and the -very fast ones went with the arm. When the writer saw him his length -was not as good as it might have been, or, from all accounts, as it -once was. His action reminded us rather of that excellent bowler J. C. -Shaw, in his day the best left-hander in England. - -In the first Australian team that visited this country, in 1878, -there was another left-handed slow bowler named Allan, about whom the -Australians themselves spread most extraordinary statements. It was -said that Allan, ‘the bowler of the century,’ as he was called in -Australia, possessed some of the most remarkable qualities. Rumour -declared his spin off the ground was so great that the slowest -ball came off up to the bat at ten times greater speed than it had -travelled to the pitch; that he could twist either way, to almost any -degree, at will, and that his bowling had a most remarkable curve in -the air, which rendered it most deadly. This left-handed bowler is -mentioned because, though his powers of bowling had, of course, been -greatly exaggerated, it was certainly most puzzling. He met with some -considerable success at the outset of the tour; but subsequently his -health gave way before the wearing work of cricket every day, and he -was unable to bowl at all. His bowling had a considerable amount of -spin, but what was the most extraordinary thing connected with it was -the inward curl in the air towards the body of the batsman, and then, -after the pitch, the outward twist of the ball. A ball that goes one -way in the air, and another after the pitch, is calculated to try the -mettle of the best batsman. It is a subject for regret that Allan, -through increasing years and his consequent inability to stand hard -work, has not accompanied any of the later teams, as his bowling was so -very different from anything we have ever seen at home. - -Does bowling curl or twist in the air? is a question we have often been -asked, and we have frequently heard disputes, by men who possessed some -considerable knowledge of the game, as to whether it was possible for -balls to travel thus or not. It seems almost incredible that men who -have over and over again handled the bat should doubt the tendency of -some kinds of bowling to twist or curl in the air. Nearly all leg-break -slow bowlers curl inwards towards the batsman before the pitch, and no -one who has ever played against W. G. Grace’s bowling can doubt that -the real secret of his success as a bowler has been in the peculiar -flight his action gives the ball, causing it to curl before it pitches. - -However, the question as to balls turning in the air has been -definitely settled by the American base-ball players. In this game the -pitcher throws one full-pitch after another to the batsman, and even -if the latter happen to be one of the best and most experienced in -the game he misses a considerable proportion of these full-pitches. -And why? because of the twist or curl in the air which the pitcher -imparts to the ball. A very interesting account is given by Mr. R. A. -Proctor in ‘Longman’s Magazine’ for June 1887 of a well-known English -cricketer’s failure to strike the full-pitches of one of the best -American pitchers. Time after time the bat struck the air and nothing -else; and this was simply owing to the curl the pitcher put on the -ball. Mr. Proctor scientifically explains the curl in the air, and it -may be of interest to insert a short extract from his article:-- - - When a ball (or in fact any missile) is advancing rapidly through the - air, there is formed in front of it a small aggregation of compressed - air. (In passing we may remark that the compressed air in front of an - advancing cannon ball has been rendered discernible--we can hardly - say visible--by instantaneous photography.) In shape the cushion of - air is conical or rather conoidal, if the ball is advancing without - spin; and therefore it resists the progress of the ball equally on - all sides, and only affects the ball’s velocity. The same is the case - if the ball is spinning on an axis lying along its course. But in the - case we have to consider, where the ball is spinning on an axis square - to its course, the cushion of compressed air formed by the advancing - ball has no longer this symmetrical shape. On the advancing side of - the spinning surface the air cannot escape so readily as it would if - there were no spin; on the other side it escapes more readily than it - would but for the spin. Hence the cushion of air is thrown towards - that side of the ball where the spin is forwards and removed from the - other side. The same thing then must happen as where a ball encounters - a cushion aslant. A ball driven squarely against a very soft cushion - plunges straight into it, turning neither to the right nor to the - left, or if deflected at all (as against a billiard cushion) comes - straight back on its course; but if driven aslant against the cushion, - it is deflected from the region of resistance. So with the base ball. - As the cushion of air against which it is advancing is not opposed - squarely to it, but is stronger on one side than on the other, the - ball is deflected from the region of greatest resistance. - -There is one style of slow bowling that has of late years almost -completely vanished from first-class cricket: we refer to under-hand -slows. When Ridley left off bowling lobs, about twelve years ago, -nobody except Humphreys attempted to bowl lobs, but in 1897 Jephson, -of Surrey, has introduced them again with some success, and we hope -he will prosper. As under-hand was at one time the only bowling that -was allowed by the rules of cricket, and as it met with a great amount -of success, even after the raising of the arm was permitted, it will -be as well to refer to the cause that has brought about its practical -abolition. This is owing to the increasing popularity of the game, -and the consequent great increase in the number of good batsmen. The -greatest under-hand bowler that ever played was probably William -Clarke, whose merits have been so often discussed in cricket writings -that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. In order to ascertain -the style of batsmen Clarke made his great reputation against, we -must refer to some one who has seen and known the great bowler and -conversed with those who were in the habit of playing against him. We -are told that Clarke had perfect accuracy of pitch, a quick rise from -the ground, and a good leg twist on his bowling. These attributes in -an under-arm bowler, most excellent as they are, would not nowadays, -with the present efficient state of batting, justify the name of the -possessor being placed in the first rank, because we consider no amount -of accuracy of pitch, twist, or anything else can ever secure this -coveted distinction to a bowler of this kind. Mr. Pycroft gives us -the information we require on the subject of batting against Clarke’s -bowling. He says with regard to Pilch, at that time the best batsman of -the day, ‘He played him back all day if he bowled short, and hit him -hard all along the ground whenever he over-pitched; and some times he -would go in to Clarke’s bowling, not to make a furious swipe, but to -“run him down” with a straight bat.’ - -Now this description of the play of a man who was able to meet -Clarke’s bowling is interesting to us, because it shows us that the -way in which the great bowler was played by one of the few who could -oppose him successfully is exactly the same method in which every good -batsmen of the present time _does_ play under-hand bowling. If any man -of to-day, chosen to take part in the Gentlemen _v._ Players match as -a batsman, were to endeavour to play under-hand bowling in any other -manner, he would be laughed at as being devoid of the most elementary -rules of the game. Mr. Pycroft goes on to tell us the way which many -did adopt in playing Clarke. He says, ‘This going in to Clarke’s -bowling some persons thought necessary for every ball, forgetting that -discretion is the better part of cricket; the consequence was that -_many wickets fell_ from positive long-hops.’ This description shows -that a great number of those who fell victims to Clarke’s bowling -were absolutely uninitiated in the first principles of playing slows, -viz. never to hit except on the volley, or just as the ball pitches. -Nowadays every batsman--at any rate all who play in first-class -cricket--knows the danger of playing wildly at under-hand ‘lobs,’ -as they are called. Occasional mistakes are made, no doubt, when an -unexpected lob bowler appears, but more from wildness and anxiety to -score than from any ignorance as to the mode of playing such balls. The -way to play lobs is exactly the method Mr. Pycroft tells us was adopted -by the great Fuller Pilch. - -Slow lobs have therefore in first-class cricket died a natural death, -and although we may expect to find a lob bowler occasionally cropping -up here and there, we do not think there is much prospect of seeing an -exemplar of this style who will ever attain the rank of a first-class -bowler such as that acquired by Clarke, Mr. V. E. Walker, and Tinley. -Mr. A. W. Ridley was the last well-known amateur under-arm bowler who -made a mark in first-class cricket. His performance against Cambridge -in the now famous University match is too well known to need record -here. Humphreys of Sussex has only retired two or three seasons, and -for a long time he got a lot of wickets. His bowling has always been -useful to his county, but during the season of 1893 it has met with -extraordinary success. He has great command over the ball and can -consequently vary its flight, pitch and break at will. Humphreys will -always be a terror to those batsmen who prefer to hit the ball in the -air rather than along the ground, and to those who recklessly leave -their ground and hit wildly at the pitch of the ball. J. B. Wood of -Oxford has occasionally got wickets for his University with lobs, -and helped materially to win the match _v._ Cambridge in 1892; but -he, though useful as a change, is a long way removed from a good lob -bowler, and, indeed, his best ball would seem to be a straight high -full pitch. Although we have stated that lob bowling has died a natural -death, and cannot ever be expected to cope with the present state of -batting, still under-hand slows are occasionally such an excellent -change that we are sorry they are not more practised. It is not, -however, wonderful that there are so few lob bowlers who can go on at a -pinch for a change, when we consider what has been already said about -batting having mastered the art of under-hand; men will not practise -any art unless they have some fair prospect of being ultimately -successful, and knowing that lobs will only be useful very occasionally -and cannot attain to great success, they will not practise them. It is -a pity they do not, as over and over again we see instances of a good -wicket falling to a poorish lob bowler when everything else has failed. -The previous remarks about under-hands refer to first-class cricket; -against schools and against second-class batsmen lobs have been and -always will be particularly deadly. There is something so tempting to -an inexperienced player in seeing a ball chucked up in the air slowly -and simply, it looks so very easy to hit, so peculiarly guileless, that -a wild slog is frequently the result, too often followed by disastrous -consequences. - -For this reason the captain of every school eleven should insist on one -of his team devoting himself to lob bowling; a little practice will -enable any one to get a fairly accurate pitch, and twist from the leg -side any boy can manage. Lob bowling thus acquired at school will often -be useful in after days as a change, even in first-class cricket. There -are one or two simple rules connected with lob bowling which everyone -who attempts this style should master. - -First.--Do not bowl too slow; if the ball is thrown high and slow in -the air, a good batsman, quick on his legs, will have time to reach and -hit it before it pitches. Old Clarke used to say, ‘It wants a certain -amount of pace to make a good-length ball with proper rise and twist.’ -The ball should be sent at such speed as will oblige the batsman to -play forward to it. - -Secondly.--A good long run should be taken, as this gets way and ‘fire’ -on to the ball, and is always more likely than a short run to deceive -the batsman as to the pitch. - -Thirdly.--Generally bowl round the wicket. - -Most of the remarks that we have made on slow round-arm leg-break -bowling apply to slow lobs. - -Having devoted a number of pages to the subject of slow bowling, -let us now turn to the consideration of what is almost equally -important--fast bowling; indeed, it may be said that the co-operation -of a good fast bowler is absolutely essential if a team wants to rank -amongst the best, particularly as, if there be one of each sort bowling -at either end, the change in pace is more likely to embarrass the -batsman than if he had to play two bowlers of the same pace. Between -1872 and 1887 there was a great dearth of good fast bowlers, at the -time much regretted and not easily accounted for. Now there is a great -improvement, and fast bowling gets much more attention paid to it than -formerly was the case. - -Although ordinary fast balls are easy to play on good wickets, -however, it is but seldom that a wicket which is good at the beginning -of a match remains so to the close. The ground wears and cuts up with -the continual pitching of the ball and the tramp of feet, and fast -bowling on such occasions often becomes most deadly. Then, again, a -fast quick delivery to a newcomer, even though the best of batsmen, -may deceive him in the pace, and, before the eye gets accustomed to -the light and the hand becomes steady, cheat him into playing back -at a ball which ought to have been met with forward play. Often have -crack batsmen been dismissed summarily by the first or second ball -coming quicker than they expected off the pitch. Murdoch, the famous -Australian batsman, was particularly apt to mistime fast bowling on -first going in, and several times has the author seen his stumps -shattered immediately by an ordinary straight fast ball without any -‘work’ at all on it. The tail end of a team are usually victims to a -good straight fast bowler, as, unless a fast bowler is met by straight -fearless forward play, he is bound to be dangerous, and it very rarely -happens that the tail end of an ordinary team, even a county team, is -capable of this. A great deal has been said and written about young -fast bowlers bowling too fast for their strength, thus overtaxing their -powers and over-bowling themselves. It is doubtless a fact that many -young promising fast bowlers have been rendered useless by this anxiety -to get more pace on the ball than their strength warranted; and there -can be no better advice to a young aspirant for the honours of a fast -bowler than that so often given, viz. ‘Bowl within your strength, or -else you will over-bowl yourself.’ Although the wisdom and truth of -this warning are generally ascertained by personal experience pretty -early in the career of most fast bowlers, it is seldom, we are sorry -to say, remembered in actual practice--which remissness, we are bound -to add, does not in the least surprise us. It may possibly sound like -heresy to many old cricketers to say that in fast bowling pace is -nearly everything; but such is our opinion. Assume that a man can bowl -straight and a good length--i.e. has a good command over the ball--and -then it may be said that the faster he bowls the more likely he is to -get wickets. And this is generally discovered by young bowlers who have -an aptitude for fast bowling, with the result that many ‘over-bowl’ -themselves, strain muscles, rick shoulders, and render themselves -useless. - -The object of fast bowling is to beat the batsman by the pace of the -ball, and if this object be accomplished the ball will either be missed -or a bad stroke will be made by the batsman. The faster the bowling -the more likely it is that a batsman will be beaten both before and -after the ball leaves the ground. Should the ball ‘shoot’ or ‘get -up,’ the chances of its being played accurately are rendered much -less when the ball leaves the ground with lightning-like speed and is -almost invisible to the eye than when it leaves it with less speed, -and gives the batsman an opportunity of seeing what is going to happen -for an appreciable moment before it reaches him. Besides, the faster -the bowling the more scope there is for the bowler to change his pace -should he be one of the few fast bowlers who have the power of so doing -with advantage. While saying that pace is everything in a fast bowler, -we do not wish for a moment to cry down or disparage the advantages of -medium-paced bowling. This style has its own characteristics, which -are more closely allied to slow bowling than to fast; but at the same -time there are many moderately good medium-paced bowlers now bowling -with some success in first-class matches who would be much more deadly -and successful could they add about half as much speed again to their -bowling. There are, of course, men who, on the other hand, spoil a good -style by trying to bowl too fast--men who depend for their success -on peculiarity in flight and the work on the ball. Every man must -judge for himself; if he possess great powers of twist combined with -accuracy, and anything peculiar or difficult to see in his action, then -let him devote himself to slow or medium-paced bowling. - -When the first edition of this work was published, first-class cricket -was almost entirely without any really fast good bowling. Things have -changed since then, and the hope that we then expressed that a new -race of good fast bowlers would arise has been happily fulfilled. -Ten years ago the only really fast professional bowler was Ulyett of -Yorkshire. He was fast and bumpy, and occasionally most deadly with -his break-backs. Allan Hill of the same county, with his easy and -beautiful delivery, had retired owing to increasing years. There were -brilliant comets for a season or so who shone brightly and then quickly -disappeared. Harrison, likewise of Yorkshire, seemed likely to make -his mark, but after a brilliant beginning vanished from the scene of -first-class cricket. Crossland of Lancashire, for a brief period, -mowed down the County Palatine’s opponents like ninepins, but he too -retired--a victim to the just cry against unfair bowling. There was -Bowley of Surrey, a very fast and uncertain bowler, who was perhaps -the best fast bowler for a season or so, but it was a pitiful best for -English cricket to produce. Amongst the amateurs were A. Rotherham, S. -Christopherson, Whitby and C. Toppin. H. Rotherham, at the beginning -of his career, his last year at Uppingham and the year following, was -a very deadly bowler. He had a good slow ball and a splendid yorker; -but he only lasted a very short time. S. Christopherson was a fairly -good fast bowler at one time, but he took a good deal out of himself -with his action, and soon lost the fire and life that a fast bowler -must possess. The temporary absence of good fast bowlers during some of -the years between 1880 and 1888 was one of the most remarkable facts -connected with first-class cricket. It was the more remarkable because -it was only a few years before this that nearly all the great bowlers -were fast: the list included Tarrant, Jackson, and Freeman, whose -bowling used, it was said, to hum in the air; and after these what a -harvest of fast amateur bowlers there was--Butler, Francis, Powys, -Evans, Morton, and names too numerous to mention. - -Now, we are happy to say, English cricket can once more be proud of -her array of fast bowlers. Richardson of Surrey, the greatest in our -judgment that ever lived, Mold and Cuttell of Lancashire, Hearne and -Davidson are all good fast bowlers. Among amateurs, S. M. J. Woods -was the best, but for the last few seasons he has been handicapped by -a sprain, but when at his best he was a magnificent fast bowler with -a most deceptive slow ball; while Jackson, Kortright, Jessop, and -Cunliffe are all far above the average. - -As mentioned above, with reference to slow bowling, the higher the hand -and arm are raised at the moment of delivering the ball, the higher the -ball will bound after it leaves the pitch. A fast bowler should always -bear this in mind, and keep his hand as high as possible. It is simply -a matter of ordinary common sense that a ball which rises up high from -the pitch is more difficult for a batsman to get over and smother than -one that comes on low and skimming. A fast ball, when it is anything -like a good length, must be met with the bat, i.e. it must be played -with the forward stroke; consequently a ball that rises quickly from -the pitch, and is still rising when it meets the bat, is extremely -likely to rise higher still after it leaves it, unless it is played -with great care and caution. - -The low skimming fast bowler is generally an easy man to play; the -batsman, when the ground is true, can play hard forward to almost any -length of ball; there is no abrupt rise to render an uppish stroke -probable, even if he does slightly misjudge the pace and length of the -ball. There is, of course, in fast bowling, a much greater difficulty -in getting any appreciable twist on to the ball than in slow. The ball -leaves the ground so quickly that it is hardly in contact with it -long enough to ‘bite’ the turf, and so avail itself of any spin that -may have been imparted to it by the bowler. It is to be remembered, -however, that the slightest deviation of a fast ball from its course -after it has pitched is, if a good length, most likely to deceive the -batsman. The latter is bound to play to the pitch of the ball, as it -leaves the ground so quickly as to render it impossible for him to -follow it with the eye in its course from the ground. He plays forward -with a straight bat to meet it; should it turn an inch or two he will -most likely miss it. - -The off break is the one most usually attempted by fast bowlers; the -ball is grasped firmly, generally by the seam, to give the hand a -firmer grip, and is delivered in the same way as described for the slow -off break. There have been but few really fast bowlers who have been -able consistently to make their balls come ‘back.’ Every now and then, -however, for some unaccountable reason, a fast bowler finds that he is -making the ball do a lot from the off side. Perhaps his grasp is firmer -and his wrist and fingers are more powerful than on ordinary occasions, -or the ground may have more turf on it, or, for some other reason, his -bowling twists in from the pitch with most fatal results to the batsmen. - -If a fast bowler happen to be a man of strong physique, which is -usually the case, a fairly long run up to the wickets before delivering -the ball is an advantage to his bowling. This gives more impetus to the -ball, and what is popularly known as ‘devil.’ Spofforth, the Australian -bowler, when bowling fast, took a much longer run than when bowling -medium pace. It is also an advantage to keep the batsman waiting for -the delivery of the ball, which happens when the bowler runs several -yards up to the wicket. For a fast bowler who intends to change his -pace from very fast to medium slow, a long run is of great advantage, -as the sight of the bowler coming up to the wicket before the delivery -of a slow ball as fast as before the delivery of a fast one, is -extremely likely to take in the batsman with regard to the pace. There -are not so many tricks and dodges in the art of bowling fast as there -are in bowling slow; the chief object to be sought is to bowl straight -and good length, and to make the ball bound. A fast bowler, when first -being put on, should remember that his muscles are probably stiff, and -that he may not at first be able to bowl as accurately and as fast -as he will be when thoroughly warmed to his work. For this reason it -is always well to bowl two or three balls to one side of the wicket -before beginning. These should be not quite at full speed, for fear of -straining or ricking a muscle not yet in full swing, but a good medium -pace. It is always best for a fast bowler to try a ball or two before -beginning, excepting in circumstances when he is called upon to bowl to -some one he has never bowled to before, and especially so to some one -who has never seen him bowl. How often when batting have we silently -chuckled with joy at seeing a man quite unknown to us rapidly loosening -his arms with two or three balls before beginning to bowl! It is a -great thing to have an unknown bowler on one’s side, but he loses half -his value if his style and action are revealed to the batsman before he -receives the ball. In 1886 the writer was playing in a match against -the Australians, when, although things had been going very well for the -English side, the team was beginning to get tied up into a knot owing -to the steady careful way in which Scott, the colonial captain, was -defying all the efforts of our bowlers to dislodge him. A fast bowler, -who had never seen Scott in his life before, was deputed to bowl, and -was proceeding to get ready for ‘two or three down’ to loosen his arm, -when he was told not to mind his arm being stiff, but to bowl the first -over as fast as ever he could. The first ball sent Scott’s leg-stump -flying; it was quite a simple ball, never turned a hair’s breadth -either way, but the action and pace of the bowler took him in, and this -would have been very unlikely to happen had he had an opportunity of -seeing the bowler’s style. - -A fast bowler must be straight to be good. This is not the art of one -skilled in the dodges of slows; he has to bowl straight, and a good -length too, or else the runs will come at an enormous rate. In the -present day it is usual to do without a long-stop even to the fastest -bowlers; this makes it imperatively necessary for the bowler not to -bowl to leg, or, if missed by the batsman, the balls have a good chance -of flying past the wicket-keeper to the boundary for four. Whether -it is a good principle to do without long-stops, even when the best -wicket-keepers are behind the sticks, is a doubtful point. - -A fast bowler should have such command over the ball as to be able to -bowl a ‘yorker’ whenever he wishes, for the fact may be repeated that a -fast ‘yorker’ is a most deadly ball. - -Spofforth and Palmer, the Australians, and Rotherham, the old -Uppingham bowler, Woods, and Mold were about the best fast ‘yorker’ -bowlers of modern times. The ball came from these bowlers as high -as the arm would allow, and seemed to fly like an arrow, with -lightning-like rapidity, straight to the block-hole, or a few inches -inside it. A high-action ‘yorker’ is more likely to deceive a batsman -than a low-action one, as in the former case the starting-point of the -ball is above the line of vision, and in the latter on a line with -or below it, which naturally makes the course and pace of the ball -more easy for the eye to judge. A very common error into which good -fast ‘yorker’ bowlers fall is not being content with trying the ball -occasionally to a batsman, and when he first comes on or when they -first go on, but persistently trying, over after over, to break down -his guard with a ball with which he is evidently quite at home, and -which presents no terrors to him. The result of this mistake is that -the balls get considerably punished, either by being driven on the -full-pitch or else on the half-volley, the latter ball being often -the result of a tired-out ‘yorker’ bowler’s persistency. The writer -remembers, when playing in a match some years ago, asking W. G. Grace, -who was on the same side, what sort of a fast bowler a certain man -was who was going on to bowl. ‘Oh, I’m never frightened of him; he is -always trying to “york” you, and bowls any amount of half-volleys,’ was -the reply, and this was soon proved to be, like most of the champion -cricketer’s opinions, perfectly accurate. - -A good length just outside the off stump and between the off and middle -stump is the direction that may be commended to the bowler who bowls -over the wicket, and tries to get a little off spin on the ball. The -leg-stump, in olden days, was considered the most deadly spot for a -fast bowler to aim at; but since every first-class batsman now stands -up to his wicket, and does not draw away an inch when the ball comes -between it and his legs, leg-stump bowling is rather expensive work. -By all means let fast bowlers lay siege to the leg-stump of inferior -batsmen; but good batsmen, getting over this ball, will play it with -an almost perfectly straight bat on the outside, and tax it most -unmercifully for the total of their side. - -As a rule, it is better for a fast bowler to bowl over the wicket, -as by so doing he has more of the wicket to bowl at, and has, -consequently, a slightly better chance of hitting it if the ball is -missed by the batsman. He has also a greater chance of an appeal for -leg before wicket being answered in his favour than if bowling from -the other side of the wicket. There are some fast bowlers, however, -who must, from the very nature of their action and delivery, bowl from -round the wicket, viz. those who have either a natural bias from the on -to the off, or who are able by their strength of wrist and fingers to -impart such a bias to the ball. A man who bowls from the very extent -of the crease outside the wicket, and whose bowling has naturally or -otherwise this leg side bias--it can hardly be called twist in fast -bowling--is a particularly awkward customer for the batsman. There is -such a constant tendency and inclination for the ball to keep going -farther away to the off side, both before and after its pitch, that -the greatest care must be exercised by the batsman to prevent himself -playing inside the ball and putting it up either to point, third man, -or short-slip. A fast ball that comes in from the leg side is the most -difficult ball that has to be played, assuming its good length. There -have been very few--too few--fast right-handed bowlers who have been -able to manage this ball, but there are many instances of left-handed -men who have attained to great accuracy with it. The late Fred Morley, -of Nottingham, and Emmett, of Yorkshire, are instances. - -About thirty years ago there were numerous good fast bowlers, who used -to get the leg bias on the ball in the following way: They bowled round -the wicket, and delivered the ball from about the height of the hip; -the backs of the fingers were presented to the batsman before and at -the moment of delivery; the result being that the ball had on it a -slight amount of what, in slow bowling, we have described as leg-break. -This was a useful style, and it is a pity that it has almost altogether -died out at the present day. - -It is quite impossible to say with any certainty what essentials are -necessary in fast bowling before it can be ranked as first-class; so -very much depends on whether the action is easy or difficult for the -batsman to see. By the word ‘see’ is meant whether the pace and pitch -of the ball at the moment of delivery can be instantly gauged by the -batsman or not. Given equal straightness, pace, and command over the -ball in every respect, the bowler who has an action which it is easy -to see cannot compare with the man who, from some peculiarity in the -movements of his body at the moment of delivery, has an action which -is not easy to see. Now, it is a very difficult task to lay down any -rules or reasons why some bowlers are easier to see than others; but -after a good deal of consideration on this subject the writer has come -to the conclusion that the bowlers who do _not_ present a square front -to the batsman when the ball is delivered, but who stand sideways or -half turned, are, as a rule, the most difficult to judge. The hand -comes then from behind the body, and is often not plainly seen till -the very latest moment before delivery. There may be, and no doubt -are, many mannerisms in bowlers which have their effect, but the above -suggestion will probably be found to contain a good sound working rule. -Take Giffen, the Australian; almost as much of his back as his front -was visible to the batsman when he delivered the ball, and his bowling -was most difficult to see--at any rate until the batsman was thoroughly -well set. Perhaps the best English batsmen have made more bad and -utterly mistimed strokes off Giffen than off any other modern bowler. -Spofforth may have bowled more men out, but Giffen certainly was the -cause of more misjudged and uppish strokes, due, in all probability, to -the fact of his bowling being so difficult to see. - -[Illustration: Low delivery.] - -The best bit of bowling the writer ever recollects playing against was -in the second innings of the Gentlemen of England _v._ Australians, at -Lord’s in 1884. It was Giffen’s day, and a batsman had to have luck -on his side if he succeeded in staying in long enough to appreciate -the beauty of the bowling. Take Peate and Emmett, the two Yorkshire -left-handers, both in their day the best bowlers in England--both these -men stand sideways to the batsman when they deliver the ball, and both -are most difficult to see. Palmer, the Australian, bowled very nearly -quite square; his bowling was very easy to see and to judge, and the -more credit is therefore due to him for being such a successful bowler. -There is no doubt a greater difficulty in attaining to perfect length -and command over the ball when the body of the bowler is not square at -the moment of delivery; but if these essentials to good bowling are -obtained by patience and constant practice, the bowler has this great -advantage, that his balls are more difficult for the batsman to judge -accurately. It seems strange that not one of the numerous published -books on cricket has ever suggested the advantage to the bowler which -is obtained in this way. In almost every one of these works great -stress is laid upon the necessity of the bowler presenting a full face -to the opposite wicket at the moment the ball leaves the hand. It is -doubtless easier for a beginner to bowl _straight_ if he adopts this -style of bowling; but if he can once gain straightness by the other, -viz. the sideways style, he has enlisted a great help to success. - -W. G. Grace is, however, an exception to this rule. He delivers the -ball perfectly square with the batsman; and yet we suppose that to -a batsman who meets him for the first time, his bowling is about as -difficult to see and to judge as that of any bowler ever was. It is a -fact that his bowling is invariably fatal to men he has not met before. -This is owing to the hovering flight that his action imparts to the -ball. The first time the writer ever played against W. G. Grace’s -bowling was at Cambridge in 1878, and on the way to the wickets he -was greeted with the cheering cry, ‘I’ll get you out; I always get -youngsters out!’ and surely enough he did, caught and bowled for two or -thereabouts. What the champion did next morning showed that he was as -generous and kind to young cricketers as he was skilful in the game. He -took the writer to the nets prior to the beginning of the second day’s -play, and saying that youngsters required to know his bowling before -being at home with it, he proceeded to bowl for quite twenty minutes -to him; a comprehension of his method was thus gained, and the result -was an addition to the Cambridge score of some forty odd in the second -innings. Few latter-day cricketers would do this. - -Perhaps one of the reasons why W. G. Grace is so deadly to young -cricketers is this: the batsman, seeing an enormous man rushing up -to the wickets, with both elbows out, great black beard blowing on -each side of him, and a huge yellow cap on the top of a dark swarthy -face, expects something more than the gentle lobbed-up ball that does -come; he cannot believe that this baby-looking bowling is really the -great man’s, and gets flustered and loses his wicket. W. G. Grace is -certainly enormous, and a year or two ago at Lord’s an amusing remark -might have been overheard on this subject. The England _v._ Australia -match was being played. W. G. walked out into the field side by side -with Briggs of Lancashire, the latter, as is well known, being very -small, perhaps hardly up to W. G.’s elbow. A small child of about five -was in the pavilion with his father, and said, ‘Father, who is that big -man?’ ‘That’s Dr. Grace, the champion,’ said the papa; and ‘Who is the -little one?’ the child continued. ‘That is Briggs.’ Dead silence for a -few moments, and then, ‘Papa, is Briggs Dr. Grace’s baby?’ - -Although power of pace, straightness, and command over the ball are -the really essential qualities of good fast bowling--as, indeed, of -all sorts--there are many occasions when fortune smiles upon bowling -which possesses none of these good attributes. And it is for this -reason, we think, that every cricketer should be able to bowl when -called upon to do so by his captain. Every man who has played cricket -has bowled at a net, and he certainly has an action which is different -from everybody else’s. As a rule, men who are not considered regular -bowlers can send the ball in somehow or other at a fairly fast pace -more or less straight, and these unknown, wild, and erratic bowlers -often succeed in getting rid of well-set batsmen who have defied all -the efforts of the recognised bowlers of the side. There are numerous -instances of a side being deeply indebted to a bowler who never -before nor afterwards showed the slightest ability to get wickets. -In Australia in 1882, when Ivo Bligh’s English team was playing -combined Australia, on a certain occasion two of the best Australian -batsmen--Murdoch and Bannerman--seemed immovable. They had been in -for about an hour, and every one of the regular English bowlers had -been on and off. A suggestion was made to try C. F. H. Leslie. Now -this gentleman, with all his great merits, was never, even in the -estimation of his best friends, a great bowler. But on he went with -pleasure, as every cricketer should when ordered. The first ball was a -very fast one, rather wide, the second ditto, but the third one--‘Ah, -the third!’--was a head ball, designed after the manner of Spofforth’s -best; and it pitched on the middle of Murdoch’s middle stump! The next -comer was Horan, at that time the reputed best player of fast bowling -in the Colonies. A very fast long-hop, wide on the off side, was -prettily cut straight into Barlow’s hands at third man, and Mr. Leslie -had secured two wickets for no runs. He continued for another over or -two, had Bannerman beautifully stumped by Mr. Tylecote off a fast wide -half-volley on the leg side, and then retired in favour of one of the -regular bowlers, after having, simply by wild erratic fast delivery, -lowered three of the best Australian wickets. We give this as an -example of the principle that every cricketer should try to bowl, and -if he finds that he cannot attain to any efficiency, even with constant -practice, then let him try to ‘sling in’ as hard as ever he possibly -can; he will often be of use to his side when in a fix. - -Before leaving the subject of fast bowling a word must be said about -what--some years ago, and again now--may be called the great cricket -bugbear of the last few years--viz. throwing. It is worthy of notice -that when over-arm bowling was first allowed a great outcry arose, -and there were not wanting those who prophesied that this ‘hand over -head’ style would ultimately result in ‘a mere over-hand throw--a kind -of pelting, with a little mannerism or flourish to disguise it.’ Now -it is an astonishing thing that, in a great variety of cases, this is -just what actually has happened. Some of the bowling that has been -allowed to pass unnoticed by umpires is well described by the phrase -quoted; but, although this is so, there are many minor offenders whom -all would like to see pulled up short, not out of any ill-will to them -personally, but in the interests of the game. Now throwing is most -pernicious to cricket, and is calculated, if allowed to increase (as it -surely will unless promptly suppressed by the authorities, backed by -public opinion), to exercise a most disastrous effect on the game. The -subject of throwing is sometimes pooh-poohed by prominent cricketers, -who have remarked, ‘What does it matter whether a man bowls or throws?’ -If it makes no difference, by all means let the M.C.C. at once expunge -the rule relating to throwing and jerking. But let us pause for a -moment to see if there are any reasons to suppose that it does make a -difference. There are, in truth, two very good reasons why throwing -should be stopped. First, if it were allowed it would seriously -interfere with the art of bowling. The reasons for this proposition are -as follows: In throwing there is no scope for dissimilarity of style. -All men who throw must, from the very nature of the delivery, send the -ball on its course with exactly the same description of spin. It is -impossible for a thrower to make the ball go across the wicket from -the leg to the on side; every ball which leaves a thrower’s hand has -the off-side spin on it, and none other is possible. Any style which -tends to cramp bowling, as this does, must be bad. Again, a throwing -bowler cannot change his pace as other bowlers do; he dare not bowl the -slow high-dropping ball so successfully used by Spofforth and others, -because he knows that when his arm and wrist move slowly the unfair -jerk of the wrist and elbow will be more manifest than when it is -partially concealed by the usual quick movement of his arm. If throwing -tends to cramp bowling, as it does, and render certain essentials for -the development of the science impossible, then it must be injurious -to the game. Secondly, if throwing were allowed the batsman would -be in a position of considerable danger. Many cricketers say, ‘Let -throwers alone, they are always easy to play;’ and this, no doubt, is -so, for the reasons given above, especially when every thrower must, -for the sake of appearances, adopt some slight measure of disguise in -his action; but once let it be recognised that throwing is part of the -game, and a race of sturdy chuckers will spring up, whose pace will be -so terrific that the best and pluckiest batsman will not be able to -defend his body, much less his wicket, against their lightning-like -deliveries. Imagine what it would be if Bonnor, or Forbes, or Game -were to be allowed to throw, all of them having thrown in their best -days as much as 120 yards--is it likely that a batsman at a distance -of only twenty-one yards could be quick enough with his bat to stop -such bowling? Even with an ordinary fast bowler a batsman has sometimes -difficulty in preventing himself from being struck by the ball, and -with an undisguised thrower the danger would be tenfold. - -The question then arises, what can be done to stop the throwing -nuisance? And it is one which every member of the cricket-loving -community should ask himself. It is a question of the greatest -difficulty, as is evident from the fact that the committee of the -M.C.C. have so far found it impossible to legislate with regard to -the nuisance. The committee has done everything in its power; it -has instructed the umpires to watch closely the delivery of every -doubtful bowler, and probably the umpires have acted fully up to their -instructions; but they have stopped here, and absolutely refused to -report to the world the result of their careful observations. It is a -fact that of late years no professional umpire in a first-class match -has no-balled a professional bowler for throwing. This is not to be -wondered at: professional umpires themselves have been professional -bowlers, and they cannot bring themselves to take the bread out of the -mouth of one of their own class by no-balling him, and stigmatising him -at once and for ever as a ‘thrower.’ - -We cannot get amateur umpires to stand: these would, no doubt, -fearlessly no-ball any unfair bowler; but if we could, we should -probably find that the quantity of bad decisions in the course of -the year would be greatly increased. An umpire wants practice and -experience in keeping his attention and whole mind fixed impartially on -the game, and this can only be acquired by those who stand day after -day in that capacity. - -The only way, then, to our mind, to stop throwing, as the M.C.C. -cannot and the umpires will not, is to get public opinion to step in -and sweep it off our cricket grounds. Let every amateur cricketer, -whether he plays for his county or his village club, set his face -resolutely against the evil, and do his utmost to discourage it. If an -‘Anti-Throwing Society’ could be established amongst cricketers, we -firmly believe it would effect its object. - -In the North of England, where the game is ever increasingly popular, -there are many ‘chuckers’ to be met with. The clubs who do not possess, -to say the least, a doubtful bowler are, we should say from our -experience, in the minority. Young professional bowlers see the general -laxity that prevails, and adopt the peculiar flick of the wrist and -elbow, hoping thereby to get more twist on the ball, and this sooner -or later develops into a throw. Young bowlers of this description get -drafted from their village clubs into the county team, and thereby -augment the number of ‘doubtful’ bowlers in first-class matches. Now if -every amateur stood out against this system, and even went so far as to -say, ‘I will not be one of a team that wins its matches by such means,’ -unfair bowling would soon die out. - -It may be accepted as an absolute truth that the greatest bowlers -do not throw, and never have. Spofforth, Turner, Palmer, Lohmann, -Richardson, Morley, and a host of others are true bowlers, and to the -credit of the Australians it may be said that till 1896, when Jones and -McKibbin came over, there had been no suspicion against any Colonial -bowler, and it is a matter of great regret that both Jones and McKibbin -must be described as very great offenders in the matter of throwing. - -[Illustration: Doubtful delivery.] - -It will be well for everyone to realise that, if this question is -allowed to drift on from year to year without any serious protest from -public opinion, it will become absolutely necessary for the committee -of the M.C.C. to do something in the matter. What this should be is, as -we have said, very doubtful, and many and varied would be the opinions -of competent judges as to the form of legislation that would meet -the evil. It can almost be taken for granted that it is impossible -satisfactorily to define a throw, and even if this were not so the -solution of the question would be no nearer, as there would be just the -same difficulties in the way of an umpire saying that a bowler came -within the definition as there is now in saying that he throws. What -is wanted is to get rid of throwers in small club and village matches, -and then we should never get them drafted into first-class cricket. If -the umpire at either end were allowed to no-ball, we believe the system -of throwing would receive a serious blow. It often happens that the -thrower can only bowl at his own umpire’s end; if he attempted it at -the other end he knows what would await him; and if both umpires had -the right to no-ball _for throwing_, this difficulty would be overcome -by his not being able to bowl at either end. It is, however, earnestly -to be hoped that no change of any sort in the rules will be necessary, -but that all true cricketers will unite in discountenancing that which -is always a source of wrangling and dispute. - -Before leaving the subject of fast bowling a few remarks on the -position of the field will not be out of place. Every bowler who is -worth his salt knows much better than anyone else how the field should -be placed to his bowling. So much depends upon the style and favourite -strokes of the batsman to be dislodged and the mode of attack that is -going to be brought into requisition, that the general rules we suggest -here are more as a guide to young fast bowlers than to those who have -gained their experience. To a fast over the wicket round-arm bowler (on -a true wicket) the field should be placed as on page 176. - - ● ● - COVER SLIP LONG SLIP - - SHORT SLIP - ● - 3ᴰ MAN - ● - ● - WICKET KEEPER - - ╔╦╗ - ● ║║║ - POINT ¯¯¯¯¯ - - - - ● - COVER POINT - ● - MID ON - - - - ● ╔╦╗ - MID OFF ║║║ - ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ - ● - BOWLER - - - - - - ● - LONG FIELD - - The field for a fast right-arm bowler. - -Should the bowler, however, be one who changes his pace to slow and -relies occasionally on quite a slow head ball, it will be as well to -bring short-leg half-way between the umpire and the bowler, and put -mid-on out deep in the field on the on side. On no occasion should -short-slip be dispensed with; he should on a fast wicket be fairly -fine, and if he is a quick active man with his hands (as he should -be for this post), about eight yards from the wicket. The object of -short-slip is to pick up snicks which just miss the wicket-keeper, and -although he may hold a larger proportion of these quick snap catches -when a long way from the wicket, he will get an infinitely greater -number when closer in; consequently, if he is a man of quick sight and -tenacious hand, he will actually secure more catches close in, although -at the same time he may miss more. The positions of long-leg, third -man, short-leg, and mid-on depend to a great extent on the batsman’s -play. It is a golden rule never to do without a point and cover-point, -although in some instances--e.g. when a strong cutting batsman is in -on a fast wicket--it is sometimes advisable to place point in front -of the wicket and cover-point square. It is, however, but seldom that -this is necessary, and many cricketers always view the change with some -misgiving as to its correctness, because a good active cover-point in -the usual place saves a large number of runs and, probably, gets more -catches than any other man in the field, with the exception of the -wicket-keeper and short-slip. - -A round the wicket fast bowler requires the field in much the same -position. But in his case it is sometimes necessary to have an extra -man on the leg side, as these bowlers are very apt to bowl between -the legs and the wicket, which means with good batsmen that they get -played on to the leg side, between mid-on and short-leg. If this change -is necessary long-leg may be sent almost to the boundary, very fine, -behind the wicket, and long-stop be brought on to the leg side. A very -fine long-leg prevents boundary byes, and generally manages to save the -fine long-leg boundary hits. Unless there is a first-class man behind -the stumps, however, this generally results with first-class bowling -in rather too many extras to justify its continuance. Fast left-hand -bowlers want more men on the off side, as, from the nature of their -bowling, they get more punished in that direction than anywhere else. -If fast left-hand bowling is accurate and straight, long-leg is usually -dispensed with, and, in fact, mid-on as well is often taken to the -other side of the wicket, leaving short-leg, who is brought forward a -few yards, the only man on the leg side of the wicket. Then there is an -unbroken line of fielders on the off side, which the batsman finds it -difficult to break through if it is composed of active and energetic -men. The way in which fast left-handed bowlers place their field is -usually as on page 177. - - ● - LONG SLIP - - ● - EXTRA SHORT SLIP ● SHORT SLIP - - ● - 3ᴰ MAN - ● - WICKET KEEPER - ╔╦╗ - ● ║║║ - POINT ¯¯¯¯¯ - - - ● - COVER POINT - ● - MID ON - - - ● - EXTRA COVER POINT - - - ╔╦╗ - MID OFF ● ║║║ - ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ - ● - BOWLER - - The field for a fast left-arm bowler. - -There is a class of fast left-hand bowlers who require more men on the -on side--viz. those who give the ball the leg side bias on delivery, -which, to a right-handed batsman, causes the ball to come in from -the off side, or, as it is usually termed, to come with the arm. It -is often necessary with this style of bowling to have a very fine -short-leg, to stop the snicks and leg byes which are caused by the -batsman playing outside the ball. Then a short-leg by the umpire is -necessary, and also a mid-on, making three on the on side. Mr. Appleby, -of Lancashire, is an example of this style of bowler, as is Wright of -Kent, who at times is most deadly with the ball coming with the arm, -especially if he has any assistance from the lie of the ground. We have -occasionally seen a left-arm bowler, like Emmett of Yorkshire--who -relies exclusively on the off break, which, to a right-handed batsman, -brings the ball from leg to off--involuntarily send down a ball that, -instead of taking the bias imparted to it, for some strange and -unaccountable reason went the other way, an accident which places the -batsman in a most awkward fix. - -Some bowlers experience great difficulty in bowling to left-handed -batsmen. The necessary alteration in their style seems to worry them -and interfere with their accuracy of pitch. Usually a slow bowler tries -to get a left-handed batsman caught on the off side. He places most of -his men on this side, and bowls the off break (or, as it would be to -a left-handed batsman, the leg-break) with the object of getting the -batsman to play inside the ball, and thus make an upstroke. In short, -he places the men as a left-handed bowler places them when bowling to -a right-handed batsman. Left-handed batsmen are notoriously strong and -powerful in their off hitting, and consequently in this direction must -the bait be laid. As a rule, left-handed batsmen are apt to be a trifle -wild and unable to restrain their keenness to hit, and consequently -they pay the usual penalty of attempting to hit widish off balls -going away from them. But occasionally a bowler meets a left-hander -who is too wide awake and too good a batsman thus to throw away his -chance of scoring, and then different tactics must be employed. There -have been, and are, wonderfully few really good left-handed batsmen -in England, and the chance of a bowler having to meet one of them is -very slight. Between the years 1880 and 1890 there were only, in first -class cricket, the late W. Scotton of Notts and Peel of Yorkshire and -the late F. M. Lucas. The best of this class was perhaps F. M. Lucas, -whose early death in India will always be deeply regretted by his wide -circle of friends. He was really an accomplished batsman with good -sound defence and great punishing powers. A slow bowler might bowl for -hours on the off side to him with the sole result of seeing four after -four being despatched all along the ground to the boundary. Moses of -Sydney has many times distinguished himself against our English teams -in Australia, and was an excellent batsman. At the present time we -have Ford, Clement Hill and Darling the Australians, and the two last -are probably the two finest left-handed batsmen the world has seen. -Ford as a hitter was perhaps the hardest left-hander that ever lived, -and Hewett a few years ago was almost as hard. Bruce the Australian -is a fine free left-handed batsman, and certainly has a more graceful -and finished style than any other left-hander we have yet seen. In -our opinion, when a really good left-hander comes in, one who is not -likely to get himself out on the off side by careless hitting, an -attack should be made on his leg-stump. Most left-handers are good -leg-hitters, but we have never yet seen one (not excepting those above -named) who was as good on the leg-stump as a first-class right-handed -batsman. There is an awkwardness apparent in the left-hander’s play -to a ball pitching on the leg-stump, or just inside it, and there is -always a great likelihood of a cross bat being used for a leg hit. -Many and many a time has the writer, after trying the off-ball trick -unsuccessfully against one of these batsmen, succeeded in dismissing -him by bowling over the wicket at the leg-stump and between the legs -and leg-stump of the batsman. This manœuvre only entails a couple of -men being brought across from the off side to stop the run-getting. - -There is one species of ball which we have not discussed, deadly as it -is, both in fast and slow bowling. This is the ball which, after the -pitch, never rises, but shoots along the surface of the ground, and -is commonly called a ‘shooter.’ The reason why no notice was taken of -this when the different kinds of ball which may be bowled were being -dealt with is because no amount of practice or skill can enable a -bowler to bowl thus. It depends for existence upon inequalities in the -ground. There are some grounds which have acquired great reputation for -supplying ‘shooters’ for the benefit of bowlers; but this reputation is -unfortunately always accompanied by one for being lumpy and dangerous. -Not a great many years ago Lord’s used to be celebrated for shooters, -owing to its rough condition; and even now, well looked after as it is, -shooters are of more frequent occurrence there than on most other good -grounds. Although it is not in the power of any man to bowl shooters -at will, still there is no doubt that men with a low delivery have a -greater chance of being helped by a shooter than men who bowl with a -high overhead action. The writer recollects at Cambridge, about 1879 -or 1880, being told by a young professional bowler, engaged at the -University ground at that time, that he had found out how to bowl -shooters. He was a bowler of considerable promise, and had begun to -make his mark in county cricket, but it being known that his cricket -abilities far exceeded his intellectual powers, the announcement of -this wonderful discovery was received with some amount of doubt. -However, out he came to bowl, to prove his prowess with the celebrated -shooter; but it simply appeared that, instead of bowling with an -overhead delivery, which was his wont, he bent his body quite low, and -proceeded to bowl in a manner which was hardly removed from genuine -under-hand. It is unnecessary to say that there were no shooters. His -balls kept low after the pitch because his action was low. - -There is one style of bowling sometimes seen in the present day that -has not been mentioned, viz. fast under-arm. This is of two kinds: -first, that which pitches a good length as with round-arm bowling; -secondly, ‘sneaks,’ or bowling that pitches near the bowler’s hand and -travels along the ground till the ball reaches the batsman. The latter -can never be of any avail against a good player on a decent wicket, as -every ball can be met by the forward stroke and rendered harmless. In -country matches it is amusing to see the batsmen holding their bats -in the air and trying to pounce down at the very last moment on these -balls. This mode of playing such bowling is essentially incorrect, and -would even be likely to cause the downfall of a good batsman; it is as -certain as anything can be at cricket that a good forward straight bat -cannot miss a ‘sneak.’ Mr. C. I. Thornton at one time attempted this -style of bowling, and was known to get a wicket or two. The good-length -fast under-arm, when bowled round the wicket with a good leg twist on, -might be made very dangerous. The old style of low round-arm, mentioned -a few pages back, was very similar to this style of bowling, and was -bowled with the same object as this has in view, viz. catches in the -slips and on the off side. We only know of one fast under-arm, leg -twist, good-length bowler, and he does not play in first-class cricket. -His name is Bunch, an old sergeant of the Black Watch, well known on -many military cricket-grounds all over England and India. Some years -ago he was decidedly a good bowler, his balls came very fast, pitched -good length on the leg-stump, and, having lots of leg stuff on, wanted -very careful play. - -And now, after having discussed the different styles of bowling known -in cricket, let us consider some of the main rules which must guide -the action of every bowler in the field. The first and chief principle -that a young bowler must master is that he is bowling for his side’s -success, and not for his own; and that, with that object in view, he -has voluntarily placed himself under the leadership of his captain. -He must, therefore, give in at once, and readily, to every order. A -captain is always ready to hear the suggestions of a bowler, and, as -a rule, with regard to placing the field, is always willing to adopt -them; but should he not do so, the bowler must accept the decision -with the best grace possible. There is nothing more discouraging and -demoralising to a side than a sulky bowler--i.e. one who gets angry -when spoken to, and subsequently adopts a defiant manner towards his -captain. This bowler is usually a very poor stamp of sportsman, but -unfortunately he may often be seen, and the marks by which he may be -recognised are: First, bowling wildly and much faster than usual. -Secondly, getting to his place at the end of his over after everyone -else. Thirdly, if he fields a ball, throwing at the wicket, instead -of to the wicket-keeper, as hard as he can, generally causing an -over-throw. Fourthly, if he misses a ball in the field, standing still -and allowing some more remote fielder to run after it, or else running -after it himself at about the same pace as if he were just starting on -a five-mile race. He is a great nuisance generally in the game. We do -not deny that circumstances often arise when one is bowling that tax to -the utmost the temper of the mildest man in the world; it is, to say -the least, very irritating to try for half an hour to get a man caught -out by a particular stroke off a particular ball, and then at the end -see the ball bowled, the stroke made, and the catch missed; but, as -chance enters to a great extent into the game, the bowler ought to do -his very utmost to curb his feelings, in the interests of others who -are taking part in the game. - -A bowler should be ready to take any place in the field when he is -not bowling. In these days, when slow bowling is frequently on at -both ends, there is often a difficulty in getting four men to do the -out-fielding. A bowler should not object at all to help his side by -doing this out-country work. Although a great specialist in the field, -such as an excellent cover-point or point, is always an object of -admiration, more admirable still are men good at all places. W. G. -Grace, A. N. Hornby, and many others we could mention were at one time -equally safe and at home in any position where they were placed. - -A bowler should never grumble aloud at catches being missed; the -unfortunate man has done his best and failed, and any censure only -makes him more flurried and adds to his discomfiture without doing any -good. - -A golden rule for every bowler to observe is--after the batsman has -played the ball, _get back to the wicket as quickly as possible_. -Neglect of this rule loses many a ‘run out.’ If a bowler does not -get back to his wicket, there is no one to take the ball and knock -the bails off should the batsmen run and the ball be returned to the -bowler’s end. When the ball is thrown up, the bowler should not take it -till it has just passed the wicket; he should then seize and sweep the -ball into the stumps in one and the same action. Should he stand behind -and take the ball before it reaches the wicket, there is great danger -of his disarranging the bails before he gets the ball in his hands. Of -course there are exceptions to this rule--e.g. when a ball is coming -very slowly up to the wicket from a feeble throw or because the ground -is sticky and dead; then the bowler must do his best anyhow to get the -ball into the stumps before the batsman reaches the crease. - -A bowler should never throw the ball at the wicket unless it is the -only possible chance of running the batsman out. There is always a -chance of the ball slipping out of his hand and missing its aim. - -A bowler should take plenty of time between each ball he delivers. If -he hurries he will get flurried and out of breath and bowl badly. - -It is a mistake for a bowler to appeal unless he has a good chance of -getting a favourable decision. Umpires are very peculiar individuals; -once let it enter their heads that a bowler is trying to ‘jockey’ a -decision out of them, up go their backs, and they suddenly become a -mechanical toy that glibly answers every appeal with the two words ‘Not -out,’ and those only. A bowler is quite justified in appealing for a -leg before wicket even if he is himself doubtful and uncertain as to -whether the ball pitched quite straight or would have quite hit the -wicket, since he is exceedingly likely not to form a correct impression -of its straightness from the fact of his being at the moment of the -pitch of the ball a little out of the straight line between the wickets. - -Bowlers should always take care before a match that they are shod with -good stout shoes with plenty of nails in them. It is a most important -thing for a bowler to have shoes which will prevent him from slipping, -and this is somewhat difficult when grounds are so constantly changing -from hard to soft. For a hard ground nothing is better than big nails -or screws; these do not go into the ground, but grip it and give a firm -foothold. The left shoe of a right-hand bowler and the right shoe of a -left-hand one should be extra well supplied with nails, because in the -act of bowling the whole weight of the body comes down upon the left -foot with the right-hand bowler and the right with a left-hand one. - -For a soft ground the old-fashioned spikes are the best. They can be -put in and taken out in a few minutes before the beginning of a match, -according to the state of the ground. Every bowler should carry spikes, -nails, and screws, a screw-driver and gimlet, in his cricket-bag. - -A bowler should do all in his power to prevent cutting up the wicket -with his feet in a place where bowling from the other end may pitch. If -he finds that he is doing so with either foot he should at once change -sides of the wicket, and if he then finds that, do what he will, he -cannot help damaging the wicket--which is a most unlikely event--he -should at once desist from bowling. If the ground is unduly cut up and -made artificially difficult for the batsman by bowlers’ feet, whether -it is done intentionally or not, such bowling is unfair and should at -once be stopped. Spofforth in some states of the ground used to spoil -it terribly, and this although he wore no spikes on the offending -foot. The side of this foot, however, came down with great force a few -yards in front of his own wicket. No doubt great damage at times was -caused to the opposing batsmen by this unfortunate foot, and also to -the Australian batsmen themselves, and on one occasion an appeal was -made to the umpire as to whether, though caused unintentionally, it was -or was not unfair. The umpire declined to give an opinion. But there -can be little doubt that a bowler who has unfortunately developed this -tendency is transgressing the rules of fair cricket. - -A chapter on bowling would not be complete without the addition of some -rules for the guidance of those who are beginning to play cricket and -who want to learn how to bowl. Success depends so much upon the natural -action of the bowler that the multiplicity of rules so often laid down -for the guidance of young bowlers, though followed out to the letter, -does not greatly profit the aspirant to bowling honours. There are many -straight accurate bowlers who can put as much twist as most men on the -ball, and who yet never attain to any eminence in the art. This is due -to their action being simple and easy to see, and to their consequent -inability to deceive the batsman as to the pace and flight of the ball. -There are, however, one or two simple elementary rules which it would -be always as well for young bowlers to follow. - -First.--Take every opportunity of bowling at imitation cricket with -a racquet or fives ball, or any other sort of ball. This teaches you -by practical experience the difference in the spins of the ball and -what constitutes a good ball. Small cricket with a fives ball and a -fives bat is splendid fun, and has initiated many a youngster into the -mysteries of break-backs and breaks from leg. - -Secondly.--Keep your arm as high as possible. - -Thirdly.--If naturally inclined to be a fast bowler, aim at -straightness first of all, and take care to bowl well within your -strength. - -Fourthly.--Always bowl in the same style and action. Bowl every day -in practice, but not for more than half an hour. And take a rest of a -minute or so after every six balls; remember in a match you have a rest -after every four or five. Bowl carefully in practice. If you get tired -leave off at once. If you find your bowling is getting worse instead of -better, leave off for a few days and have a complete rest. - -Fifthly.--Take a good long run, whether you bowl slow or fast; and if -you can, run on a little after delivering the ball. This gives extra -‘fire’ to the ball. - -Sixthly.--Be sure to practise bowling both sides of the wicket. - -Seventhly.--If you want to become a really good bowler accustom your -fingers early to get as much twist as possible on the ball, both ways. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -CAPTAINCY. - -(BY A. G. STEEL.) - - -[Illustration: Going in.] - -It is a strange fact connected with cricket that a good captain is -but seldom met with. The game has made such progress in popularity -during the last thirty years, and the numbers of those who are -proficient in its different branches have increased so enormously, that -we should certainly expect to find in our county and other important -matches captains who thoroughly understand the duties they are called -upon to fulfil. But on looking round we are disappointed to find that -the really good captains in first-class (including of course county) -cricket are extremely few, and these few are amateurs. The cause of -this may be that few men are able to take part in first-class cricket -after they have served such an apprenticeship as would give them the -experience, calmness, and judgment necessary for the difficult post of -captain; or it may be that the qualifications for a good leader in the -cricket-field are, from their very nature, seldom met with--in other -words, that a captain is born not made, and very seldom born, too. Few -professional cricketers (it is a well-known fact) make good captains; -we have hardly ever seen a match played, where a professional cricketer -was captain of either side, in which he was not guilty of some very -palpable blunders. Take the Gentlemen _v._ Players matches, at Lord’s -and the Oval, for the last twenty years; the Players have always been -seriously handicapped by the want of a good captain, though Shrewsbury -and Gunn may be exceptions. Bowlers are kept on maiden after maiden -without the faintest chance of a wicket, no originality of attack -is ever attempted, and altogether the captaincy is usually bad. It -must, however, be admitted that ‘professional’ captains are in a more -difficult position than amateurs, inasmuch as they are often exposed -to the but thinly concealed murmurings of their fellows, who consider -that they have not been treated with the amount of consideration they -deserve. Amateurs always have made, and always will make, the best -captains; and this is only natural. An educated mind, with a logical -power of reasoning, will always treat every subject better than one -comparatively untaught. There are exceptions to every rule, and Alfred -Shaw, the best professional captain we ever came across, is the -exception here. The disastrous effects of bad captaincy on the success -of a side were never more clearly manifested than by the Australian -team that visited England in 1878. This team contained several good -bowlers who, helped by the sticky state of the ground, were very deadly -to our best batsmen. Their batting was rough and rather untutored, -but still at times dangerous. They met with great success until the -grounds got hard and firm, when their bowlers were collared. It is in -adversity at cricket, as in the more serious walks of life, that the -best qualities come to the fore; and whenever the Australian bowlers -were collared, the whole team seemed to go to pieces. Either the -captain or the bowlers placed the fielders in the most extraordinary -and unheard-of positions, where they had but little chance of saving -runs or getting catches. Spofforth during one match at Lord’s in that -season bowled the greater part of the day to a batsman--the Hon. Edward -Lyttelton--who was not dismissed till he had topped his hundred. Ball -after ball was neatly cut on the hard true ground to the boundary, -past the spot where third man ought to have been but was not. Fancy a -fast bowler bowling on a hard ground, while a batsman made a hundred -without a third man; then think that this batsman was one of the -finest amateur cutters of his day, and you will wonder what had become -of the management of the side! This was, however, the first year the -Australians visited us; on many subsequent occasions we found out to -our cost that they had made good use of their time and experience in -England, and had improved, in every branch of the game, to what was to -an Englishman’s eye an alarming extent. Their captaincy, however, has -never been good, till Trott, a thoroughly good captain, took command in -1896; Murdoch, of course, had a thoroughly sound knowledge of the game; -but his better judgment was too frequently hampered by the ceaseless -chattering and advice of one or two men who never could grasp the fact -that in the cricket-field there can only be one captain. - -The chief qualifications for a good captain are a sound knowledge of -the game, a calm judgment, and the ability to inspire others with -confidence. - -Bad captains may be split up into three classes:-- - -1. Nervous and excitable men. - -2. Dull apathetic men. - -3. Bowling captains, with an aversion to seeing anybody bowl but -themselves. - -1. The nervous and excitable class is perhaps the worst of all, and -sides which have the misfortune to be led by one of this division are -indeed heavily handicapped. The chief peculiarity of a captain of this -sort is that he seems never to be able to keep still for a moment in -the field. He is continually rushing about, altering the field every -over without any reason, shouting excitedly at the top of his voice -whenever a fielder has to stop or throw up the ball, and generally -creating a feeling of uneasiness and excitement among players and -spectators. He is at one moment tearing his hair distractedly because -some unfortunate fielder has let a ball through his legs, and the next -shouting and dancing with excitement and joy when some exceptionally -good catch or bit of fielding has got rid of a dangerous batsman. - -2. A member of the second class may be easily recognised. He walks -slowly to his place at the end of each over with his eyes fixed on the -ground, as if in deep thought. In reality he is thinking of nothing, -or, at any rate, nothing connected with the game. He has put his two -best bowlers on, and so long as a wicket falls every thirty or forty -runs, what does it matter whether or not time is being wasted by a -series of profitless short-pitched maiden overs? It is the bowler’s -duty, not his, to get the batsmen out, and if the latter put on forty -runs without a wicket falling, why it will be time enough then to try -someone else, and perhaps later on he himself might have a turn with -lobs if things get into a very bad state. It does not take long, with a -captain like this, for a side to get thoroughly demoralised and slack. - -3. The bowling captains suffer from the very opposite of the -feebleness which affects the last class; over-keenness is their bane. -They are generally moderate bowlers, who at times enjoy a fair amount -of success, and who are often very valuable to their side as changes. -But the power of bowling wherever and for as long as they please is too -much for them. Over after over hit to all parts of the field, without -the slightest suspicion of a chance of a wicket, only convinces the -self-confident captain that something must happen sooner or later--and -something generally does after the match has been bowled away. The -fascination that bowling has for captains and the danger it often leads -to is a good reason for pausing before selecting as captain anyone -who has any pretensions in this branch of the game. It is sometimes, -however, impossible for a side to recognise anyone as captain except -a bowler. He may be the oldest and most experienced member of the -team, or perhaps from his position as a cricketer it may be out of -the question to pass him over, and then, of course, the best of a bad -job must be made. But a captain who is also a bowler has much heavier -responsibilities in the field than one who is not. Even if he happens -not to be over-anxious about trundling all day himself, he is apt from -shyness and diffidence of his own merits not to put himself on at -all--another extreme into which some captains before now have fallen. - -The duties of a captain are of two kinds: those out of the field and -those in it, and it is proposed to discuss them in the order named. -The first duty of a captain is the choice of his team; but as it so -frequently happens, nowadays, that the team is chosen for him by the -committee of his county or his club, this topic may be passed over till -we discuss the duties of the captains at the Universities and Public -Schools. - -When the team is chosen, the captain’s first duty is to win the toss; -and assuming that by the aid of his lucky sixpence he has succeeded -in so doing, he should at once decide whether he or his opponent is -to begin the batting. It is a very old saying that the side that wins -the toss should go in, and it is a very true one. No captain who wins -the toss and puts the other side in deserves to win the match, unless -there are some very exceptional circumstances to be taken into his -consideration. There is, perhaps, only one reason to justify a captain -putting the other side in first. _If the ground, previously hard, has -been softened by a night’s rain, and if at the time of beginning it is -drying under a hot baking sun, and if the captain is tolerably sure -that it is going to be a fine day_, then he will do well to put the -other side in. There must be present these three conditions of ground -and weather before he _is_ justified in refusing to bat. The ground -will then for the first hour and a half or two hours make a bowling -wicket; the top soft in the early morning, and gradually getting caked -under the hot sun, will in the afternoon, if the weather keeps fine -and it has been _hard_ before the rain, assume its former hardness and -become easy for batting for the last few hours of the day’s play. If -the ground has been soft before the rain and has been made still softer -by the rain, it is madness to put the other side in. The first two or -three hours will then be easy for batting, as a very slow soft wicket -is always against the bowlers, and it will not be till after several -hours of hot sun have been on it that it will begin to get caked and -difficult for the batsman. Suppose the weather looks uncertain and -broken, and the glass has been gradually going down, a captain should -never in any state of the ground risk putting his opponents in. Rain is -always in favour of the in side; bowlers cannot stand and cannot hold -the ball, which, wet and slippery, cannot be made to take any twist or -screw that the bowler may try to give it. - -Sometimes in a one-day match it may be advisable to put the other side -in under circumstances different from the above, circumstances which -are for the captain alone to judge of, and which it is impossible to -discuss. Suppose a very strong side is playing against a very much -weaker one. It may be that the captain of the former is afraid that -if his side once goes to the wickets, so many runs will be made as to -preclude all probability of finishing the match; and he may be content -after conference with the members of his team to take the undoubted -risk of putting the other side in; it is, however, a very dangerous -thing to do at any time, and his finesse may very possibly end -disastrously to his side in the imperfect light of the evening. - -There are, however, _some_ disadvantages in batting first. In the -first place, nearly every cricketer is a better man after luncheon -than before. Do not let this be understood for a moment as a hint -that the overnight carousals of cricketers (very pleasant though they -be) are such as to interfere with correctness of eye and steadiness -of hand in the morning. Far be it from me to suggest such a thing. -But every man is fitter in the afternoon, his eye is more accustomed -to the light, and his digestion is better. And besides, the men that -walk to the wickets to bat the first time they go into the field are -apt to be more nervous than those who have been playing a few hours -and have got accustomed to the light and general surroundings. These -are disadvantages certainly, but they are as nothing compared to the -advantages gained by batting first. These include getting the best -of the light, the best of the wicket, and, last but not least, the -incalculable advantage of having in the last innings of the match -to save and not get runs on a wicket that has previously stood the -wear and tear of three innings. The side that bats second is nearly -always in at the close of the first day’s play, and the lights and -shadows between six and seven often make the ball very difficult to -judge accurately; at Lord’s, especially, the light gets bad towards -the close of the day; a haze overspreads the ground, making clear and -accurate sight extremely difficult. As for the respective difficulties -of making and saving runs, a cricketer need only look at his scores and -references to see how often the out side at the close of a match has -prevented the in side from getting the runs required. The feeling of -responsibility which affects the batsmen on these occasions creates an -over-anxiety to play steadily and run no risks, and often results in -feeble play. Then the bowlers and fielders are nerved to their utmost -endeavour to keep the runs down, every fielder runs after the ball at -the very top of his speed, half-a-dozen men are backing up to prevent -an overthrow, and the bowler not only does all he knows to secure a -wicket, but strives hard to avoid the delivery of a punishable ball. -Whenever a side goes in for the last innings of the match against a big -score and wins, one may feel sure the match has been won by sound and -sterling cricket. There are many well-known instances of the fielding -side pulling the match out of the fire at the very last moment. In the -Oxford and Cambridge match in 1875, Cambridge in their last innings -wanted 175 runs to win. Seven wickets fell for 114. The eighth went -down at 161. Before this wicket fell it looked any odds on Cambridge, -but the eleven were eventually all out for 168, and lost the match -by six runs. In England _v._ Australia at the Oval in 1882, England, -the last innings, wanted 85 to win, but only made 77. The annals of -cricket are full of instances showing that it is better at the end -of a match to have to save runs than make them. We remember playing -in a match some years ago in Scotland, where the folly of putting in -the other side first on a good wicket was clearly shown. It was a two -days’ match, and the two best batsmen on the side which lost the toss -had been travelling all night from England. This, in spite of a good -wicket, induced the captain who had been successful in the toss to put -the other side in. One of these travel-worn and weary batsmen knocked -up over ninety runs, the ground began to cut up, and the side that -had refused to bat first came utterly to grief. As the losing captain -left the ground, he said, ‘One thing this match has taught me--_never_ -to put the other side in first.’ The following year the same match -was arranged, and once more the toss was won by the same captain. The -ground was very soft indeed, in fact sodden with days of heavy rain. -Again, in spite of the former sad experience, the other side were put -in first and made over 200 runs. The ground was too soft for bowlers -to put any life into the ball, and all bowling was comparatively easy. -Next day the ground had got firmer and more solid, and the side that -won the toss was again dismissed for two insignificant totals. - -With regard to the order in which a captain should send in his men, a -good deal depends on the strength of the batting he has at command. -With a weakish batting team it is, in our opinion, always better to -send in the best batsman first, assuming of course he has no objection -to the place. It is of great importance to give the best batsman every -possible advantage, and the men who go first to the wickets have a -great advantage over the others. They have less waiting for their -innings, and consequently less of that restless nervousness from which -few men are free; they have the best of the wicket; they have often -loosish bowling just at first, before the bowlers have warmed to their -work; and, last but certainly not least, they are batting a new ball. -Few people realise what a difference a new ball makes to the batsman; -it goes cleaner and firmer off the bat than an old one, and, what is -better than all, a hard new ball is much more difficult to twist than -one that has had a hundred runs made off it. Let anyone look at an -old bowler who has to begin the bowling: his first action is to rub -the ball on the ground in the hope of taking off even a little of its -slippery newness; it is not, however, till after its surface has been -considerably worn that it begins to take much notice of any twist, at -any rate on a hard ground. - -With such advantages to be gained by going in first it would be a pity -not to give the best batsman the chance of making a good start for his -side. A good start gives confidence to the shaky batsman, and shows -the bowlers that they are not to have it all their own way. Sometimes -the best batsman on a side does not care about going in first; if so, -it is always well to consult his wishes and humour him, but he should -_never_ go in later than second wicket. With the best batsman should -go some steady correct bat, one who plays the game thoroughly and does -not take liberties with the bowling. In these days of perfect grounds -it is a vast mistake to send in first a regular ‘sticker,’ one who -scores at the rate of eight or ten an hour. The stonewallers of our -cricket-fields have a great deal to answer for in the heavy indictment -against modern players of leaving so many unfinished matches. An -account was lately given in the papers of a man recognised as a -first-class county bat who was in on a fast hard wicket in the first -innings of a match three hours and forty minutes for thirty-two runs. -More shame to him! He did his best to draw the match, and by puddling -about for so long only helped to wear out the ground for more capable -scorers who were to follow him. Sometimes, when the ground is very bad, -it is good to have a sticker, but taken altogether cricket would be -very much better off if the whole race of stickers occasionally adopted -a somewhat freer style. Nobody objects to slow scoring so long as the -batsmen are playing good correct cricket, playing the straight ones -with a straight bat and cutting or hitting the crooked ones; but every -cricketer objects to seeing ball after ball simply stopped without the -slightest attempt to make a run. - -Two very fast run-getting batsmen should not be sent in together; they -are apt to run each other a bit off their legs. W. G. Grace and A. P. -Lucas were as good a pair for first that have ever been seen; both -played sound correct cricket: the former scored freely, the latter when -the ground was hard quite fast enough; and Shrewsbury and Stoddart were -about as good. - -After the first two have been selected the others must follow generally -in order of merit; it is as well not to put in two hard-hitters -together if possible, as it often tends to make one hit against the -other. First one makes a big hit; the other feels bound to follow suit, -quite irrespective of the pitch of the ball, and loses his wicket. It -is always an excellent thing to have one or two real good hitters, but -they should be kept apart as far as possible in their innings; sixth -or seventh wicket down is a very useful place for a hard hitter; the -bowling has often begun to get a trifle loose by that time, and good -hitting may make a dreadful mess of it in a very short time. - -If any of the bowlers on whom the captain relies for his main attack -happen to be goodish batsmen and likely to make a few runs, it is just -as well to let their innings come off as early as convenient. A bowler -who makes forty or fifty runs at the close of an innings never bowls -as well after the running about as he would do had he made nothing, -and it is consequently best if possible to insure him a rest before he -begins his more important duties as bowler. It is exceptional to find -a man successful in batting and bowling in the same match. There are a -good number of modern cricketers who are very fair all-round men, and -shine at times in both branches of the game; but it very rarely happens -that success awaits them in both in the same match. Sometimes we find a -well-known bowler piling up heaps of runs, but on looking at the other -side of the score-sheet we generally perceive that he has done it at -the expense of his wickets. Alfred Shaw, the famous Nottingham bowler, -used at times to bat with great success, but when he did so he was -nearly always unsuccessful with the ball. - -When once the captain has arranged the order in which his men are to -bat he should stick to it. It is worrying and harassing to the batsmen -to be continually shifted up and down. We once saw one of the best -batsmen in England put in last but one because the captain thought -he looked nervous. His side was beaten by a few runs, and without -his having received one single ball. An order made out before the -innings begins is more likely to be correct than one hashed and cut -about amidst excitement and anxiety. Never should a captain change his -order in the second innings; of course a man who is in particularly -good form may be given a hoist up a place or so, but the bad bats of -the team should not be sent in first so long as there is the remotest -possibility of losing; and at cricket this contingency is nearly always -on the cards. The good batsmen do not wish to go in if there is only an -hour or an hour and a half to play; they may get out and cannot make a -really big score, so they fight shy for their average’s sake. Captains -should put a stop to this and insist on their taking their proper -place; first, because the side may otherwise be beaten, and secondly, -because those who have the advantage of going in first in favourable -circumstances should also take their turn when things are not so bright. - -After a captain has written out his order of going in, he should -carefully watch the innings from the first to the very last ball. -A watchful captain can at times greatly help his side; a shout of -‘steady’ when a young batsman appears to be getting rash in his play, -or when two players are getting a little abroad as to running, often -comes with great effect and authority from a captain, and may prevent -such a catastrophe as that represented in the illustration opposite. -A word of encouragement to a nervous player as he leaves the pavilion -may also often be of service. On no account should a captain ever abuse -a batsman, no matter what rash stroke or foolish lack of judgment -has cost him his wicket. Nothing is so galling to a batsman when he -has made a bad stroke or been guilty of a mistake as being publicly -derided or reproved. Afterwards, when the keen sense of vexation has -somewhat subsided, a quiet word of advice may be given, and will have -much more effect than a noisy public remonstrance. A good cricketer who -has made a bad stroke and thereby lost his wicket knows better than -any spectator what a mistake he has committed. Pavilion worthies, ye -who love cricket for its own sake, ye who sit for hours criticising -every ball and every stroke, forbear, we pray you, out-spoken remarks -on the arrival of a discomfited batsman. ‘What on earth possessed you -to try to hit a straight one to leg?’ ‘You never seemed at home the -whole time!’ ‘You can’t keep that leg of yours out of the way!’ are all -remarks that may be withheld at any rate till the keen sense of failure -has diminished. - -[Illustration: LUCIEN DAVIS - -Run out.] - -It may possibly happen that during the course of an innings a -point which during the summer of 1887 was considerably discussed, and -about which some very extraordinary remarks have been made, may crop -up for decision by the captain. Supposing he considers that his side -has made enough runs to win the match, and that if any more are made -there will not be sufficient time to get the other side out. Is he -justified or not in giving orders to his men to get out on purpose? A -great controversy arose on this point about ten years ago, owing to the -captain of one of our leading counties considering that he was entitled -to give such orders. If this question be looked at from a cricketer’s -point of view--and by that is meant from one which is in every way -honourable and to the furtherance of the true interests of the game--it -will be seen at once that a captain has a perfect right to ask his men -to get out whenever he considers enough runs have been made to insure -victory. - -The true principle of the game is, we take it, that every side should -do its utmost honourably to win the match. In days gone by, when -grounds were rough and uneven, every match had to be completed in a -much shorter time than is now allowed. In these times of improved -batting and perfection in grounds, three whole days have been decided -on as the time within which every county or club must win, lose, or -draw the match. The game is not to lose or to draw; it is to win; and -the side that can win most matches in the time allowed is plainly -the best side. And should a side make so many runs as to render it -impossible to win if they make more, whereas if they get out they must -almost inevitably win, and can scarcely lose, we consider it would not -be acting up to the true principle of the game if it did not get out. -Besides, what sport or individual interest to a batsman is there in -making runs after the match is practically finished? A man does not -play at cricket for himself so much as for his side; it is not the -number of individual notches or wickets that falls to his lot which -delights the true cricketer: it is the actual result of ‘won or lost.’ -What pleasure does a member of either of the University elevens derive -from making fifty every innings he plays in the Inter-University -matches if all his matches are lost? There are some who say that -directly the principle is recognised that a man has a right to get out -on purpose in order to gain victory for his side, it will open the -door to all sorts of shady tricks in the game, and there will be no -guarantee to the cricket-loving public that a side is trying. We cannot -see the relevancy of this argument; if a man sacrifices himself for -his side, the more honour is due to him. It is suggested that if the -batting side has a right to get out or to forego its right of batting, -the fielding side has a right to drop catches purposely and to bowl no -balls and wides so as to avoid being beaten. If this latter course were -permitted, it would be in direct contradiction to the true principle of -the game--viz. the endeavour to win; it would be a dishonest subterfuge -to prevent victory from rewarding the side that had played the best; it -would be an un-English, dog-in-the-manger policy, and, in our opinion, -it would entitle the umpires to say that the game was not being played -fairly. There is a vast difference in principle between getting out -on purpose in order to win and bowling and fielding badly in order -to snatch victory from the best side. A captain is, then, not only -perfectly justified, but is bound in the interests of his side, and in -the true interests of the game, to order his men to get out if that is -the only way to win. - -[In 1894 the M.C.C. passed a law to the effect that the side which -goes in second shall follow their innings if they have scored 120 -runs less (not 80 as formerly) than the opposite side in a three days -match, or 80 runs in a two days match, and power was also given for the -in-side on the last day of a match to declare the innings at an end. -This last most important rule was passed partly in order to prevent -drawn matches, and partly to prevent cricket lapsing into burlesque, as -it has on several occasions. But still the true principle alluded to in -the beginning of the preceding paragraph is difficult to find, and the -awkward question still remains, as it is within the right of a captain -to order his men to get out that he may follow on, is it not within the -opposing captain’s right to order his bowlers to bowl wides to prevent -the follow on? The motive is the same in each case: one captain desires -to follow on because he thinks that by following on he has a better -chance of winning the match; the other captain is of the same opinion; -is it wrong, therefore, for him to try and defeat that object by -bowling wides? I am not able to say that it is. One captain to make his -side follow on orders his batsmen to play skittles; the other captain -to prevent a follow on orders his bowlers to play skittles. Where is -the difference in principle? There is a difference of another kind, -which is, that it is easier for a batsman to get out on purpose without -making it appear to be a burlesque than it is for a bowler to bowl -wides or no balls on purpose. A batsman may run himself out or put his -leg in front, and nobody wonders; but if a steady bowler bowls three -wides running, the most ignorant spectator sees through the game at -once, and yells accordingly. The problem may be stated in another way. -Is it cricket to sacrifice runs by running yourself out or knocking -down your wicket? If the answer is in the affirmative, then state your -reason why it is wrong for a bowler to sacrifice runs by bowling wides -or no balls. To a genuine cricketer it is equally unpleasant to see -cricket turned into burlesque by the batsmen as by the bowlers; what -is difficult to understand is why the batsmen should be allowed to -practise burlesque and command the applause of the crowd, while the -bowler is hooted and yelled at. - -The question is a most difficult one to answer, and perhaps the most -satisfactory solution may be in the direction of abolishing the follow -on altogether, and giving power to close the innings at any time. Every -proposal has its drawbacks, and the drawback to this is that it gives -an additional advantage to winning the toss; but it is not easy to see -that there is any better solution of the question.--R. H. L.] - -In club and county matches a captain whose side is batting may often -have little duties to perform, such as hurrying his men in after the -fall of a wicket and allowing no time to be wasted, &c. There is -nothing so annoying to a keen cricketer as to see the field waiting -three or four minutes whilst some ‘local swell’ calmly buckles his pads -and saunters sleepily to the wicket. A captain should see that the next -batsman is always ready to go in directly the preceding one reaches the -pavilion; and a good experienced captain can also give many valuable -hints to the younger members of his team as they sit waiting for their -innings. ‘Play your own game, of course;’ he is the first one to know -and realise the truth of the old saying; but (and there are often many -_buts_) ‘for goodness sake don’t try and hit that curly bowler unless -you are on the pitch of him;’ ‘if you play back to that fast chap you -are done; he is out and away faster than he looks;’ ‘watch that man at -cover: he’s as quick as lightning with his return.’ All these little -odds and ends from an old hand are well worth the attention of a young -player; they all help to give him more confidence and more knowledge -and experience, and consequently make him a better cricketer. And -then a captain’s eyes must be sharp to detect any slovenliness in the -dress of a batsman. What a sorry sight it is to see a man going to -the wickets with his pad-straps hanging two or three inches down his -legs, his trousers unfolded and sticking out from behind his pads, -his shirtsleeves hanging loose, and altogether having a general air -of being a slovenly fellow! A captain must note this; he knows that -there are a good many better ways of getting out than being caught from -one’s pad-straps or loose trousers that flap gaily in the breeze, or -from one’s shirtsleeves that float round the forearm with so great an -expanse of canvas, looking for all the world like a bishop’s sleeve. -All these little things are worth knowing; cricket is a game with a -great deal of luck in it and full of a great many odd chances, and the -sooner a young player realises that he must do all he can to minimise -the chances against himself, the better cricketer he will become and -the more runs he will make. - -The duties of a captain in the field are far more onerous than those -out of it. It is here that his good qualities are tested, his knowledge -and judgment of the game put to the proof. The most difficult task -he has to perform is the management of the bowling. It, of course, -occasionally happens that his two best bowlers are put on, and bowl -successfully without a chance during the whole of the innings. But this -is a very exceptional occurrence, and is but seldom seen in first-class -cricket, and then only when the ground is sticky or crumbled. It is in -the bowling changes and placing that a captain’s skill is principally -seen. On a hard fast wicket it is best to begin with fast bowling at -one end and slow at the other. A good overhand fast bowler on a hard -wicket has more chance of making the ball rise, and getting catches in -the slips and at the wickets, than a slow one; but it is always well -to have different-paced bowling on at either end, as in this way the -batsman’s eye does not get thoroughly accustomed to one pace. The late -F. Morley--in his day the best left-hand fast bowler in England--and -A. Shaw were always individually more successful when playing together -for their county, the fast left hand and slow right being an excellent -variation for the eye of the batsman. Poor Morley, what a good bowler -he was! In our opinion he was the best fast bowler we have had in -England for a very long time. He was a good pace, had a beautifully -easy left-handed delivery, just over his shoulder, and was most -wonderfully accurate in his length. He had a good spin and break-back -on his bowling, and every now and then sent in one that came with the -arm and required a lot of playing. His early death caused a great gap -in the ranks of our professionals, and was much lamented by every class -of cricketers; for a more honest and unassuming professional player -than Fred Morley never went into the cricket-field. His knowledge of -geography was not up to his cricket capabilities; for after a serious -collision in the Indian Ocean, on his voyage to Australia in 1882, a -mishap which subsequently ended fatally to him, he said: ‘No more ships -for me: I’ll home again by the overland route!’ - -At the beginning of the innings the two bowlers put on should both be -asked which end suits them best; if both want the same, the captain -should give the choice to the one on whom, taking into consideration -the state of the ground, he relies most. The field should be placed -according to the style of the opposing batsman, and in doing this the -captain should act with the consent of the bowler. There are many -captains who change the field from time to time without ever consulting -the bowler, who, if a cricketer, knows better than anyone else where -his bowling is likely to be hit. - -No rule can be laid down with regard to the frequency of bowling -changes, except the more the better. A bowler should never be kept on -if he is not getting wickets, and if the batsmen are playing him with -ease. It goes no way towards winning a match to bowl ten or a dozen -short-pitched consecutive maiden overs. Directly the batsmen seem to -have guessed the length and style of bowling it should be changed, if -only for a few overs, while some new style is tried for a short time. -If a long stand be made, every style of bowling should be quickly -tried; thirty runs should never be allowed without a change of some -sort, unless the bowling happens to be particularly puzzling to the -batsman, and is being badly played. - -As regards the placing of the field, it has already been said that -usually the bowler is best able to guess where his own bowling is most -likely to be hit; but there are many things which a captain should -recollect, as the suggestions of a captain in whom his bowlers place -confidence are always accepted readily. He should keep his eye on -short-slip, as this place is, especially on a fast wicket, the most -important of all. There are more good batsmen dismissed at short-slip -and the wicket, on good wickets, than at any other places. It is an -extraordinary fact connected with short-slip that, unless he has had a -great deal of experience, he is continually shifting his position; one -over he will be standing fine and deep and the next square and near to -the wicket. It is the captain’s duty, even more than the bowler’s, to -see that this does not happen. - -On a true hard wicket we never like to see a captain putting his -mid-on or short-leg close in to the batsman, to field what is called -‘silly’ mid-on; the risk of standing near in on a hard wicket to a -batsman who can hit at all is not by any means slight, and we have -on several occasions seen men placed in this position get very nasty -blows. Boyle, the Australian mid-on, stood about as near in as any man -ever did stand; on sticky grounds he made many catches, on fast grounds -he missed many which if standing further back he would have caught. He -not seldom received nasty injuries, and on one occasion was laid up -for several weeks with a broken or injured bone in his hand. A quick -active field at mid-on who will run in when he sees the batsman making -a quiet forward stroke on the leg side, and when he observes a leg-side -ball kick up higher than usual, is all that should be required. In -a match at Melbourne, in 1882, we recollect a very amusing little -incident in which mid-on played a prominent part. The Australians were -batting, and Bates, the Yorkshireman, had just dismissed two of their -best bats, McDonnell and Giffen, in two consecutive balls. Bonnor, -who used to congratulate himself, and not without a certain amount of -justification, that he could make mincemeat of our slow bowling, was -the next man in. Somebody suggested that, in the faint hope of securing -a ‘hat’ for Bates, we should try a silly mid-on. Bates faithfully -promised to bowl a fast shortish ball between the legs and the wicket, -and said he was quite certain Bonnor would play slowly forward to it. -Acting on the faith of this, W. W. Read boldly volunteered to stand -silly mid-on for one ball. In came the giant, loud were the shouts of -welcome from the larrikins’ throats; now would the ball soar over the -green trees even higher than yonder flock of twittering parrots. As -Bates began to walk to the wickets to bowl, nearer and nearer crept -our brave mid-on; a slow forward stroke to a fast shortish leg-stump -ball landed the ball fairly in his hands not more than six feet -from the bat. The crowd would not believe it, and Bonnor was simply -thunderstruck at mid-on’s impertinence; but Bates had done the hat -trick for all that, and what is more, he got a very smart silver tall -hat for his pains. - -[Illustration: Eton _v._ Harrow.] - -The duties of captains of the University teams and of the Public -Schools are far more arduous than those of a captain of a county or a -club eleven. At our large Public Schools the captain is responsible for -the selection of the team; he may be assisted to a certain extent by a -committee, but the actual filling up of the vacant places in his eleven -generally devolves on him alone. An energetic and keen boy captain will -usually manage before the close of the summer term to get together a -team of fair merit; even if the stuff he has to work upon is inferior -in quality, the great amount of time at his disposal for practice, and -the assistance he receives from the school professionals and masters, -ought always to ensure a keen captain having a tolerable eleven before -the summer holidays begin. It may be taken as true that a bad fielding -school eleven denotes a bad and slack captain. Whatever may be the -batting and bowling material at his disposal, a boy captain can, if -he likes, have a good fielding side; and if in his school matches -at Lord’s, or elsewhere, he finds that he loses the match by slack -fielding, he has none to blame but himself. None of our best county -teams can field as boys can if they are properly taught and kept up to -the mark. There are few men of thirty taking part in the game who can -throw with any effect for more than about thirty or forty yards; their -arms and shoulders are stiff, and will not stand it, whereas boys can -all throw, and are about twice as active as many of those whose names -at the present time figure prominently in our leading fixtures. - -A school eleven, as indeed every other, only requires four regular -bowlers. ‘If you cannot win with four bowlers, you’ll never win at -all,’ is an old and true saying. But this wants a little explanation. -The four best available bowlers must be played without regard to their -batting powers, and after these four have been selected let the team be -filled up with good batsmen and fielders, quite irrespective of whether -they can bowl or not. It is an excellent thing for a side that every -man should be able to bowl a bit if wanted, and every boy should be -able to do so, but it is only necessary in choosing the team to play -four men as bowlers only. - -Every school eleven should possess a lob-bowler; if he be a good one -so much the better, but one of some sort there must be. Lobs have -always been most destructive to boys, and even very indifferent lobs -are occasionally very fatal to schools. A little practice will teach -any boy to bowl them fairly; he must take a long and rather a quick -run, and bowl just fast enough to prevent the batsman hitting the -good-length balls before they pitch. The high slow lob is generally -worthless. - -The wicket-keeper must also be trained and coached. He should be taught -the right and the wrong way to stand, and should practise keeping for a -short time every day. And, above all things, the school wicket-keeper -should know that for anything over slow and slow medium bowling he is -to have a long-stop. The number of good wicket-keepers who have been -spoilt by having to perform the office of long-stop as well as their -own is legion. There are no first-class keepers nowadays who put out -their hands on the leg side and draw the ball to the stumps; they all -jump to the leg side in front of the ball to prevent it resulting in a -four-bye, and consequently, even if lucky enough to take the ball with -their hands, they are so far from the stumps as to make it exceedingly -difficult to knock the bails off. - -A captain of a University team has not so much to do with training and -coaching his team as a school captain. By the time men have reached -their University eleven they have generally mastered the elementary -principles of the game, and require more practice and experience, -keeping up to the mark rather than coaching. A captain’s duty is -consequently to see that his men engage in constant practice at all -parts of the game, and by showing an example of keenness and energy to -inspire his team with the same qualities. Some men at the University, -and especially those fresh from the restraint of a public school, -occasionally require a few words of advice about the mode of life -which is necessary for undergoing with success the wear and tear of a -University cricket season. A ’Varsity team has about six weeks’ hard -work, and no man can bear the strain of this if, at the same time, -he is keeping late hours and distributing his attentions impartially -amongst all the numerous delicacies that adorn the University -dinner-tables during the May term. No strict training is required, -thank goodness! Cricket does not demand of her votaries the hollow face -and attenuated frame, and too often the undermined constitution, that -a long term of arduous training occasionally results in, especially to -a youth of unmatured strength; but a cricketer should live a regular -life and abstain at table from all things likely to interfere with his -digestion and wind. Above all else, smoky rooms should be avoided. A -small room, filled with ten or a dozen men smoking as if their very -existence depended on the amount of tobacco consumed, soon gets a -trifle foggy, and the man who remains there for long will find next -morning on waking that his head feels much heavier than usual, and his -eyes are reddish and sore. A University captain should never hesitate -to speak to any of his team on these matters, should he think warning -or rebuke necessary. - -The necessity of moderation in drink is happily a thing which few -University cricketers require to be reminded of. There are many -opinions as to what is the best drink for men when actually playing. -By best we mean that which does least harm to the eye. In hot weather -something must be drunk, and the question is, What? Our experience is -that beer and stout are both too heady and heavy, gin and ginger beer -is too sticky, sweet, &c., to the palate. In our opinion, shandy-gaff, -sherry, or claret, and soda are the most thirst-quenching, the -lightest, and the cleanest to the palate. The latter consideration is a -great one on a hot day at cricket. In a long innings the heat and the -dust are apt to make the mouth very dry and parched, and a clean drink -is especially desirable. - -As a rule a ’Varsity captain has not much difficulty in selecting the -first eight or nine of his team--there are usually that number that -stand out as far and away better than all the others--but the last two -or three places often cause him the greatest difficulty. There may -be two or three men of the same merit fighting for the last place, -inflicting sleepless nights and anxious thoughts on the captain. He -cannot make up his mind, and possibly remains undecided till the very -week before the big match. A ’Varsity team owes half its strength to -playing so much together. Every man knows and has confidence in the -others, and every man’s full merits and the use he may be to the side -are understood by the captain; consequently, the sooner the whole team -is chosen the better. - -[Illustration: A. E. STODDART] - -Now let us briefly discuss the considerations that should guide -the captain in the choice of his team. And perhaps the simplest and -best way will be to assume that a captain has to choose the best team -in England (our fictitious captain making the twelfth man on the side). -The first thing he must do is to choose his bowlers, and, as we have -said above, these must be the best four he can get, each one different -from the others in style. He wants a fast bowler to begin with (and if -the match is to be played on a hard wicket he will probably want two). -He has Mold and Lockwood to choose from, undoubtedly the two best. -If he wants one only, he must be guided by present form; whichever -is bowling the best must be selected. Let us say he has selected -Mold. This is No. 1. No. 2 must be a good left-hand bowler. Peel and -Briggs are perhaps the only two at the present time who have good -qualifications, and we think our captain would probably fix on Peel -as being the best bowler of the two. No. 3--a medium-pace to fast -round-arm bowler--is next wanted. Lohmann would be the very man, but -since ill-health at the present date prevents his appearance on the -field, let our captain bring into his team as No. 3 Lockwood. Surely -he or Mold, if not both, will prove destructive. No. 4.--Our captain -now wants a right-arm slow bowler accurate enough to keep down the runs -(if it is necessary) on a hard true wicket, and powerful enough with -the ball to take advantage of crumbled or sticky wickets. Who is he to -take? C. M. Wells of Surrey and Cambridge, Flowers of Notts, Attewell -of ditto, Wainwright of Yorkshire, A. Hearne of Kent, are all good -names. The man for this place a few years ago would have been Alfred -Shaw. What a fine bowler he was! Perhaps his best performance was in -1875, when for Notts _v._ the M.C.C. at Lord’s he bowled 162 balls for -7 runs and 7 wickets (bother the maidens: we don’t care how many of -them he bowled!), and amongst these seven wickets were W. G. Grace, -A. W. Ridley, C. F. Buller, and Lord Harris. In the same match, for -the M.C.C., A. W. Ridley with his lobs had a good analysis for the two -innings--208 balls, 46 runs, and 10 wickets. Our captain thinks for -No. 4 he cannot do better than Wainwright, and we agree with him. No. -5--the wicket-keeper--must be G. McGregor of Cambridge and Middlesex. -Alas! when this chapter was written for the first edition of this -book Pilling was the wicket-keeper selected, and we then expressed a -hope that his health would allow him to remain behind the stumps for -many years to come. Pilling died a few years ago, but those who ever -played with him will never forget the excellence of his calm and quiet -wicket-keeping, nor the gentleness and courtesy which graced his whole -character. No. 6.--Now our captain has got to fill up six places; he -has up to the present provided for getting rid of the opposite side: -he now turns his attention to the selection of his batsmen. W. G. -Grace first, no one disputes. Does someone suggest Shrewsbury? Well, -certainly, during the last seven or eight seasons he has batted most -wonderfully well; but for winning a match give us W. G. as 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 the best part of a couple -of days for 150 runs there is a great chance of the game being drawn. -We like the man who makes 150 in three to four 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, Shrewsbury. No. 8, A. E. Stoddart, that -sound and resolute batsman, who perhaps gives more pleasure to the -spectators than any other living cricketer. No. 9, Gunn. No. 10.--And -now, having selected 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, A. E. Stoddart, Gunn, G. McGregor, Mold, Lockwood, -Peel, and Wainwright. He has therefore the four best batsmen in -England--Grace, Shrewsbury, Stoddart, and Gunn--three sound first-class -batsmen in Lockwood, Peel, and Wainwright, a very likely run-getting -bat in McGregor, and an indifferent performer in Mold. He has six -bowlers, the four chosen and Grace and Stoddart. Now what has he in -the field? Shrewsbury will have to go point, that is evident, as he is -a fairly good point and useless elsewhere owing to his inability to -throw. Grace, Mold, and Lockwood must all be in places somewhere near -the wicket, Grace because of advancing years and stiffened muscles, the -other two because much throwing would damage their bowling. We have -Stoddart and Gunn, both excellent fielders and throwers, and these two -must be kept for fielding in the country. Peel and Wainwright are also -two good fielders, but they being bowlers will not probably be wanted -for country fielding except in an emergency. Taken as a whole, the nine -we have already got are good fieldsmen. What does our captain then want -for the tenth place? As he has already got a strong batting, bowling, -and fielding side, he must look out for a good all-round cricketer -who will strengthen his team at all points. He must take care not to -give either of his last two places to men who will weaken the side in -fielding; above all, they must be good in the field. Would W. W. Read -do for the tenth place? Unquestionably he is a magnificent batsman, -but where is he to go in the field? Shrewsbury is at point; W. W. -Read would have to field elsewhere then, and, for the same reason as -already given for W. G. Grace, he would seriously cripple the side if -required to go into the country, as undoubtedly he would have to. No. -Our captain rejects W. W. Read, and selects F. S. Jackson of Cambridge -University and Yorkshire as his tenth man. And as he is one of our most -accomplished and resolute batsmen, a fine field and thrower, and a most -useful fast change bowler, surely his inclusion in the team will add -strength to every department of it. No. 11.--The last place in the team -is a difficult task to select. The same considerations must guide the -choice here as for the tenth place. If another bowler were required we -would suggest Briggs or A. Hearne as being good bowlers and all-round -good cricketers, but our captain is already playing four men to bowl, -and has in addition the various changes already mentioned. Is there -any really first-class batsman who, if included in the team, would not -injuriously affect the fielding of the side? W. W. Read we have already -said has to be rejected. A. Ward of Lancashire is the man, a really -sound batsman and a good field and thrower. Our captain has completed -his task, and a very powerful team he has selected, strong in batting, -bowling, fielding, and throwing, and indeed a difficult nut for any -Australian side to crack. - -Such was the selection of the first English eleven about ten years ago, -but a great deal has happened since that date. At the present moment -Stoddart’s team in Australia have been so unsuccessful that though -when they started they were reckoned to be about our best eleven, for -the honour of England it must be hoped that a better is to be found. -There can be no doubt that our bowling is terribly weak, weaker on good -wickets than at any previous time in cricket history, and it seems that -we must go out of the beaten track of bowlers and try a change. Our -representative eleven to-day is chosen with no great confidence, and -many will unfavourably criticise the selection. There is no difficulty -about the batsmen, who shall be MacLaren, Ranjitsinhji, Gunn, Abel, -Jackson and Hayward, and the wicket-keeper Storer; but what about the -bowlers? Hirst is not good enough, Peel and Briggs are past their -prime, and Wainwright on good wickets is harmless. Richardson and -Hearne we still must select, but for the last two we shall select a -veteran and a youngster. Attewell shall be one and the young Essex -amateur Bull shall be the other. During the last season Bull on hard -wickets showed himself to be a slow bowler with more spin than any -other bowler in England, moreover he is not so well known; while -Attewell bowls still the best length, and can always keep runs down. - -One thing will be noticed here, and that is, that for the first time -since 1867 W. G. Grace is left out of a representative English team, -and the elements of a tragedy can be found here. For twenty-nine years -he would have been chosen, but the time has come at last; but to show -his wonderful powers, if he had been chosen now--and some people would -still choose him--it would largely be for his bowling, which is unlike -other bowling, and would still get wickets. - -An old cricketer may here be permitted to drop a tear over the -decadence of the bowling and the superlative excellence of the grounds -that has disturbed the old balance of cricket, and brought far too -prominently forward the second and third rate batsman. - -In the field all captains should be cheery and bright, and full of -encouragement to both fielders and bowlers. A despondent captain, who -becomes sad and low when things are going against him, has a most -depressing effect on his men. Cricket is a game full of so many chances -and surprises that no match is ever lost till the last ball has been -bowled, so the bowlers must be cheered and encouraged and the fielders -kept up to the mark till all is over. - -[Illustration: At wicket after bowling.] - -Everything that goes on in the game should be noticed by the captain. -If a bowler forgets to get behind the stumps when the ball is to be -returned to him by a fielder, the captain should at once call his -attention to the fact; if a fielder keeps shifting his position over -after over without orders, a gentle reminder must be given; if a -fielder throws unmercifully at the bowler or wicket-keeper when there -is no attempt at a run on the part of the batsmen, he must be spoken -to. It is a bad fault on the part of a fieldsman to knock the poor -wicket-keeper’s hands to pieces for no purpose. - -If a captain keeps his eye open on all these little things, and does -his best to eradicate them and others of the same nature from his men, -if he is a keen zealous cricketer gifted with a calm temperament and -sound judgment, he may rest assured that before he has led his men very -long he will be the captain of a good team. - - - - -[Illustration: ‘Guard please, Umpire.’] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -UMPIRES. - -(BY A. G. STEEL.) - - -If anyone were to ask us the question ‘What class of useful men -receive most abuse and least thanks for their service?’ we should, -without hesitation, reply, ‘Cricket umpires.’ The duties of an -umpire are most laborious and irksome; they require for their proper -performance the exercise of numerous qualifications, and yet it is -always the lot of every man who dons the white coat, the present dress -of an umpire, to receive, certainly no thanks, and, too frequently, -something which is not altogether unlike abuse. Nowhere can any notice -be found in the history of cricket of the first appearance of umpires -as sole judges of the game; and from old pictures, and notably the one -at Lord’s, it is evident that, in the early days of cricket, there were -no umpires. The scoring was done by the ‘notcher,’ who stood by and -cut a notch in a stick every time a run was made, and who also most -probably would be the one to decide any point of dispute that might -arise amongst the players. The earliest copy of the laws of cricket -that we have is dated 1774; the heading is ‘The Laws of Cricket, -revised at the Star and Garter, Pall Mall, February 25, 1774, by a -committee of noblemen and gentlemen of Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, -Middlesex, and London.’ - -These laws are the foundation of those which now govern cricket, and -in them rules were laid down with regard to umpires, some of which, -with certain modifications, are still in force. Although these laws, -promulgated in 1774, are the earliest authenticated, there is still -in existence a much older document, though the date is unknown, which -contains a few remarks on the game, entitled ‘Ye game of cricket as -settled by ye cricket club at ye Star and Garter in Pall Mall,’ and -then it goes on, ‘Laws for ye umpires,’ showing that in considerably -earlier days than 1774 umpires were recognised institutions in the game. - -It has always been the custom, till within the last few years, for each -side to choose its own umpire, even in the most important matches, -except those played at Lord’s and the Oval. The system of each side -providing its own umpire existed till 1883. It thus happened that aged -and decayed cricketers were rewarded by being chosen as umpires to -watch over the interests of their old colleagues. - -It was quite impossible for men who were thoroughly imbued with a -strong spirit of partisanship to remain perfectly impartial; however -honest and free from suspicion a man might be, his opinion, at a -critical stage of the game, could not fail to be unconsciously biassed -in favour of the side with whose name his own had been long associated. -Many men became alarmed at the idea of obtaining a reputation for -giving partial decisions, and would go to the other extreme, and decide -against their own side oftener than the facts justified. There were -also men, no doubt--but these were few and far between--who used their -important position to unfairly enhance the chances of victory for -their own side. This system was a bad one, as it made the position of -an umpire so extremely invidious: but it was not till 1883 that the -present practice was introduced. At the beginning of the season each -county now sends up the names of two or more umpires to the secretary -of the M.C.C. Then from the list of names nominated by the different -county committees the secretary has to appoint two umpires for every -county match, neither of these two being the nominees of either of -the counties that are playing in the match. This system works very -well and is a very fair one, as the judges of the game are not now -exposed to the charge of partiality, so frequently made under the old -rule, their interests being connected with neither side. The list of -what may be called the official umpires is almost totally composed of -elderly professional cricketers, who, as young men, were themselves -famous players, they are consequently men who, having spent many years -of their lives in the active pursuit of the game, possess a thorough -knowledge of its laws and practice. And our experience of the way in -which those arduous duties are performed is that, considering the -difficulties of the situation they are placed in, our English umpires, -taken as a body, give good and correct decisions. We think that this -opinion would be indorsed by most leading cricketers. - -The difficulties of an umpire are many, and the nice distinctions he -is called upon to draw over and over again during the course of the -match may be gathered from the fact that bad decisions in first-class -matches are not infrequent. And yet we adhere to the commendation -given above. It is an absolute impossibility to find an umpire who -will not make mistakes at times. The most likely slip for him to make -is, perhaps, when he is appealed to for a ‘catch at the wicket.’ Let -us just glance at some of the difficulties which may, and often do, -arise as to this decision. The umpire has to satisfy himself that the -bat or the batsman’s hand (but not the wrist) has touched the ball -before it has lodged in the wicket-keeper’s hand. There are often cases -where there is no doubt that the bat has touched the ball; the batsman -strikes at the ball and hits it so hard that the sound of the ‘click’ -may be heard by every fieldsman on the ground, and even sometimes by -the spectators; and then, of course, the umpire has no difficulty. But -supposing a batsman in playing forward to a ball just outside the off -stump apparently misses it, and the ball turns after the pitch and, -without any sound or ‘click,’ lodges in the wicket-keeper’s hand, what -has the umpire to say if appealed to? He sees the ball turn after the -pitch, and he sees it pass the bat dangerously near, but he hears no -sound; perhaps in this case no one on the field but the wicket-keeper -knows for certain what has taken place; he knows that the ball turned -from the pitch, just grazed the shoulder or edge of the bat, and -came into his hands. The batsman, perhaps, has in his forward stroke -touched the ground with his bat at the very moment the ball grazed the -bat. The jar of his bat on the ground has nullified the effect of the -touch of the ball, and he doubtless considers that if the appeal is -answered against him he has met with injustice. In a case like this -the umpire gives, or should give, the batsman the benefit of the doubt -that exists, and No. 1 bad decision is chronicled against him by the -fielding side. No blame can be attached to the umpire, he has done his -very best to give a correct decision, but the circumstances have made -it absolutely impossible for him to be certain on the point. Again, -it is sometimes next to impossible for an umpire to be sure whether a -ball has just grazed the tip of the indiarubber finger of a batsman’s -glove or not; for often in such a case no sound can be distinguished. -The batsman feels and the wicket-keeper sees it, but none else in the -field knows anything at all about what has happened. The umpire can see -the ball pass very close to the glove, but whether they have actually -touched he cannot at a distance of twenty-four or twenty-five yards -decide. An umpire may often be deceived, too, in his vision, if the -ball pass the bat quickly and the stroke of the bat towards the ball -has been a rapid one; he may hear an ominous ‘click’ that sounds like -a touch, and yet he may think that he saw daylight between them at the -moment the ball passed the bat. We have more than once in a first-class -match, in which two good umpires were engaged, struck a ball fairly -hard and seen it lodge in the wicket-keeper’s hands, and heard in -answer to a confident appeal, ‘Not out; he was nowhere near it!’ and -this when everyone in the field heard the sound, and knew it could only -have been caused by the ball meeting the bat. And again, supposing a -slight noise or ‘click’ to be heard just when a ball is passing outside -the legs of a batsman, should the ball be taken by the wicket-keeper, -it is often a most difficult thing for an umpire to be certain whether -the ‘click’ has been caused by the bat and the ball, or the batsman’s -leg or pad-strap and the ball. The click of the ball hitting a strap -or hard piece of cane in a pad is very like the sharp sound caused by -the bat hitting the ball, and this, added to the impossibility of the -umpire actually seeing whether a leg ball passes close to the bat or -not, makes appeals for leg-side catches at the wicket extremely hard to -answer with any degree of certainty. - -These are a few instances of the many very difficult cases which an -umpire may be called upon to decide at any moment during a match. Many -others will probably occur to the minds of most of the readers of this -chapter, at any rate of those who have any practical experience of -the game. We do not, however, propose to mention all these cases at -present; some of them we shall have to refer to later on. - -We think enough has been said as to the difficult nature of the post -to show conclusively that it is an impossibility to find an umpire -who will not be liable to give bad verdicts. It is most unfortunate -that all umpires, in addition to having to bear the heavy weight of -knowing that they may at any minute be called upon to give a decision -about which they are uncertain and consequently liable to err, -have also too often to suffer from the abuse of those who consider -themselves aggrieved by wrong decisions. The chief principle that -tends to harmonise the game, and make it the quiet English pastime -that it is, is that the umpire’s decision shall be final. It would be -impossible to play the game if this were not so; how would matches -ever be finished satisfactorily if every batsman had a right to remain -at the wickets until he himself thought he was fairly out? And yet, -though this principle is universally known as the main one on which -the prosperity of the game depends, we unfortunately find but too -frequently, and even amongst some of the leading cricketers of the -day, a tendency to revile and abuse the unfortunate umpire whenever -an appeal has been given against them. If a batsman considers he has -been given out wrongfully, he has a perfect right, of course, to give -his opinion of what has taken place privately to anyone; but he has no -right to stand at his wicket wrangling with and abusing the umpire, -nor has he a right to declare publicly to the pavilion on his return -from the wickets that a wrong decision has been given. Too often one -sees a sulky, bad-tempered-looking face arrive at the pavilion, and -in loud tones declare he was not within a yard of it, or ‘it didn’t -pitch within a foot of the wicket.’ Such conduct is unsportsmanlike and -ungentlemanly, and, what is more, is unfair, as such a statement is a -public accusation made against the professional capacity of an absent -man who has no opportunity of refuting or contradicting it. - -First-class amateur cricketers should remember that it is impossible -for them to pay too much deference to the decisions of umpires, as -it is from them that the standard or tone of morality in the game is -taken. They should ask themselves, if they wrangle and dispute with -umpires in first-class matches when a large assemblage is present, what -will happen in smaller matches, when there is not the same publicity -and notoriety to restrain the rowdiness which has before now been the -result of a wordy warfare with ‘the sole judge of fair and unfair -play.’ We admit that there is nothing so disappointing and annoying to -a batsman as to be given out by what is really a bad decision. Take, -for instance, a man who cannot for business reasons get away as much -as he would like to indulge in his favourite game. He has been looking -forward for weeks to a particular match, perhaps one of the greatest -importance; he has been practising hard for the last month in his spare -time in the evenings after business hours. The eventful day comes, the -time for his innings arrives, and just when he has settled down with -ten or fifteen to his score, and has begun to find himself thoroughly -at home with the bowling, his hopes are dashed to the ground by a -bad decision. He is maddened with anger and disappointment for the -moment, and every cricketer will heartily sympathise with him; but if -he allows his feelings to get the better of him, and indulges in an -open exhibition of anger against the umpire, that man should never play -cricket again until he has satisfied himself that, come what may, he -will be able to curb himself sufficiently to prevent such exhibitions, -which act so greatly against the true interests of the game. - -The majority of cricketers, we are happy to say, are not open abusers -of umpires and their decisions, though a considerable number have -earned this unenviable notoriety. But by far the greater proportion -of batsmen, though not open cavillers at the umpire’s verdict, always -refuse to allow that his judgment, when adverse to them, is correct, -and especially in cases of l.b.w. It is one of the most extraordinary -things connected with the game that, no matter how straight the ball -may have pitched, how low down it may have hit the leg, and how -straight it is going off the pitch to the wicket when stopped by the -opposing leg, there is not one batsman in twenty who will allow that he -is fairly out. ‘The ball pitched off the wicket;’ ‘It would have gone -over the wicket;’ ‘It was twisting like anything and would have missed -the wicket;’ and ‘How could it be out? I hit it hard,’ are the usual -excuses that are made to a knot of the crestfallen batsman’s friends -and sympathisers after his return to the pavilion. Sometimes, no doubt, -one or more of these excuses may be perfectly true, and the batsman has -been unfortunately dismissed by an error in judgment on the part of the -umpire; but in far the larger number of instances they are simply sham -excuses invented by the player to cover his own discomfiture. In some -cases a batsman may really believe that the ball would have missed the -wicket or did not pitch straight, and if so he has a perfect right, -if he thinks fit, to tell his own friends what is opinion is; but as -a rule the umpire’s judgment is right and the batsman’s is wrong. The -mere fact of a ball hitting the leg when it is pitched _so nearly_ -straight and would have _so nearly_ hit the wicket as to justify an -appeal to the umpire, shows that the batsman has seriously erred either -in his judgment of the pitch of the ball or in his stroke. He has made -a mistake--the ball hitting his leg is a proof that he has done so; and -yet, with this proof staring him in the face, he comes out and states -positively what practically comes to this: ‘The ball must have been -very nearly straight and would have very nearly hit the stumps, or else -the bowler would not have asked; I mistook the pace, or the pitch, or -the flight of the ball, or all three of them at the same time; but now -that I have had time to think over it, I know for certain the ball was -not pitched straight or would not have hit the wicket.’ This is the -logical conclusion of the vast number of excuses that are made with -regard to decisions of l.b.w. - -[Illustration: A clear case.] - -When a batsman says that he has hit the ball, it does not always follow -that it is correct, for under certain circumstances he may imagine he -has touched it when in fact he has not done so. For instance, if he -plays forward with the bat close to his left leg, he may slightly touch -his pad or his boot, which may produce in his mind the same impression -as if the bat had touched the ball. In a forward stroke a slight touch -on a hard ground with the end of the bat will often convey the same -idea. There are one or two well-known cricketers, thoroughly keen and -honest players of the game, whose habit of finding fault with umpires’ -decisions adverse to themselves has often provoked great amusement. -We remember on one occasion taking part in a match in which one of -these critical gentlemen was playing. Shortly after his innings began -he missed a perfectly straight ball, and just as it was going to hit -the centre of the middle stump it came into contact with a thick -well-padded leg. He had to go. Shortly afterwards in the pavilion he -was overheard replying in answer to a friend, ‘Out? why, it didn’t -pitch straight by a quarter of an inch!’ - -What has been said with regard to the duty of batsmen to abide by -umpires’ decisions applies equally to bowlers. What can be worse form -than a public exhibition of temper on the part of a bowler because an -appeal is not answered in his favour? ‘Wha-a-a-t?’ shouts a bowler at -the top of his voice, after a negative answer to an appeal, his eyes -glaring at the poor unfortunate umpire as if he wanted to eat him. -‘What _is_ out, then?’ Perhaps in the next ball or two the batsman is -palpably out, either bowled or caught. ‘How’s that, then, sir?’ says -the bowler in sarcastic glee, as if his success was directly due to -the former verdict of the umpire. All this sort of thing is very poor -cricket, and not calculated to promote the true spirit of friendliness -which should distinguish every match if the game is to be enjoyed. - -It is in club cricket that there is always the greatest number of -disputes about umpires’ decisions. This is owing to the fact that the -only way in which umpires can be procured is by each side bringing -its own. As a rule the professional bowler of a club stands as umpire -in all matches, and this system, as before mentioned, cannot fail -occasionally to cause a little wrangling. Supposing, for instance, a -side has to get half a dozen more runs to win a match with only one -wicket to fall, and the umpire of the fielding side, by giving the -last hope out leg before wicket, decides the game in favour of his -employers, it must inevitably stir up some angry feelings, especially -as a batsman is scarcely ever known to admit the impeachment of being -fairly out l.b.w. Considering the keenness and anxiety to win of every -cricketer worthy of the name, the fact of serious disputes being almost -unknown is a remarkable instance of the generosity and manliness of -English players. - -But it is in _bonâ fide_ country or rustic matches that there is most -often good reason for finding fault with the decisions of umpires. We -are not speaking of matches between clubs who can boast enough members -to enable them to engage a professional bowler, level a good large -square piece of turf, and erect a local habitation in the shape of a -neat and pretty little pavilion; but of matches between clubs in remote -villages, where the village common, rough and uneven as it is, suffices -for practice on the week-day evenings and for matches on Saturday -afternoons, where the only weapons of the batsmen are the old well-worn -and usually desperately heavy club bats, where the village barber is -the bowler, the village baker the best batsman, and the umpire, on -whom his side relies for victory more than on all the other men in the -village, the publican. There are still such clubs in existence, though -not nearly so many now as in days gone by. The increased popularity of -the game, and the greater facilities for getting about the country, -have caused many of these old village clubs to become large and -well-to-do. One of the greatest treats that any cricket-lover can -have is to take part in a match between two really primitive village -clubs. The old fast under-arm bowling, now sixty years at least out of -date in first-class cricket, still preserves its pristine efficacy on -the rough uneven turf, and against the untutored batsmen. The running -and the shouting and the general excitement when the parson misses a -catch, or the butcher is bowled, is very pleasing to one accustomed to -the stateliness and publicity of a match at Lord’s or the Oval. But -the village umpire is, perhaps, the most interesting personage on the -ground. He is usually a stout elderly man, who, grown too grey on the -head and too thick in the girth to give his side any more active help -in the field, assists in quite as efficient a manner in his new post. -He is generally a genial, jolly sort of fellow; devoted to the game, he -fondly imagines that he is an infallible judge of every point that can -arise in it, though really he is wofully ignorant of the whole subject. -He is, however, looked up to by the whole village as an authority whose -opinion cannot be disputed; probably he has once in his life, many -years ago, been to Lord’s, and has there, while watching Carpenter, -Hayward, and George Parr, laid up a store of information connected with -the play of great cricket celebrities which has sufficed ever since to -maintain his reputation as a cricket savant. - -Before the beginning of a match, he may be seen diligently rolling the -stubborn ground with a small hand-roller, in the hopes that some of -the numerous adamantine hillocks may be compressed to something like a -level with the surrounding dales and valleys. - -After this labour of love has been ineffectually bestowed he proceeds -to mark the creases. And what marvellous works of art they are when -finished! Long crooked lines, some three or four inches in thickness, -suggest that straightness and neatness have been sacrificed to the -desire of using as much whitening as possible. When it is time for the -match to begin, he marches solemnly to the wicket, with a bat over -his shoulder, chaffing and joking with the players as he goes. Then, -what numerous appeals are made to him! Catches at the wicket, l.b.w., -runs out, all follow one another in quick succession. His decisions -are always given with deliberation and evident doubt, and often are -preceded by questions to the batsman, such as, ‘Did yer ‘it it, Jack?’ -or, ‘Whereabouts did it touch ye?’ Thus the length of a man’s innings -is often in the same ratio as his moral obliquity in concealing or -perverting the truth. However, there is wonderfully little disputing, -the good-natured batsmen being quite willing to abide by the fiat of -the great authority; and if decisions are given rather more against -than for them, they are induced to keep quiet by the knowledge that -they have their own village judge at the other end, who, when the time -comes, will do his best to equalise matters. - -One of the most primitive rustic matches we ever saw was on a village -common in Hampshire. We always look back to that match as one which -produced more real fun than any we have ever taken part in. The village -umpire there, a jolly good-natured old man, but absolutely ignorant -of the laws of cricket, caused us the greatest merriment during the -whole day. In addition to his official post as umpire, he was the -village caterer at all public entertainments, and consequently supplied -luncheon at all the matches. It was evident his thoughts in the field -were divided between the responsibilities of his two duties--at least -we inferred so by his occasionally allowing the bowler to bowl as -much as ten or more balls in an over, and giving as his reason, ‘If -Mr.---- doant have a bit o’ exercise, he woant relish my steak pie. -O’im vaamous for steak pies, yer know, sir,’ he added by way of apology -for introducing the subject. This worthy old umpire gave certainly -the most astonishing decision we ever saw. A man was batting at one -end who was evidently one of the swells of his side. Owing to the -roughness and slope of the ground, the slow bowling that he had to -play was going about in all directions. Now a ball, pitching nearly -a wide to leg, would twist in and pass the wicket on the off side, -and then one pitched wide on the off would hit or pass the legs of -the batsman, who, after many wild and futile attempts to strike this, -to him, peculiar style of bowling, determined, as a last resource, -to treat it with supreme contempt. He therefore, whenever the ball -pitched wide, got in front of his stumps, turned round, and presented -the back portion of his person to the bowler. The umpire watched these -proceedings with a somewhat perplexed smile on his broad good-humoured -face, but said nothing. Shortly, a ball that pitched a couple of feet -on the leg side, twisted in, and struck the batsman on the seat of his -trousers. This caused some laughter amongst the lookers-on, and when -the mirth had subsided the umpire walked slowly a few yards down the -pitch and addressed the batsman thus: ‘Why, Jack, that ain’t cricket. -O’im a pretty favourable umpire as a rule, you know, Jack: but when a -man stops the ball with _that_, he must be out. You must go, Jack.’ -Nothing would induce the injured batsman to remain; we implored him -to stay, but no; he had been given out and was going out; and for the -rest of the day he enjoyed the importance of being an injured man--an -importance enhanced by the opinions of his admirers that, had he not -suffered an injustice, the village scorers would have had on that -occasion anything but a holiday. - -[Illustration: ‘You must go, Jack.’] - -The well-known crack player who now and then plays in village cricket -matches usually enjoys perfect immunity from the vagaries of the -village umpire; in fact, he runs only a very slight chance of ever -being out at all, unless he is palpably caught or his stumps knocked -down. The old style of umpire that we have attempted to describe is -immensely delighted at the prospect of seeing what he calls ‘real -cricket,’ and whether the ‘swell’ is on his side or against it, he -fully makes up his mind that it will be no fault of his if spectators -are not treated to an exhibition of the real article. The bowlers may -be hoarse with appealing, but the umpire remains obdurate, and it is -with real sorrow he at last sees the great man go. - -We remember on one occasion coming across a strange umpire in -Scotland. It was in a country (very country) match. The writer was -batting, and his co-partner at the other end was a well-known sporting -baronet. The latter was the continual cause of appeals both from the -bowler and wicket-keeper for l.b.w.’s and catches at the wicket. All -were answered in the batsman’s favour, much to the disgust of the -fielders. Thinking that the latter were really being treated rather -badly, the writer ventured humbly to ask the umpire whether the last -appeal (an enormous thigh right in front of all three stumps to a -straight one) had not been a very near thing. ‘Lor bless you, sir,’ was -the reply, ‘I have been his valet for fifteen years, and I dussn’t give -him out; he gets awful wild at times.’ - -A little knowledge is a dangerous thing to umpires as well as -everyone else. A ball in a country match hit the batsman’s leg, skied -up in the air, and was caught by point. ‘How’s that for leg before -wicket?’ shouted the bowler. ‘How’s that for a catch?’ said point. The -bewildered umpire had not an idea what it was, but no doubt he thought -such loud appeals meant something, and so said, ‘Out.’ ‘What for?’ -said the batsman; ‘it didn’t pitch anything like straight, wouldn’t -have hit the wicket, and what’s more, never touched it.’ ‘Out,’ said -the nonplussed umpire; ‘it hit _you below the wrist_.’ This story, -although told of an ignorant umpire, illustrates a principle which the -best umpires should have in mind, but which many of them seem never -to have learnt, or else to have forgotten, and that is, never give -your reasons for a decision. This is a golden rule for all umpires. An -umpire is engaged to say ‘Out’ or ‘Not out’ when appealed to, and not -to state the reasons which have induced his verdict. When a man adds to -his decision, ‘It didn’t pitch straight,’ ‘Your toe was up in the air,’ -‘Your bat was over the crease but not on the ground,’ it has a tendency -to create useless discussion and waste of time. Besides, an umpire may -occasionally be right in his verdict, but may be brought to grief by -explaining his reasons. For instance, suppose an appeal for a l.b.w., -and the umpire says ‘Not out.’ The wicket-keeper and the bowler may -know that the point for decision is whether the ball pitched straight -or not; the umpire adds, for example, ‘The ball would have gone over -the wicket.’ Well, this may be so, but both the wicket-keeper and the -bowler think not; if the verdict had been a decided ‘Not out,’ both of -these two would have been satisfied--a doubtful point had been given -against them, no one was to blame for it, better luck next time, &c. -&c. But since the umpire has been guilty of stating reasons, which, -according to them, are not satisfactory, he has branded himself with a -bad decision in the eyes of the fielding side. - -Some umpires--in fact, the majority of them--have a habit of putting -their hand and arm in the air and pointing to the skies when they -give a man out. A verdict propitious to the batsman is given by a -solemn ‘Not out,’ but one adverse by an annoying silence and a most -inappropriate wave of the arm in the air. It would be far more to the -purpose if the finger were pointed downwards instead of upwards, as the -batsman’s hopes are shattered. We never like to leave the wickets till -the umpire’s voice is heard. The arm may go in the air involuntarily, -or the umpire be surprised into a spasmodic upward arm-jerk; but a good -honest ‘Out’ can never be doubted. - -With regard to the qualifications that a man should possess before he -can hope to perform satisfactorily to himself and others the duties of -an umpire, the first essential is that he must have been at one time -a good cricketer. By good we do not mean first-class, or that he must -have had his name amongst the list of the best players of his time; -but he must have been fairly proficient in the game, and must have had -a large practical experience. The qualifications of a good judge are, -no doubt, of a different nature from those for a good advocate, but -before a man can sit on the Bench he must have passed through the wear -and tear of the bar, and had, when there, varied experiences in the -practice of law. So with an umpire; it does not absolutely follow that -a first-rate player will make a good umpire, but it does follow that a -man who has had great practical experience in the game will be better -qualified to decide the nice points that arise than one who has only -made cricket a theoretical study. Assuming that a man has sufficient -knowledge of the game to stand as umpire, he must possess quick and -keen sight, a good sense of hearing, powers of rapid decision, and -last, but not least, he must be very fond of cricket. The necessity of -the first two of these qualifications for good umpiring is apparent. -For most decisions a good power of sight only is required, but in -appeals for catches at the wicket an umpire has both to be guided by -his eyes and his ears. Many cases occur where the ball and the bat pass -each other with such rapidity that it is impossible for an umpire to -be certain from his eyes alone that they have touched one another, and -he must then, to a great extent, be guided by what he has heard. Both -sight and sound must help him to come to his conclusion, and he must -give no decision if it is inconsistent with the effect of either of -these senses on his mind. - -No umpire should ever be chosen to stand in first-class matches unless -he possesses the perfect use of these two senses. More than once in -important matches we have seen an umpire with his ears stuffed full -of cotton-wool. This, no doubt, was an excellent preventive against -catching cold in the head, but it was a monstrous thing to see the -result of a match of some interest depending upon the amount of sound -that could penetrate through two or three layers of wadding. - -An umpire should possess powers of quick decision, because every time -his opinion is asked he has to give it at once, and with firmness. If -he shows any signs of doubt or hesitation, he destroys the confidence -which it should be his constant endeavour to see reposed in him and his -judgment. - -An umpire has to concentrate every particle of his attention on the -game, every minute of the five or six hours he is in the field has -to be devoted to studiously watching every ball that is bowled and -every incident in the play. Once let his attention be distracted, or -his interest lessened in what is going on around him, and he will -make a mistake. The powers of concentration necessary in an umpire -are so great, and are required for such a lengthy period, that it is -impossible to find them in any man unless he is imbued with a thorough -love of cricket. It is this devotion to the game which enables our -umpires to fix their attention on it for such long weary hours, in all -conditions of weather, and in our most important matches, with such a -heavy weight of responsibility upon their shoulders. Firm, free, and -unbiassed in their judgment, our English umpires have the satisfaction -of knowing that unbounded confidence is placed in them by the players -and the public, and that never in the history of modern cricket has -there been the faintest whisper of suspicion against their integrity or -fair fame. - -And now let us discuss the actual duties of an umpire connected with -the game. The two umpires before the beginning of the match should be -present when the ground is chosen and measured. By rights, it is the -duty of the umpires actually to choose the pitch; but this is seldom -done, as so much care and attention is spent on all grounds at the -present day by the ground-men, that the wicket intended to be used has -been generally prepared with diligence for two or three days previous -to the match. They should, however, be present, and see that the ground -is the proper measurement, and that the stumps are so fixed in the -ground as to satisfy the sixth rule of the game--namely, ‘Each wicket -shall be eight inches in width, and consist of three stumps.... The -stumps shall be of equal and sufficient size to prevent the ball from -passing through, twenty-seven inches out of the ground. The bails shall -be each four inches in length, and when in position on the top of the -stumps, shall not project more than half an inch above them. Umpires -should be very careful to see that these provisions are complied with -both with regard to the width of the wicket and the ball passing -between the stumps.’ We have often seen stumps in a first-class match -so wide apart that the ball would pass between them without dislodging -the bails; over and over again have we taken hold of the ball and -passed it between them to show the umpire that the stumps were too far -apart; but we have never seen a bowled ball pass between the stumps -without removing the bails in a first-class match, though this often -happens in smaller matches. Umpires should themselves measure the -ground between the wickets; groundsmen, as a rule, do this, but they -occasionally do it in a careless and slovenly fashion, which may result -in the distance being a foot too short or too long. The slightest -difference in the usual distance of twenty-two yards from wicket -to wicket makes a great difference to the bowler, and so it should -invariably be checked by the umpires themselves using the chain. - -Before the match begins, the umpires should settle what the boundaries -are to be. This, of course, will only apply to those places where the -boundaries have not been finally settled, as at Lord’s and the Oval -and other well-known grounds. The usual practice, however, is for -the visiting team to accept the boundaries that are customary on the -ground; but should there be any dispute on this subject, it must be -settled by the umpires. Having arranged all preliminaries connected -with the pitch and the boundaries, the umpires should go to the wickets -punctually to the very minute agreed upon for beginning play. A vast -amount of time is on many grounds lost owing to unpunctuality; and if -the umpires appear on the ground at the appointed time, irrespective of -whether the players are ready or not, it has a good effect. The umpire -at the bowler’s end, when the bowling is over the wicket, should stand -as near as he can to the wicket without inconveniencing the bowler in -his action; he should stand sideways fronting the bowler, but with -his head looking over his right shoulder down the pitch. The object -of this attitude is that as small a surface of his body as possible -should be permitted to be in the line of sight of the batsman and the -ball. There are some umpires who stand as much as five or six yards -from the wicket, no doubt under the impression that so long as they -are in a straight line with the two wickets they can see everything; -but this is a mistake, as it is evident that the nearer the umpire -stands to the wicket the better he can see and judge the points that -arise for his decision. Before umpires were required to wear the long -white coats which now render them so conspicuous, their dark ones -often greatly interfered with the batsman’s view of the ball, but now -this inconvenience has been done away with, and the batsman can never -rightly complain of his sight being obscured by the umpire. - -The umpire should stand perfectly still at the moment the ball is -delivered; he must not even move his head, as any moving object -directly behind the ball, and especially as near to it as the umpire is -standing, may distract the batsman’s sight from the ball. He must watch -the bowler’s hindmost foot to see if it touch or cross the bowling -crease, in which case it is a ‘no ball,’ and must almost at the same -time watch the bowler’s hand and arm to guard against any infringement -of the rule against throwing. - -The rule with regard to ‘no balls’ is, ‘The bowler shall deliver the -ball with one foot on the ground behind the bowling crease, and within -the return crease, otherwise the umpire shall call no ball.’ The umpire -must, therefore, call ‘no ball’ if the hindmost foot of the bowler is, -at the moment of delivery, even touching the bowling or return creases. -This rule makes it important that the bowling crease should be neatly -and correctly marked. The rule with regard to the bowling crease says -that it ‘shall be in a line with the stumps, 6 ft. 8 in. in length, -&c.,’ but says nothing about the width of it. We must, therefore, infer -from the words ‘in a line’ that the bowling crease should not be of -greater width than the thickness of the stumps. If it is drawn of this -thickness only, it is a very narrow line, but is correct according to -a common-sense interpretation of the rules 7 and 11; for supposing, as -is often the case, the crease is thicker than the width of the stumps, -it would then be a manifest injustice to ‘no ball’ a bowler because -his hindmost foot has just touched the edge of it. These two rules -evidently mean that the hindmost foot shall be behind the line of the -wicket when the ball is delivered. If the crease is too thick, the foot -may just touch it and yet not transgress the spirit of the two rules -taken together. - -With regard to the necessity, laid down in rule 11, for the hindmost -foot to be on the ground ... when the ball is delivered, we think -umpires may take it as settled that it is quite an impossibility for a -bowler to deliver a ball with this foot off the ground. Let anyone try -to bowl with only the left foot on the ground, and he will at once see -the practical impossibility of doing so. A ‘no ball’ should be called -quickly and distinctly directly the ball has been delivered; an umpire -must not shout ‘No ball’ as soon as he sees the foot touch or overlap -the crease, but must wait till the ball is actually bowled; otherwise -he may land himself in a difficulty should the bowler stop and not -deliver the ball. We remember an umpire, who is generally supposed to -be about the best in England, making this mistake in 1886; he called -a ‘no ball’ so very prematurely that it gave the bowler time to stop -before the ball left his hand. - -A wide ball is one that, in the opinion of the umpire, is not within -reach of the striker. It therefore does not make the slightest -difference where it pitches so long as, in the umpire’s opinion, it -has _never been_ within the batsman’s reach. Some people entertain -the idea that if a ball has pitched fairly straight but afterwards -twisted beyond the batsman’s reach, it should not be called wide; but -this is wrong, as the rule says positively that ‘if it is not within -reach of the striker, the umpire shall call “wide ball.”’ It is often -a very nice point as to what is or is not within reach of the striker, -and umpires’ opinions vary on this head. We think the true reading of -the rule is that, on the off side, the batsman’s reach should not be -limited to what he can only reach when standing still in his original -position, but should be extended to what he can conveniently and -comfortably reach with either leg across his wicket, say for ‘cutting’ -or ‘off driving.’ On the leg side we think a ball should be called -‘wide’ if the batsman in the ordinary swing of the arms and bat for a -leg hit could not reach it.[32] It thus follows, that a ball may be a -‘wide’ on the leg side which would not be one if at an equal distance -from the batsman on the off side. If the ball passes so high over the -batsman as to be out of his reach, it is a ‘wide.’ This very rarely -occurs, but umpires should remember that if the batsman can touch this -ball by holding the bat in the air, it is not a ‘wide.’ It does not -follow that it is a ‘wide’ because the ball goes over the head of the -batsman without being played at--most batsmen refuse to strike at such -a ball because of the attendant risk--but it must be so high that the -batsman cannot reach it when holding the bat in the usual manner. - -When the bowler is bowling round the wicket the umpire should stand -exactly in the same place as he does for ‘over the wicket’ bowling, but -should of course front the bowler’s side of the wicket. He should be -watchful to see that the bowler keeps within the limit of the return -crease; if he touches this with his hindmost foot, it is a ‘no ball’ -and should be instantly ‘called.’ Round-the-wicket bowlers often have -a tendency to bowl as far as possible round the wicket, and as this is -done with the object of making their bowling more difficult, umpires -should be careful to keep them within the prescribed limits. There is -rather a slackness in many umpires about calling ‘no ball’ because the -return crease is touched; but they ought to be quite as particular in -this respect as in the case of the bowling crease--in fact, even more -so, as a ball delivered an extra inch from the line between wicket and -wicket makes more difference to the batsman than one delivered an inch -nearer than usual. - -The principal duties of the umpire at the bowler’s end are those -we have discussed--viz. calling ‘wides’ and ‘no balls,’ answering -decisions for leg before wicket and catches at the wicket--and there -are some few other points he may occasionally be called upon to decide. -Before mentioning these, let us see what the laws say with regard to -the several duties of the two umpires. Law 47 says, ‘The umpire at the -bowler’s wicket shall be appealed to before the other umpire in all -cases except in those of stumping, hit wicket, run out at the striker’s -wicket, or arising out of law 42 (the law relating to any part of the -wicket-keeper’s person being in front of the wicket, or to his taking -the ball before it reaches the wicket); but in any case in which an -umpire is unable to give a decision, he shall appeal to the other -umpire, whose decision shall be final.’ It will thus be seen that the -umpire at the bowler’s end must be appealed to first in all but the -excepted cases; he therefore has to decide all questions relating to -catches; but if he is uncertain, or from some cause has been prevented -from seeing the circumstances of the catch, he may appeal to the other -umpire, whose decision shall be final. It is sometimes a very difficult -thing for an umpire to be certain whether or not the fielder’s hands -have got under the ball before it has touched the ground; if he is -at all doubtful, he should at once appeal to the other umpire, whose -position may probably have enabled him to get a better view of the -‘catch.’ A difficulty occasionally arises in connection with what is -commonly called a ‘bump’ ball. A bump ball is one which the batsman, -playing hard on to the ground and close to the bat, causes to bound -in the air. Should it be caught by a fielder, a question often arises -whether it touched the ground after the bat or not. Sometimes these -decisions are hard to arrive at with certainty, and especially so if -the ground is dry and dusty and the batsman in striking stirs up a -cloud of dust, as the actual contact between the bat and the ball is -then partially, if not altogether, obscured from the umpire’s view. -Perhaps the most historical decision on this point is one that was -given in the University match of 1881. C. F. H. Leslie, the well-known -old Rugbeian, had just begun his innings; A. F. J. Ford was bowling. -Leslie made a half-hit at a well-pitched-up ball, and raised a cloud of -dust around him; the ball came straight back to the bowler, who caught -it, and Leslie instantly left his wicket for the pavilion, evidently -under the impression that he was fairly out. Before he had reached the -entrance of the pavilion circumstances arose which caused the other -batsman then at the wickets to appeal to the bowler’s umpire for a -decision as to whether the catch had been made off a ‘bump’ ball or -not. This umpire, not being able to give a decision, appealed to the -other one, who, after some discussion with his colleague, decided in -the affirmative, and consequently Leslie resumed his innings. - -When an umpire has to decide the question of a ‘bump’ ball or not, he -must be guided by its length, its flight from the bat, and the way in -which the latter has been used; the state of the ground sometimes must -be considered, as it is unlikely, when the turf is in a soft, spongy -state, that a ball will bounce high or far from it. - -As will be seen by the latter part of law 47 (just quoted), the -bowler’s umpire may occasionally be appealed to on matters which are -primarily in the discretion of his colleague. If the latter cannot -decide, for instance, a question of stumping, which, by the law, must -first be referred to him, he may appeal to the bowler’s umpire. This -power of appealing in cases of stumping is rarely used--in fact, we -have never seen or heard of a single case of its exercise, though we -once saw a case arise in which an appeal might very rightly have been -made. In the University match of 1878, A. H. Evans was batting, he ran -out to a slow, hit at it with all his might, missed it, and let the bat -slip out of his hands. The ball was taken, and the wicket put down by -the Cambridge wicket-keeper, Alfred Lyttelton; but the umpire had seen -the bat flying straight at his head, and not wishing to risk a broken -crown by sticking to his post, had fallen down with his head averted -from the wicket, and was consequently unable to give a decision on a -case which he had not seen. Evans was some three or four feet out of -his ground when the bails were knocked off, but as no decision was -given against him he of course remained at the wickets. This is exactly -the case which this part of rule 47 is framed to meet; the other umpire -would have been quite able to have given a decision on a plain case -like this, and no doubt would have done so had there been an appeal -made to him. - -Under law 43 many points arise for the decision of the bowler’s -umpire, two of which merit discussion here. This law says, ‘_The -umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play_, of the fitness -of the ground, the weather, and the light for play; all disputes shall -be determined by them, and if they disagree the actual state of things -shall continue.’ But law 46 says, ‘They (the umpires) shall not order -a batsman out unless appealed to by the other side.’ So that no umpire -can really decide anything, except wides, no balls, and boundary hits, -unless an appeal is made to him. As will be seen from law 43, appeals -may be made on the fairness or otherwise of the play. These appeals -happily are seldom made, but circumstances may arise in which it is the -duty of the umpire to give his opinion under this rule. For instance, -should the bowler so cut up the pitch with his feet as to place the -batsman at a disadvantage when opposed to the bowling from the other -end, it would be the duty of the umpire, if appealed to, to say that -such tearing or cutting up was unfair, whether done accidentally or -not. When the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s team was in Australia in 1882–3, an -appeal was made to the umpire by one of this team as to whether the way -in which Spofforth was cutting up the wicket was fair or unfair. There -was no doubt the wicket was being seriously damaged; the appealing -batsman of course made no imputation of intentional unfairness against -Spofforth, but only asked for a decision whether such damage was fair -to the batting side. The umpire asked to see the soles of Spofforth’s -shoes; these were held up for public view, and as they only had about -one spike each, it was decided that there was nothing unfair. It, is, -however, a well-known fact that when ground is cut up, it is done by -the force with which the boot is brought on to the ground; the edge of -the sole is often answerable for the damage, and the number of spikes -that are worn is quite beside the question. - -As we have before noted, the umpire at the striker’s end has to -decide some few points; his duties, however, are not nearly so onerous -as those of his colleague at the other end. They are decisions on -stumping, hitting wicket, running out, and matters arising under law -42. This umpire should stand quite square with the wicket, so near -as to enable him to see accurately all that happens without placing -himself in any risk from a hard square hit. He should take care that -the popping crease is clearly visible to him: if it has got worn out -and difficult to see, a pinch of sawdust placed at the end of it will -give him its correct line. It is always best, however, when either of -the creases has become indistinct to send for the whitening and re-mark -it. Stumping rarely gives much difficulty to the umpire; his position -is such that he ought always to be able to see whether the bails are -off before the bat or foot are within the line. If the toe of the -batsman is on the crease and _no part of his foot within it_, of course -the decision must be against the batsman. If the batsman relies on -his bat being in his ground when the bails are off, the umpire should -recollect that the bat must be _in his hand_ according to law 19. We -recollect once seeing in a county match a batsman after a tremendous -futile swipe fall prostrate outside his ground with the force of the -unsuccessful stroke; he was lying some two feet out of his ground, and -his bat was within the crease with the handle resting on his shoulder -when the wicket was put down. The umpire wrongly gave him ‘not out,’ no -doubt thinking he was justified in doing so as the bat was connected -with a portion of the batsman’s body. The bat must, however, be in his -hand to prevent a decision against him, unless ‘some part of his person -be grounded within the line of the popping crease.’ - -It is generally easy for an umpire to see when a batsman hits his -wickets. The ball is usually played by the bat, but the batsman coming -further back than usual, either from a mistake in his judgment as to -the pitch or from originally standing too near, strikes the wicket. -An umpire, however, must keep a sharp look on the wicket-keeper’s -feet and hands, and see that the fall of the bails is not due to -any of these coming in contact with the wicket. It is possible for -a wicket-keeper to dislodge the bails with the tip of his gloves or -the point of his boot, and yet be unconscious that he has done so. An -umpire must also keep his eyes open to guard against any chance of this -being intentionally done. Fortunately there is now no ‘hanky-panky’ -play in our first-class cricket; but there have undoubtedly been cases -where a smart wicket-keeper has been unable to resist the temptation -of removing the bail with foot or glove when in the act of taking the -ball. If any part of the batsman’s person hits the wicket ‘in playing -at the ball,’ it is sufficient to justify a decision against him. If -his hat blow off and knock the bails off when he is in the act of -playing, he is out; several instances are on record of this unfortunate -method of dismissal. In the season of 1886 there was an instance -recorded of a man knocking one of his bails off with a piece of the -string that had been wrapped round the blade of his bat; he was, of -course, given out. A difficulty sometimes arises as to whether the bail -was knocked off in the actual stroke at the ball, or whether it was in -the action of the bat preliminary or subsequent to the stroke. - -[Illustration: Stumped.] - -The duties of umpires are so various, and the decisions they are -called upon to give are so numerous, that it is an impossibility to -discuss them all. Every umpire should remember that when an unforeseen -incident occurs in the game he must use his common sense for its -solution, and then he will not go far wrong. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[32] A batsman’s reach is further on the off than the leg side, because -he has his legs to put across the wicket to help him on the former side. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -FIELDING.[33] - -(BY THE HON. R. H. LYTTELTON.) - - -[Illustration: ‘Saving the four.’] - -Certain natural qualifications are indispensable to enable any -cricketer to become a great fieldsman. The highest reputation that can -be attained by any painstaking cricketer who is not endowed with these -qualifications is that of being a good safe man. When you hear this -epithet, you may take it for granted that reference is made to a man -who may cover himself with glory if he has to field a ball within a -certain more or less limited space from the spot where he has taken his -position, who is generally in the habit of holding a feasible catch, -and who will seldom disgrace himself. - -In other words, a safe field is generally a slow one, is lacking in -electricity and rapidity of movement, and, as batsmen get to know this, -the short run is attempted with impunity. Slow fields are earnestly -advised to practise throwing; for their defects are less apparent -when fielding a long distance from the wicket, and the non-observant -spectator does not notice that the ground covered at a distance from -the wicket by a slow field is very small compared to that commanded by -some space-covering field like Palairet, Sugg, or J. Douglas. - -Again, let safe and slow fields, the roadsters among the thoroughbreds, -try and get a respectable knowledge of the game; for if they obtain -this they can in a great measure discount their deficiencies. A good -judge of the game gets to know by instinct where a batsman is likely -to hit certain balls, and so does the observant fieldsman. He will -consequently shift a few yards or so from his original position to -the spot towards which his instinct tells him the ball is likely to -be hit; and he will thereby earn the enviable reputation of being a -man who is frequently in the right place. It used to be said of the -immortal French tennis player, Barre, that he himself did not run after -the ball, but the ball ran after him; his genius told him where his -opponent was going to hit the ball, and he planted himself accordingly. -In like manner will a fieldsman so plant himself; and it is important -to a slow field to try and acquire this instinct, for if the fieldsman -is not on a certain spot of ground before the hit is made, his slowness -will prevent his getting there afterwards, especially if the hit is -hard and the ground fast. - -Directions may now be given on the knotty points, ‘Where ought I to -stand?’ ‘When ought I to back up?’ ‘Which end ought I to throw to?’ -and a few others; for this reason, that many a good fieldsman might be -better if he knew where to place himself and precisely what to do. - -First, then, it may be safely asserted that a concentrated attention on -every ball is a _sine quâ non_ of even decent fielding. Men often think -that if they are simply looking at the batsman they are doing all that -is required. But this is not so. There is a difference of opinion as -to whether the eyes should be fixed on the batsman, or should follow -the ball as it leaves the bowler’s arm; this is a matter of dispute, -our own opinion being in favour of the former plan. But each man should -stand as if the next ball were sure to come to him, not only as if it -might come to him. One can see a whole eleven doing it now and then -when there are (say) six runs wanted to tie and seven to win. They -are all adopting for a few minutes the position they ought to adopt -always--in short, the position in which great fieldsmen like Wainwright -and Burnup are found invariably. We will first take a few general -points, and then the separate places in the field. - - -BACKING UP. - -[Illustration: Backing up.] - -This is a matter which demands the earnest consideration of all who -field within thirty yards of the wicket. There ought always to be -two men backing up; never more. Nine times out of ten they will be -superfluous, but the tenth time they will save a ‘four overthrow,’ and -all the chagrin, demoralisation, and tearing of hair connected with -that disaster. No fieldsman can throw his best unless he is confident -about the backing up, and the man who ought to be abused when an -overthrow occurs is not the fieldsman who throws the ball, but the men -who should be backing up and are not. Again--and let young fields take -heed to this--there must be ten yards between the two men backing up, -and also between the one nearest the wicket and the wicket. This gives -them room to stop the wildest throw, but does not give the batsmen -time to run if the ball passes the wicket. If the fields stand close -together, two are as bad as none, and get in each other’s way. Rules -for the different fields we give in dealing with them separately. - - -THROWING. - -This is, of course, a gift of nature, not a result of art. Few -men can throw far, but everyone can throw quickly, and that is what -prevents batsmen from running. There is a moment which decides a -batsman whether he can manage to secure another run or not. It is -just when a fieldsman, having run some way after the ball, and having -his back turned to the wicket, is stooping to pick up preparatory to -throwing in. Now any good judge of running, after seeing a man go -through this process once, knows exactly how long it will take. Every -nerve should be strained to make it as brief as possible: a little -extra sign of life and rapid movement will make the batsman hesitate -a moment, and the run is lost. The engraving on p. 245 shows what in -our opinion is the proper way to pick up a ball going away. The field -is not trying to catch the ball up as far as his feet are concerned. -He is stretching his hand forward to pick it up, and when he has got -it into his hand he will throw it rather over his left shoulder to the -wicket. Again, supposing a run is being snatched. The field should -then remember that to throw in slowly is of no possible use. The throw -may be, in other respects, as perfect and as straight as Robin Hood’s -arrow, but the batsman will be safe over the crease, and such a throw -becomes an example of showy drawing-room cricket, which is sure to be -applauded by the spectators, as well as the reporters, but is useless -to the side. If every field picked up and threw in as quickly as his -knee joints and the state of his arm allowed him, a very considerable -percentage of the runs usually scored would be saved. It is commonly -asserted by many of those supporters of the game who, having laid down -their arms, devote themselves for the rest of their lives to laying -down the law, that nobody ought ever to throw down the wicket. This is -certainly wrong. We do not mean that everybody ought always to throw -at the wicket, but only that some fields, under certain circumstances, -ought to do so. These circumstances occur when it is the only chance of -running a man out. The ball should be hurled violently at the bails, -and if an overthrow occurs, the wise captain will abuse those who -ought to be backing up, and not the thrower. But to throw hard at the -wicket when there is no chance of running a man out is strongly to be -condemned; it may produce an overthrow, and it is certain to inflict -useless concussion on the hands of bowlers and wicket-keepers. No -fieldsman is so apt to disregard this advice as the bowler; at least, -it is a fact that many bowlers are particularly fond of returning the -ball hard to the wicket after they have fielded it. It does not succeed -in running a man out once in a thousand times, it often enables a run -to be got by an overthrow, and it uselessly troubles the wicket-keeper. -A batsman is next door to an idiot who is got out by such means, and we -suspect that it is often done to secure the applause of an unthinking -mob. - -[Illustration: ‘Overtaking and picking up.’] - - -DEEP FIELD, OR COUNTRY CATCHING. - -This is an art which the above-mentioned critics lament as having -died out. It may be suspected that they missed as many catches as -the present generation, but still the present generation miss more -than they ought. All fine country fields catch the ball close to the -body--nay, more close to the head--and rightly so, because the eye is -more in a line with the ball, and with the hands in the position shown -in fig. 1, not in the way shown in fig. 2. If a young player begins in -the wrong way, he will miss one or two and get nervous. It is worth -remembering that folios of rules will never make a nervous field keep -hold of a country catch. Cold hands are a frequent cause of failure, -but loss of confidence and the disorganisation of the nervous system is -the commonest reason, and a constant prayer of many a cricketer is to -be spared a high catch. - -[Illustration: FIG. 1.--The right way to catch.] - -When a field begins to be uncertain, he should keep wicket to fast -bowling for a quarter of an hour a day, and field somewhere close -in for a week or so. The wicket-keeping will practise his eye, and -the fielding close in will spare his nerves during this educational -process. Practice is, of course, useful for long catches, but only up -to a certain point. A player may alter from a bad style of catching to -a good one by practice, but a very safe catch in practice is frequently -a bad performer in a match, simply on account of nervousness. For sharp -catches, wicket-keeping is, perhaps, the only thing that will help. The -peculiar faculty they demand is, like the spin in bowling, something -that cannot be taught, the possession of which is a guarantee of genius. - -[Illustration: FIG. 2.--The wrong way to catch.] - -And now for those who occupy the separate places, first among whom we -are surely right in dealing with the - - -WICKET-KEEPER. - -A little thought makes it clear that there are given at least -three chances of catching to one of stumping a man out. And so the -wicket-keeper must first feel the ball safe and warm in his hands -before he attempts to put the wicket down. This advice sounds obvious, -but it is so often disregarded that it must be insisted on. The first -rule accordingly is, that the ball must not be snatched at, but -received. This snapping used to be a very common fault with amateurs, -and the great George Pinder’s remark, ‘You amateurs snap ’em a bit,’ -hit on a then weak spot in amateur wicket-keeping. Another reason for -not snapping is one that will certainly strike home, and that is, -that the non-snapper is not nearly so likely to hurt his hands, as -one form of snapping consists in jerking the hands quickly forward to -meet the ball, and thereby resisting a blow instead of waiting for it. -Another danger of snapping is, that you run the risk of moving your -hands in such a way that instead of the ball striking the palms of the -hands where it does not hurt, it strikes you on the top of the thumb -or fingers, causing an agony that only wicket-keepers can rightly -appreciate. Hardly any two wicket-keepers stand alike, so take any -position that is natural to you, as was recommended in the chapter on -Batting, only bearing one fact in mind, which is, to avoid standing -so far away as not to be able comfortably to put down the wicket -without moving the legs. The postures generally assumed are, it must -be confessed, the reverse of graceful; they are too well known to need -description, but the two most common forms are shown in the figures -given on pp. 252 and 254. In one figure we recognise the massive -proportions of the famous Sherwin. It is wise to teach the beginner -to stand still and not to move his feet till the ball is hit by the -batsman or has passed his hands or is in his hands. We say beginners -because some famous wicket-keepers do move right in front of the ball, -but if a beginner moves his feet it may be inferred that he funks the -ball, and is getting out of its way. Again, you may not be able to -take many leg-balls, but every time you do put the wicket down, not -regarding the fact that the batsman may not be out of his ground. If -you wait to look, he certainly will not wait to get back, warned as -he is by the sound of the ball impinging on the gloves that there is -no time for loitering about. We do not say that an appeal ought to be -made to the umpire every time that the wicket is put down; that ought -only to be done when you think that the batsman was out of his ground; -unless this is the case it is an unfair and unsportsmanlike proceeding. - -[Illustration: Wicket-keeper--Sherwin in position.] - -We have before protested against pandering to the vicious tastes -of the gallery, and we must protest against it again, and caution -wicket-keepers in the following particular. It is supremely difficult -to take leg-balls, and the populace applaud accordingly when one is -taken. Now we have no objection to a wicket-keeper taking as many -leg-balls as possible, but on one condition, and that is, that he does -not lay himself out to take leg-balls at the expense of the off balls. -It is easy to do this by a different position and a concentration of -thought on the leg-balls. The vast majority of catches are given on the -off side, and catches, as has been before remarked, out-number stumping -chances in the proportion of 3 to 1. We would infinitely sooner have -a wicket-keeper on our side who was safe on the off side and did not -take one leg-ball in a hundred, limiting leg-balls to those outside the -legs of the batsman. Let your first thoughts be concentrated mainly on -straight and off-side balls, and pay no regard to the applause of any -save those whose knowledge of the game makes their approbation valuable. - -[Illustration: Wicket-keeper--Another position.] - -A player with no aptitude for wicket-keeping on first going to that -position will undergo moments of unspeakable agony. Spectators do not -thoroughly realise the position of the wicket-keeper, indeed nobody -can who has not attempted the art. In the first place, we will suppose -a very fast bowler; in the second, a fast and possibly a rather bumpy -wicket; in the third place, a batsman with perhaps the bulk of W. -G. Grace or K. J. Key, wielding a bat of the orthodox proportions; -and in the fourth place, three stumps with two bails placed on the -top. The body of the batsman in many cases completely obstructs the -view the wicket-keeper ought to have of the ball. Even if he can get -a good sight of the ball there is that abominable bat being fiddled -about, baulking the eyesight in the most tantalising manner, and -there are some batsmen who have a provoking habit of waving their -bats directly the bowler begins his run, and continuing their antics -till the ball is right up to them; while others seem to be built like -windmills, and have a limb always at hand to throw out between the -unhappy wicket-keeper and the rapidly-advancing ball. There are several -seconds, therefore, when the wicket-keeper is only conjecturing what -course the ball is taking, and is certain of but two things--one, that -the ball is hard; the other, that it is advancing in the direction -of himself with terrific rapidity. Then, even if you see the ball -plainly, it may happen to be, and frequently is, straight, and a -straight fast ball raises unutterable emotions in the wicket-keeper’s -breast; for who knows what devilish tricks the ball, to say nothing -of the bails, will play after the wicket is struck, and the course of -the missile diverted, not stopped? One reads how a bail has been sent -a distance of thirty or forty yards by a fast ball, and that bail may -take the wicket-keeper in the eye _in transitu_. The writer was once -struck by the ball on the eye and by the bail on the mouth at very -nearly the same second. The wicket-keeper is grimly told that he must -not flinch, and that he never can be really good if he does not keep -his legs still. True, most true; but, like other great people who do -great things, he must resist every natural impulse and all his lower -nature, and not till he has succeeded will he stand the least chance -of reaching to a pinnacle of excellence. Having briefly pointed out -these difficulties and dangers, let us beg the field to treat the -wicket-keeper as tenderly as possible, to cultivate a straight throw, -either a catch or a long-hop, and not half-volleys or, worse still, -short-hops, and never to throw hard when there is no necessity. If the -throw is crooked, the wicket-keeper should not leave his position to -stop it; leave that to the men who are backing up. He may be called -upon afterwards to put down the wicket, and he ought to be in a -position for so doing. Bear in mind also this cardinal rule--namely, to -stand behind the wicket to a throw and not in front. - - -LONG-LEG. - -[Illustration: Hit to square-leg.] - -It may be stated first of all in regard to this place, that its -importance is very considerably less in the cricket of the present -day than it was in former times. The improvement of bowling in mere -accuracy, owing to the fact that now compared with twenty years ago -five medium pace and slow bowlers exist to one fast bowler, is the -reason of this change; and even when a long-leg is used, it is very -often because a sort of back-up is required for the wicket-keeper, and -the long-leg is consequently placed very sharp, always remembering -that there is no long-stop. The man chosen for this grand post ought -to know from the way a batsman hits at a ball whether he should stand -square or sharp. The old-fashioned long-leg hitting of George Parr is -almost a thing of the past; so that long-leg should stand too square -rather than too sharp, especially as the right hand will thus get most -to do. If the batsman is a weak hitter, alter the position, moving not -only nearer the wicket but sharper as well. For a weak hitter’s most -dangerous stroke will be a snick to leg, and it is rather galling to -see a snick score many runs. But a strong square-leg hit is far more -dangerous; therefore, leave ample space to cover the ground, and trust -to your speed to save two runs. A good runner, after he plays a ball -gently to long-leg, makes all haste over the first run, and, as he -turns, assumes that there is time for the second if he sees that the -long-leg is slackening in the least, or winding up for an ornamental -throw, or in any other way wasting time. In such case jump towards -the ball the moment you see the batsman turning round to slide it in -your direction; run as if a mad bull were behind you, and picking up -the ball with one hand (as it is moving slowly enough) hurl it at the -wicket-keeper’s head--unless he is some distance off, in which case -throw so that it goes to the wicket-keeper a long-hop. Occasionally it -is useful to throw to the bowler, assuming that he is behind the stumps -and that mid-off is backing up, because the batsmen get frightened at -this manœuvre, and feel that their second run entails too much of a -risk, and this frequently prevents them trying it again. Bear in mind -that the aim of good fielding is, not to run men out, but to prevent -their trying to run. Remember also that a catch to long-leg has a -tendency to curl towards your right hand, so do not rush too violently -towards the left directly the ball is hit. - - -MID-OFF AND MID-ON - -have somewhat similar duties to perform, and the latter in one way -is the easiest place in the field, for there is less twist on the -ball when hit there than is the case with any other hit. When the -ground is hard, stand deeper than when it is soft, because on a hard -ground a single is easier, a four harder, to save. Again, stand wider -when the bowler is bowling your side of the wicket, as he is then -responsible for part of the space between you. If the batsman is a -timid runner, it is a good plan to tempt him to run by pretending to -be slow, and the moment he calls ‘run’ dash in with unexpected vigour. -This artifice, however, can be useful only once in an innings, and -must not be attempted by any except quick and good fields. But if by -well-ascertained and true report and your own observation you know that -either or both of the batsmen are slow or timid runners, stand further -back, unless there is any special reason to make you stand in for a -catch, for by so doing you cover more ground and can save fourers or -threes. Mid-off must back up behind the bowler when the ball is thrown -in from long-leg, short-leg, mid-on and long-stop. Mid-on backs up the -bowler when it is thrown from mid-off, cover-point, point, and third -man. Modern tactics and modern slow bowling have invented an extra -field in the shape of an extra mid-off, who stands between cover-point -and mid-off, and his duties, when the fashion is to bowl mainly on the -off side for catches, are most onerous. Mr. G. B. Studd’s fielding -here was one of the sights of cricket. The Australians in general, and -Boyle in particular, have introduced a new position to bowlers of the -Spofforth type--you may call it either an extra short-leg or an extra -mid-on. If the wicket is soft and catchy this field stands sometimes -only five or six yards from the bat, and makes numerous catches when -batsmen are poking forward and the ball is inclined to hang. In short, -it is on the on side that which ‘silly point’--afterwards described--is -on the off side. It will only be seen when bowlers of superlative -excellence are bowling, men who can be relied upon to keep a good -length, and whose bowling is too fast to allow the batsman to run -out for a drive. If the bowler has not these qualities, but bowls a -decent average of half-volleys on the leg-stump or a little outside, -there will probably be a coroner’s inquest required. But Boyle knew -that neither Spofforth nor Palmer bowled such balls, and it cramps the -batsman unpleasantly to see a field standing there on a tricky wicket. -Extreme vigilance is required for this post, and the risk of injury is -too great to permit it being made use of when the wicket is fast. It -was practically never seen in England till the Australians introduced -it in 1878. - - -COVER-POINT - -shares with the three last-mentioned fields a great responsibility -connected with throwing and running fast after the ball. A very -common set of strokes are those which send the ball on either side of -cover-point, mid-off, extra mid-off or mid-on, and realise on a hard -ground three runs. Now a really good field very seldom allows three -runs, because he makes the batsmen suppose that the ball is somehow -back at the wicket almost at the same moment that he is seen picking -it up from the ground. Those who have tried this will testify how -very often a sudden turn and throw-in just checks the third run; the -batsmen feel that they must watch such a field, and it is this very -watching which prevents them from ever pressing the running. This is -a most important matter and one generally neglected, but it is worth -insisting on, because anybody can act upon this piece of advice. Anyone -can run his fastest and throw his quickest, but the men who field in -these places seldom do their best, though the man who does not is not a -genuine cricketer, and is probably a selfish animal. Such conscientious -fielding as this gets very little recognition, though it saves about -one in every ten runs. Spectators do not observe; the cricket reporters -notice the features of the game that are obvious to only ignorant -spectators, and they do not waste ink upon it; but any really judicious -captain estimates it very highly. No doubt a flashy field is very -useful at cover-point; he cramps all the runs on the off side, and -covers the defects of a third-rate mid-off; but very often these are -just the men who shirk the burden, heat and hard work of the day, as -we may call these repeated excursions of fifty yards or so under a -strong sun. Cover-point should learn, if possible, the under-hand throw -practised with such success by the late Rev. W. Law and G. J. Mordaunt. -He has to back up behind mid-off when mid-on or the deep-on fields are -throwing in, and behind point when short-leg and long-leg throw to the -wicket-keeper. - - -POINT. - -Success in this place depends almost entirely on natural gifts, and -there are two distinctly different methods of first-class fielding -in this place. One is the point, who seems nearly to have solved the -problem of perpetual motion, and bounds about everywhere, rushing in at -one ball and right in front of the wicket to the next, but whose first -position is closer in than more stationary fields at the same place. -The other variety of point stands a yard or two further from the wicket -and is more stationary, and his specialty consists in being a grabber -of every ball within his reach. The right way of standing is shown -in the figure opposite. There are plenty of good fields at point who -stand differently from this, but we are trying to teach those who are -not good fields, and we think that this figure is a good position. The -important point to observe is that you can move quicker when one foot -is drawn a little behind the other, and Carpenter and other good fields -used always to stand thus. Some critics would say that point ought to -stoop more, and no doubt some good points do. Each must choose his own -elevation as far as this goes, but we feel sure that a great many balls -go over the point’s head when he stoops very much, and that on the -whole the figure shows the best stoop. The stationary and the restless -both have their merits and both have their characteristics. The tall -man with a long reach nearly always adopts the stationary position, and -no hit is too hard for him to face. Of course he ought to stand ready -to start quickly, but his business consists in covering as much ground -as possible from very nearly one position, and he must have a good -aptitude for getting his hand in the right place to stop the ball. - -[Illustration: Point.] - -The position of point ought to be in a line with the wicket, and at a -distance depending entirely on the pace of bowler, style of batsman, -and condition of ground. The faster the bowler and the ground, the -further off the wicket ought point to stand, but in no case ought he -to be more than eight yards away. Some points make a great mistake in -standing further than this, for a very common catch at point is when -a bumping ball rises off the batsman’s glove and pitches about four -yards from the wicket in the direction of point--a certain catch if -point is fielding in his right place, but impossible to get at if he -stands too far from the wicket. There is no limit on certain grounds -and to certain batsmen to the closeness to the wicket which an active -point will stand. The ball has been taken literally almost off the -bat. We think, on the whole, that the fieldsman who stands nearly in -the same position till the ball is hit, who is quick in starting, and -very sure and ready to face and stop a real ‘hot-un,’ is more valuable -than the restless point who runs here and there, and rarely adopts the -same position for two consecutive balls. There is, however, much to be -said for both styles; but we feel very sure that the restless point -must first acquire a certain faculty of more or less correctly judging -where the batsman is likely to hit the ball, or else he will be always -rushing to the wrong place. - -There is a combination of circumstances which induces modern captains -to put their point right forward on the off side about eight yards from -the wicket. The circumstances required include a batsman who has got a -peculiar forward style, a bowler whose balls are inclined to hang or -get up straight from the pitch, and lastly a catchy wicket where the -balls are apt to bump and hang. It is a very useful place sometimes, -but most dangerous to the field at other times. In the Australian and -England match at the Oval in 1880, Morley was bowling, McDonnell was -batting. The ball now and then bumped up, and the English captain -acceded to W. G. Grace’s wish and allowed him to go forward point, or, -as it is familiarly called, ‘silly’ point. Now McDonnell is one of the -hardest hitters in the world, and Morley used sometimes to bowl a ball -a little over-tossed. A ball of a certain length _might_ have been -bowled that McDonnell _might_ not have smothered at the pitch, and the -requisite hang having taken place, W. G. Grace _might_ have triumphed. -But unfortunately, before this consummation took place, McDonnell got -a ball admirably adapted to his extremely powerful off drive. The -well-known musical sound of a bat hitting the ball plump was heard, -then a second knock higher in its musical pitch and nearly as loud, -the ball was seen about twenty yards high in the air, and McDonnell -easily scored a run. What really happened was this: McDonnell made a -grand hit all along the ground, and long before the burly form of W. G. -Grace had unbent itself, the aforesaid ball had struck his toe, which -offered a strictly passive, because involuntary, resistance, with such -violence that the ball ascended into the air like a rocket, and a run -was the result. W. G. walked slowly, a wiser man, to his old position -on a line with the wicket, and probably in his inmost thought silently -adopted the opinion that the position of ‘silly point’ is only feasible -when a batsman of a style directly opposite to that of McDonnell is at -the wicket. But this forward point is very useful at times, and should -be made use of when circumstances are favourable. The late Mr. R. A. -Fitzgerald, in his well-known book ‘Jerks in from Short-leg,’ says that -if there is no good field at point in an eleven, the captain should -choose the fattest man, for nature makes it impossible for him to get -out of the way of a hard hit. In other words, it sometimes strikes him -in the most prominent part of his person and saves four runs. Perhaps -Roger Iddison, of Yorkshire fame, who died in the year 1890, could have -testified to the truth of this remark, and perhaps Mr. Key will take to -the position in the maturity of his cricket life. - - -SHORT-SLIP - -ought first of all to be as vigilant as if he were keeping wicket. If -he is so, and knows where to stand, he will find it the easiest place -in the field; if he is not, it will be the hardest. Wicket-keepers -ought always to be able to field short-slip, for it is a post that has -all the pleasant moments of wicket-keeping with none of the knocks -and bruises and other discomforts of that important place. Stoop as -the ball is in the air, and hold the hands ready forward, as shown in -figure on p. 264. This position is necessary because many more balls -hiss low along the grass than rise into the air from a snick, and if -they do rise short-slip can rise too and be in time for them; but if he -has to stoop he will be too late. So for fast bowling stand finer than -most short-slips do, and if the ground is very hard keep a long way -off--eight yards is often not too long a distance. But the difficulty -in this respect is much greater when the bowling is slow. A late cut -adds materially to the speed of a slow ball, though it has scarcely -any effect on a fast one. But if, instead of cutting, a batsman plays -forward and snicks a slow ball, a gentle catch comes at a medium -height and drops short. Short-slip must then regulate his position -accordingly. When he sees the batsman lean forward he must advance one -step; when the batsman hangs back and the ball is on the off side he -should hang back too and hold the hands low; for assuredly if anything -comes it will be a hard low catch. He should study the slow bowler’s -action so as to know when his fast balls are coming, and drop back. He -should also ponder on the pace of the ground, and never forget that -_wet on the top of a hard ground makes the fastest surface of any_: in -these circumstances, therefore, he should stand finer and deeper. When -the rain soaks in, the balls pop, and catches come slower and higher. -Short-slip should back up when balls are thrown, not from short- nor -from long-leg, but from mid-on and mid-off and cover-point, and should -run across, when there is a run to third man, between the wicket-keeper -and short-leg. This last is a tiring and often unremunerative -process, but if done through a long innings is in the highest degree -commendable. Short-slip must also run up to the wicket and take the -place of the wicket-keeper when the latter has usurped the functions -of an ordinary fieldsman and left his post to pick up and throw in the -ball to the wicket. - -[Illustration: Short-slip.] - - -THIRD MAN. - -This is another most scientific post, and one in which a bad fieldsman -is very much out of place. First, there is the twist. It is worth -knowing respecting a twist from a bat, that if the ground is hard and -the cut clean, the ball will not twist till it has lost some of its -impetus. Consequently stand straight in the line of a hard cut on a -smooth ground, as the ball, though it is _spinning_ all the time, will -not _curl_ till it is some way past third man. But if the turf is soft -the ball bites and curls on the second or third bound, seldom on the -first unless the stroke is a very slow one. The same holds good with -regard to long-leg. The batsman, if he were a genuine judge of a run, -would always ‘run’ to third man when the spin is likely to act at once, -since under those conditions the ball wants so much watching that third -man cannot well return it in time. But many batsmen do not know these -things. - -With regard to the distance of third man from the wicket, it is -important that he should judge it according as the batsmen are good -runners or not. He should estimate this at once from their appearance -and demeanour, standing well out if they are men of weight and dignity, -and nearer in if they are active and inclined to steal runs. After -they have run one run to him he should come a yard nearer in, feeling -like a man who has had a personal insult offered him, and is burning -to avenge it. Lastly, he has to consider the throw-in. _It is nearly -always best to throw to the bowler’s wicket_ (assuming, of course, -that he is ready behind the stumps and mid-on is backing up), for this -plain reason: it is generally the non-striker who calls the run, and -consequently starts the quickest, runs quickest, as he sees the danger -before him, and gets home the quickest. Even if he does not call the -run, he is backing up, and starts unshackled by having made a stroke. -So leave him alone. The striker, on the contrary, has made a stroke -(and one that throws him back a good deal), is not backing up, and does -not see the danger. Also, if he runs by the shortest way to the other -wicket, he will very likely be cut over. Circumstances, in short, are -against him. Above all, he seldom suspects that the ball is coming his -way, for very few third men ever throw to the right wicket, very few -bowlers are behind the stumps, and very few mid-ons back up. Third man -should stand squarer for a strong cutter than for a weak one. He should -back up behind short-slip when the ball comes from mid-on, and arrange -with cover-point as to the throws from short-leg, himself covering -point when the throws come from in front of the wicket, and cover-point -taking that place when they come from behind. - - -SHORT-LEG - -is an important place for backing up and saving singles. It is a -good plan to put a left-handed man here, as he can better command the -strokes between himself and mid-on, which are generally so prolific -of runs. Having fielded one of these, he ought not to throw to the -wicket-keeper, as he is already facing the bowler’s wicket, and the -bowler’s wicket is facing him, should he wish to throw it down. He -should of course previously make a league with mid-off as to the -backing up. The late Mr. R. A. Fitzgerald, in the book just mentioned, -‘Jerks in from Short-leg,’ once urged the importance of putting -the ‘witty man’ short-leg as a convenient spot for cracking jokes. -Certainly conversation in the field is often of great service towards -keeping the men brisk. Short-leg has to back up all the returns from -the off side, dropping well back if short-slip comes across for this -purpose, and in any case leaving ten or fifteen yards between himself -and the wicket. A captain of an eleven feels himself very often bound -by an unwritten tradition to put the notoriously worst field in his -eleven short-leg. No doubt it is exceedingly difficult to judge which -is the natural position for a bad field, but we unhesitatingly say that -several matches have been lost by bad fields at short-leg. In the days -of his prime people used to watch W. G. Grace playing ball after ball -in the direction of short-leg, especially when left-handed bowlers were -on. The late famous J. C. Shaw was not a good field in any sense of the -word; he was consequently often to be seen fielding at short-leg, and -we wonder how many times he has missed W. G. Grace in that position? -Missing Grace was, and is still, a most expensive mistake. There are -several players who are weak in their play off their legs, and these -players are continually sending chances to short-leg, while other -players are extremely fond of playing off their legs, and score very -heavily by the stroke; and it is wonderful to see how many runs a quick -field will save when such men are batting. - - -LONG-STOP. - -In these days of slow bowling and fine turf captains of elevens do not -bother themselves with providing long-stops at all. Wicket-keepers are -so good, the bowling is so straight, that, in the present year (1898), -it is impossible to say who is the best long-stop in England, for the -simple reason that no long-stops are wanted. But in the days of yore, -every schoolboy who was fond of cricket could tell you of the prowess -of Mortlock, H. M. Marshall, and A. Diver. Mr. Powys was a splendid -bowler, and so was Mr. R. Lang. But had not Mr. H. M. Marshall been -found to stop Mr. Lang’s balls, and Mr. F. Tobin those of Mr. Powys, -neither one bowler nor the other could have been put on at all. Such -long-stops as these stand rather on the leg side, and if the bowling -is very fast, just deep enough to take the ball as it rises after its -second pitch. This is not easy to do, and young hands feel tempted -to leave more room. But this, when the ball is very swift, scarcely -diminishes its speed at all, and the further off long-stop stands, the -more chance there is of the ball bounding awkwardly by the time it -reaches him. Long-stop, however, would be in an awkward position if -the batsmen ran every bye that is possible. To prevent their doing so, -he must throw over to the bowler, for the old reason that the striker -has the whole distance to run and has his back to the danger. Again, a -hard throw, straight down the pitch, places both batsmen in jeopardy, -the striker especially, and that is why he so often runs with his hand -to the back of his head, of course retarding his speed by so doing. It -is a harassing run to steal; and that, combined with the fact that it -is not scored to either batsman, is doubtless the reason why it is not -oftener stolen. Long-stop should accordingly be a strong thrower, and -mid-off a conscientious backer-up. Long-stop should back up (behind -short-leg) the returns from cover-point and mid-off. - - * * * * * - - -Before concluding these technical remarks, let us draw attention to -one or two circumstances connected with cricket affairs now which are -different from what they were formerly. We have said that in these -days long-stopping is a lost art, or rather it is not an art that -is required in modern elevens. It would appear miraculous to an old -cricketer who had seen nothing of the game for the last fifteen years -could he watch Spofforth bowling, and Blackham keeping wicket with no -long-stop, when the ground was hard. Such a thing would not have been -dreamt of twenty years ago. Then a ball used to shoot five or six times -in an innings of 135 runs, and the occasional shooter that occurs now -always results in four byes if it escapes the bat and the wicket. Hence -one important reason why formerly a long-stop was indispensable. Though -there are or were, a very few years since, some very fast bowlers, the -average pace now-a-days is far slower than twenty-five years ago, and -that is another reason for dispensing with long-stop. But the change -of tactics in not having a long-stop has had one effect that we regard -as pernicious, and that is, that it has spoilt one part of the skill -of wicket-keeping, and on the whole worked an enormous change for the -worse in the fielding of short-slips generally. The long-stop is not -there, both wicket-keeper and short-slip are conscious of this, and -they are aware that his place must be filled up by themselves. If a -ball goes in the least to leg, even if it only just misses leg-stump, -short-slip is usually to be seen backing up the wicket-keeper; for -four byes make an appreciable addition to the score. But though the -ball is on the leg side, it is quite possible for the batsman to hit -it on the off side, and send it straight to short-slip’s hands, if he -only could have been in his proper place. He is abused if he does -not back up the wicket-keeper, and in any case the mere feeling that -runs must result from the wicket-keeper not handling the ball makes -it impossible for him to give his undivided attention to fielding at -short-slip proper. He is continually shifting towards his left hand, -and numerous balls that he would have fielded if only there had been a -long-stop, now result in runs. The wicket-keeper is also in more danger -of being hurt, and as his position is necessarily one attended by -extreme responsibility and considerable pain, this further danger ought -to be spared him if possible. The risks he runs are from fast balls -outside the batsman’s legs. He cannot see the ball accurately so that -he may judge where to put his hands without moving his feet; in order, -then, to prevent the ball going to the ropes, he has to rush right in -front of it, at the risk, if the ball should bump or do anything odd, -of getting hit on the face or elsewhere. If a long-stop were behind -him, he would try and take the ball for the sake of a possible catch -or stump-out, but he would not expose himself to danger by getting in -front of it. - -Two corollaries must be drawn from what has been already said. The -first is that the bowler should be just as prepared to receive a -throw-in as the wicket-keeper. When both wickets are menaced, the -danger of a short run is doubled, and an overthrow is oftener due to -the bowler and backer-up than to the field. But it is said ‘This is all -very fine, but the bowler cannot get behind his wicket in time.’ No -assertion could be wider of the mark. Take some genuine cricketer as an -example, and no better one could be chosen than Mr. A. W. Ridley, some -sixteen years ago. Lob-bowlers follow their own ball further down the -wicket than any other kind of bowler, and of all lob-bowlers Mr. Ridley -did this the most. But no one has ever seen a short run got off his -bowling, without, at least, at the same moment seeing him dart behind -the wicket, and be ready to put down the hardest throw anyone might -send to him. He is always there in time, and any bowler in the country -might do the same if he were cricketer enough to see what is wanted. -The second inference to be drawn is, that it is highly important to -pursue a medium hit with all possible speed, and to throw it in as if -it burnt the fingers to retain the ball a moment. We do not remember an -eleven who neglected this less, as a whole, than the Players eleven of -the year 1887, and the number of runs that can be saved by observance -of the rule is immense. - -These are the two most important directions which can be given to any -young cricketer, and especially to any young captain of a side, in -order that he may select his men with a view to these requirements of -the game. The general fielding capacity of a whole team depends on the -attention devoted to such dull points by the eleven minds, not less -than on the suppleness of the eleven backbones. No directions, it has -already been said, will make a bad field into a good one. But it is -equally true that no advice should be offered which cannot be acted -upon. Consequently only some duties of a fieldsman have been described. -But it is not too much to say that a careful attention to these points -would ultimately turn eleven indifferent cricket players into a good -fielding team. - -In a work necessarily somewhat didactic as this is, it may be -advisable to remind youngsters that the finger of scorn is pointed -even more to the very bad field than it is to the very bad batsman -or bowler. A very bad bowler will not be asked to bowl unless the -bowling is hit into a thoroughly entangled knot--as was the case in an -Australian _v._ England match in 1884, when every member of the English -team, including Shrewsbury, had to bowl--and then, if he fails, he has -only done what was expected of him. But it is difficult for anybody -to explain, except on the ground of gross carelessness, how a man who -is a good bat or bowler can be so utterly useless as a field as some -have turned out to be. The cricketer who never appears to have grasped -the rudiments of the laws concerning twist, who is lazy and will not -run after the ball, and who hardly by accident holds a catch, is an -eyesore in cricket. And let us also assure the young practitioner that -an intelligent audience, though a somewhat rough one, such as you -may see at places like Bramall Lane, Sheffield, will jeer in audible -and not too polite tones at the bad field long before it will do the -like at bad batsmen or bowlers. Every cricketer knows the different -eccentricities of indifferent fields, their wonderful varieties of -error, and the specious appearance of some that fatally delude the most -patient captain. There are some men who are fairly fast runners, and -can throw hard, and yet are fields of a character to make angels weep. -They dash in at the ball like a man charging at football, with the -result that they half stop it, or, after they stop it, in attempting -to pick it up, they kick it eight or ten yards behind them. They never -seem to be able to judge what sort of length the ball will come into -their hands, and never under any circumstances is the ball cleanly -handled. And yet they go at it so heartily, they move so quickly, and, -at first sight, look so alert and full of promise, that it is difficult -to condemn them until you have had two or three days’ experience of -them. This sort belongs to the class we call the specious fieldsman. -Then there is the man who might look at a batsman for two hours and yet -never discover where his favourite stroke is likely to go, who obeys -orders strictly, and when he has taken up the position assigned to -him, stands there like a tree, despite the fact that every ball hit in -his direction is a little too much on his right or on his left hand. -This individual may safely be assumed to be a creature of a low order -of intelligence, to whom Providence has probably vouchsafed a natural -instinct for bowling, in the absence of which he would never be seen on -any cricket-ground again, except as a spectator. He is so stupid that -he never can excel in batting. Then there is the man who is very slow -and has not acquired the merit of being what may be called an eminently -safe field. His position when endeavouring to stop the ball is that -illustrated by the figure on the opposite page, which shows what is -essentially the wrong position to assume. Probably he will not touch -the ball with his hands, and it certainly cannot be stopped by his legs -or feet. He can hold a catch sometimes and stop a ball occasionally, -but he does not succeed in these two particulars often enough to make -one forget or forgive his extraordinary slowness. Another variety is -the man who fields tolerably well sometimes, but, when he fails to stop -a ball, either runs after it very slowly, which is the sulky form, -or else dashes after it and throws it wildly and very hard anywhere, -causing overthrows by the dozen, and maiming his comrades’ fingers. -This is the angry form--an odious type; let every youngster beware of -such and develop not into it. Every cricketer ought to try to become as -good a field as he can by assiduous practice--for this reason, if for -no other: bowlers get disorganised when the fielding is loose. - -A natural curiosity is always evinced where a critic shows a tendency -to name certain celebrities in any form of game. This is the reason why -we now proceed to praise famous men and famous fielding elevens; but -let us add that we do not profess to name every good man who has ever -fielded, and can only beg for forgiveness if we omit to mention some -who have deserved recognition. - -[Illustration: The wrong position for stopping the ball.] - -The various Australian elevens have earned great fame for their -fielding in England, and it was no doubt very good. At the same time we -think it was not so good as their batting, and certainly not so good as -their bowling. The elevens of 1882 and 1884, which were the best, no -doubt won their matches by all-round play; but if we had to name a weak -point we should say that, as compared with the batting and bowling, -it was their fielding, although this was very good. The Australians -themselves say--at least, so we have heard--that the fielding in -Australia of the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s eleven was never surpassed in the -colony; and that must be high praise. Still, judging by what we know -of that team, we think that we can point out higher standards in -England. The finest fielding we have ever seen was that of the Players -in 1887 in their annual match at Lord’s against the Gentlemen, and at -the Oval it was nearly as good. But that was only for two matches. As -is natural, University teams, from their youth and habit of playing -together, have earned great fame as fielding elevens, and if we had to -select four elevens whose fielding reputation ought to be inscribed -on the highest pinnacles of fame, we should name the Cambridge -representatives of 1861 and 1862 and the Oxford of 1874 and 1875. - -The Cambridge celebrities of 1861 and 1862 have faded away into -distance, and the present generation know not their names. Both those -elevens had several fast bowlers in them, and one--Mr. R. Lang--was -superlatively good. It was owing to this fact that Cambridge had -to provide itself with a long-stop, and Mr. H. M. Marshall in that -capacity has earned undying fame; for long-stopping on Lord’s Ground in -1861 and 1862 was no laughing matter. As general out-field Mr. Marshall -also stood very high, and was a perfectly safe catch. Contemporary -cricketers of that day are nearly unanimous in their praise of Mr. W. -Bury as a fieldsman; at long-leg he has never been excelled. There -were besides these the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton at point, and Mr. R. Lang -at short-slip. ‘Bell’s Life’ of that date mentions as a fact that -the fielding of Cambridge in the University match of 1862 was never -equalled on Lord’s or any other ground. Those were the days when the -bowling was mainly fast, the ground rough, and the cautious safe field -who got stolidly and fixedly in a certain position was often defeated -owing to the ball making unspeakable bounds. It required a touch of -genius to be a grand field at Lord’s in those times, and several -members of those two Cambridge elevens possessed it. The two Oxford -elevens of 1874 and 1875 had each only one fast bowler, but they had -magnificent fielding teams to support their slow bowlers. When the -bowling is generally slow, amateur wicket-keepers can hold their own. -This was the case in 1874 and 1875, and in Mr. H. G. Tylecote Oxford -possessed a wicket-keeper fully up to the mark for the work he had to -do. It used to be a bone of contention between Messrs. W. Law and A. -W. Ridley, the captains respectively of ’74 and ’75, as to which of -the two elevens was the greater in this particular line of fielding. -Mr. Law, whose early death everyone who knew him deplores, contended -that his eleven in 1874 made no mistake in the Inter-University match, -whereas the 1875 eleven did. But the Cambridge batting in 1874 was -fatuous to a degree, and the Oxford eleven had nothing to stop, whereas -Cambridge in 1875 batted very well and kept their opponents hard at it. -We are willing to give equal credit to each, and to enshrine the names -of Law, Game, Ridley, T. B. Jones, and Royle in the temple of fame. - -It is not easy to gauge the merits of the fieldsmen of forty years -ago. Some of them have made their names live: Mr. T. A. Anson as -wicket-keeper, Mr. R. T. King at point, and the famous W. Pickering -at cover-point, for instance. But, though they had rougher ground to -field on, still the scoring was nothing like so large, matches were not -nearly so numerous, and the wear and tear far from being so great. The -first thing that strikes one on reading over old scores and comparing -them with those of the present day, is the enormous number of extras -that were then given. Bowlers were, no doubt, faster, but they bowled -many more wides. Taking one year at random, 1880, we find that for the -whole season Yorkshire in all matches only bowled eight wides, five -of which were delivered by the famous Tom Emmett, who is, no doubt, a -slightly erratic bowler. In the days of Redgate and Mynn the wides were -numerous, so were the no-balls, and frequently the extras contributed -more to the total than any one batsman. If the bowling was fast and -erratic, one cannot wonder that byes became numerous, especially when -the rough ground is also considered. In the University match of 1841 -Oxford gave Cambridge 56 extras out of a combined total of 223--a -very large average. In 1887 Cambridge only gave Oxford 14 extras in a -combined total of 461, and Oxford lost but three wickets in the second -innings. In the same year Oxford gave Cambridge only 20 extras in a -grand total of 459. Though bowling is generally slower now than forty -years ago, still in former days they used to have long-stops to bowling -that even amateur wicket-keepers would now stop. The long-stopping -wicket-keeper--that is, the wicket-keeper that lets nothing pass -him--is a marvellous testimony to the excellence of modern grounds, the -accuracy of modern bowling, and the skill of the men themselves. The -sight of Blackham, standing close up to the wicket, stopping Spofforth -and Palmer would have made our forefathers look on aghast. In the -well-known print of the Sussex and Kent match in 1840, old Lillywhite -is bowling, and he was a slow medium-pace bowler; yet, though Tom Box -was reckoned the best wicket-keeper of the day, he has a long-stop to -Lillywhite’s bowling. - -We may now try to enumerate the greater fields of cricket history. We -read of the marvellous feat of Mr. T. A. Anson at the wicket, when he -stumped a man off a leg-shooter of Alfred Mynn, one of the fastest -bowlers of the period. We yield the place of honour to Mr. Anson for an -individual feat, but it is alleged to have taken place a long time ago, -and is it certain to be true? The greatest wicket-keepers since 1860 -in England have been Lockyer, Pooley, Pilling, Pinder, Storer, Lilley, -and D. Hunter; and we ask Plumb and Sherwin to forgive us. It is not -easy to discriminate between these; we merely remark that to genuine -slows of the pace of Southerton, Peate, and Tyler, we reckon Pooley -to have been the best that ever lived; and to the very fast, Pinder -and Storer were unequalled. Still Pooley was relatively not so good to -fast, nor Pinder to slow; and, on the whole, they may be left on an -equality. The best wicket-keepers of old days were Mr. Herbert Jenner, -Mr. T. A. Anson, Mr. W. Ridding, and Mr. W. Nicholson among amateurs, -and E. G. Wenman and Tom Box among professionals. The two best English -amateur wicket-keepers that ever lived, in our opinion, are Mr. Alfred -Lyttelton and Mr. McGregor, and besides them, since 1860, there have -been Mr. Leatham, Mr. Bush, Mr. Newton, Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote, Mr. -Philipson, Mr. Kemble, and Mr. Gay. - -Perhaps a word would not be out of place here respecting Mr. Blackham, -the celebrated Australian wicket-keeper. When the Colonial Eleven -came over in 1878, 1880, 1882, and 1884, practically the whole of the -wicket-keeping had to be done by Mr. Blackham. In 1880 and 1886 Mr. -Jarvis assisted him. Now wicket-keeping is essentially an amusement -you can have too much of. In old days, when there was a lot of fast -bowling, the cream of the wicket-keeping used to be seen during the -first six weeks of the season, because during that time the hands of -the wicket-keeper were more or less sound. The famous George Pinder, at -the beginning of his career, had faster bowling to keep to consistently -than any other cricketer before or since. Freeman, Emmett, and Atkinson -were three very fast bowlers, and they all three played for Yorkshire, -and after them came Hill and Ulyett. Pinder in consequence very -frequently damaged his hands, and no wonder. Blackham, however, during -all the four years we have mentioned, had Spofforth and either Garratt -or Palmer to stop. Now although these were not so fast as the Yorkshire -lot, they bowled a goodish pace; the Australian season consisted of two -matches a week from the beginning to the end of the cricket year, and -Blackham did not get very many days off. When his record is examined, -therefore, we think that his performances during these four years -constitute the greatest wicket-keeping feats on record. Not unless -Spofforth bowled his fastest did he ever have a long-stop, and he -held his hands closer to the wicket than any other wicket-keeper we -ever saw. If the batsman was an inch out of his ground for a second -or so, the ball would be put down, and a stump-out resulted, for the -hands had no distance to travel, and no time was lost. Of course the -bowling he had to stop was very accurate, but when the amount of -wicket-keeping that he had to go through and the number of wickets he -got are considered, our opinion is that Mr. Blackham was the finest -wicket-keeper to bowling of all paces that the world has ever seen. - -There have been numerous fieldsmen at point who have made themselves -a name, and by universal testimony, in his day, Mr. R. T. King, -of Cambridge University, was not approached in excellence in this -position. The late Mr. John Walker, who was intimately acquainted with -cricket of that period as well as with that of a later date, once told -the writer that in his opinion none of the modern points ever came -quite up to Mr. King’s level. Since 1860 Carpenter, R. C. Tinley, E. M. -Grace, and F. W. Wright have earned high reputations in this position, -but a great many excel at point, and in the University match alone -there has been some admirable fielding here; the Hon. J. W. Mansfield -for Cambridge, and Mr. Hildyard for Oxford, both being very good. -The place where good fielding is most conspicuous is midway between -cover-point and mid-off, and with this post the name of Mr. G. B. Studd -is for ever identified. In later days, Briggs, Moorhouse, Gregory the -Australian, Mr. Andrews of Sussex, and Wainwright excel in this place. -Mr. Royle at cover-point has never been excelled, and the same may be -said of Gunn at third man. The celebrated fieldsmen of old were Mr. W. -Pickering at cover-point; John Bickley and Mr. R. Lang at short-slip; -Mr. E. S. E. Hartopp, Mr. H. M. Marshall, W. Pilch, A. Diver, W. -Mortlock, and J. Thewlis at long-stop; while F. Bell, W. Bury, John -Smith, and A. Lubbock were excellent at a distance from the wicket. -There have been also, and are, many fields who were and are good at any -place; for instance, the renowned Mr. V. E. Walker, and the still more -famous Mr. W. G. Grace. We have said before, and we say it again, that -the fielding, though probably as good as ever it was, is not so good as -it ought to be. The nuisance of the day is the long scoring; we wonder -how many innings of 100 are played where you do not read the well-known -remark, ‘the batsman gave a chance at 24, another at 62, and a third -just before he was out, but none the less he played a fine innings.’ -The following brief epigram is undoubtedly true--‘Good fielding makes -weak bowling strong and strong batsmen weak.’ An eleven that is really -A1 in fielding very rarely has to field out for 300 runs. When we say -this we feel inclined to go further and add that if no feasible catches -are dropped this total of 300 runs would not be of anything but the -rarest occurrence. This fact ought of itself to be sufficient to make -every true cricketer try and become, if not a brilliant field, at any -rate one who, when a catch is sent him, does not cause a thrill of -agonising anxiety to arise in the minds of the supporters of the side -to which he belongs. - -[Illustration: An anxious moment.] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[33] We are largely indebted to an article on this subject by the Hon. -and Rev. E. Lyttelton, which appeared in _Lillywhite’s Annual_ for 1881. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -COUNTRY CRICKET. - -(BY F. GALE.) - - -I can remember the first cricket match I ever saw as well as if it -happened yesterday; and moreover I can give the names and description -of many of the players. - -The _locus in quo_ was the meadow opposite the Green Lion at Rainham, -in Kent, which is situated halfway between London and Dover. The -cricket field is now built over. It adjoined the vicarage garden, in -which a stand was erected for my brother and myself, and from which we, -as little boys, saw the first game of cricket we ever witnessed, in the -summer of 1830, as we had come into Kent from a Wiltshire village where -cricket was not known. - -Our grand stand was immediately behind the wicket. Farmer Miles, -a fine-set-up man, was the best bowler, and he bowled under-arm, -rather a quick medium pace, and pitched a good length and bowled very -straight, his balls curling in from the leg; for be it remembered that -but two years had elapsed since it was allowable to turn the hand, -knuckles uppermost, in delivery. I was seven years old at the time, -and was perfectly fascinated at the sight; and as the gardener, an -old cricketer, stood by me all day and explained the game, before the -sun had set I had mastered most of the main points in it. One thing I -am certain of, which is that there was an on-break from Farmer Miles’ -bowling; for I watched the balls pitch and curl. - -[Illustration: MITCHAM GREEN] - -The dress of the cricketers was white duck trousers and flannel -jackets, and some wore tall black hats and some large straw hats. A -few old fogies, veterans who played, had a silk pocket-handkerchief -tied round the left knee so that they could drop down on it without -soiling their white trousers; for in the rough out-fielding when the -balls jumped about anyhow old-fashioned fieldsmen would drop on one -knee, so that if the ball went through their hands by a false bound -their body was in the way. Josiah Taylor, the brazier, was long-stop, -and played in black leather slippers with one spike in the heel which -he claimed as his own invention, as cricket-shoes were little known. -The umpire was Ost, the barber, who appeared in a long blue frock-coat -like Logic’s, the Oxonian, in ‘Tom and Jerry,’ and who volunteered -‘hout’ to a fieldsman who stopped a bump-ball; and when remonstrated -with by men of both sides remarked, ‘Surel_y_ first “bounce” is “hout” -at cricket and trap.’ This occasioned a change of umpire. There were -two very hard hitters, Charles Smart, a tall young fellow, son of a -rich farmer, and ‘Billy Wakley,’ a very stout tall young farmer; there -were many hits to the long-field off and on, which were well held; and -Charles Watson, a promising lad of about sixteen, the butcher’s son, -who played for the first time in a man’s match, immortalised himself -by making a long catch close to the vicarage hedge. The batting mostly -consisted of hard-hitting, and the catching was good. The booth was -made up of rick-cloths strained over a standing skeleton woodwork -frame; and on the right of it was a round table with six or eight -arm-chairs placed on either side; a large brass square tobacco-box out -of which those who sat round the privileged table could help themselves -by putting a halfpenny into a slit which caused the box to open (on -the same principle as the chocolate and sweet-stuff automatic pillars -seen now at railway stations), kept company with a stack of clay-pipes. -The arm-chairs were for the accommodation of the principal farmers and -magnates of the parish who subscribed to the matches and who sat in -state and smoked their pipes--as cigars were little known--and drank -their grog out of rummers--large glasses which stood on one gouty leg -each and held a shilling’s worth of brandy and water; and for the -accommodation of the smokers, the ostler, who always appeared in his -Sunday best costume, which consisted of a ‘Sam Weller’ waistcoat with -black calico sleeves, brown drab breeches, and top-boots, provided a -stable horn lanthorn, the candle in which he lit with the aid of the -flint and steel tinder box, and brimstone matches; for lucifers were -not yet invented. - -Another honour belonged to the knights of the round table: as the -cricket ground was bounded on the southern side by the high road, -and as coaches were passing all day, the drivers never forgot the -‘Coachman’s Salute’ with whip and elbow and nod of the head as they -drove by, and this was always returned by a cheery wave of the hand -from the cricket ground. The patriarchs of the village had a form to -themselves on the left hand of the booth; and old Billy Coppin, the -half-pay naval purser, who had a snug little house on the bank of the -roadside, sat outside his door waving his pipe and crying out, ‘Make -sail, my lads, make sail,’ whenever a good hit was made. - -When the match was over, one of the villagers, an ill-tempered -thatcher, who was always ready for a set-to, picked a quarrel with -someone from a neighbouring parish, and they adjourned to a quiet -corner close to our grand stand behind the booth, pulled off their -shirts and had a pretty stiff rough and tumble fight, which I -described, in my innocence, at supper when I went in, and thereby got -the gardener into a scrape for allowing me to see it. A very serious -relative told me that she was ‘cock sure’ of the future fate of the two -men who fought, quoting cases out of Dr. Watts’s hymns. Let us hope -that some of the Doctor’s tips have proved wrong. - -‘Would you be surprised to hear,’ as Lord Coleridge was always saying, -that, with the exception that cricket has much improved as regards -grounds and some of the implements in general use, old-fashioned -village cricket in its true and pure spirit still flourishes in many -rural districts, and not very far from London even, now? You will find -this happy state of things mostly where village greens exist in a real -cricketing county; and having formerly devoted much of my leisure, -during very many years, to country cricket, I can speak from actual -experience, down to present date. - -In the first place, every village green has a history of its own, and -the people are proud of their old traditions. On many of these greens -some of the best-known cricketers in England have from time to time -appeared during a century past, and some come there occasionally now -during every summer; so the cricketers of all classes have always had -good models to work from. The green is common to all, and all have a -common interest in the honour of the parish. This charming home feeling -is admirably described by Miss Mitford in the ‘Tales of our Village;’ -and she has not exaggerated it. The consequence is that by one consent -the centre of the green is always left for good matches, and as every -village boy learns the management of turf, you would be surprised to -see what an admirable pitch youngsters of fourteen or fifteen years of -age will make for themselves on somewhat rough ground with the aid of a -five-pronged fork, a watering-pot and a hand-roller; and you would be -surprised to see what _real_ good cricket many of them play. Of course -there is always a sprinkling of sons of good cricketers who have been -well taught, and they have the opportunity of instruction from old -players. - -The training of village boys is very analogous to cricket fagging at -school, and anyone who takes an interest in village cricket will do -well, when he and a few friends practise, to have any little boys of -twelve or thirteen who show any proficiency to field out for them, and -to encourage them with a few coppers, making them understand that the -honorarium is dependent on their trying to do their best. The next step -is to take a lively interest in the boys’ eleven, which consists of -boys under fourteen or fifteen, to promote their matches in every way, -and to inculcate the value of fair play. It does them a great deal of -good if an old cricketer will spare half an hour, when the boys are -practising, to criticise their play, pointing out any faults, such as -running over the crease, bowling no balls, not backing up for a run, -explaining to them the principles of running, and calling their partner -(secrets which some really good batsmen never _have_ learned and never -_will_ learn), and so on. The grand thing is to try and make cricket -_real_, and to make youngsters understand that playing the strict game -is the secret of true enjoyment. We all know how all pleasure depends -on observance of simple rules, and on doing in practice all things -as carefully as if we are engaged in a match, or any other friendly -strife. Even if I play at ‘beggar your neighbour’ with a child I insist -on the rigour of the game. Many of us must know as cricketers, too, -that long after we had given up playing in matches, there was immense -pleasure in having a first-rate professional, on a real good wicket, to -bowl, with sixpence on the wicket. - -The very mention of single wicket now is like the mention of jalap and -rhubarb and calomel and bleeding, those terrible remedies of the past, -to a modern doctor; but single wicket with seven or eight in the field -is the finest practice for training, and we found it so on our village -green, a very few years ago, played thus. Every man’s hand was against -his neighbours in turn, and there were no sides. Of course, with six -or seven in the field, byes and hits behind wicket counted, and this -fact made the youngsters try to cover as much ground as possible. The -batsman went out if he got ten runs; and as in these games there was, -at least, one good professional bowler, it took a good man to score -ten runs. The professional and any amateur who had any pretence of -being a bowler changed about. These games were very good for putting -a youngster into; and I have seen three or four hundred people on the -green watching one of these trials. It was also a good thing, in the -event of a substitute being wanted in a good match, to try one of them, -as it accustomed an aspirant to accept responsibility and to play -before a crowd. It is a wholesome state of things when young cricketers -are at hand anxious to fill a vacancy; it shows zeal. - -Anyone who has charge of village cricket falls very short of his duty -if he does not arrange at least one real practice afternoon a day or -two before a match. He must have a good wicket made, and all who are -going to play in the match must come for some part of the play. And -this is a good opportunity for letting young bowlers come and try their -hand, with sixpence on the wicket. I have much faith in that sixpence -on the wicket. It is useless to waste any trouble on a boy who has not -got cricket at heart, but it is a great deal of use training one who -has. The difficult stage is when a boy’s strength is growing and he -is old enough to be taught strict cricket as regards defence, and in -trying to steady him down you must be sure to steer clear of the evil -of cramping his hitting power. We know from experience that sometimes -matches are lost or draws made owing to the want of a man who will -go in and hit. In my boyhood days there used generally to be one, or -perhaps two, in every eleven who could field splendidly, and who made -no pretence to scientific batting, but who, aided by a strong nerve -and quick eye and a heavy driving bat, could sometimes make a terrible -example of the bowling and help the score. Mr. Absolom, of Cambridge, -and afterwards of the Kent eleven, was one of this class. He was worth -playing in any eleven in England for his bowling, fielding and hard -work, and if he never made his runs, his share towards success was -as great as those who made a score. The thing to ‘burn’ into a young -player’s mind is, that unless he can concentrate all his thoughts on -the match in which he is playing he will never be an English cricketer. -He may, perhaps, by long practice acquire the knack of getting a lot of -runs, and building up an average, but if that is all that he is worth, -he had much better never have been in the eleven at all. Amongst eleven -men, some are sure to get a lot of runs generally, but the men who win -matches are those who prevent the other side getting them. Take one of -the best samples of cricket in the season of 1887, as a proof of what -saving runs means. I think that anyone who knows the game can hardly -help coming to the conclusion that Gunn, in the long field, saved more -runs in 1887 than the best man made, and saved a good many more too. -The Australians put their main trust in their field, and they taught -us a good lesson when they came first, and it has done us good. Gunn’s -batting is often equal to his fielding, to say nothing of his bowling. - -Now we come to a more serious matter--management and finance; and, -unless the world has very much changed in the last few years, anyone -who takes a new lead in country cricket will find himself surrounded -by hosts of friends (?) who are worth nothing. They will all want to -come on the committee, and make all kind of wild suggestions about a -stock of club bats, pads and gloves, &c. There is only one antidote to -this, which is to stand firm on one point--that no public subscriptions -shall be asked for for any purpose other than keeping the green in -order, paying for balls for matches, match-stumps, hire of tents, -umpires, scorers, and other inevitable expenses; the simple inducement -for subscriptions being the having a few good matches during the -season, and keeping up a ground for the use of those who cannot pay for -themselves. Unless you keep up a good parish eleven, everyone will do -as he thinks best, and the whole green will be cut to pieces and will -never be repaired. - -In these days you cannot get an eleven who will make a good stand in -a match without some professional training. Many places are fortunate -enough to have an old professional or two amongst its inmates, men who -have given up grand public matches, but who are worth their weight in -gold as practice bowlers, trainers, and members of the village eleven. -Men of this class, who will play in a match for ten shillings or will -come in the evening after work for a crown or so, and who are always -on the spot, are the best aids towards keeping together a good set of -young players and forming an eleven. They know the young players and -take a pride in them, and will find out their failings and good points; -and nothing cheers a captain more than an invitation from a local -professional to come and see Bill Smith or Tom Brown bat. When such an -invitation is given, you may be sure that the professional has found a -recruit who can play a length ball with a straight bat and confidence, -and who can punish a loose ball. You will find numberless cricketers -who can get runs--if they once get set; but, like precious stones, many -get spoilt in the setting. What you want is batsmen who, in wet or -fine weather, on rough or smooth ground, will go in with nerve to have -a good try. If you want a few runs to-day from A, and he breaks down -through that cricket malady called ‘funk,’ it is no consolation to hear -from his _claqueur_ B that ‘A got seventy, not out, last week.’ - -You must try and raise the standard of a village eleven by letting -them play when you have the chance against teams who are stronger than -themselves. A licking is good medicine for them sometimes; and if, on -the other hand, they win by the chances of the game, a victory of this -kind ‘sets their tails up.’ The worst thing for them is playing against -weak teams, making a tremendous score, and knocking their opponents’ -wickets over for a few runs. It is astonishing how a captain, by -working steadily on, can ‘educate his party,’ as the late Lord -Beaconsfield said; and if by quiet persuasion he can influence some of -the rougher element to abandon their horse-play and ‘flowery’ language, -and to assist in keeping good order--at the same time warning them that -ladies and gentlemen are kept away from the green for fear of their -ears being contaminated by rough language--he will find that visitors -who come prepared for a noisy rude crowd will be surprised to find -perfect order; and if some one trangresses the bounds of good manners, -he will hear a cry of ‘Better language there!’ This kind of thing _can_ -be and _has_ been done; and the result was that, in a place where the -possibility of such a thing as a ladies’ tent on the green was laughed -at, not only was the ladies’ tent a great success, but subscriptions -flowed in in a wonderful manner. One dear old lady--an Exeter Hall-er -who took omnibuses full of people to hear Sankey and Moody--sent ‘two -guineas for the green, which is now, I believe, a place of innocent -amusement and happiness,’ as she stated in her letter. She _was_ a -good Christian, as her house stood deep long-leg, and many a time has -a ‘four’ been scored for a hit through her window--and this is fact. -With the enormous number of large schools in England where cricket -is played, it will seldom happen that any cricket neighbourhood has -not some young fellows from school, or possibly a few from either -University, close by; and if they happen to be of the right sort they -are a great boon. At the same time it should be a golden rule never to -put out of the eleven a good one, who has worked for and earned his -place, for a ‘swell.’ The rule must be kept hard and fast, that the -eleven is open only to those who have proved themselves good enough, -and if that rule is observed, in the event of a real first-rate amateur -turning up, you will generally find that more than one volunteer will -offer to stand out for him. - -Captaining a village team is not all a bed of roses; but if you are -really a cricketer at heart, you will soon acquire the absolute -confidence of people of all classes, especially of the humbler order. -It is not an unpleasant thing, as you walk across the green on your way -to the train, to hear a pack of little boys on their way to school, -who look on you as a kind of big dog that won’t bite, all chattering -about the match the day before. ‘Ah! Sir, I heerd my father say that he -won a pot over the match,’ says one. ‘That boy, Sir, got the stick for -playing truant yesterday morning,’ says another. ‘Well! if I _did_,’ -replies the culprit, ‘I _see_ the beginning of the match, and _you_ did -not--there!’ That boy may be another Fuller Pilch some day. - -And if you are sitting in the tent when your side is in, revolving -many things in your mind, and you feel that the whites of the eyes of -Mr. Chummy the sweep, a good cricketer formerly, who sits on a form -just outside the tent, behind a very short pipe, are glancing round -on you, what a comfort it is, if you turn round, to see an almost -imperceptible nod of Mr. Chummy’s head--for he never speaks during a -match--which says, ‘Going on all right--we shall win!’ That nod of -the head is only intelligible to a cricketer, just as a very ‘shy’ -rise of a trout is only perceptible to a genuine fisherman. Those, -too only who have known some celebrated cricketer from childhood, and -have watched his career and promotion from the little boys’ to the big -boys’ eleven, and eventually to the parish eleven, and have seen his -cricket talent developed from year to year until he appears in his -county team, can imagine how painful is the excitement to those who -are interested in his success. It has been my fate to go through--I -had almost said the agony of--that state of suspense many times, and I -must relate one instance. A young player, twenty years old, after my -earnest entreaty, was allotted a place in the county eleven. He broke -ground in London against Notts, and at his _début_ had to stand the -fire of Alfred Shaw and J. C. Shaw. Directly I saw him play the first -ball my mind was quite at rest, as he showed that he had not the stage -sickness. He got twelve runs in an hour and a quarter. His next public -appearance in London was a ‘caution,’ as he scored 20 not out, in his -first innings against Cambridge University; and, going in first, scored -82 in his second innings. This occurred nearly twenty years ago, when -cricketers played with their bats and not with their pads, and boundary -hits, except against the pavilion, were unknown; so fifty runs was a -grand score. I never shall forget my feelings when the colt had made -47, within 3 of his 50; I could look no more; when, all of a sudden, -I heard a roar from the crowd which told me that our village boy had -done it. The secretary of the club said, ‘He must have his sovereign -for fifty runs,’ and he promised me that if he made thirty more, which -would make a total of 100, including his 20 not out, he would give -him two sovereigns, if I would give him one for his first fifty. I -undertook to raise that capital; whereupon, a stranger, a very tall, -handsome, gentlemanly man, said, ‘And I will give him a sovereign too; -for’ (turning to myself) ‘your excitement, which I found was only -occasioned by interest in a village boy, and not heavy betting as I -imagined, has done me real good. I have been for thirty years in India -and am going back again in a month, and nothing pleased me more than -to find this keen love of sport still existing.’ He would not give his -name, and I could never find out who he was; possibly he is alive and -may read this, and may let us know who he was, for I am sure he has not -forgotten it. Richard Humphrey was the colt, and I sent for him into -the Pavilion, and the ‘illustrious stranger’ shook hands with him and -gave him the sovereign. - -The foregoing remarks about clubs apply to a country place with some -pretensions to first-rate cricket and a village green. In a rural -out-of-the-way place where the population consists of a class which -cockney writers call ‘Hodge,’ and which we call ‘chaw-bacons,’ bats and -balls and stumps and all implements must be provided by subscription. -In all other cases those who want to play cricket must pay for their -own cricket things. If a good ground is provided the cricket ought to -grow of itself. ‘And this country cricket must cost a good deal of -money,’ perhaps you will remark. Of course it does; so does fishing, -or shooting, or hunting, or any other sport. There are many men who -want to skim the cream of the cricket and to play in a good home match -who will not play in an out match because ‘they have not time,’ really -because they are too stingy. If you mean cricket you must back it -everywhere with all your heart and all your strength. Whatever you do, -never forget the wind-up match and supper at the end of the season, and -get some good cricketers from amongst your foes to join, and above all -a parson or two if possible. In these days, I need not say ‘abolish all -ribald songs and drunkenness,’ as cricketers have good manners now. - -As a last word, I must say something for country umpires. When -changes in the game are proposed, a lot of outsiders who try -their hardest to prevent penal laws being made intelligible, on -the ground that ‘the change will put too much on the umpires’ -shoulders--especially country umpires,’ are talking nonsense. In the -days of Caldecourt, John Bayley, Tom Barker, and Good at Lord’s, -umpires did their duty without fear or favour, and did not let men -‘cheat’, and the same stamp of umpires still exists in counties and -on many a village green; and if there are any umpires on public -grounds who cannot administer the law fearlessly, they had better be -supplanted by those who can. If batsmen in the past had shamelessly -stopped the ball with their pads without ‘offering’ at the ball with -their bat, country umpires would have given them out for unfair play, -on the same principle as wilfully obstructing the field. I suppose -they would call it l.b.w; and the crowd would have given the retiring -batsman (?) a _very_ cold reception; or perhaps a very hot one: neither -extreme of heat or cold is pleasant. The late Chief Justice Cockburn -said of county magistrates: ‘They may sometimes administer bad law, -but generally good justice;’ and the remark applies to village-green -umpires. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -BORDER CRICKET. - -(BY ANDREW LANG.) - - -Mr. Gale has been saying his very pleasant say on country cricket in -England. A Border player, in his declining age, may be allowed to -make a few remarks on the game as it used to be played in ‘pleasant -Teviotdale,’ and generally from Berwick all along the Tweed. The first -time I ever saw ball and bat must have been about 1850. The gardener’s -boy and his friends were playing with home-made bats, made out of -firwood with the bark on, and with a gutta-percha ball. The game -instantly fascinated me, and when I once understood why the players ran -after making a hit, the essential difficulties of comprehension were -overcome. Already the border towns, Hawick, Kelso, Selkirk, Galashiels, -had their elevens. To a small boy the spectacle of the various red and -blue caps and shirts was very delightful. The grounds were, as a rule, -very rough and bad. Generally the play was on _haughs_, level pieces of -town-land beside the rivers. Then the manufacturers would encroach on -the cricket-field, and build a mill on it, and cricket would have to -seek new settlements. This was not the case at Hawick, where the Duke -of Buccleuch gave the town a capital ground, which is kept in very good -order. - -In these early days, when one was only a small spectator, ay, and in -later days too, the great difficulty of cricket was that excellent -thing in itself, too much patriotism. Almost the whole population of -a town would come to the ground and take such a keen interest in the -fortunes of their side, that the other side, if it won, was in some -danger of rough handling. Probably no one was ever much hurt; indeed, -the squabbles were rather a sham fight than otherwise; but still, bad -feeling was caused by umpires’ decisions. Then relations would be -broken off between the clubs of different towns, and sometimes this -tedious hostility endured for years. The causes were the excess of -local feeling, and perhaps the too great patriotism of umpires. ‘Not -out,’ one of them said, when a member of the Oxford eleven, playing -for his town-club, was most emphatically infringing some rule. ‘I can -_not_ give Maister Tom out first ball,’ the umpire added, and his case -was common enough. Professional umpires, if they could be got, might be -expected to prove more satisfactory than excited amateurs who forgot to -look after no balls, or to count the number of balls in an over. But -even professionals, if they were attached to the club or school, were -not always the embodiment of justice. - -The most exciting match, I think, in which I ever took part was for -Loretto against another school. In those days we were very weak -indeed. When our last man went in, second innings, we were still four -runs behind our opponent’s first score. This last man was extremely -short-sighted, and the game seemed over. But his partner, a very -steady player, kept the bowling, and put on some thirty-eight more. -We put our adversaries in to get this, and had lowered eight wickets -for twenty-eight. I was bowling, and appealed to the umpire of our -opponents for a palpable catch at wicket. ‘Not out!’ Next ball the -batsman was caught at long-stop, and a fielder triumphantly shouted, -‘Well, how’s _that_?’ - -‘Not out,’ replied the professional again, and we lost the match by two -wickets. - -If this had happened on the Border there would have been trouble, and -perhaps the two clubs would not have met again for years. I have no -doubt that a more equable feeling has come in among those clubs which -retained a good deal of the sentiments of rival clans. The Borderers -played too much as if we were still in the days of Scotts and Carrs, -and as if it were still our purpose - - To tame the Unicorn’s pride, - Exalt the Crescent and the Star. - -Sir Walter Scott encouraged this ardour at football when he caused -to be unfurled, for the first time since 1633, the ancient banner of -Buccleuch, with its broidered motto ‘Bellendaine.’ The dalesmen, the -people from the waters of Yarrow, Ettrick, and Teviot, played against -the souters of Selkirk, all across country, the goals being Ettrick -and Yarrow. The townsmen scored the first goal, when the Galashiels -folk came in as allies of the shepherds, and helped them to win a goal. -‘Then began a murder grim and great,’ and Scott himself was mobbed in -the evening. But he knew how to turn wrath into laughter. - -‘’Tis sixty years since,’ and more, but this perfervid ardour, while it -makes Border cricket very exciting, is perhaps even now a trifle too -warm. The great idea, perhaps, in all country cricket is not so much to -have a pleasant day’s sport, win or lose, but to win merely. Men play -for victory, as Dr. Johnson talked, rather than for cricket. This has -its advantages; it conduces to earnestness. But it does not invariably -promote the friendliness of a friendly game. - -Border cricket is very pleasant, because it is played in such a -pleasant country. You see the angler going to Tweedside, or Teviot, -and pausing to watch the game as he strolls by the cricket-ground. The -hills lie all around, these old, unmoved, unchangeable spectators of -man’s tragedy and sport. The broken towers of Melrose or Jedburgh or -Kelso look down on you. They used to ‘look down,’ as well they might, -on very bad wickets. Thanks to this circumstance, the present writer, -for the first and only time in his existence, once did the ‘hat trick’ -at Jedburgh, and took three wickets with three consecutive balls. Now -the grounds are better, and the scores longer, but not too long. You -seldom hear of 300 in one innings on the Border. - -In my time the bowling was roundhand, and pretty straight and to a -length, as a general rule. Perhaps, or rather certainly, the proudest -day of my existence was when I was at home for the holidays, and was -chosen to play, and bowl, for the town eleven against Hawick. I have -the score still, and it appears that I made havoc among Elliots, -Leydens, and Drydens. But they were too strong for our Scotts, -Johnstons, and Douglasses: it is a pleasure to write the old names -of the Border clans in connection with cricket. The batting was not -nearly so good then as it is now; professional instruction was almost -unknown. Men blocked timidly, and we had only one great hitter, Mr. -John Douglas; but how gallantly he lifted the soaring ball by the banks -of Ettrick! At that time we had a kind of family team, composed of -brothers and other boys, so small that we called ourselves _Les Enfants -Perdus_. The name was appropriate enough. I think we only once won a -match, and that victory was achieved over Melrose. But we kept the -game going on and played in all weathers, and on any kind of wickets. -Very small children would occasionally toddle up and bowl when the -elder members of the family were knocked off. Finally, as they grew in -stature, the team developed into ‘The Eccentric Flamingoes,’ then the -only wandering Border club. We wore black and red curiously disposed, -and had a good many Oxford members. The Flamingoes, coming down from -Oxford, full of pride, had once a dreadful day on the Edinburgh Academy -Ground. We were playing the School, which made a portentous score, and -I particularly remember that Mr. T. R. Marshall, probably the best -Scotch bat who ever played, and then a boy, hit two sixes and a five -off three consecutive balls. It is a very great pity that this Border -bat is so seldom seen at Lords’; his average for M.C.C. in 1886 was 85. -The Flamingoes lasted for some years, and played all Teviotdale and -Tweedside. - -In those days we heard little of Dumfries and Galloway cricket, into -which Steels, Tylecotes, and Studds have lately infused much life. In -recent years, Lord Dalkeith, Lord George Scott, and Mr. Maxwell Scott, -of Abbotsford, have contributed very much to the growth of Border -cricket. Money has never been very plentiful north of Tweed, and when -scarcely any but artisans played, the clubs could not afford good -grounds, or much professional instruction. In these respects there -has been improvement. Perhaps the boys’ cricket was not sufficiently -watched and encouraged. Veterans used to linger on the stage with a -mythical halo round them of their great deeds in the Sixties. Perhaps -the rising generation is now more quickly promoted, and better coached -than of old. I feel a hesitation in offering any criticism because I -had only one quality of a cricketer, enthusiasm, combined for a year -or two with some twist from leg. But, if I never was anything of an -expert, my heart hath always been with those old happy scenes and happy -days of struggling cricket. What jolly journeys we had, driving under -the triple crest of Eildon to Kelso, or down Tweed to Galashiels, or -over the windy moor to Hawick! How keen we were, and how carried beyond -ourselves with joy in the success of a sturdy slogger, or a brilliant -field! There were sudden and astonishing developments of genius. Does -J. J. A., among his savages on the other side of the globe, remember -how he once took to witching the world by making incredible and almost -impossible catches? _Audisne, Amphiarae?_ Michael Russell Wyer, I am -sure, among Parsee cricketers, has not forgotten his swashing blow. But -one of whom the poet declared that he would - - Push into Indus, into Ganges’ flood, - While all Calcutta sings the praise of Budd,[34] - -will no more ‘push leg balls among the slips.’ - - No longer make a wild and wondrous score, - And poke where never mortal poked before. - -This is the melancholy of mortal things. - -As Mr. Prowse sang - - The game we have not strength to play - Seems somehow better than before. - -Our wickets keep falling in this life. One after the other goes down. -They are becoming few who joined in those Border matches where there -was but one lady spectator, when we made such infrequent runs, and -often dropped a catch, but never lost heart, never lost pleasure in the -game. Some of them may read this, and remember old friends gone, old -games played, old pewters drained, old pipes smoked, old stories told, -remember the leg-hitting of Jack Grey, the bowling of Bill Dryden and -of Clement Glassford, the sturdy defence of William Forman. And he who -writes, recalling that simple delight and good fellowship, recalling -those kind faces and merry days in the old land of Walter Scott, may -make his confession, and may say that such years were worth living -for, and that neither study, nor praise, nor any other pleasure has -equalled, or can equal, the joy of having been young and a cricketer, -where - - The oak, and the ash, and the bonny ivy tree, - They flourish best at home in the North Countrie. - - * * * * * - -It is long since the writer has played in Border cricket, or even -seen the game in those quarters. A more modern sportsman, and an -infinitely better player, has kindly drawn up a few observations made -in recent years. On the whole, nothing, it seems, is altered. The game -is played mainly, as of old, by the stalwart artisans. There is little -patronage from the counties, and the middle classes are sunk in golf. -Money, therefore, is scarce, and, while very fair wickets are provided, -the out-fielder is harassed by difficulties of ground in many cases. -Time also is scarce, and thus lack of wealth prevents the Borderers -from doing themselves justice. At Langholm the family of the Duke of -Buccleuch, ‘the Langholm Lordies,’ set an example, and, at Dalbeattie -in Galloway, Steels, as of old, Studds, and Tylecotes play in autumn. -Mr. Maxwell of Glenlee, now dead, and Mr. Maxwell Scott of Abbotsford -were recently patrons of the game. On the whole, however, money and -encouragement are sadly lacking. - -The play, I gather, has improved, and the employment of professionals -has doubtless contributed to this result. There is a danger, however, -of depending too much on the professionals, who take part in the -matches between the clubs. The difficulties of umpiring are overcome in -matches for the Border Cup by the assistance of strangers, who truly -and indifferently minister justice. In other matches, I am told, the -umpires, being members of the rival clubs, are apt to suffer from ‘the -personal bias,’ and from accesses of local patriotism. This defect is -not absolutely confined to the Border. Football, a game entailing less -expenditure of money and time, is naturally better rooted and more -flourishing than cricket. It is also less dependent on weather. On the -whole, improvement both in skill and in the wickets is to be noted, and -I conceive that a match is much less likely than of old to degenerate -into a Border brawl. But cricket is not the national game of the -country which gave birth to golf and can hold her own at football. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[34] The maker of a formidable bat. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -HOW TO SCORE. - -(BY W. G. GRACE.) - - -Ask any player who has scored over a hundred in an innings if he felt -any particular influence at work on the morning of the match, and he -will probably answer in the negative; but press him, and he will admit -that he felt fit and well, and that the feeling was owing to a good -night’s rest, together with the careful training of days and weeks. I -am aware that there are exceptions to this rule, and that players have -been known to score largely after a night of high feasting and dancing; -but in my own experience, whilst admitting that occasional freaks of -this kind have been followed by moderately large scores, I cannot -recollect many of my big innings that were not the results of strict -obedience to the rules which govern the training for all important -athletic contests. Temperance in food and drink, regular sleep and -exercise, I have laid down as the golden rule from my earliest -cricketing days. I have carefully adhered to this rule, and to it in a -great degree I attribute the scores that stand to my name in cricket -history, and the measure of health and strength I still enjoy. - -Early in the season every cricketer knows the difficulty of getting -his eye in, but though he may be disappointed at the small score -attached to his name match after match, he plays steadily on, trusting -that by constant practice the coveted hundred will come. If he hopes to -score largely he must be careful in his manner of living and moderate -in all things, even though nature may have blessed him with exceptional -wrist power and sight. - -The capacity for making long scores is not a thing of a day’s growth, -and it may be years before strength and skill come and enable the -young cricketer to bear the fatigue of a long innings. He cannot begin -too early to play carefully and earnestly, and in all club and school -practice the lad should play as if he were engaged in an important -match, and the result depended upon his individual efforts. In my own -case, thanks to careful guidance, I was early taught to keep my wicket -up, never to hit recklessly, always to play straight or good-length -balls with force, and if possible away from the fielders. Habits of -that kind thoughtfully cultivated will not desert you in first-class -cricket. Great scores at cricket, like great work of any kind, are, as -a rule, the results of years of careful and judicious training and not -accidental occurrences. - -If you have occasion to travel a considerable distance to play, make an -effort to get to your destination the night before, or at least some -time before, the match begins. There is nothing so fatiguing to the -eyesight as a long railway journey, and going straight from the railway -station to the wicket is often fatal to long scoring. - -I have tried hard, especially of late years, to arrange so that I could -reach the ground in good time and save everything in the shape of hurry -or bustle. There are but few cricket grounds within a hundred miles of -each other where the light and conditions are alike, and it takes some -time for eye and mind to accommodate themselves to new surroundings. -You will find it just as trying to play in a blaze of sunshine, after -three days of smoke and leaden skies, as you will in a change from the -sunny south to the bleak, sunless north. - -You must also not only bear in mind the vast importance of reaching -the ground in good time, but the greater importance of getting five -or ten minutes’ batting practice before the innings begins. Very few -grounds are the same as regards the way in which the ball rises off -the pitch, even if the light be similar to that you have been playing -in for days, and it requires nothing short of a genius for the game to -change from a fast to a slow wicket, and play with the same ease and -confidence. - -I shall not readily forget an experience that came to me in 1871, when -I travelled from London to Brighton to play for the Gentlemen against -the Players for the benefit of John Lillywhite. Being very much younger -than I am now, I was blessed with clearness of vision and quickness of -action that suited themselves very readily to most conditions of light -and ground. Perhaps it was the inexperience of youth that led me to -put off reaching the old Brunswick ground at Hove until the moment of -beginning my innings. This I know, I felt as fit as ever I did in my -life, walked to the wicket with confidence, and took my guard carefully -to the bowling of J. C. Shaw. He was on at the sea-shore end, and there -was a glare on the water, delighting the artistic eye I have no doubt, -but to me shifting and dancing like a will o’ the wisp. There is no -need to deny the fact, I was all abroad to his first ball, and knew it -had beaten me before it came within two yards of me. I tried hard to -play it, but the ominous rattle told me I had failed, and I returned to -the pavilion and made the mental note. The dazzling light, the railway -journey, and want of five minutes’ practice did it. I had no desire to -repeat the performance in the second innings, and had little fear of -doing so. I took care to have some practice, and scored 217, my brother -G. F. made 98, and we increased the total by 240 runs in two and a half -hours. - -There is this also to be said in favour of five or ten minutes’ -batting practice before a match, that it enables you to test pads, -gloves, and shoes. To have the fastening of a glove or pad break off -when you are well set is a disagreeable and annoying interruption. It -takes some time to put things right, and when you return to the wicket, -the confidence you felt has very likely to a great extent deserted you. -And how often have you placed your boots in your bag, all the spikes -seemingly firm, to find one or two missing after you have been batting -for a few minutes! One has gone out of the toe of your boot, and you -play forward to a ball, miss your footing and get stumped; or one has -vanished from the heel, and you are called by your partner for a short -run, sent back again, slip, and get run out. Inattention to these -apparently small points causes annoyance, and may prevent you from -getting a long score. - -You are now ready to go in, and if you are first on the list you may do -it leisurely; but if you follow first wicket down, or later, impress -strongly upon your mind that it is your duty to get to the wicket -within the limit of time the law allows, and as quickly as possible, -particularly if your partner has got his eye in and looks like making -a large score. You will expect a like consideration when your turn -comes to wait, and nothing upsets a player so much as having to loiter -three or four minutes when he is warm and at home with the bowling, -especially when he knows there is no need for delay. There will be a -lack of confidence between you for some time at least, and indifferent -judging of runs. - -You will doubtless please yourself as to the guard to be taken; but -whether you take it to cover the middle and leg stumps, or middle -or leg only, be sure to keep your legs clear of the wicket. A good -umpire notes at the first glance if your leg is covering any part of -it, registers it against you, and remembers it when called upon for a -decision. If you stand clear of the wicket, he realises that you are -taking every precaution, will not decide without thinking, and will -give you the benefit of every doubt. - -Be sure you have your right foot firmly planted behind the popping -crease, or you may play a little too far forward and be stumped. You -may as well remove any small piece of grass or loose bit of turf that -catches your eye as you look along the wicket. After you have taken -guard, and marked it clearly, look all around and note the position of -the fieldsmen. It is something to know you may hit out to certain parts -of the ground without the risk of being caught. - -It is not very many years since, if you had asked the question how you -were to begin an innings, you would have been told to play quietly -for an over or two, and hit at nothing straight until you got your -eye in. With all my heart I say, do not be in a hurry to hit; keep up -your wicket and runs will come; but do not think that this means that -you are not to punish a loose ball if you get one, whether it be your -first or your twentieth. I understand it to mean that you are not to -hit at a good or doubtful ball for the sake of a start, or to shake -off the nervousness that affects a great number of players until they -have scored the first run. No; begin as you mean to go on, playing good -balls carefully, hitting loose ones, and bearing in mind that a large -score is not made in half-a-dozen hits or overs. Do not be surprised -and disappointed if the first few overs are maidens, or ruffled that -the score-sheet is still clean so far as you are concerned. Possibly -your partner has been placing balls that you could not get away, and -you grow impatient. That is foolishness, and fatal to your chance of -scoring. Remember he had been batting before you came in, and had -obtained the confidence and mastery over the bowling that is now -coming slowly but surely to you. Runs will come if you stay in, and -few bowlers can go on bowling over after over for half an hour or more -without giving you a loose ball or two. - -It is bad judgment to attempt sharp runs early in your innings. -Inclination that way is sure to be encouraged by the bowler, and when -you least expect it he will in some way unknown to you communicate with -the wicket-keeper and fielders, and the next attempt may end in you -or your partner being run out. A deal of harm has been done even if -you just saved it by an inch or two, and you will be in a most unhappy -state of mind for some time afterwards. It dawns upon you that there -was a degree of stupidity in the attempt, and it does not improve your -temper to have words of caution showered upon you from the pavilion. -The state of the game, the condition of the score did not demand it, -and you will be very lucky if you realise the fact, and recover your -usual coolness and confidence before resuming your innings. - -Exercise judgment when running out big hits. If you find the fielders -a little careless in throwing in, you may make a five out of what -looked like a four; but remember that to do this you will have to make -an exceptional effort that will try your wind. And now you have the -opportunity to show if your head is of the thoughtful kind. The bowler -will be delighted if he can tempt you to play the next ball before -you have got rid of the flurry and excitement, and you will be looked -upon as very obliging and thoughtless if you do. Very likely you have -resumed your position in front of the wicket with no intention of -playing for a second or two; perhaps the bowler is aware of the fact, -but that does not prevent him from bowling at you in the hope that you -may change your mind. Do not blame him if you play and are bowled. He -was not supposed to know that you were not ready, and you had no right -to be there recovering your breath; it will come back as freely to -you a yard or two away from the wicket as in front of it, and neither -bowler nor fielders ought to blame you for waiting for that purpose. -You are playing the game for your side as well as your individual -reputation, and ought to take all needful precautions. - -Be careful what you take to drink during a long innings. If you are -not accustomed to large scoring you are sure to feel thirsty, and your -mouth will become very dry before you have made many runs. A big drink -at this or any other time when you are in is a great mistake. For the -moment you feel as if you must quench your thirst, or you cannot go -on; you must, however, refrain, for there is nothing so insidious and -infectious as indulgence in drinks of any kind. In half an hour you -will want another, and the fieldsmen generally will sympathise and -lean to your way of thinking. Then there will be five minutes’ break, -you will probably lose sight of the ball, and very likely get out -immediately after. If you must have something, call for a little water: -it will answer the purpose perfectly. Rinse your mouth with it, swallow -as little as possible, and the thirst will quickly pass away. - -It is the first long innings that requires nerve and judgment. The -hopes and fears that spring up in the young player’s breast when he has -scored something between fifty and a hundred make it a severe trial; -and I daresay if you and I could read his thoughts we should find that -every run of the last ten was made in mental fear accompanied by a -thumping heart. But when the hundred is reached, who can describe the -joy that thrills him as he hears the hand-clapping and shouting! - -I will not say, be modest in the hour of victory, but rather be modest -after it. It is after the victory, as we listen to outside praise, that -conceit and its enervating influence steal in. Turn a deaf ear, and -remember it was in fear and trembling that you reached the much-desired -score. Quiet confidence is a widely different thing from conceit. The -former will help you to a run of big scores, the latter will cripple -every effort to sustain your hardly earned reputation. - -So far I have not touched upon the different wickets that are met -with during the season. There have been years, such as 1887, when the -weather has continued dry and fine for weeks, and the change from -ground to ground was hardly perceptible; but I have known the wicket -to change in a single match from dry, fast and true, to wet and soft, -and then to have finished sticky and unplayable. Anyone who can score -heavily through changes of that kind will be exceptionally fortunate. -I venture to think it may be of some use to young cricketers if I tell -them how they should play under these different conditions of ground. I -will begin with what is known as a fast, dry and true wicket. - -This is the wicket which all good cricketers like to play on, and, if -it does not crumble before the match is finished, long scores may be -expected. Never hesitate to play forward on a wicket of this kind, for -the bowler can get little or no work on the ball, and, what is more, -the further it is pitched up and the faster it comes along, the easier -it is to play it forward and the more difficult to play it back. On -such a wicket as this do not go in for lofty and ‘gallery’ hitting, or -you will very likely throw away your chance of making a long score. -If the bowler gives you a ball well up, instead of hitting very hard -at it, I should advise you to drive it along the ground; although you -may not score so many runs for it, still you do not incur the risk -of being caught out, and you will get the applause of those who know -what scientific batting means. Cuts and leg-hits travel at a rare pace -on a good fast ground, and timing and placing are of more importance -than strength. A snick to long-leg may bring more runs than a hard hit -straight, and a tap past long-slip goes flying to the boundary with a -very small expenditure of strength. Most long scores have been made on -a wicket of this description, and you do not tire half so much as you -would if the wicket were wet and heavy. - -In the season 1876--one of my best years--I remember playing in three -matches following each other when the ground was fast, dry and true. -The first match was at Canterbury, for Marylebone C.C. _v._ Kent. Kent -made the long score of 473, chiefly owing to the magnificent batting of -Lord Harris, who made 154. We responded with the comparatively small -total of 144. To follow on with so large a deficit was not encouraging; -but the wicket was still everything to be desired in pace and quality, -and I made up my mind to play a fast game, knowing that the bowler -could get little or no work on the ball, and that any attempt to play -carefully for a draw would be useless. It is now a matter of history -that we scored the first 100 in forty-five minutes, 217 well under -the two hours, and finished up with a total of 557 for nine wickets, -converting what appeared to be inevitable defeat into a creditable -draw. It took me a little over six hours to make my 344; but so good -and fast was the wicket that I played forward to most of the good balls. - -Two days after, on a similar wicket against Notts, playing for -Gloucestershire at Clifton, I made 177, and the same week 318 not out, -against Yorkshire at Cheltenham. The last wicket was one of the very -best I ever played on, and right through the innings I could play -forward without danger to nearly every ball bowled. Remember, then, on -a wicket of this kind to play forward as much as possible. - -I come now to a fast, good, wet wicket. It may surprise a great many -players when I say, play almost the same way as upon a fast dry wicket. -The bowler has still as much difficulty in getting work on the ball, as -it cuts through the ground and he cannot hold it owing to its wet and -slippery state, and you will find playing forward the better way. You -will have to be a little more watchful, for some balls will keep low -and travel at a terrific rate after they pitch, and should you get a -shooter it will come to you even faster than, on a dry wicket. Batsmen -on our perfect wickets of to-day think a ball that keeps low is a -shooter; but I wish they could come across the shooters we used to have -at Lord’s ground twenty years ago. They seemed completely to baffle -some players, and gave them the impression that the ball, instead of -travelling all along the ground, went under it and came up again at the -bottom of the wickets. - -Of course you will distinguish between a fast wet wicket and one that -is not thoroughly saturated. The latter, though perhaps quite as true, -will not be so fast, nor will runs come so quickly. A wicket of this -kind was formerly considered much in favour of the bowler; but that -opinion has been upset, and a good punishing batsman, who takes no -liberties, has the bowler pretty much at his mercy. In 1873, on a -wicket of this kind, I made 160 not out for Gloucestershire _v._ Surrey -at Clifton. In the early part of the innings the wicket was fast and -wet, and the ball travelled at a rare pace; but later on it became -softer, and the ball did not travel so well. - -A slow, good, dry wicket. You will occasionally meet with this kind of -wicket after rain, when the ground has not had time to dry sufficiently -to make it fast. The bowler can get more break on than he can on a -good fast wicket, but the ball rises slowly off the pitch and you have -plenty of time to watch it. You will rarely get a ball higher than -the bails, and you can play forward or back as the pitch admits. When -playing forward, you must not play too quickly, as the ball sometimes -hangs a bit and you may play it back to the bowler. It was on a wicket -of this kind at Clifton College ground that I scored a hundred in each -innings for Gloucestershire _v_. Kent in 1887. The first day the wicket -was perfect of its kind, every ball coming easy and with very little -break, travelling quickly when hit, as the outside ground was much -harder than the pitch, which had been watered. I made 101 in less than -three hours. Rain stopped play for some time on the second afternoon, -Friday, but by Saturday afternoon the wicket recovered, and I scored -103 not out in two hours and twenty minutes. Years ago, when youth was -more on my side, I preferred a very fast dry wicket; but now I confess -to a leaning for a good, slow, and dry one. - -The three wickets I have described must be considered easy, and -attention to the points I touched upon at the beginning should help the -batsman to score largely. I now come to two of a very different nature, -on which, as a rule, the bowler has a high time of it, and where -special nerve, skill, judgment, and luck on the part of the batsman are -required before he can make a large score. - -[Illustration: M.C.C. AND GROUND V. AUSTRALIANS, LORD’S, MAY 22, 1884 - -W. G. GRACE, L.B.W. BOWLED PALMER--101] - -First, a bumpy wicket. By a bumpy wicket I do not mean a fast fiery -wicket where the ball only goes over the top of the stumps and raps the -knuckles occasionally, but a wicket upon which you may get a shooter -one over and a blow on the chest the next, as a pleasing variety to -those that come frequently right over your head the first bound and -straight into the hands of the long-stop without again touching the -ground. I can assure all young players that there is a new and curious -sensation in facing balls of this kind. Skill, patience, a quick eye -and ready arm are useful for the occasion, but dogged pluck is worth -the whole of them. Do not let thoughts of hard knocks trouble you, -or your chance of scoring even a double figure will be remote. Take -your position at the wicket in your usual way, stand up to the bowling -pluckily, and do not have it said of you that you are only a good -wicket player. On a ground of this kind every run is valuable, and you -may risk stealing a sharp run or two now and then. One of your side may -make fifty or more runs, but the average score is sure to be small, -and you must face the possibility of hard knocks and play as if you -expected every ball to come true and a large score depended upon you. -I am glad to be able to say that, owing to the general improvement -that has taken place in the principal grounds, you rarely now meet -with a bumpy wicket. When the Yorkshire County Eleven made their first -appearance at Lord’s in 1870 to play against the M.C.C. and Ground, -the wicket was as bumpy as a wicket could be, and very few players on -either side escaped knocks of some kind. It was the first match in -which the alteration in law 9 came into operation, by which a bowler -could change ends twice in the same innings but not bowl more than two -overs in succession; and Alfred Shaw and Wootton availed themselves -of it in the second innings of Yorkshire. The M.C.C. went in first to -the bowling of Freeman and Emmett, and were all out for 73. Yorkshire -made 91, George Pinder, the well-known Yorkshire wicket-keeper, who was -playing for the first time at Lord’s, contributing 31. The prospect in -our second innings was not encouraging, and the wicket anything but -good, when that accomplished Essex sportsman, Mr. C. E. Green, joined -me; but if ever a good and sterling cricketer played pluckily under -adverse circumstances, Mr. Green did that day, and in seventy minutes -we scored 99 runs. Freeman bowled a terrific pace, and Emmett was in -his glory, his bowling bumping and kicking up as I have never seen it -since. We were hit all over the body, Mr. Green twice painfully hard -on the chest; but he was cool and cheerful, and made 51 in his best -style--and that is saying a great deal considering the number of balls -he had to dodge with his head. Just before I was out, last man, Emmett -bowled a ball which hit me very hard on the point of the left elbow, -the ball flew into the air, and we ran a run before it came down into -short-leg’s hands; but I could not hold the bat properly afterwards, -and was glad when the innings was over. I made 66, and our total was -161. Freeman, Iddison, Pinder and Wootton were all badly knocked about. -Yorkshire won by one wicket; thanks to the plucky hitting of Luke -Greenwood and the steady batting of Emmett. - -Now I come to a drying, sticky wicket. This is about the worst you -can play upon, and he who scores largely on it deserves to be praised -indeed. If the bowling be indifferent the player who can pull or hit a -long hop to leg has a decided advantage, as the ball hangs a great deal -at times and favours that kind of play. If the bowler be on the spot, -then tall scoring is an impossibility. The work to be got on the ball -is astounding; I have seen balls break a foot or more. - -This kind of wicket is oftener seen at Lord’s after a good deal of rain -and a drying sun than anywhere else. We all remember that great match -when the Australians made their first appearance there in 1878. I had -a fair conception of what might happen, and after hitting the first -ball of the match to the boundary was not surprised at being caught out -from the fourth. One ball of Spofforth’s was enough for me the second -innings. The best advice I can give is to watch every ball on a wicket -of that kind, and score when you can. - -In conclusion, never treat a straight ball with contempt, however badly -bowled. I have met with a ball that bounded twice or thrice before it -came to me, varying every bound and at the finish twisting or shooting, -and becoming a very difficult ball indeed. I have made it a rule all my -life to hit a straight long hop or full-pitch with a straight or nearly -straight bat, so that when a ball of this kind was bowled to me I had -the full length of my bat to play it with, whereas if I had tried to -pull or hit across at it, I should only have had the width of my bat, -and should have been more likely to miss it. - -When an indifferent bowler is put on, you cannot be too careful. He is -put on to tempt you to hit, and does not mind how many runs you score -off him; but presently you will get a good ball, and if you are not -careful, especially if you are trying to bring off a favourite stroke, -you will hit at it and very likely lose your wicket. - -After you have made a boundary hit do not make up your mind to hit -another off the next ball. - -Keep your eye on the bowler, watch how he holds the ball and runs up -to the wicket before delivering it; that will help you considerably to -detect alteration in length and pace. - -It is a mistake to hit at the pitch of slow, round, or under-hand -bowling. The twist is sure to beat you, and if you do not miss the -ball altogether, you will most likely get caught at cover-point. In my -younger days I always ran out to under-hand bowling and hit it before -it bounded, or waited and got it long hop. When a first-class bowler -tries to bowl a slow ball with an extra amount of break, look out for a -bad ball, and when it comes, as it will sooner or later, punish it, and -you will upset him a bit, and very likely prevent him from bowling good -balls afterwards. - -I think I have touched upon nearly everything that might help a young -player to a long score, and with just a word about playing against odds -I have done. Whether against eighteen or twenty-two in the field, play -the same game that you would against an eleven. I have very often found -that the fieldsmen in the outfield are placed too deep, and a second -run can be stolen after the ball passes the men close in. Do not hit to -leg, but rather place or snick the ball; you will get just as many runs -without the risk of being caught. It was when playing against odds that -fine placing to leg was first cultivated, and now it has to a great -extent superseded leg hitting. - -I need not say how delighted I am to watch the progress of every -young and rising cricketer. My heart is in the game I love above all -others, with a love that is as strong to-day as it was when I made my -first large score, and when eye, hand, and foot were much quicker than -they are now. I do not believe that there are no days like the good old -days of cricket, but I do strongly believe that the prospects of the -game are as bright and hopeful to-day as they have been at any time in -its history, and that in future years as great if not greater things -will be done with both bat and ball. I ask every young cricketer to -study the points I have submitted, and it will be sufficient reward to -me if they in some way help him to make a big score. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE AUSTRALIANS. - -(BY A. G. STEEL.) - - -Not until Monday, May 27, 1878, did the English public take any real -interest in Australian cricket, though in 1877 in their own country the -Australians had defeated Lillywhite’s eleven on even terms. Prior to -this date four English teams had visited Australia, but their doings, -though recorded in the press, did not interest the cricket community -at home. The Australian players met with in the Colonies were no doubt -learning from the English teams they had seen and played against, but -the idea that they were up to the standard of English first-class -cricket seemed absurd; and to a certain extent this estimate was -justified by the records of the English visitors. In 1862 H. H. -Stephenson, Surrey player and huntsman, took out twelve professional -players to the Colonies under the auspices of Messrs. Spiers and Pond. -They played twelve matches against eighteens and twenty-twos, won six, -lost two, and drew four. In 1864, two years later, George Parr took -out a team, which played sixteen matches against twenty-twos, and was -not beaten at all. In 1873 Mr. W. G. Grace visited the antipodes at -the request of the Melbourne Cricket Club; his eleven played fifteen -matches, all against odds, won ten, lost three, and drew two. In -1876 James Lillywhite followed, and it was during this tour that the -Australians first won a match on equal terms. Lillywhite’s team played -Australia on March 15, 16 and 17, 1877, with the result that Australia -won by 45 runs. This match was noteworthy for another reason. C. -Bannerman made 165 for Australia, and was the first amongst Australian -batsmen to score a hundred against English bowlers. Now, though English -cricketers had been beaten on even terms as recently as 1877, the -fact seemed to have been lost sight of at home in 1878, and when the -first Australian eleven that ever visited England arrived early in the -latter year, it never occurred to anyone that it could have any chance -of actually storming the citadel of English cricket with success. On -May 27, 1878, English cricket and its lovers received a serious shock, -as on that day, in the extraordinarily short space of four and a half -hours, a very fair team of the M.C.C. were beaten by nine wickets. The -famous English club was certainly well represented, seeing that W. G. -Grace, A. W. Ridley, A. J. Webbe, A. N. Hornby, Shaw, and Morley did -battle for it. Gregory’s team, as the Australians were called, had a -very successful season, beating, in addition to M.C.C., Yorkshire, -Surrey, Middlesex, Leicestershire, Sussex, Gloucestershire, and a bad -eleven of the ‘Players,’ and being beaten by Nottingham, the Gentlemen -of England, Yorkshire, and Cambridge, the latter the most decisive -defeat of all. - -The British public were surprised at these results, especially as it -had expected so little from the visitors. Many of the lower classes -were so ignorant of Australia itself, to say nothing of the cricket -capabilities of its inhabitants, that they fully expected to find the -members of Gregory’s team black as the Aborigines. We remember the late -Rev. Arthur Ward ‘putting his foot into it’ on this subject before some -of the Australians. One day in the pavilion at Lord’s, the writer, -who had been chosen to represent the Gentlemen of England against the -visitors in a forthcoming match, was sitting beside Spofforth watching -a game, in which neither was taking part. Mr. Ward coming up, accosted -the writer, ‘Well, Mr. Steel, so I hear you are going to play against -the niggers on Monday?’ His face was a picture when Spofforth was -introduced to him as the ‘demon nigger bowler.’ Gregory’s team, in the -writer’s opinion, contained four really good bowlers: Spofforth, Boyle, -Allan, and Garrett, and two fair changes in Midwinter and Horan, but as -batsmen they were poor when compared with England’s best. - -Charles Bannerman was a most dashing player, his off-driving being -magnificent, and Horan and Murdoch were fairish batsmen. Murdoch then -was very different to the Murdoch of 1882 and 1884; but the rest -were rough and untutored, more like country cricketers than correct -players. Had this team come to England in a dry instead of a wet -season, it would probably have had a very different record at the end -of its visit. Spofforth, Boyle and Garrett were most deadly to the -best batsmen on the soft, caked wickets they so often had to assist -them; and the Australian batsmen, with the rough crossbat style which -distinguished the majority, were just as likely to knock up fifteen -to twenty runs on a bad wicket as on a good one. Nothing brings good -and bad batsmen so close together as bad wet seasons. When Cambridge -University met them the match was played on a hard true wicket, the -Australian bowling was thoroughly collared, and none of the eleven, -except Murdoch, C. Bannerman, and perhaps Horan, showed any signs of -being able to play correct cricket on a hard ground. - -Gregory’s team, however, had a wonderfully stimulating effect on -English cricket. Their record taught us that the Australians could -produce men to beat most of the counties, and who _might_, after a -year or two of experience, play a very good game with a picked team of -England. - -In 1880 W. L. Murdoch brought over a Colonial team to England. -The close of the season showed that in the eleven-a-side matches, -Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and a good eleven of the -Players of England had been beaten, while only two matches had been -lost: Nottingham succeeded in winning by one wicket, and England by -five wickets. This latter match was the first in which a picked team -of England did battle against the Australians, and the excitement was -intense. It was most interesting, and will be ever memorable for the -splendid innings of W. G. Grace and W. L. Murdoch, who made 152 and -153 respectively, the latter being not out. England’s first innings -was 420, Australia’s 149; the latter followed on, and when the last -man, W. H. Moule, came in there were still wanting 32 runs to save the -innings defeat. Moule played a stubborn game with his captain, and put -on 88 for the last wicket. How England lost five wickets on a goodish -wicket in getting 57 runs will never be forgotten. The writer had taken -off his cricket clothes at the end of the Australians’ second innings, -thinking all would soon be over; but cricket is a strange game, and he -soon had to put them on again. The result of the first pitched battle -between England and Australia, though a win of five wickets for the -former, was a marvellous performance on the part of the Australians; -indeed, seeing how far they were left behind on the first innings, it -was one of the best things ever done at cricket to get so near the -victors at the finish, especially as the wicket on the last innings was -not to be found fault with. It should also be mentioned in fairness to -the Australians that their best bowler, Spofforth, was prevented by an -accident from taking part in this match. - -The next team that visited England was in 1882, and was again under -the captaincy of W. L. Murdoch. On this occasion G. Giffen, S. P. -Jones, and H. H. Massie were introduced to the British public for the -first time. As this eleven succeeded in defeating England, and was -perhaps the best that ever represented the Colonies, we record the -names:--A. C. Bannerman, J. M. Blackham, G. J. Bonnor, H. F. Boyle, -P. S. McDonnell, W. L. Murdoch, G. E. Palmer, F. R. Spofforth, T. W. -Garrett, T. Horan, and the three new players above mentioned. The -result at the end of the season was: Matches played, 38: won, 23; lost, -4; drawn, 11; Nottingham beaten once, Lancashire once, Yorkshire three -times, the Gentlemen of England once, and Oxford University once. The -four defeats were by Cambridge University, the Players of England, -Cambridge Past and Present, and the North of England. This team played -the second pitched battle between Australia and England on Monday, -August 28, and after the close finish and creditable display made in -1880 against England by worse players, the match created the most -intense excitement. The Australians went first to the wickets, which -were very sticky, and were all disposed of for 63. England topped this -by 38. Prior to the beginning of Australia’s second innings, a heavy -shower deluged the ground. Going in on the wet cutting-through wicket, -Massie hit the incapacitated bowlers all over the field, and when the -first wicket fell for 66 had scored 55 out of that number. With the -exception of Murdoch and Bannerman, nobody else troubled the English -bowlers, and the ground rapidly drying and caking, the whole side were -disposed of for 122. The Englishmen wanted 85 to win, and when the -score was at 51 for one wicket, it seemed as if the game were over. -Spofforth, however, was bowling splendidly, and the wicket had become -most difficult. He was bowling over medium pace, coming back many -inches, and often getting up to an uncomfortable height. The English -batsmen could do nothing with him, and, after the keenest excitement, -the game ended in a well-won victory for the Australians by 7 runs. -Though this defeat was a great blow to the English representatives, -there were none who grudged Australia her success, which was obtained -by sound and sterling cricket. We think there is no doubt that the -1882 team was better than the next one in 1884. In 1882 they had as -bowlers Boyle, Spofforth, Palmer, Garrett, and Giffen; in 1884 they -had Spofforth, Palmer, Boyle, Giffen, and Midwinter, but they had lost -Garrett. The ’82 team contained two excellent batsmen in Horan and -Massie, whose absence was not sufficiently compensated for by Scott and -Midwinter. Murdoch, Horan, Giffen, Blackham, were all likely to make -runs, while Massie, Bonnor, and McDonnell often succeeded on the worst -wicket in making mincemeat of any bowling. - -In 1884 W. L. Murdoch again brought over an Australian team to -England, and played thirty-two matches, winning eight and losing seven. -This time it was decided by the English authorities not to allow the -fame of English cricket to depend on the result of one match only, but -on the best of three, and accordingly three matches were arranged to -be played between England and Australia, one at Manchester, the second -at Lord’s, and the third at the Oval. The first, at Manchester, was -seriously interfered with by the weather. Rain prevented any play on -the first day. England began to bat on a sodden wicket and made 95, -and Murdoch’s team responded with 182. England had now a difficult -task to prevent being beaten, but at the end of the match were 92 -runs on, and one wicket to fall. This was doubtless a draw in favour -of the Australians, but still a hundred runs on a bad wicket against -the flower of English bowling take a lot of getting, and it must be -remembered that a month before the Australian team were all disposed -of for 60 on a sticky wicket by Peate and Emmett. The second match -was at Lord’s, and was the only one of the three that was finished. -England won easily by an innings and 5 runs. The earlier teams of the -Australians never appeared to advantage at Lord’s. The later ones, -however, have done better on that ground. The third match, at the Oval, -was a memorable one. The Australians won the toss, went in on a perfect -wicket, and made the terrific score of 551: McDonnell 103, Murdoch 211, -Scott 102. This was a truly great performance, and it was remarkable -that every member of the English team tried his hand with the ball, -by far the most successful having been the Honourable A. Lyttelton -with the analysis of four wickets for 19 runs. England made 346 first -innings, in which was a magnificent display from W. W. Read of 117. In -the second innings England made 85 for two wickets, and thus required -120 runs on a true wicket with seven good batsmen to save the single -innings defeat. - -The next team that visited England was in 1886, H. J. H. Scott being -the captain. This is memorable as the first Australian team in England -that did not contain W. L. Murdoch. Several unknown men now made their -appearance, W. Bruce, E. Evans, J. McIlwraith, and J. W. Trumble, but -this was undoubtedly less successful than any of the previous teams. -Their season’s record showed: Matches played, 38; won, 9; lost, 7; -drawn, 22. Here again, as in 1884, England _v._ Australia was to be -played at Manchester, Lord’s, and the Oval; but it is unnecessary to -give an account of these three matches. It will suffice to say that at -Manchester England won by four wickets, at Lord’s by an innings and 106 -runs, and at the Oval by an innings and 217 runs. - -The sixth Australian team visited us in 1888, and as W. L. Murdoch -had at that time practically retired from first-class cricket, the -captaincy devolved upon that sterling hitter, P. S. McDonnell. This -team, though including some excellent players at all branches of the -game, cannot be considered equal in merit to that of 1882. Three -representative matches were again arranged, as in 1886. The first was -played at Lord’s upon a wicket deluged with rain, and the Australians -won in a small-scoring match by 61 runs. They won on their merits as -the game was played, and the English batsmen on that occasion deserved -to lose. On a most difficult wicket, and against C. T. B. Turner and J. -J. Ferris’s bowling, they poked and scraped about, and seemed utterly -unable to realise what each Australian batsman had done, viz. that to -make runs under such circumstances the bat must be used vigorously. -Though the Australians here scored their second success since 1878 in -England in a representative match, the supporters of England were in -nowise satisfied that the Australians had the better side. Two really -good bowlers their opponents had in Turner and Ferris, but no one -else on their side had any pretensions to being called first-class -in this department of the game. Their batting, taken as a whole, was -weak--McDonnell, of course, was a fine player, but the rest could not -be compared to our best English batsmen. Then their fielding was hardly -up to the standard of previous colonial teams. Altogether the English -side did not fear the result of the next two matches if played under -ordinary conditions of weather and luck. The second match, at the -Oval, resulted in a win for England by an innings and 137 runs, and -the third, played at Manchester, in another win for the same side by -an innings and 21 runs. The feature of the season’s cricket played by -this side was the bowling of C. T. B. Turner and J. J. Ferris. Turner’s -analysis was remarkable--314 wickets for 3,492 runs, giving the -excellent average of 11·38. This bowler is undoubtedly entitled to take -rank amongst the really great bowlers of this generation of cricketers. -J. J. Ferris, though he met with wonderful success this season (1888), -was never in the same class as C. T. B. Turner. - -The next Australian team that came to England was in 1890, and W. -L. Murdoch, after five years’ absence from first-class cricket, -consented to once again act as captain. The result of this trip was -anything but a success from a cricket point of view, and indeed the -team was not competent to cope with England’s best. Six of this team -made their first visit to England, viz. Messrs. Charlton, Gregory, -Walters, Barrett, H. Trumble, and Burn. The batting of this team was -distinctly indifferent, though Murdoch showed on occasions he had not -altogether lost his skill; he was not, however, the Murdoch of 1882. -Messrs. Turner and Ferris again bore the brunt of the attack; they -each took the same number of wickets during the tour, viz. 215. The -former’s average was slightly the better of the two; how, in view -of Ferris’s performances since 1890 in England, he managed to run -Turner so close for the highest bowling honours will always remain a -mystery. The first of the three representative matches England won by -seven wickets at Lord’s. The feature of this match was that, though -the Australians made 132 and 176 and the English team 173 and 137 for -3 wickets, there was not one bye scored to either side in the match. -This is a wonderful testimonial to J. M. Blackham and G. McGregor, the -respective wicket-keepers for Australia and England. The second match -England _v._ Australia was played at the Oval, and a good game resulted -in the defeat of the latter by two wickets; it was a close finish, and -the Australians deserved great credit for so nearly defeating such a -powerful side as represented England on that occasion. The third match, -arranged to be played at Manchester, was never even begun owing to the -incessant rain which deluged the ground on all three days. - -In 1893 the eighth Australian eleven came over, and carried with it -great hopes of their own countrymen. It had some good batsmen--Trott, -Lyons, Bannerman, Giffen, Bruce, Graham, and Gregory, but none of -them except Giffen could then compare with the best English bats, and -Giffen, for some reason, has never done himself justice as a batsman -in any of these trips. The bowlers were Turner, H. Trumble, Giffen, -R. McLeod, Trott, and Bruce. Giffen at times bowled very finely, and -Turner bowled well, but not so successfully as of yore. H. Trumble also -proved himself to be an excellent bowler, but the combination was not -strong enough, especially in a fine season, to win the rubber against -England. Unfortunately only one of the three matches was finished, and -this resulted in a win for England by an innings and 43 runs. - -In 1896 the ninth eleven that visited England, under the leadership of -Trott, proved a good side, far the best that had been over since 1884, -and from this date the efficiency of Australian cricket began to rise, -until at the time of writing (April 1898) it stands as high as it ever -did. Before discussing this eleven it will be well briefly to review -the result of five remarkable test matches played in Australia in the -winter of 1895 and 1896 between Stoddart’s eleven and the Australians. -Stoddart’s eleven was very good, but nobody could say that at that -time it was the best that England could have sent. Grace, Jackson, -Gunn, Storer, and Abel might with advantage have taken the places of -Humphreys, Brockwell, Philipson, Briggs, and Lockwood; but still it was -a good team, and it won three out of the five test matches. - -Under any circumstances this must always remain a great feat, for each -side possess a great advantage when playing in their own country, but -on looking carefully into these five matches as a whole, it must be -confessed that Stoddart must have been greatly helped by the selection -and captaincy of the Colonists. Giffen’s view of his duties of captain -was the very erroneous one that it was essential that he should be -bowling at one end nearly the whole time. In the first match he bowled -118 overs, while Turner and Jones were only allowed to bowl 117 overs -between them. In the second match he magnanimously did not go on in the -first innings on a wet wicket, but made up for it by bowling 23 more -overs than anyone else in the second innings, and in the last match he -bowled while 236 runs were scored off him, and H. Trumble, who was on -all wickets the best bowler in Australia, was only selected to play -in one of the matches. Stoddart’s side, however, batted finely, and -Richardson proved himself at that time to be far the best bowler in the -world. - -When they came to England in 1896 they brought Giffen, but wisely made -Trott captain, and Hill and Darling showed symptoms of developing into -the very high position they now hold, and the whole eleven proved -themselves a difficult side to get out. Gregory, Darling, Hill, -Iredale, Trott, Giffen, and Donnan all scored a thousand runs in the -season, and Trumble, Jones, McKibbin, and Giffen each secured over a -hundred wickets, and H. Trumble on all wickets was not excelled by any -bowler in the two countries. The eleven played a safe game; there was -no McDonnell or Lyons in the side, but they took a lot of getting out, -though, as might be supposed in the case of a side where there was no -hitter, they were weak on soft wickets. - -Such was the situation when the last disastrous visit of Stoddart’s -eleven took place in 1897 and 1898, and though the result of this tour -is very recent history, it is so important and raises such misgivings -for the future that it is well to consider it at some length. - -In the first place no eleven has ever left England with so much of -their countrymen’s confidence as this eleven of Stoddart’s. A great -many thought that it was absolutely the best selection that could have -been made. It is easy to be wise after the event, but even now it is -not at all certain that the bowling could be improved, and this was -the notorious weak spot of the eleven. In another part of this work is -given a possible first eleven of England, but this selection is given, -as far as the bowlers are concerned, with no great confidence, and the -truth must sadly be confessed that unless we mend our bowling ways we -shall very likely be defeated in our own country by the Australians in -1899. Up to the end of the first test match Stoddart’s eleven had a -blaze of triumph in spite of the abnormal heat which knocked up more -than one of our eleven. Stoddart had no doubt the worst of the luck -in losing the toss three times in the first four test matches, but, -unluckily, what many of us dreaded occurred in the last match--he won -the toss and lost the match. MacLaren and Ranjitsinhji batted grandly, -Storer, Hayward, and Druce passably, but the rest proved more or less a -failure, while on Australian wickets against weak English bowling the -batting of Darling and Hill was superb, and that of C. McLeod, Gregory, -Iredale, Trumble, and Trott very good. But our team as a whole were not -strong enough in batting to make up for our bowling weakness, and in a -word the Australians thoroughly outbowled us. - -The Australians in the first test match played the bowlers who had -performed so well in England in 1896, with the addition of C. McLeod, -but in subsequent matches they played Noble and Howell, and these two -bowlers have the knack of variety in their bowling, and this, combined -with the pace of Jones and the admirable steadiness and break of -Trumble, made a combination of bowlers that on good hard wickets has -never been surpassed. It is the future that troubles us; where are our -bowlers? In old days we could get one first-class bowler a year out of -Nottingham alone, but the supply seems to have come to an end; but from -somewhere must come some bowlers of variety of pace, break, and head, -or the old country must be content to take the lower room. But if 1899 -should turn out to be a wet year a very different tale may have to be -told. - -Taking both countries, and excluding the Manchester match in 1890, -abandoned on account of weather, fifty-one test matches have now been -played, of which England has won twenty-six, fourteen in Australia and -twelve at home, Australia nineteen, of which all but three were in -Australia, and six have been drawn. - -The leading averages in batting in all the series, in both countries, -of test matches from 1880 to 1898 inclusive may prove of interest at -this stage, but of course we exclude the players who only played in -comparatively few matches, and we limit the number of innings to a -minimum of twelve. The averages are as follows:-- - - +--------------------+---------+-----------+------------+---------+ - | | No. of | Times not | | | - | Batsmen | Innings | out | Total runs | Average | - +--------------------+---------+-----------+------------+---------+ - |K. S. Ranjitsinhji | 12 | 2 | 692 | 57·8 | - |F. A. Iredale | 18 | 0 | 705 | 39·3 | - |C. Hill | 12 | 0 | 467 | 38·11 | - |A. Shrewsbury | 36 | 4 | 1,277 | 35·17 | - |A. E. Stoddart | 28 | 2 | 996 | 35·16 | - |A. C. MacLaren | 22 | 2 | 769 | 34·16 | - |A. G. Steel | 17 | 3 | 586 | 34·8 | - |W. G. Grace | 32 | 4 | 1,079 | 33·23 | - |W. L. Murdoch | 27 | 3 | 885 | 32·21 | - +--------------------+---------+-----------+------------+---------+ - -Like all tables of averages the above is misleading. Players like -Grace, Murdoch, and Shrewsbury played in the days when runs were not -so easily got, and their performances may rank on a par with those of -MacLaren, Ranjitsinhji, and Hill, and, of course, there have been many -innings played against equally good bowling, but not in matches of -England _v_ Australia. No innings of greater merit has, however, been -played than Murdoch’s innings of 153 not out against England at the -Oval in 1880. - -[Illustration: THE CRITICS] - -With regard to the merits of the English and Australian bowlers, we -think there are few English cricketers who would deny that Spofforth -is the best bowler ever seen on English grounds, at any rate in modern -times, and yet the statistics show that he is not at the head of the -average list. - -The following is the list of the first twelve bowlers:-- - - +--------------+-------+------+---------+---------+ - | | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Average | - +--------------+-------+------+---------+---------+ - |Lohmann | 2,861 | 875| 61 | 14 | - |Peel | 4,891 | 1,715| 101 | 16 | - |Turner | 4,423 | 1,510| 84 | 17 | - |Spofforth | 4,137 | 1,714| 93 | 18 | - |Boyle | 1,620 | 598| 30 | 19 | - |Briggs | 3,403 | 1,569| 76 | 20 | - |Hearne | 1,732 | 761| 35 | 20 | - |Palmer | 4,463 | 1,678| 78 | 21 | - |Richardson | 4,017 | 2,221| 88 | 25 | - |Giffen | 5,962 | 2,793| 103 | 26 | - |Trumble | 2,723 | 1,213| 47 | 26 | - |Jones | 1,537 | 850| 29 | 29 | - +--------------+-------+------+---------+---------+ - -Spofforth, although fourth only in the above table, was on the whole -the greatest bowler, for many of his great feats were performed in -other almost as important matches, and it must also be remembered -that he never bowled for maidens; but the figures of Peel, who in -test matches has bowled more balls than anybody, come up remarkably -well, and considering the number of balls he bowled his record is an -extraordinary one. - -In addition to Spofforth, the Australians have had a wonderfully good -lot of bowlers: Palmer, Garrett, Boyle, Allan, Evans, G. Giffen, and -since 1886--when this chapter was first written--Turner, Ferris, and -H. Trumble, and, as far as can be gathered from the disastrous tour of -Mr. Stoddart’s eleven in 1897–8, Noble, Howell, and Jones. Although the -previous remarks about Spofforth were written before Turner made such -a wonderful record on our English grounds, we still think Spofforth -the best of all the bowlers. It appears extraordinary at first sight -that a country whose whole population does not exceed that of London -should in the course of a few years have been able to develop such -exceptional talent. We believe, however, that Australia will always -possess excellent bowlers, for the following reason. In Melbourne, -Sydney, and Adelaide, the chief nurseries of Australian cricket, the -grounds are so excellent, and usually so hard and fast, that no bowler -can possibly expect the slightest amount of success unless he possesses -some peculiarity of style or action, pace or power, over the ball; mere -pace and accuracy are of no avail. On the hardest and best wickets it -must be laid down as an axiom that bowlers with change of pace and turn -must form the bowling backbone of the future best eleven, and these -qualities the young Australian cultivates with greater success than the -English. In England the conditions are different, as, by reason of our -variable climate, naturally weak bowling often becomes most effective. -Young Australian bowlers have also ample opportunity for gaining -experience and developing their skill, as there is in the colonies a -very great dearth of the professional element. Members of the same club -have to rely for their batting practice on the bowling of one another, -and their bowlers come to acquire some of the peculiarities above -mentioned that will strike terror into the hearts of their opponents in -the next tie of the cup contests. These cup contests in Australia are -an excellent institution, as professionalism is barred. They produce -the greatest interest and excitement, and each club does its utmost -to secure the much-coveted distinction of being premier club for the -season. The Australian climate is a great aid to bowling and fielding. -Its warmth and mildness prevent the rheumatic affections that so often -attack the arms and shoulders of our players, and the Australians -consequently retain their suppleness of limb and activity of youth -longer than their English cousins. Nothing illustrates this better -than the prevalence of good throwing amongst Australian fieldsmen. The -every-day sight on our own grounds of a man who has thrown his arm -out and can do nothing but jerk is almost unknown in Australia; even -colonials who have passed their cricket prime and have reached the age -of thirty-eight or forty can still throw with much the same dash as of -old. In our county teams we find a woeful deficiency in this essential -to good fielding; the cold and damp of our northern climate having -penetrated into the bones and created a chronic and incurable stiffness. - -One occasionally hears a really good cricket story in Australia. The -following was vouched for as a fact by several leading members of -Australian cricket, and was told me as illustrative of the skill and -dash of some great fieldsman whom I have never had the good fortune to -meet. This man was standing coverpoint one day--his usual place in the -field. He was marvellously quick, sometimes indeed his returns were so -smart that none could tell whether he had used his right or left arm. -He was, however, apt at times to be sleepy and inattentive to the game. -On one occasion he was in this state, and just as the bowler started -to bowl he noticed his sleepy coverpoint standing looking on the -ground with his back to the wickets. ‘Hulloa, there, wake up!’ shouted -he. Quick as lightning turned the coverpoint, and seeing something -dark dashing past him made a dart, and caught, not the ball as he had -thought, but a swallow. Talk of Royle or Briggs after that! - -Writing at the close of Mr. Stoddart’s disastrous tour, it must be -said that if the Australians bring over a representative team in 1899 -it will be looked forward to with the keenest interest. The 1896 lot -did very well, and it remains to be seen whether in 1899, in matches -limited to three days and on English wickets, our visitors can pull -off the rubber in the three test matches. If they do they will receive -the hearty congratulations of every true English cricketer; and at the -present time of writing it looks as if they had a great chance of so -doing, but if they are wise they will try and unearth another batsman -of the stamp of McDonnell or Lyons. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE UNIVERSITY CRICKET MATCH. - -(BY THE HON. R. H. LYTTELTON.) - - -If to play drawn matches be a constant reproach against certain -elevens, neither University eleven can be blamed on this score. -Sixty-three matches have been begun between these old rivals, and no -fewer than sixty have been finished. Of the three drawn matches, one, -the first ever played, was confined to one day only; the second was -so long ago as 1844, and that was confined to two days; whilst the -third, in 1888, was played in such unfavourable weather that not even -four days sufficed to finish the match. All the rest have been fought -out to the end, and of the sixty completed matches Cambridge has won -thirty-two times and Oxford twenty-eight; thus Cambridge has a proud -balance of four in its favour. All the matches except five have been -played at Lord’s; the remaining five were played at Oxford, three -on the Magdalen ground, one on Cowley Marsh, and one on Bullingdon -Green. The dark blues appear to have been slightly favoured in this -respect--for presumably they knew their way about Oxford grounds better -than their rivals--and out of the five matches played at Oxford, -Cambridge only succeeded in winning one. The rules of qualification -to play in this match are now strict only in one particular, and -that is that nobody is allowed to play more than four times. Several -players have played five matches, and their names are: C. H. Ridding, -A. Ridding, C. D. Marsham, and R. D. Walker, all Oxford men. The fact -that some players play on a side for five years may constitute a slight -reason for causing the side they assist to lose matches and not win -them; but during the last three years that Mr. R. D. Walker helped his -University he also helped the Gentlemen of England in their annual -matches against the Players both at Lord’s and at the Oval; and C. D. -Marsham was certainly not excelled by any gentleman bowler for accuracy -and general efficiency during all the years he played for Oxford. -Oxford were strong all the five years he played, and won four out of -the five matches; the other match resulted in a victory for Cambridge, -mainly owing to the performances, both in batting and bowling, of the -famous Mr. J. Makinson. Not since 1865, however, when Mr. R. D. Walker -last played for Oxford, has any cricketer played more than four times, -and since that time the rule has been well established, limiting the -period to four years. But there is considerable elasticity allowed in -permitting players to represent their University within those four -years. A residence for a week is apparently sufficient, provided that -the man’s name is kept on the books of some College or Hall. Mr. -O’Brien, who represented Oxford in 1884 and 1885, resided for one -summer at New Inn Hall and never went near his University again, but -if he had chosen and had been selected he might have played for the -full term of four years. Mr. Leslie, after residing at Oxford for one -year, went into business in London, but played three years for Oxford, -and till his last year performed yeoman’s service. In 1856, Makinson’s -year, Mr. T. W. Wills, with the concurrence and sanction of Oxford, -played for Cambridge without ever having resided at Cambridge for one -single day, though his name was entered on the College books. However, -his part in the match consisted of getting five runs in one innings and -bowling nine overs for one wicket. It appears very clear, then, that -Oxford have profited by having five matches played on their own ground -and making use, for five years, of Mr. C. D. Marsham, the best bowler -they ever possessed, to say nothing of Mr. R. D. Walker. - -Of course the characteristics of University cricket have changed very -much, following the example of cricket generally. About the first match -of all the late Bishop of St. Andrews (Bishop Wordsworth), who played -in it, very kindly wrote the following note:-- - - THE FIRST INTER-UNIVERSITY CRICKET MATCH.--1827. - - In the newly published Life of my younger brother Christopher, the - late Bishop of Lincoln, the following words are to be found, quoted - from his private journal:--‘Friday’ (no date--but early in June, - 1826). ‘Heard from Charles. He wishes that Oxford and Cambridge should - play a match at cricket’ (p. 46). And as I have been asked to put - upon paper what I can remember concerning the first Inter-University - Cricket Match, with a view to its insertion in the present volume, - I venture to take those words for my text. Yes; I was then in my - Freshman’s year at Christ Church, and both my brother and I--he - at Winchester, and I at Harrow--had been in our respective school - elevens. But more than this, as captain of the Harrow Eleven I had - enjoyed what was then a novel experience in carrying on correspondence - with brother captains at other public schools--Eton, Winchester, Rugby - and even Charter House; and I well remember how the last amused us at - Harrow, by the pompous and, as we presumed to think, bumptious style - of his letter, proposing ‘to determine the superiority at cricket - which has been so long undecided.’ Having played against Eton for four - years, from the first match in 1822 to 1825, and in the first match - against Winchester in the last-named year, I had a large acquaintance - among cricketers who had gone off from those schools and from Harrow - to both Universities. My brother, as I have said, was one of these, - but though successful in the Wykehamist Eleven at Lord’s in 1825 - (when he got 35 runs in his second innings, and ‘caught’ our friend - Henry Manning--the future cardinal--of which he was wont to boast in - after years), he did not keep up his cricket at Cambridge, whereas I - continued to keep up mine at Oxford and was in the University Eleven - during the whole time of my undergraduate course. Nothing came of - my ‘wish’ to bring about a match between the Universities in 1826. - But in 1827 the proposal was carried into effect. Though an Oxford - man, my home was at Cambridge, my father being Master of Trinity; - and this gave me opportunities for communicating with men of that - University, many of whom remained up for the vacations, or for part of - the vacations, especially at Easter. I remember calling upon Barnard - of King’s, who had been captain of an Eton Eleven against whom I had - played, and who was now one of the foremost Cambridge cricketers, and - he gave me reason to fear that no King’s man would be able to play at - the time proposed (early in June), though that time would be within - the Cambridge vacation and not within ours, because their men, at - King’s, were kept up longer than at the other Colleges. And this, I - believe, proved actually the case; and if so, some allowance should - be made for it. But the fact is, there were similar difficulties on - both sides, and I am not sure they were not as great or greater upon - ours. In those ante-railway days it was necessary to get permission - from the College authorities to go up to London in term time, and - the permission was not readily granted. To take my own case:--My - conscience still rather smites me when I remember that in order to - gain my end, I had to present myself to the Dean and tell him that I - wished to be allowed to go to London--not to play a game of cricket - (that would not have been listened to)--but to consult a dentist; a - piece of Jesuitry which was _understood_, I believe, equally well on - both sides; at all events my tutor, Longley--afterwards Archbishop of - Canterbury--was privy to it. - - Thus, though not without difficulties, the match came on, but - unhappily, the weather presenting a fresh difficulty, it did not fully - go off. We could only play a single innings; with the result which the - score shows. The precise day in June on which it was played has been - disputed. One report gives the 4th; another states that ‘the match - did not take place on the 4th as intended, but was deferred for a few - days.’ I can only say that I do not remember any postponement, as I - think I should do had such been the case; and what is more, ‘a few - days’ later would have brought it within our vacation, and so would - have rendered my piece of Jesuitism unnecessary. The players on the - Cambridge side were mostly Etonians, though there was, I think, no - King’s man among them; and on the Oxford side, mostly Wykehamists. We - scored 258 runs to our opponents’ 92, but it cannot be said we were a - strong eleven. The bowling was divided between Bayley and me; and the - state of the ground being in my favour, I was singularly successful - with my left-hand twist from the off, bringing down no less than seven - wickets in the one innings for only 25 runs. Jenner, famous as a - wicket-keeper, and well known afterwards as Sir Herbert Jenner Fust, - was the only batsman who made any stand against it. He had learnt by - painful experience how to deal with it. We had been antagonists in - the Eton and Harrow match of 1822; and I can well remember even now, - though it is 66 years ago, his look of ineffable disgust and dismay - when I had pitched a ball some four or five inches wide to the off, - and he had shouldered his bat meaning to punish it as it rose by a - smart cut to point, the tortuous creature shot in obliquely and took - his middle stump, when he had only got two runs. Precisely the same - happened again in his second innings, only then he got no runs at all. - Again in Eton v. Harrow 1823 I had bowled him at 7. And yet he was - considered the best bat on the Eton side next to Barnard. He now made - 47 runs, while no one else on the Cambridge side scored more than 8. - He was also successful as a bowler, taking five wickets, mine included - (against which he had a very strong claim), though I do not remember - that he had much reputation in that line; and certainly upon the whole - the Cambridge bowling must have been very indifferent to allow some of - our men to run up the scores which stand to their names. - - Though often successful as a bowler (left-handed, under-hand), batting - (right-handed) was, if I may be bold to say so, my _forte_. In 1828, - the next year after this match, my average, upwards of 40, was higher - than that of any other in the Oxford eleven. I mention this with the - less compunction because in the second Inter-University match my name - appears without a run in either innings, and I wish to state how - the failure is to be accounted for. In that year, 1829, the first - Inter-University boatrace took place at Henley, and I was one of - the eight. As boating and cricket were then carried on in the same - (summer) term, and the race and the match were both to come off in the - same week, I wished to resign my place in the eleven. But this was not - allowed. I had therefore no alternative but to make my appearance and - do my best, though I had not played once before during the season, and - though I was suffering from the effects of my rowing in a way which - made it almost impossible for me to hold a bat. However, though I got - no runs, I was so far of use that I bowled two, and caught two of our - opponents; and we won the match, not quite so triumphantly as in 1827 - (if a ‘drawn’ match can be so described), but quite easily enough, as - we had won the boatrace quite ‘easily’ two days before, Wednesday, - June 10th. - - Of the players in the two elevens, who contended at Lord’s more than - 60 years ago, five--if not six--I believe, are still living. Who shall - say how much the lengthening of their days beyond the ordinary span of - our existence here is to be attributed to ‘Cricket’s manly toil’? - - I have now done the best I could to comply with the request made to - me as an old cricketer, and if I have been garrulous, and if I have - been egotistical, I can fairly plead, that this is no more than was - to be expected when an ultra-octogenarian was applied to for his - reminiscences. - - CHARLES WORDSWORTH. - - ST. ANDREWS: _May 16, 1888_. - -In the match of 1827, Oxford, strange to relate, got a total of 258 -runs, and exactly realised 200 runs in the third match in 1836, while -Cambridge got 287 runs in the fifth match in 1839; but from 1839 to -1851, when Cambridge scored 266 runs, there was no innings played by -either side which resulted in 200 runs, and this notwithstanding the -gigantic number of extras that were sometimes given. Cambridge in -1841 won by 8 runs, but scored in the two innings 56 by extras. In -1842 Cambridge again won by 162 runs, and scored 81 by extras; while -Oxford in 1843 gained 65 by extras, losing the match, however, by 54 -runs. After 1851 scores of 200 runs and over became more frequent, and -still extras formed a formidable item in the various totals. Cambridge -gave 34 extras out of a total of 273 in 1852, or 1 run in every 8; and -Oxford in the same year gave Cambridge 40 extras out of a total of 196, -or an average of a little under 1 in every 5. We have made a careful -comparison showing the different totals and the percentage of extras, -and have found the following remarkable fact: in the first twenty-six -matches the total of runs scored came to 11,192, the number of extras -amounted to 1,767, making the percentage of extras to runs amount to a -little over 1 to 6. In the thirty-four succeeding matches 21,364 runs -were scored and 1351 extras, reducing the proportion to 1 to 15. In -other words, for the first twenty-six matches extras constituted 16 per -cent. of the total amount scored, while during the thirty succeeding -years they only amount to 6 per cent. - -As might be expected, the weak point in University cricket is the -bowling, and the tendency of modern Inter-University matches is an -undue largeness of scores, though when the improved condition of the -wickets is taken into account, there exists some ground for hoping -that University bowling is better than it was ten years ago. But when -the fact is considered that young amateurs in the prime of life play -every year on frequently perfect wickets, it is rather surprising that -the scoring is not even larger. That it is not so is chiefly owing -to nerve, that grand disturbing element in all cricket calculations. -It is far the most important contest of the year for all the players -concerned, and if you were to ask any University cricketer which match -or matches he felt most was hoped of him he would certainly quote the -Inter-University matches he took part in. It is a match, therefore, -famous for wrecking the reputation of batsmen. Still one may be allowed -to hope that amateur bowling may improve, as amateur wicket-keeping has -done. Since 1880 Cambridge has had as real good bowlers Messrs. Steel, -Studd, Rock, Woods, Jackson, and for one year Mr. Wells, while Oxford, -in our judgment, has during the same period turned out only three -really good bowlers, Messrs. Evans, Berkeley, and Cunliffe, and for one -year Bardswell. - -These ten good bowlers may be compared with the greatest in former -days--Messrs. C. D. Marsham, Traill, Maitland, Fellowes, Kenney, and -Butler of Oxford, and Lang, Salter, Plowden, Pelham, and Powys of -Cambridge, who were all fast except Maitland, Pelham, and Plowden; -while only three of the later lot of ten, Messrs. Woods, Evans, and -Jackson, were fast, the other seven being slow or medium. - -No fewer than eighty-three men have played four matches; and it is -curious to notice that out of these eighty-three there are only one -Oxford man and three Cambridge men who have played in four winning -elevens. The three Cambridge men are Messrs. T. A. Anson, W. Mills, and -W. de St. Croix; and the one Oxford man is Mr. S. C. Voules. Mr. Voules -played in the four winning elevens of 1863, ’64, ’65, and ’66, Messrs. -T. A. Anson and W. de St. Croix played in the four winning elevens of -1839, ’40, ’41, and ’42, and Mr. W. Mills played in 1840, ’41, ’42, -and ’43. Two unfortunate Cambridge men had the bad luck to play four -losing matches--namely, Messrs. R. D. Balfour and G. H. Tuck, in the -years 1863, ’64, ’65, and ’66. So far no Oxford man has had this fate. -Cambridge once won five consecutive matches, and on two occasions they -have won four, while Oxford has twice won four consecutive matches. As -may be expected, the runs scored by the more recent batsmen altogether -exceed the earlier players’ efforts. Up to 1870, when Mr. Yardley made -the first hundred, Mr. Bullock’s 78 for Oxford, obtained in 1858, was -the highest individual score, and the highest individual aggregates in -any one match are 92 in 1849 by Mr. R. T. King, 95 by Mr. Makinson in -1856, 90 by Mr. Mitchell in 1862, 92 by the same gentleman in 1865, -and 103 by Mr. C. E. Green in 1868. One of Mr. King’s innings was not -completed. So Mr. Yardley in 1870 beat the record of any two aggregates -by his one innings, except Mr. Green’s innings in 1868. Since 1870 the -individual scores of 100 have come fast and furious, and altogether -twenty hundreds have been played, nine by Cambridge to eleven by -Oxford. Mr. Yardley is still in the proud position of being the only -batsman who has twice got into three figures, and nobody who saw either -of his great performances will ever forget it. Unless, however, there -is a change for the better in bowling or an alteration in the laws, -it is certain that hundreds will come with comparative frequency, and -we cannot help pining for a return to the old state of things when -200 was reckoned a very large total. The highest aggregate in any one -match is Mr. Jardine’s 179 in 1892, and the highest individual score is -Mr. Key’s 143 in 1886. No performances are, however, entitled to more -credit than Mr. Makinson’s aggregate of 95 in 1856, and Mr. Mitchell’s -90 in 1862, and the fewer long scores made in former days made a far -larger proportion of the total runs obtained by the whole side. Mr. -Makinson’s runs in 1855 were obtained against perhaps the best bowling -eleven that Oxford ever possessed, containing Messrs. C. D. Marsham, A. -Payne, W. Fellowes, and W. Fiennes, while Mr. Mitchell’s score in 1862 -was not much less than half of the total score of his side. Against -him are to be found the names of Plowden, Lang, Salter, and Lyttelton, -and never in any match, except in the previous year when they had the -same quartet, has Cambridge been so strong in bowling as they were in -1862. The highest average has been secured by Mr. Key of Oxford, and -this amounts to no less than 49. Close behind him comes Mr. Wright of -Cambridge, with an average of 48·4; then Mr. Mitchell with 42·4, and -Mr. Yardley with 39·5. Mr. Mitchell’s average is remarkable, as his -highest score was 57, though he was once not out. Mr. Wright was twice -not out, Mr. Key and Mr. Mitchell once each; Mr. Yardley, however, was -always got out in the end. In estimating these averages we are only -reckoning the players who represented their University for four years. - -The earlier bowlers, as far as wickets are a guide, carry all before -them. Not until the twentieth match, played in 1854--Mr. C. D. -Marsham’s first year--was any analysis kept. To judge, however, by -the standard of wickets, Mr. G. E. Yonge of Oxford, who in four years -obtained thirty-nine wickets, Mr. E. W. Blore and Mr. Sayres, both of -Cambridge, who in the same time got thirty-two, are entitled to the -highest place. - -Naturally enough, as Mr. Marsham played five years and was also the -best bowler on the whole that Oxford ever turned out, most wickets -fell to his share. He got forty wickets at a cost of 361 runs--that -is to say, of only 9 runs a wicket--a great performance under any -circumstances. Two wides only were scored against Mr. Marsham, and -there is no record of a ‘no ball.’ He bowled a strictly orthodox -round-arm of fast medium pace, and generally round the wicket. - -Mr. E. M. Kenney was a very fast and dangerous left-hand bowler, most -terrifying to a nervous batsman, for he delivered that unpleasant sort -of ball which pursues the batsman, and is apt, to adopt a pugilistic -metaphor, to get in heavily on the ribs. During the three years that -Mr. Makinson played for Cambridge he took twenty-one wickets at a cost -of 194 runs, or just 9 runs a wicket; and when it is remembered that he -was also distinctly the best bat in the two elevens each of the three -years he played, it may be safely assumed that, as an all-round man, -he has never had a superior, with the exception of Mr. A. G. Steel. -At the same time it must be admitted that in bowling he was quite as -successful against Oxford as his merits justified. - -The famous Cambridge fast bowler, Mr. R. Lang, played three years, -and got fifteen wickets at a cost of only 84 runs, or a fraction over -5 runs per wicket--an analysis that has never been surpassed, and -deserves to be quoted as an example for young players to emulate. In -1860 he bowled in the two innings twenty-one overs for 19 runs and -six wickets. In 1861 he lost his pace owing to an injured arm and was -unsuccessful, bowling twenty-six overs for 30 runs and no wicket. In -1862, in the two innings, he bowled twenty-nine overs for 35 runs and -nine wickets; and, to take the first innings alone, we find he bowled -only thirty-four balls for 4 runs and five wickets all clean bowled. -Considering his pace he was very straight, and only bowled 6 wides -in all three matches. H. W. Salter of Cambridge played two years, -and obtained fourteen wickets for 74 runs, or a fraction over 5 runs -a wicket, another extraordinary performance. Mr. H. M Plowden, who -played four years from 1860, lowered nineteen wickets for 153 runs, -or an average of 8 runs a wicket. In no previous or subsequent years -has either University been so amply provided with bowling strength as -was Cambridge during these three years, as, besides Salter, Lang, and -Plowden, in 1860 she had Messrs. E. B. Fawcett and D. R. Onslow, and in -1861 and ’62 the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, who bowled for the Gentlemen. - -The greatest bowling feat in the whole history of University cricket -belongs to Mr. S. E. Butler, of Eton and Oxford renown, and took place -in 1871. Cambridge had some good bats in her eleven--Messrs. Money, -Tobin, Fryer, Scott, Yardley and Thornton, a rough and ready hitter in -the person of Mr. Cobden, and a fair batsman in Mr. Stedman. But Mr. -Butler found an old-fashioned Lord’s wicket, and he bowled a terrific -pace and got on a spot which shot and made his balls break considerably -down the hill. He got the whole ten wickets in one innings, and in -the match he lowered fifteen wickets for 95 runs. His bowling was -unplayable on the first day; eight of the ten wickets in the first -innings were clean bowled, and twelve out of the whole fifteen. - -Mr. Woods, who played for Cambridge for the four years ending 1891, -bowled 184 overs for 318 runs and thirty-six wickets, an average of -five wickets per innings at 8 runs per wicket, a great record for these -days--a feat great enough to entitle him to an honorary degree in the -opinion of the Master of Peterhouse. - -Mr. Berkeley had during his four years an uphill task, as he was -in three losing elevens, and that means a heavy handicap, as every -cricketer knows. But considering that he was the only real bowler on -his side during all the four years he played, his record of 196 overs -for 341 runs and twenty-seven wickets, and 12 runs per wicket, is very -good, and such a bowler deserved a better fate than to play in three -defeats out of four matches. - -It will interest and comfort young cricketers to remind them how many -great batsmen have failed in these matches. We feel sure that these -latter will excuse us for pointing out their shortcomings; for they -will know that we do so only to sustain their weaker brethren and -illustrate the glorious uncertainty of the game. The late Mr. John -Walker, who for several years represented the Gentlemen, got 19 runs in -six innings, or a proud average of 3. His younger brother, Mr. R. D. -Walker, the silver-haired veteran of five Inter-University contests, -gallantly led off with an innings of 42; but the result of his five -years’ batting against Cambridge was 84 runs in ten innings, his first -innings in fact amounting to one-half of the total runs he scored in -five years. Yet he played for the Gentlemen in 1863, 1864, and 1865, -and these were the last three years he played for Oxford. M. A. W. -Ridley played for four years, and his runs for seven innings came to a -total of 61, or an average of 10 runs per innings, as once he carried -his bat. The present Lord Cobham, who played for the Gentlemen of -England his first year at Cambridge, batted exactly on a par with Mr. -Ridley, as he also made 61 runs in six innings, and was once not out. -Cambridge men of his date will tell you that on Fenner’s nobody was -ever more dangerous, and his scores for those days were enormous. Mr. -C. G. Lane--of whom the poet wrote: - - You may join with me in wishing that the Oval once again - May resound with hearty plaudits to the praise of Mr. Lane-- - -played seven innings for a total of 35 runs. Take courage, then, young -cricketer, and know that if you fail, you fail in good company. - -Most extraordinary have been the vicissitudes of fortune in several of -these matches. Oxford in 1871 had a fine eleven, which easily defeated -Cambridge by eight wickets; and in 1872 they played no fewer than -eight of their old eleven. Cambridge played seven, and the four new -men were the famous pair of young Etonians, Messrs. Longman and Tabor, -the Harrovian, Mr. Baily, and the Wykehamist, Mr. Raynor. The odds on -Oxford at the start were about 2 to 1. Yet Cambridge on winning the -toss put together the largest total yet realised by either side in any -one innings, namely 388 runs. The two Etonian freshmen were on the -whole entitled to the chief honours on this occasion, as for the first -time they made over 100 runs before the fall of a wicket. Mr. Longman -was badly run out by Mr. Yardley after batting for about two and a -half hours, or else another 100 runs might have been put on. When the -Oxford eleven went in to bat, not one of them could look at Mr. Powys, -the fastest bowler of the day, except Messrs. Ottaway and Tylecote, who -both played remarkably well in the second innings. Mr. Powys secured -thirteen wickets at a cost of 75 runs, or a trifle under 6 runs a -wicket. - -Everybody has heard of the 2-run success of Cambridge in 1870, and -the 6-run victory of Oxford in 1875. The difference between the two -matches consisted in the fact that in 1870 not till the last wicket -was actually bowled down did it appear possible for Oxford to lose; -in 1875 the issue was quite doubtful till Mr. A. F. Smith made that -fatal stroke to a plain lob. Cambridge in 1870 were on the whole -the favourites; not that there was much to choose between the two -elevens, but because they had won the three previous years. In batting, -Cambridge had Messrs. Dale, Money, and Yardley; and Oxford, Messrs. -Ottaway, Pauncefote, and Tylecote--quite a case of six of one and half -a dozen of the other, though Yardley was far the most dangerous man. -In bowling Oxford were handicapped by Mr. Butler’s strained arm, which -prevented him from bowling more than a few overs; but they possessed -Messrs. Belcher and Francis, two good fast bowlers. Cambridge had -Cobden for a fast bowler, Harrison Ward for a medium pace, and Bourne -for slow round. So while Mr. Francis was some way the best fast bowler -of the two elevens, Oxford were deficient in variety, while Cambridge -possessed all paces and also Mr. Money’s lobs. Cambridge won the toss -and put together 147 runs, the good bats all failing, and only Mr. -Scott doing credit to himself by an innings of 45. Oxford scored more -equally, though neither Ottaway nor Pauncefote contributed more than -modest double figures; the total, nevertheless, came to 175, or a -majority of 28. The next hour’s play apparently saw Cambridge utterly -routed. Mr. Dale stopped all that time, but nobody stopped with him. -The total at the fall of the fifth wicket was 40, or only 12 on. ‘We -are going to win a match at last!’ said one of the Oxonians to another -who had been educated at Rugby. ‘Wait a bit,’ said the Rugbeian, who -turned his head and saw Yardley advancing to the wicket; ‘I have -seen this man get 100 before now.’ The companion of the last speaker -possibly had not seen Yardley perform this feat, but he had not long -to wait. There are several batsmen whose play baffles criticism, and -Yardley was one of them. He certainly played some balls in a manner -that purists found fault with, but good judges of the game could see -that there was genius in his method; and genius, as we all know, rises -above canons and criticism. If Mr. Yardley had not touched a bat for -six months, still he might walk to the wickets and play a magnificent -innings; for genius requires little or no practice. Those familiar with -his play knew that they might look out for squalls if he was allowed -to get set. Mr. Dale was at the other end, playing every ball with a -perfectly straight bat and in the most correct style. In the minds of -both of them it was a crisis; for each knew that unless they put on a -lot of runs the match was lost, as five of their side were out. One -mistake and Cambridge would have to retire beaten. But no mistake was -made. Yardley got set; the bowling was fast and so was the ground, and -the former was hit into a complete knot. There seemed to be no prospect -of getting either of them out, when Mr. Yardley sent a ball hard back -to the bowler, who made a fine catch off a fine hit, and the Cambridge -man retired with the first Inter-University 100. Mr. Dale made a leg -hit, and was splendidly caught by Mr. Ottaway with one hand over the -ropes. - -In a short time the innings was over, and Oxford had to face a total -of 179 to win the match. In these days on a hard wicket this is -regarded as a comparatively easy feat; but runs were not so easy to -accumulate eighteen years ago, and the betting was now even, Cambridge -for choice. One Oxford wicket was soon got, and then a long stand was -made by Messrs. Fortescue and Ottaway, both of whom played excellent -cricket. The total was brought up to 72 for only one wicket, the -betting veered round to 2 to 1 on Oxford, and Mr. Ward was put on to -bowl. This change was the turning point of the game. Mr. Fortescue -was soon bowled, so was Mr. Pauncefote, and with the total at 86 the -betting was again evens, Oxford for choice. Mr. Ward had found his -spot and was bowling with deadly precision when Mr. Tylecote came in. -Both Ottaway and Tylecote now batted cautiously and well, and Mr. Ward -went off for a time. Mr. Tylecote was a very good bat, but compared -to Ottaway only mortal; how on earth Ottaway was to be got out was a -problem that seemed well-nigh insoluble. The total went up to 153, or -only 26 runs to win and seven wickets to go down; the betting 6 to 1 on -Oxford. A yell was heard, and Mr. Tylecote was bowled by Mr. Ward, and -Mr. Townshend came in. - -Mr. Ward, from the pavilion end, was at this stage bowling to Ottaway, -who made a characteristic hit, low and not hard, to short-leg. Mr. -Fryer was not a good field, and Cambridge generally were fielding -badly, but he rose to the occasion and made a good catch close to the -ground, so close that Ottaway appealed, but in vain, and the score -stood at 160 for 5 wickets down--19 runs wanted to win. Mr. Hill now -came in, and began to play a free, confident game at once. A bye was -run and a sharp run was made by Townshend by a hit to third man, -but Townshend was then caught off Ward, and Francis came in, and -after making a single was l.b.w. to the same bowler. During Hill’s -partnership with Townshend and Francis he knocked up 11 runs by good -bustling play, and he now stood at the nursery end to receive the last -ball of an over from Ward, 5 runs being wanted to win, and Butler -in the other end. Hill hit the ball fairly hard to sharp short-leg, -and Bourne measured his length on the ground, stopped the ball, and -converted the hit from a fourer to a single. Hill got to the other end, -an over was called and the ball tossed to Cobden, who was faced by -Hill, 4 runs being wanted to win and 3 to tie. - -We say with confidence that never can one over bowled by any bowler -at any future time surpass the over that Cobden was about to deliver -then, and it deserves a minute description. Cobden took a long run and -bowled very fast, and was for his pace a straight bowler. But he bowled -with little or no break, had not got a puzzling delivery, and though -effective against inferior bats, would never have succeeded in bowling -out a man like Mr. Ottaway if he had sent a thousand balls to him. -However, on the present occasion Ottaway was out, those he had to bowl -to were not first-rate batsmen, and Cobden could bowl a good yorker. - -You might almost have heard a pin drop as Cobden began his run and -the ball whizzed from his hand. Mr. Hill played the ball slowly to -cover-point, and rather a sharp run was made. As the match stood, -Oxford wanted 2 to tie and 3 to win, and three wickets to go down: Mr. -Butler to receive the ball. The second ball that Cobden bowled was -very similar to the first, straight and well up on the off stump. Mr. -Butler did what anybody else except Louis Hall or Shrewsbury would -have done, namely, let drive vigorously. Unfortunately he did not keep -the ball down, and it went straight and hard a catch to Mr. Bourne, -to whom everlasting credit is due, for he held it, and away went Mr. -Butler--amidst Cambridge shouts this time. The position was getting -serious, for neither Mr. Stewart nor Mr. Belcher was renowned as a -batsman. Rather pale, but with a jaunty air that cricketers are well -aware frequently conceals a sickly feeling of nervousness, Mr. Belcher -walked to the wicket and took his guard. He felt that if only he could -stop one ball and be bowled out the next, still Mr. Hill would get -another chance of a knock and the match would probably be won. Cobden -had bowled two balls, and two more wickets had to be got; if therefore -a wicket was got each ball the match would be won by Cambridge, and Mr. -Hill would have no further opportunity of distinguishing himself. In a -dead silence Cobden again took the ball and bowled a fast ball well up -on the batsman’s legs. A vision of the winning hit flashed across Mr. -Belcher’s brain, and he raised his bat preparatory to performing great -things, hit at the ball and missed it, and he was bowled off his legs. -There was still one more ball wanted to complete the over, and Mr. -Belcher, a sad man, walked away amid an uproarious storm of cheers. - -Matters were becoming distinctly grave, and very irritating must -it have been to Mr. Hill, who was like a billiard-player watching -his rival in the middle of a big break; he could say a good deal and -think a lot, but he could do nothing. Mr. Stewart, _spes ultima_ of -Oxford, with feelings that are utterly impossible to describe, padded -and gloved, nervously took off his coat in the pavilion. If ever a man -deserved pity, Mr. Stewart deserved it on that occasion. He did not -profess to be a good bat, and his friends did not claim so much for -him; he was an excellent wicket-keeper, but he had to go in at a crisis -that the best bat in England would not like to face. Mr. Pauncefote, -the Oxford captain, was seen addressing a few words of earnest -exhortation to him, and with a rather sick feeling Mr. Stewart went -to the wicket. Mr. Hill looked at him cheerfully, but very earnestly -did Mr. Stewart wish the next ball well over. He took his guard and -held his hands low on the bat handle, which was fixed fast as a tree -on the block-hole; for Mr. Pauncefote had earnestly entreated Mr. -Stewart to put the bat straight in the block-hole and keep it there -without moving it. This was not by any means bad advice, for the bat -covers a great deal of the wicket, and though it is a piece of counsel -not likely to be offered to W. G. Grace or Stoddart, it might not -have been inexpedient to offer it to Mr. Stewart. Here, then, was the -situation--Mr. Stewart standing manfully up to the wicket, Mr. Cobden -beginning his run, and a perfectly dead silence in the crowd. Whiz went -the ball; but alas!--as many other people, cricketers and politicians -alike, have done--the good advice is neglected, and Stewart, instead of -following his captain’s exhortation to keep his bat still and upright -in the block-hole, just lifted it: fly went the bails, and Cambridge -had won the match by two runs! The situation was bewildering. Nobody -could quite realise what had happened for a second or so, but then---- -Up went Mr. Absalom’s hat, down the pavilion steps with miraculous -rapidity flew the Rev. A. R. Ward, and smash went Mr. Charles Marsham’s -umbrella against the pavilion brickwork.[35] - -One word more about this never-to-be-forgotten match. The unique -performance of Cobden has unduly cast in the shade Mr. Ward’s -performance in the second innings. It was a good wicket, and Oxford -had certainly on the whole a good batting eleven. Yet Mr. Ward bowled -thirty-two overs for 29 runs and got six wickets, and of those six -wickets five were certainly the best batsmen on the side. He clean -bowled Messrs. Fortescue, Pauncefote, and Tylecote, and got out in -other ways Messrs. Ottaway, Townshend, and Francis. It is hardly too -much to say that in this innings Mr. Ward got the six best wickets and -Mr. Cobden the four worst. In the whole match Mr. Ward got nine wickets -for 62 runs, and this again, let it be said, on an excellent ground. -Comparisons are odious, however, and the four Cambridge men, Yardley, -Dale, Ward, and Cobden, have no reason to be jealous of each other, and -every reason to be satisfied with themselves. - -Oxford have got a victory to set off against this Cambridge triumph -in 1870. It took place five years later, and though Mr. Ridley’s -bowling at the finish was not condensed into one sensational over like -Cobden’s, still the greatest credit is due to him for putting himself -on at the right moment, fully realising an undoubted truth, that lobs -are most terrifying to very nervous players at a crisis. - -Comparing the two elevens, on paper it would appear that Oxford were -the better bowling eleven, and were considerably superior in fielding. -In 1870 Cambridge deserved to have lost the match on account of their -bad fielding; in 1875 they succeeded in doing so. Messrs. Webbe and -Lang started by making 86 for the first wicket, and Mr. Webbe was twice -badly missed at short-slip. Mr. Lang ought to have been easily stumped. -In Oxford’s second innings four Oxford wickets, including Ridley and -Webbe, were down for 34. Mr. Briggs came in and was badly missed at -short-slip directly, and disaster was averted for some time; and Mr. -Game, who scored 22, was missed shortly after he went to the wicket. -The Oxford fielding was very fine all through, though one member missed -two easy catches. The bowling was more evenly divided; Oxford had more -bowlers than Cambridge, though Messrs. Sharpe and Patterson were as -good as, or better than, Messrs. Lang and Buckland. But besides these -two Oxford had Mr. Royle and Mr. Ridley and Mr. Kelcey, while the two -Cambridge bowlers had to do most of the work. - -In batting the position was somewhat similar. Ridley and Webbe were -superior to Longman and the second best Cantab, but on the other hand -Cambridge were stronger all through. On the whole the sides were very -even. - -Oxford made a good start, thanks to the politeness of the Cambridge -field, though both Webbe and Lang played well, and fair scores were -made by Ridley, Pulman and Buckland, but at no time during the match -did Mr. Ridley appear at home to Mr. Patterson’s bowling. The total -reached 200, and there were 20 extras, of which 15 were byes; and the -Cambridge wicket-keeping was not up to the mark. Cambridge batted on -the whole disappointingly in the first innings; the captain, Mr. G. H. -Longman, played a very good innings of 40, but the other scores were -below what was expected, and again did extras prove of great value, for -Cambridge realised 17 thereby. But, on the whole, the Oxford fielding -was very fine, and both Messrs. Longman and Blacker, who played good -steady cricket, found great difficulty in getting the ball away. - -At the close of the Cambridge innings Oxford had a valuable balance of -37 in their favour, and most thoroughly did they deserve this advantage -on account of their very superior fielding. It is always consoling to -an eleven who are beginning their second innings to feel that every -hit adds to the total that the other side must get before they can -win, and that their energy is not to be applied towards wiping off a -deficit. Oxford had this balance of 37 in their favour, and very sorely -was it needed, for their wickets fell with depressing rapidity. Both -Sharpe and Patterson bowled admirably; the former had both Lang and -Campbell with the score at 5 only. Ridley again fell to Patterson, with -the total at 16, and at 34 Webbe was out to a good running catch from -short-slip to short-leg. - -The match now looked well for Cambridge, as Ridley and Webbe were far -superior to their comrades. Mr. Webbe had scored most consistently all -through the year; this second innings of 21 contained no mistake, and -nobody ever could have looked more firmly set for a large score. Four -wickets for 34 was a very bad start, but again did the Cambridge eleven -show great politeness to their opponents; for directly Mr. Briggs came -in he was badly missed at short-slip off Mr. Sharpe, and Messrs. Briggs -and Pulman raised the score to 64, when the former was clean bowled -by a lob. Mr. Pulman stayed till the total reached 74, when he was -stumped off Mr. Sharpe for an admirable innings of 30. He had played -very well in his first innings, but his second stopped an undeniable -rot, was quite chanceless, and no innings under the circumstances could -have been more useful. Mr. Game then came in, and again did Cambridge -rise to the occasion and miss him off an easy chance when he had made -3 only; and he showed his gratitude by hitting up 22 before he was -well caught, the total being 109. Mr. Buckland was clean bowled by -Mr. Patterson first ball, and nine runs later Mr. Royle was stumped, -having played a most useful innings of 21. Both Messrs. Tylecote and -Kelcey smacked up small double figures, and the total of the innings -was 137--a very much better score than at one time seemed probable. If -the chances had been taken the total might not have reached 100, and if -a list could be made of the matches lost by bad catching, angels would -weep. - -Oxford’s second innings was not over till a quarter to seven, but Mr. -Ridley rightly insisted on the letter of the law being kept, and five -minutes before the drawing of the stumps Oxford were in the field and -two nervous Cambridge batsmen in a fading light were walking slowly to -the wickets. Only one over was bowled, and a leg-hit for four was the -only result. - -[Illustration: THE INTERVAL] - -We have said that the Oxford captain rightly insisted on Cambridge -going in, and we contend that Mr. Ridley acted wisely and not unfairly -in so doing. He had the law on his side, and if the law is not to be -enforced in the University match, when is it ever likely to be? Mr. -Ridley also probably anticipated the fact that the Cambridge captain -would be unwilling to run the chance of sacrificing one of his good -wickets, and that the order of going in would be altered. This may be a -considerable disadvantage to the side; it is not certain that it was in -the present case; but Mr. Macan, who went in fifth wicket down in the -first innings, had to go in considerably later in the second innings, -and thus a good batsman was wasted. - -Messrs. Sharpe and Hamilton went in first; at the beginning of the -third day Cambridge wanted 171 runs to win, and had all their wickets -standing. Both Sharpe and Hamilton played well at the start, and -brought the score up to 21, when the latter put his leg in front and -departed. Mr. Lucas came in, but was clean bowled for 5 runs: two -wickets for 26. Mr. Longman, the captain, came in, and played steadily -and well, and the bowling for the first time in the innings seemed to -be collared; Lang went off, Ridley bowled three overs for 11 runs, -and Mr. Royle took the ball. Mr. Royle’s bowling proved the turning -point of the game. He was not by any means an accurate bowler, but at -times his balls broke fast and were most difficult to play. He bowled -three maidens, and with the fifteenth ball clean bowled Mr. Sharpe, -who had played an excellent innings of 29. He had stepped into the -breach overnight and gone in when twilight was coming on; having passed -through that ordeal safely, he completed a most useful innings next -day. Messrs. Longman and Sharpe had brought the score from 26 to 65, -but Royle made Blacker play a ball on at 67, and clean bowled Longman -at 76 for a second very good innings. The ball that bowled Mr. Longman -was a dead shooter of the old sort, which came back also considerably. -Messrs. Greenfield and Lyttelton were now in together, and the score -again steadily rose, though Mr. Lyttelton was manifestly uneasy with -Royle’s bowling. However, the total came to 97 when Lyttelton was -badly missed, and a snick put 100 on the board; but at 101 Greenfield -made a bad hit and was caught at mid-off, and in walked Mr. Sims. Sims -this year was a powerful and dangerous bat--in fact, he was the most -determined hitter in the two elevens, and on the present occasion -he made a great bid for victory. He possessed a bulldog courage in -whatever he undertook, and his contemporaries at Cambridge could -scarcely believe that so strong a man could have caught a chill and -died so quickly as he did some few years later while in full work as -an energetic clergyman in the North of England. Shortly after Sims had -gone in, Lyttelton was a second time missed, though fortunately for -Oxford the mistake mattered little, for from a fine leg-hit he was -grandly caught by Webbe close to the ropes while running at full speed. -It was not a high hit, but it would have hit a spectator on the nose -if the fieldsman had not caught it. There was no finer bit of fielding -in the match than this, and it was hard to be got out in such a way, -though the batsman was lucky to have made 20 runs. The score was 114 -when Lyttelton was out, or 60 to win and 3 wickets to go down, and the -betting 7 to 4 on Oxford. Messrs. Sims and Patterson played well, and -brought the score to 128, or 46 to win, when down came the rain and -play was stopped for an hour and a half. It rained hard for a time, and -Oxford had to turn out to bowl with a wet ball and field on slippery -ground. Mr. Patterson played well, and Sims shut his teeth and went -to work with savage determination. The runs came fast; in 20 minutes -the score had been raised from 128 to 161, when Ridley went on to bowl -and with his first ball clean bowled Patterson. Macan then came in and -made a single (13 to win), and a mighty whack did one of Ridley’s balls -then get from Sims, who sent the ball over the bowler’s head to the -ropes like a cannon shot, and Lang took the ball from Royle, 9 runs -being wanted to win the match for Cambridge. A leg-bye was got from -Lang’s first ball and a no ball followed, making 7 to win. It appeared -good odds on Cambridge, for Sims did not look like getting out, and -his hits had a way of going to the boundary. Be it remembered that the -ball was wet and heavy, and forgetfulness of this fact on the part of -Sims at this stage cost him his wicket and Cambridge the match. Mr. -Game was fielding deep square-leg close to the ropes by the tennis -court, and Pulman was on the on side close to the left-hand corner of -the enclosure that stands on the left facing the pavilion. There was -a considerable space between these two fields, and off the full pitch -on his legs which Sims now received from Lang the ball might have been -swept safely under the ropes anywhere between the two men. But Sims -no doubt felt as strong and as lusty as an eagle, and forgetting that -the ball was wet and heavy, got under it and tried to lift it over the -ropes. The sodden ball refused to go so far, and Pulman, running some -distance, made what with the ball dry and of a normal weight would have -been an ordinary country catch. With the ball wet and heavy, however, -his success was the more commendable, and back to the pavilion, -crestfallen and sad, went Sims. Returning for a moment to the 2-run -match, the two men for whom sympathy may be felt because the game did -not result in favour of their side were Ottaway in 1870 and Sims in -1875. Ottaway got out when his side wanted 18 runs to win and had four -wickets to go down, and Sims when only 7 runs were wanted and there -were two wickets to fall. Both are now dead, but as long as any matches -in England are remembered these two innings will be borne in the memory -of those who witnessed them. - -Mr. Smith had to face a crisis he had long been dreading, and he -walked apprehensively to the wicket. Mr. Macan, who was in, had only -received two or three balls, so both had to feel their way cautiously. -It is, perhaps, true to say that at the extreme moments of nervousness -climatic surroundings have no effect on the constitution; be this as -it may, the air was chilly, the ground was wet, and the sun invisible. -Probably Mr. Smith felt as cold as if he had been in a damp cellar. A -well-known Harrovian told the writer at this stage that he had seen Mr. -Smith get over 25 runs against the famous George Freeman’s bowling. -What did that matter if he was unable to get six runs against Ridley’s -lobs? He somehow or other stopped two balls in a doubtful sort of -style, and played slowly forward to the third, thinking that after the -manner of lobs it would twist. The wet ground prevented this; it went -on and hit the middle stump, and Oxford won the match by six runs. - -We regard this match as a model of what a cricket match should be; -the runs were not too numerous, the interest was kept up to the very -end. It would have been hard lines perhaps for Oxford to have lost the -match, for the rain that fell in Cambridge’s last innings was unlucky -for the dark blue; it is impossible to bowl or field well with a wet -ball, and it happened that Sims was just the man to take advantage of -this state of things. The bowling was managed with great skill by Mr. -Ridley, and, as we have said before, he realised an undoubted truth, -that lobs are often fatal to a batsman who is paralysed by nervousness. - -It is not easy to say with any certainty that the bowling at the -Universities is better or worse than it was. We are inclined to think -that, writing in 1898, there are signs that it is better than it was -between the years 1872 and 1888, but not equal to the days of C. -D. Marsham, R. Lang, Plowden, and Kenney, but in those days it was -quite possible for a side to have weak bowling, and yet get out their -opponents with the help of the more difficult wickets. This was the -case in 1864. Oxford were led by the famous Mr. Mitchell, and were a -strong batting eleven. Cambridge were fairly strong in batting, but -they deliberately chose to meet Oxford with only two bowlers, Messrs. -Curteis and Pelham. So well did these two gentlemen perform that almost -to the very end the result was doubtful. Messrs. Fowler and Booth each -succeeded in getting a wicket in the first innings, and Mr. Booth one -in the second innings, but between them they only bowled twenty-two -overs in the whole match, while Mr. Curteis bowled seventy-five overs -for eight wickets, and Mr. Pelham fifty-six overs for five wickets. -This was a fine match, won at the finish by a grand innings of Mr. -Mitchell’s. No man ever went in at a more critical time than he did -this second innings, neither did anybody ever bat with better nerve. -Out of 125 required to win the match, no fewer than 55 (not out) fell -to his share, and Oxford won by four 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 1861 to 1897 -inclusive, and, as is perhaps natural, Eton comes first, having had -during that period fifty-nine of her alumni representing one or other -of the Universities. We are not reckoning the number of years that each -played, but fifty-nine different Etonians have in the last thirty-three -years played in the University match: thirty-four for Cambridge, -twenty-five for Oxford. Harrow is represented by forty-six players: -twenty-four at Oxford, and twenty-two at Cambridge. Rugby comes next -with twenty-nine: nineteen for Oxford and ten 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 two only have played. Mr. Leslie and Mr. Warner were the last -good cricketers Rugby sent out, and her prowess seems much diminished -as compared with the days of Pauncefote, Yardley, Francis, Kenney, and -Case. Winchester has been represented by twenty-three, of whom all but -three have played for Oxford, while out of eighteen Marlborough men -twelve have played for Oxford; but Cambridge men will ever gratefully -tender their thanks to Marlborough for the services of Mr. A. G. Steel, -by far the greatest player ever turned out by that school, and perhaps -the best all-round cricketer that has yet played for either University. -Seventeen Cliftonians have played for Oxford, and two for Cambridge; -but eleven out of fourteen Uppingham boys have represented Cambridge. -Repton has contributed nine players, five representing Cambridge and -four Oxford. Charterhouse has had nine University players, Tonbridge -six, Cheltenham and Westminster have had five, and on the whole the -proportion between Oxford and Cambridge has been about equal. - -Of all-round players both Universities have had their full share in -numbers. Cambridge has been helped by Makinson, A. G. Steel, C. T. -Studd, and F. S. Jackson, and Oxford by Messrs. Maitland, R. D. Walker, -and S. C. Voules. The great strength of Oxford in the years 1863–4–5 -arose not only from the fact that in Mr. Mitchell it possessed one -of the five greatest bats in England, but also that it had four such -wonderful all-round men as Messrs. Voules, Walker, Evans, and Inge in -1863; and the same quartette, with the substitution of Mr. Maitland for -Mr. Inge, in 1864 and 1865. But not one of the five was quite equal -to any one of the Cambridge quartette, and when we say this we take -as our basis the performances of the four in the University matches; -and we do not consider the men who played before 1854, for it is -difficult to make fair comparisons over so long a distance of time. The -above-mentioned four will be found in the first half-dozen of batsmen -and in the first half-dozen of bowlers. Messrs. Makinson, Yardley, -Lucas, A. Lyttelton, A. G. Steel, C. T. Studd, F. S. Jackson, and N. -F. Druce are the best batsmen from Cambridge, and Messrs. Mitchell, -Maitland, Ottaway, Pauncefote, E. F. S. Tylecote, Key, Rashleigh, and -Palairet the best from Oxford. In bowling, the champions from Oxford -are Messrs. Marsham, Traill, Kenney, S. E. Butler, and Berkeley; from -Cambridge, Messrs. Plowden, Pelham, Lang, Woods, and A. G. Steel. This -is an opinion only, and would have to be considerably altered if we -were to take another basis than the Inter-University match to draw our -conclusions from. Mr. Kenney never played for the Gentlemen against the -Players, and neither he nor Mr. Plowden could be compared as a bowler -to Mr. Kempson, whose performance against the Players is historical. -But he failed against Oxford. In the same way Lord Cobham, Mr. Ridley, -and Mr. Lane were each as good as Mr. Pauncefote, but they failed in -the Inter-University match, and consequently are out of our list. - -The two following tables will show the best batting and bowling -averages of those who have played for four years, and in the case of -Mr. C. D. Marsham for five years, in the University match. The minimum -batting average being 30, and the minimum bowling average being 12:-- - - +------------------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ - | Name |Innings| Runs |Not out| Average| - +------------------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ - |K. J. Key | 7 | 294 | 1 | 49 | - |C. W. Wright | 7 | 291 | 1 | 48·3 | - |R. A. H. Mitchell | 7 | 254 | 1 | 42·2 | - |W. Yardley | 7 | 278 | 0 | 39·5 | - |A. P. Lucas | 8 | 254 | 1 | 36·2 | - |Hon. A. Lyttelton | 8 | 234 | 1 | 33·3 | - |G. B. Studd | 7 | 225 | 0 | 32·1 | - |A. G. Steel | 7 | 184 | 1 | 30·4 | - +------------------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ - - +---------------------+-------+-------+-------------+ - | | | | Average per | - | Name |Wickets| Runs | wicket | - +---------------------+-------+-------+-------------+ - |S. M. J. Woods | 36 | 318 | 8·30 | - |C. D. Marsham | 40 | 362 | 9·1 | - |H. M. Plowden | 19 | 188 | 9·17 | - |A. G. Steel | 38 | 342 | 9·31 | - |W. F. Maitland | 21 | 213 | 10·3 | - |Hon. F. G. Pelham | 26 | 292 | 11·8 | - |S. E. Butler | 25 | 312 | 12·12 | - |G. F. H. Berkeley | 27 | 341 | 12·17 | - +---------------------+-------+-------+-------------+ - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[35] The difficulty of getting accurate facts about this unique over -has been immense. The author has before him the written statement -of Mr. Hill, a copy of the _Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News_ -containing a letter of Mr. Yardley, who was keeping wicket and was -therefore in a position to judge, and a letter from Mr. Cobden and Mr. -Belcher. In the first edition of this book Mr. Stewart is said to have -been bowled off his legs; this is inaccurate, and the author apologizes -for the blunder. Mr. Cobden complains of the account generally, and -says that all three balls were of a good length, and that he never -bowled better balls in all his life. The author in the above has -written what he believes to be accurate, relying chiefly on the written -evidence of Messrs. Hill, Yardley, and Belcher, and in a less degree -from what he has heard from some spectators. It was not Stewart that -was bowled off his legs, but Belcher; and in order that the public -may form their own judgment, the written statements of Messrs. Hill, -Yardley, and Belcher are here inserted. Mr. Hill writes:--‘Belcher was -bowled with a yorker (half-volley?) and Stewart with a half-volley, but -whether off his leg or not I do not remember.’ Mr. Hill also writes -that on meeting Cobden some years later, Cobden repeated that they were -three of the best balls he ever bowled, to which Mr. Hill replied that -they were all half-volleys, and that he believed that if he had had any -one of them he could have won the match with a fourer. Now Mr. Yardley, -in allusion to the author’s statement that the ball that Butler was -caught off was straight and well up on the off stump, writes: ‘As a -matter of fact the ball in question was a very long hop, extremely wide -on the off, so much so that I have no hesitation in stating that if Mr. -Butler had made no attempt to strike at it the umpire would have called -a wide. The batsman, however, was possessed of an exceptionally long -reach, and just managed to strike the ball with the extreme end of his -bat to cover-point, where it was beautifully caught by Mr. Bourne.’ - -Now as to Belcher’s ball, Mr. Yardley says: ‘The ball in question was -the most delicious half-volley on the legs, which Mr. Belcher did his -utmost to hit out of Lord’s ground. Fortunately for Cambridge his deeds -were not so good as his intentions, for he hit too hard at the ball, -which he missed, and which, striking him on the left leg, cannoned on -to his right leg, and from thence on to his wicket.’ - -On the point of Mr. Stewart’s ball Mr. Yardley writes: ‘This fourth and -last ball was the only straight one of that celebrated over. It was -an exceedingly long hop, scarcely pitching half-way, and coming along -surprisingly slow off the pitch. Had it not been for that circumstance -Mr. Stewart would probably have not lost his wicket as he did, for -it was only at the very last moment that he neglected his captain’s -instructions and removed his bat from the block-hole, thereby allowing -the ball to strike his off stump about three-quarters of the way up.’ -Mr Yardley also writes that the scene appears to him as vivid after a -lapse of twenty years as it did then. - -Mr. Belcher writes: ‘I am _quite certain_ that I was bowled off my -legs; the ball to the best of my recollection hit me just below the -knee of the right leg and went into the wicket. At any rate I am quite -clear as to my leg being hit, and my impression is that it was a very -good-length ball, and not a half-volley. I don’t think I hit at it all. -Of course at such a distance of time my recollections are somewhat -vague, _but the one point I am quite sure of is that I was bowled off -my leg_.’ - -With these extracts before them, the matter is now left to posterity. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS. - -(BY THE HON. R. H. LYTTELTON.) - - -At first sight it appears impossible that amateurs--men who play when -they chance to find it convenient--should be able to hold their own -against professional cricketers who make the game the business of their -lives. Cricket, however, is the one game where the two classes contend -more or less on an equality, unless football be also an exception. Many -amateur cricketers are not bound to work for their daily bread, and -they can consequently find time to play as much as a ‘professional,’ if -the accepted slang in which the adjective is employed as a substantive -be permissible. Such was the state of things a few years ago when the -Walkers, the Graces, Mr. Buchanan, and others could always be depended -on to take part in the annual matches against the Players. - -But there are other reasons besides; and here we tread on rather -delicate ground. Suffice it to say that at one time, and that was when -the Gentlemen used heavily to defeat the Players, there was such a very -thin border-line between the status of the amateur and professional, -that a definition of ‘amateur’ was often asked for and never obtained. -The position was getting acute when finally the Marylebone Club, which -is not in the habit of moving except when very strong pressure is -exerted, was obliged to discuss and legislate on the matter. Broadly -speaking, the rule stands that amateurs may take expenses, and a -difficult and delicate point is now set at rest. - -It is a striking illustration of the great popularity of the game -that a large and increasing number of men annually give themselves up -to the profession of cricket, and it is only in cricket that amateurs -and professionals regularly compete against each other. We have heard -that from the county of Nottingham alone several hundred professional -bowlers emerge every year, and go to fulfil cricket engagements in -various parts of the kingdom. The limits of cricket seem likely to -be extended, and we know of several English professionals who have -accepted offers from America and elsewhere. So long ago as 1864 the -famous Wm. Caffyn was engaged in Australia; later on, Jesse Hide, of -Sussex, was in South Australia, and several other players have been in -America. All professionals, or nearly all, first come into notice as -bowlers. A club with a ground wants a man who can bowl to its members -for an evening’s practice, and he has to be there to attend on any -member who may happen to come. As a rule also, he is required to play -for the club in the Saturday matches, and he may earn by way of fixed -salary, together with what he makes by bowling at a shilling for half -an hour, 3_l._ or 4_l._ per week. - -If the club is situated in a county which possesses a county club, -the professional may have inducements held out to him to take up a -permanent residence and become a naturalised resident. The county of -Nottingham, for instance, has only one county eleven, but she has -hundreds of professionals. These men get engagements in all directions, -and if they are good enough to be asked to play for their adopted -county, it would be hard to deprive them of a livelihood; though no -doubt it is provoking to Nottingham to see the success of Lancashire -largely owing to the play of Briggs, a Notts man of whose virtues -Lancashire became aware before his own county. Nor is Briggs a solitary -specimen, for Walter Wright, Lockwood, Bean, Brown, and Wheeler play -respectively for Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Cheshire, and Leicestershire. - -The congestion of professional ability in certain favoured districts -is hard to explain. Every cricketer has heard of Lascelles Hall, the -famous village near Huddersfield, to which Bates, the Lockwoods, the -Thewlises and Allan Hill belong. There are several villages and small -towns near Nottingham where cricketers appear indigenous to the soil, -just as primroses are in certain localities. There have always been -cricketers in these parts, and so sure is this constant supply that -some scientific society ought really to go down and inspect the spot, -make a theory to explain the phenomenon, and read a paper about it. -Nottingham itself raised and reared Daft, Shrewsbury, Gunn, Scotton, -and Selby; the famous Sutton-in-Ashfield nursed Morley, J. C. Shaw, -Barnes and Briggs in their infancy. There are several large towns in -Yorkshire, such as Sheffield, Leeds, and other manufacturing centres, -where the traditions of the place are in favour of cricket; but it -is curious to observe that, though it was not so in the days of Noah -Mann, David Harris, and the Hambledon Club, the modern professional now -springs mainly from populous centres. The only reason we can give for -this is that for young players between the ages of eight and eighteen -practice is everything, and of this youngsters can generally make sure -in populous places. In a rural district the same chances may seldom -occur. In Nottingham and the West Riding towns, hundreds of boys may be -seen playing almost at the mouth of coal-pits, and the practice they -get enables them to become professional players. - -Amateurs are not by any means in the same situation. Apart from the -natural qualifications any lad may chance to possess, he is largely -benefited or the reverse by the atmosphere of the schools to which -he is sent. About the age of thirteen he is sent to a large public -school, where cricket is regularly taught, and he has a great deal of -experience if he can manage to get into his school eleven. After that -he may go to Oxford or Cambridge, and if he is fond of the game, he may -play an unlimited quantity of cricket. Many amateurs after they leave -the university disappear for ever from first-class cricket, as their -time then ceases to be their own. - -When we examine the M.C.C. cricket ‘Scores and Biographies,’ we find -the same story over and over again: ‘This year the Gentlemen had to -regret the absence of Messrs. Hankey and Kempson.’ ‘Mr. Felix did not -play for the Gentlemen, they as usual losing one of their best men.’ -In a footnote attached to the score of the 1847 match at Lord’s, the -editor gives a list of no fewer than sixteen gentlemen who had to -abandon the game when in their prime. It was in consequence of this -that in 1862 a match was tried between Gentlemen and Players all under -thirty, but with no better success for the Gentlemen. - -The first Gentlemen and Players’ match took place in 1806 on the old -Lord’s ground, so the contest between these teams is not so old by one -year as the Eton and Harrow. It is true that in ‘The Cricket Field’ -Mr. Pycroft says that Lord F. Beauclerk and the Hons. H. and T. Tufton -had previously made an attempt to get a Gentlemen and Players’ match, -and the Players won, giving the services of T. Walker, Beldham, and -Hammond. These three men were nearly the best in England, and to call -the Players a representative eleven without them was absurd. The same -objection may be mentioned in discussing the next match in 1806, -when the Gentlemen were helped by two of the foremost players: this -made a more equal match, but apparently rather too much was given, -for the amateurs beat the Players in an innings and 14 runs. Beldham -and Lambert were the two given men, and at that time Lambert was -unquestionably the finest player of the day. A second match was played -a fortnight later, when the amateurs were a second time victorious, -and in this case Lambert alone was given. After this match there was -a considerable hiatus, for the rival teams did not meet again till -1819, when a match was played on even terms, the Players winning by six -wickets. Mr. Budd scored 56 for the Gentlemen, and Tom Beagley 75 for -the Players-- - - ... Worthy Beagley, - Who is quite at the top; - With the bat he’s first rate, a brick wall at long-stop. - -Mr. Budd in this match stumped six of the Players, and only one bye was -recorded against him and the long-stop. In 1820 T. C. Howard, who had -bowled for the Players, was transferred to the Gentlemen, and they won -by 70 runs. In 1821 the Gentlemen scored 60 and the Players 278 for six -wickets, at which stage the Gentlemen succumbed and gave up the match. -Beagley, who appeared to be partial to amateur bowling, made 113 not -out, and began the long list of hundreds that have since been obtained -in this match. In 1822 Lord F. Beauclerk bowled finely, Mr. Vigne -stumped four and caught two at the wicket, Mr. Budd made 69 runs, and -the Gentlemen won by six wickets. Elated by this victory, in 1823 the -amateurs again threw down the gauntlet on even terms and were defeated -heavily by 345 runs. - -This knock-down blow must have cowed the Gentlemen, for in the next -four matches they played fourteen, sixteen with Mathews, and seventeen -in the two matches of 1827; and each side won two. In 1828 there was -no match, and in 1829 and 1830 they stole two players to help them. -This was a period when the superiority of the professionals was very -marked, for in 1831, ’32, and ’33 odds were given on each occasion, but -still victory refused to crown the efforts of the amateurs. In 1832 -the Gentlemen defended smaller wickets than those of their opponents, -but the game was admitted to be a failure. The extraordinary result of -all the matches between 1824 and 1833 in which the Gentlemen had odds, -was that out of eight matches the Players won six. The bowling of W. -Lillywhite, Cobbett, and others was far too good for the amateurs, and -the records of the Players were wonderful. - -In 1833, however, for the first time the famous Alfred Mynn appeared -on the scene. This crack amateur was the idol of Kent and the terror -of his opponents. Very tall in stature and heavy in weight, he was at -that time and for many years subsequently one of the fastest bowlers in -England. His physique was enormous, and he could bowl a great number -of balls without any sacrifice of pace or precision. When asked how -many balls he should like the over to consist of, he said as far as he -was concerned he should like a hundred. He was a hard hitter, fond of -driving the ball in front of the wicket, and was probably the champion -at the then frequently played single-wicket matches. It must have been -a fine sight to see Alfred Mynn advance and deliver the ball; he took -a short run and held himself up to nearly his full height as the ball -left his hand. He was of unfailing good humour, and is immortalised in -by far the best cricket poem yet published, which may be found in the -‘Scores and Biographies,’ vol. ii. p. 200. Altogether he was one of -the leading players of his day, and his arrival gave a strength to the -amateurs that was sorely needed, - - Proudly, sadly we will name him--to forget him were a sin; - Lightly lie the turf upon thee, kind and manly Alfred Mynn. - -In 1834 the match was played on even terms, but again the result -was disastrous to the amateurs, for they were beaten in an innings -and 21 runs; nor did the assistance of Cobbett and Redgate, two of -the crack bowlers of the day, save them from defeat in 1835, though -Alfred Mynn scored 53 and bowled down four wickets. In 1836 eighteen -Gentlemen won by 35 runs, and again was Alfred Mynn to the fore, for -he scored 29 and 30 and got eight wickets. In the following year was -played a match, when the Gentlemen defended three wickets, 27 inches -by 8, and the Players four, 36 inches by 12. The match was the famous -‘Barn Door Match,’ or ‘Ward’s Folly,’ but again the impotence of -the amateurs’ batting caused them to be defeated in one innings and -10 runs. Thirteen was the highest amateur score and the only double -figure, and Lillywhite and Redgate apparently did what they liked in -the way of bowling. In 1838 Alfred Mynn was away, so the amateurs -helped themselves to Pilch, Cobbett, and Wenman, three good men from -the professional ranks; they lost the match, however, by 40 runs. -This was the last match in which odds have been given. A drawn game -was played in 1839, and twice the Players were victorious in 1840 and -1841. In 1842 and 1843 the Gentlemen gained two victories, the match in -1842 being their first win on even terms since 1822. Mynn and Sir F. -Bathurst got all the wickets for the Gentlemen; the former scored 21 -and 46, and Mr. Felix played a fine innings of 88, having been missed -badly at short-slip before he scored. In 1843 the Gentlemen actually -won in one innings on even terms, for the first time on record. Again -Alfred Mynn did excellent service, for he made 47 runs and lowered -eight wickets. Mr. C. G. Taylor scored 89 runs and then his hat fell -on the wicket, or rather it was knocked off, which showed that Lord’s -had a way of testing the bravery as well as the skill of batsmen. In -1844 the Gentlemen lost the services of Mr. Felix, perhaps their best -bat, and Sir F. Bathurst, their second best bowler, and were defeated -by 38 runs. The famous William Lillywhite, who ‘handled the ball as he -would do a brick,’ and Hillyer were the crack professional bowlers at -this time, and sad havoc they made of amateur wickets. Lillywhite was -fifty-two years old in 1844, two years older than W. G. Grace, who in -the year 1898 is _par excellence_ the veteran cricketer. The era of -Alfred Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst was the golden age of amateur bowling, -for Mynn was at the top of the tree in this department of the game -for a far longer period than any amateur has been since. He played -twenty matches for the Gentlemen against the Players, and though he -was generally on the losing side, did great things both with bat and -ball, especially with the latter. In 1845 the Players again won, old -Lillywhite, aged fifty-three, taking twelve wickets for 96 runs--a -remarkable performance. - -The match for the year 1846 is an historical one for one or two -reasons. It was the first time that George Parr, aged 20, and William -Clarke, aged 47, represented the Players. Both were Nottingham men; -the younger was very nearly the best bat in England, and the elder, if -not the best bowler all round, certainly by far the most successful -bowler of lobs that has ever appeared. Clarke had played for thirty -seasons before he was chosen to represent the Players. He died in -1856 at the age of 57, played cricket during the last year of his -life, and took a wicket with the last ball he ever bowled. He was head -and captain of the ‘All England Eleven’ which used to tour about the -country. Very amusing work it must have been for old Clarke, bowling -on rough provincial grounds to provincial batsmen; and who can wonder -that he, with several other bowling captains, had a great dislike to -taking himself off? He was one-eyed, having lost his right eye while -indulging in the manly game of fives. He certainly got a lot of wickets -in the best of matches, but there is nothing to guide speculation as -to how Clarke and Lillywhite would have fared if they had bowled to -W. G. Grace and McLaren. Round old Clarke’s head, as round the heads -of Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, and William Lillywhite, an aureole has -gathered; they are the great lights of that epoch of cricket, and -during his career old Clarke must have been one of those few bowlers -who generally made fools of batsmen. - -To return to this year of 1846, as it was Parr and Clarke’s first -Gentlemen and Players, so it was C. G. Taylor’s last. This great -player at all games was an Eton and Cambridge man; and, like many old -cricketers, formed the theme of poets. ‘Taylor the most graceful of -all,’ one writes, and again he is represented as being - - Unlike our common sons, whose gradual ray - Expands from twilight into purer day, - His blaze broke forth at once in full meridian sway. - -Mr. C. G. Taylor was evidently born with an eye; he often ran out to -bowling to drive, could field splendidly either at point, coverpoint, -or mid-wicket, and bowled slow round-arm, we are told, both well and -gracefully. We suspect that, as may be inferred from the description -of his style of play, there was a weak place in his defence, and he -used to have long bouts of small scores. But so graceful and altogether -fascinating was his style, that all his great innings were indelibly -stamped on the memory of those who witnessed them. In this his last -Gentlemen and Players match he got 23 and 44. It was a great match, won -by the Gentlemen by one wicket, and the credit was due to Messrs. R. P. -Long and Taylor for batting, and to Alfred Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst for -bowling. - -In the following year, 1847, the Players again won, but at this period -the sides were far more even than they had been before for any long -time together. The redoubtable bowlers Mynn and Bathurst were helped by -Harvey Fellows, the celebrated Etonian, and George Yonge the Oxonian; -and we doubt if the Gentlemen have ever been so strong in this line -since. These two bowled out the Players in 1848 for 79 and 77 runs, -Mynn getting eight wickets in the second innings and hitting up 66 -runs. In this year, in fact, it is a question if the amateurs were not -stronger in bowling than batting. - -In the next year, 1849, further triumph awaited the amateurs, for -winning the toss they scored 192 runs, compelled the Players to follow -on, and won the match in one innings and 40 runs. Alfred Mynn did not -get a wicket, but Harvey Fellows bowled his fastest, first hurt his -opponents, and then got them out. Old Wm. Lillywhite played his last -Gentlemen and Players match this year, and we read that he refused to -bat in his second innings because he was hurt by Mr. Fellows. He was 57 -years old, so may be excused if he felt a little nervous on old Lord’s -ground at standing up to one who used to make the ball hum like a top. - -The famous ‘Nonpareil bowler,’ as old Lillywhite was called, was the -king of bowlers in the days when he flourished. Mr. Robert Grimston, -who remembered him well, said that though a slow bowler he was quicker -off the ground than Alfred Shaw. He lived in the days when wides were -common, but it is recorded that during his whole career he did not -deliver half a dozen. He was born in Sussex in 1792, and played as a -given man for the Gentlemen in 1829 and 1830; after that began his -long career as principal bowler for the Players. He was, therefore, -no less than 39 years of age when he played his first match for the -Players. If to other cricketers may be given the credit of inventing -round-arm bowling, still to Lillywhite and Broadbridge all honour is -due for having been the first really good round-arm bowlers. Lillywhite -bowled in seventeen matches against the Gentlemen and got 132 wickets, -or close upon eight wickets per match. He was occasionally useful as a -bat, and though he refused to go in, as just recorded, he had plenty -of pluck when younger, for in a single wicket match he stood up for -278 balls to George Brown, to whose bowling Little Dench of Brighton -used to long-stop with a sack stuffed full of straw to protect his -chest. Batting gloves were not used in those days, and Lillywhite had -his fingers broken three times before they were invented. Fuller Pilch -played his last Gentlemen and Players match this year, which is famous -for witnessing the farewell of such great cricketers as himself and -William Lillywhite. Pilch was born in 1803, and was therefore 46 years -old in 1849. - - Another young tailor, as fine a young man - As e’er hit a ball and then afterwards ran. - -Pilch was undoubtedly the champion of his day, and his mantle fell on -George Parr. He was the originator of what we call in modern times -‘forward play,’ and his object was the sound one of smothering the ball -at the pitch. He was the worst enemy of William Clarke, for he left -his ground to balls that were well up and ran him down with a straight -bat. He was one of the dauntless five that carried Kent into a unique -position among cricket counties. - - And with five such mighty cricketers ’twas but natural to win, - As Felix, Wenman, Hillyer, Fuller Pilch, and Alfred Mynn. - -In 1850 the famous Johnny Wisden came to the front and the Players -grew stronger, and George Parr made 65 runs not out. Wisden and Clarke -bowled unchanged, and got rid of their rivals for 42 and 58, winning -the match in one innings and 48 runs in 1850, and in 1851 they also -won in a single innings. Wisden, Grundy, and Caffyn were three fine -all-round men, and Joe Guy of Nottingham was apparently quite at home -to amateur bowling. Both Mynn and Fellows had lost their devil, or -perhaps it might be more correct to say that the latter had lost his -straightness and accuracy. In 1852 the Players won by five wickets, and -the great Alfred Mynn retires from the scene as far as this match is -concerned. - -In 1853 fine bowling won the Gentlemen a match by 60 runs. Both Sir F. -Bathurst and Mr. Kempson bowled unchanged all through the two innings -of the Players, and got rid of them for 42 and 69. Martingell got seven -wickets for 19 runs in the second innings of the Gentlemen, so this -was essentially a bowlers’ match; and though it is an historical fact -that it was the first time the Gentlemen never had to change their -bowling, in 1846 Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst got all the wickets, and Mr. -Taylor was only on for a few overs. Sir F. Bathurst might therefore -have bowled one end all the time if Mr. Taylor had relieved Mynn. At -any rate, to Sir F. Bathurst is due the credit of being one of the main -causes of two defeats of the Players. He was a fast bowler with a low -delivery, but very straight. - -In 1854 both sides played weak, four Players refusing to come forward -because of a dispute between Clarke and the M.C.C., and the Gentlemen -losing Messrs. Hankey and Kempson. An uneventful match was the result, -and the Players again won. From 1853 to 1865 the match was played -on even terms, but the Players had a run of victory, and not once -during that time did the Gentlemen prove successful. There is no doubt -that the batting strength of the Players during these years was very -considerable, and, though George Parr, Hayward, and Carpenter did not -score their hundreds as the men of modern times so often have done, -they made their fifties and sixties with nearly the same consistency. -Parr was a most regular scorer during the decade between 1853 and 1863, -and his average for the whole series of these matches must have been -very high. - -In 1855 the Players won easily by seven wickets, though the -Gentlemen began well; but in their second innings Dean and John -Lillywhite got them out for 43, five consecutive wickets falling -without a run. In 1857 the Gentlemen lost several of their best men, -but the famous Oxonians, Messrs. Marsham and Payne, bowled finely, -and though the Players had only 70 to get to win, they only pulled -through by two wickets. Willsher played this year for the first time, -and he and Wisden were too much for the Gentlemen. The year 1857 was -an historical one for two reasons. In the first place at Lord’s was -played one of the closest matches of the series, a game also famous -for one of those great batting feats the recollection of which lingers -long; and in the second place because a second match was played for the -first time at the Oval. The historical innings was that of Mr. Reginald -Hankey, whom George Parr considers the finest bat he ever saw. This is -the proverbial effort quoted by all who saw it as the masterpiece of -its day, and Mr. Grace himself has never played an innings that made -more sensation. Mr. Hankey got 70 runs in an hour and three-quarters, -and hit the fast bowling of Willsher, Wisden, Jackson, and Stephenson -all over the ground. Messrs. Hankey, Haygarth, Drake and Lane amassed -224 runs, the other seven only 58 between them, and in the end the -players won by 13 runs. Mr. Drake played his hardest to win, making a -score of 58 out of 114. - -[Illustration: Kennington Oval, 1854.] - -At the Oval the Players won easily by ten wickets, and on this ground -the Gentlemen lost every match till 1866. In those days the Oval was -what we should call a better ground than Lord’s--that is to say, it -was more in favour of the batsmen and long scores; and consequently -the weak amateur bowling was at a considerable discount. In 1858 at -the Oval the Players won by three wickets, and R. Daft played for the -Gentlemen for the first and only time. At Lord’s in the same year the -Gentlemen collapsed in batting and lost by 285 runs, the bowling of -Jackson being at this period an object of dread among the amateurs. -In 1859 the Players won both matches easily, and the famous Robert -Carpenter made his first appearance, scoring 44 runs at the Oval. - -In 1860, at the Oval, the Players won by eight wickets; Mr. T. E. -Bagge made two scores of 62 and 60, and the scoring altogether was -very large for those days. Carpenter made 119 in his one innings. At -Lord’s the other great Cambridgeshire player, Tom Hayward, came on the -scene with a vengeance, scoring 132 runs, and the Players won in one -innings and 181 runs, though George Parr could not play. At this time -the tremendous bowling of Jackson and Willsher was at its best, and -Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, and Daft were too good for amateur bowling. -In 1861 the Players won in one innings and 60 runs at Lord’s, and in -one innings and 68 runs at the Oval; Carpenter for the second time -making a hundred. - -In 1862 a famous drawn match was played at the Oval. Over 200 runs were -made in each innings, and there was curious equality of scoring, the -highest figures on each side being 108, made by Mr. John Walker for -the Gentlemen, and by Hayward for the Players. The match was drawn, -the Players having lost eight wickets and still wanting 33 runs. Mr. -Walker was bowling lobs a good deal in this match, and whilst Anderson -and Stephenson were batting just before stumps were drawn at the end -of the day, each having made 33, the famous Tom Lockyer, who could -not endure lobs, was continually to be seen nervously looking at the -clock; to go in against these dreaded balls was a privilege he did not -covet. Willsher, Parr, and Daft could not play for the Players, nor -Messrs. Makinson and Mitchell for the Gentlemen. At Lord’s a match was -played between the elevens, all the engaged being under thirty, and -the Players won by 157 runs. Mr. C. D. Marsham, the steadiest of all -Gentlemen bowlers, played his last Gentlemen and Players match this -year. He had taken part in ten matches, but never had the good luck to -be on the winning side. - -In 1863 the great Hayward made 112 runs in his only innings, and -nobody else except Mr. Walker got 30 runs in the match, which the -Players won by eight wickets, Jackson and Tarrant being quite -unplayable on the rough Lord’s wicket. Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell played -for the first time, and, with the exception of Mr. Grace, no greater -batsman has appeared for the Gentlemen, though he did not play for -many years. At the Oval in the same year Mr. Mitchell scored 76 and 6; -but the Gentlemen were weak in bowling, and the Players won by nine -wickets. At Lord’s in 1864 Tarrant and Willsher bowled unchanged during -the match, and the Gentlemen scored 119 in the two innings; but at the -Oval there were a lot of runs made, Stephenson putting together 117, -and Messrs. C. G. Lyttelton and Makinson playing two fine innings for -the Gentlemen. - -In 1865 began what brought about a revolution in cricket, for W. G. -Grace played his first match, and at once began to score. Originally -more famous as a bowler, he has since made runs in a manner and to an -extent altogether unparalleled in the history of cricket, and soon -after his appearance the almost dull monotony of professional victory -was changed for the almost equally dull monotony of professional -defeat. When he first began to play there was a schism in the -professional ranks which lasted several years; between 1863 and 1871, -many of the crack Northern players refused to play at the Oval, and -soon afterwards at Lord’s also. It is a curious fact that at Lord’s in -1865 the amateurs won by eight wickets, scoring a victory for the first -time since 1853, after losing nineteen matches in succession. This was -W. G. Grace’s first match and George Parr’s last, the latter having -scored sixty runs in his actual last innings. Grace was sixteen years -old, and Parr, who first played in 1846, was 39. Parr’s average for -these matches was no less than twenty-eight, and his was altogether one -of the best and longest careers ever seen. - -Up to 1886 Mr. Grace had played 78 innings in these matches, and -averaged 45 runs an innings. From that date to the present he has -averaged 26 runs an innings; and it is not easy to say that anybody -is his superior now in 1893. The cricket schism weakened the Players -very much for several years at the beginning of his career, and the -matches were in consequence not so interesting. At the Oval, in 1866, -the Gentlemen followed their innings, but won the match by 98 runs, and -this was the first time they were successful at the Kennington ground; -but no Northern players appeared except Grundy, Wootton, Luke Greenwood -and Alfred Shaw. It was the same story in 1867 and in every match -till 1872; the amateurs were generally successful. Since that period, -however, it has always been considered a special honour to be asked to -represent either eleven, and the Committees at both Lord’s and the Oval -now offer higher terms to the professionals for this than for any other -match. For some reason which we are totally unable to explain, between -the years 1867 and 1877 there was a blight on the Players. Their -batting fell off to an extraordinary extent, nor was their fast bowling -at all up to the level of what it used to be. Of course W. G. Grace -was the main cause of the apparent weakness of the bowling, but this -could not account for the great batting deterioration. The Players won -at the Oval in 1865 and did not win again till 1880, though one match -was drawn considerably in their favour. Up to 1874, including the Oval -matches and omitting three unfinished, the Players lost twelve matches -in succession, mainly owing to Mr. Grace. - -If we take the best of the innings of 100 played in these matches to -the year 1893, we find that there have been 41 individual innings of -over 100 runs played, and Mr. Grace has played eleven himself, or -nearly a third of the whole; and when we remember that he has had a -great deal of bowling to do as well, it may be said with confidence -that no such performances for so many years have ever been seen in the -history of cricket. In 1873 he got 163 runs at Lord’s, and 158 at the -Oval, and in the latter match scored seven wickets in the Players’ -second innings. In 1874 the Gentlemen won by seven wickets, having -to go in for 226 runs to win. Mr. Grace had got 77 runs in his first -innings, went in first in the second innings, stayed in till 152 runs -were scored, and was then out for 112. The match was won by seven -wickets. - -The most exciting match that has occurred was in the year 1877. The -Players made 192, and the Gentlemen 198 in the first innings, and the -players 148 in the second. Consequently, to win the match 143 runs were -wanted by the Gentlemen. The wicket was not quite a first-rate one, -and good judges anticipated a close finish. Grace made 41, and Alfred -Lyttelton 20; but Watson, Ulyett, and Morley bowled well, and the -Gentlemen wanted 46 runs to win when nine wickets had fallen. Mr. W. S. -Patterson and G. F. Grace were in, and gradually, by excellent play, -the runs were secured. In 1888 there was another most exciting match at -Lord’s, when both sides were the strongest that could have been chosen, -except that Shrewsbury did not assist the Players. The wicket was very -difficult from start to finish, and the Players only required 78 runs -to win. It was Mr. Woods’ first year of first-class cricket, and he -obtained ten wickets for 76 runs. His bowling, together with that of -Mr. Smith and Mr. Steel, got the Players out for 72, and the Gentlemen -won the match by 5 runs. - -In 1883 a tie match was played at the Oval, for the first and only -time. The wicket was difficult on the third day, and the Gentlemen, -who lost the services of Mr. W. G. Grace for the first time since -1867, were 31 runs ahead on the first innings. Bates did well for the -Players in the second innings and scored 76 runs, making his last 30 -runs in eight hits. Rain fell in the night, and Flowers found a spot. -Mr. Lucas, who scored 47 not out, was really caught at point when he -had got 8, but the catch was a low one, and neither umpire would give a -decision when appealed to. So he continued his innings, which was hard -for the Players. Fourteen were wanted when Mr. Rotherham joined Mr. -Lucas, and when 8 runs were wanted Bates badly missed Rotherham. When -the match was a tie, Peate was put on, and clean bowled Rotherham with -his second ball. The Players had rather hard lines in Lucas’s case, but -they lost the match through the bad miss of Bates. - -In 1879, following the good example set by Sir F. Bathurst and Kempson, -the Gentlemen won the Oval match without once having to change their -bowlers. Messrs. Steel and Evans were the heroes; Evans got ten -wickets, and Steel nine. The wicket was difficult, but the batting was -feeble, and only realised totals of 73 and 48. - -For the last few years the Players have gradually recovered their lost -prestige, and reached the high-water mark of excellence in 1887, when, -for the first time since 1861, they won both matches in one innings -each. At the date of writing (1898) the two sides present very much the -same features as have distinguished them hitherto. The amateurs are as -strong, and perhaps a little stronger in batting, the professionals -much stronger in bowling, though not perhaps so much so as at most -previous epochs; but there is one remarkable difference, and that is -in wicket-keeping. In old days the professionals were vastly superior -to the amateurs; now there is practically nothing between them, and -this fact is probably because of the greater accuracy of modern -amateur bowling, which makes it easier to take, and does not knock the -wicket-keeper about so much. - -A survey of the whole series of matches points to the fact that, as -is natural, the Gentlemen have been, and probably will be, beaten as -a general rule. Every cricketer knows what it is to play in an eleven -with a comrade, either a batsman or bowler, of commanding superiority. -Such a man makes an eleven. He does this by giving confidence to the -other ten members of the team. They feel that the match does not depend -on them, that if they fail he will pull them through, and consequently -they go in boldly and score. The two notable instances of one man -making an eleven are W. G. Grace and Spofforth. Of course there were -good players amongst the Australians and amongst the Gentlemen, but -the presence of Grace and Spofforth was an incalculable benefit. The -Australians began a match feeling sure that, even if they did not run -up large scores, Spofforth would get rid of their opponents for less. - -In conclusion, let us express a hope that the Gentlemen and Players -match will never fall through: for, having been played off and on -since 1806, it has a notable history, and it ought to be the summit of -ambition in every cricketer, be he amateur or professional, to appear -in these great classic contests. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE ART OF TRAINING YOUNG CRICKETERS. - -(BY R. A. H. MITCHELL.) - - -[Illustration: A six-year old.] - -If you want to play cricket you must begin as a boy, is a true, if -not an original, remark. We remember asking a member of a well-known -cricketing fraternity what promise a younger brother gave of future -excellence, and his reply was, ‘He’s no good--but then he hasn’t had a -chance, for he was so delicate he couldn’t begin till he was six years -old.’ We do not ourselves presume to say that the game must necessarily -be learnt whilst a child is under his nurse’s care; but nevertheless we -know of no instance, unless Mr. A. E. Stoddart forms an exception to -the rule, of anyone attaining to the first rank who has not received -his early lessons in the noble game while still a boy. If this be so, -it is of interest to all cricketers to consider what training a boy -ought to have. Is he to be left merely to the light of nature and his -own powers of observation, or is he to be systematically coached, and -taught daily how each stroke is to be made and each ball bowled? Many -think that a training of this kind can hardly be begun too soon or -carried out with too great care and rigour. This may be so; but we -are by no means inclined to agree with such a Spartan discipline. We -believe that in games, as in life, if a thing is worth doing at all, -it is worth doing well; but, although we claim to be second to none in -our keenness to see good boy cricketers, we differ in the method we -advocate from those who support so severe a system of coaching young -boys. - -Let us give some reasons in support of our view. In the first place, -success in cricket, and not in cricket alone, depends on the enjoyment -and interest taken in the game, and we believe that there is great -danger of destroying this enjoyment and interest by incessant coaching -and teaching at too early an age. In the second place, all coaching has -a tendency at first to eradicate individual peculiarities and to cramp -a natural style. Mr. W. G. Grace, Mr. A. G. Steel, Shrewsbury, and many -other well-known batsmen have peculiarities of their own, which could -not have been taught in early boyhood, but which might very easily -have been cramped, and perhaps entirely obliterated, much to their -detriment, in the hands of even a skilful coach. We do not deprecate -all advice even to very young boys, but we dislike anything that tends -to interfere with the powers of nature; and although we shall be told -that a good teacher merely directs them in the best possible way, we do -not think that the advantage likely to be gained will at all compensate -for a cramped style or loss of enjoyment. What should be taught, and -when, we will endeavour to suggest as we proceed. - -[Illustration: OUR NATIONAL GAME] - -First, however, one word to anxious parents and teachers of the art. -It is quite hopeless to expect that every boy can be made into a -cricketer. Countless are the excuses we hear to cover the feebleness -and incapacity of would-be players, made sometimes by their parents, -sometimes by themselves. They have never been coached, or they have -been badly coached; they have been made to play too much, or they -can’t play often enough; the ground they play on is so rough, or it is -so easy that they can’t play on more difficult ground. They used to -bowl very well; but they were overbowled, or they were never put on; -or they are always put on at the wrong end, or the catches are always -missed off their bowling. These and many other excuses are urged on -their behalf; but those who have watched cricket for but a few years -will soon learn to take such futile pleas for what they are worth. No -boy can become a good cricketer who has not a natural capacity for the -game. The batsman must have a good eye and is all the better for a good -nerve; the fieldsman must be active; the bowler--ah! what must he have? -_Nascitur non fit_; we will not commit ourselves at present to his -requirements. - -In saying this do not let it be supposed that we wish those only to -play cricket who are likely to become good cricketers--far from it; but -we are concerned with the game as an art and not as an exercise, and do -not wish to raise vain hopes of success where success is impossible. - -Now let us consider the three great departments of the game in detail; -for, although they are necessarily and closely connected, we cannot -treat of batting, bowling, and fielding in the same paragraph. - -The batsman then first demands our attention, not because he is more -useful to his side than the bowler, but because it is here that more -may be taught than in any other department of the game. Take a boy ten -years old--we start with double figures, let it be an omen for his -future!--what can we tell him? Very little, we think, but certainly -this: never to move his right foot, but to plant it firmly just inside -the crease, with the toe barely clear of the leg-stump. - -The left foot should also be placed in the same line, but it must be -moved into the position which is found to be the easiest for playing or -hitting any given ball. The batsman must learn to stand perfectly still -with his eye fixed on the bowler’s hand, and he must try to think of -the ball, and the ball alone; any fidgeting about is apt to interfere -with an accurate habit of sight. A boy should also be told to drive the -ball in front of the wicket and along the ground. We do not approve -of the cut for young boys; it is the batsman’s most finished stroke, -but it is absolutely fatal when attempted at an unsuitable ball. This -is all we think it necessary to teach our juvenile batsman, though -occasional hints beyond this may sometimes be useful. Do not, however, -cramp a boy who is disposed to hit, but tell him to hit straight; it is -easier at a later age to stop hitting than to teach it. For this reason -single-wicket matches among small boys are not without their use, as -they naturally encourage hard hitting in front of the wicket. - -A danger which is not sufficiently guarded against at some private -schools is the habit of allowing young boys to play to fast bowling; -masters and others take part in the games and the practice, and bowl at -a pace which would be called medium in a man’s match, but which is very -fast for boys under fourteen years of age. The result of this is that -boys learn to be afraid of the ball; and if they once show fear they -will never become good players. It seems all but impossible to restore -confidence even at a much later age, and we know of many instances--we -will not be so unkind as to mention names--in which boys with great -natural powers have never overcome their fear of the ball, which they -had acquired before coming to a public school. For the same reason the -growing custom of small boys playing in men’s matches is to be strongly -deprecated. - -[Illustration: LUCIEN DAVIS - -Drawing away from the wicket.] - -Boys’ matches we strongly approve of, but boys of fourteen and under -ought not to play in matches with full-grown men. If a boy with a -natural gift for cricket has learnt by the time he enters a public -school to stand firmly and play the ball in front of the wicket, he has -learnt all that is necessary to turn him out a good batsman later on; -but if fast bowling has taught him to fear the ball, we have but little -hope of ever seeing him attain to the first class. - -A few years have elapsed, and our young batsman at the age of thirteen -or fourteen is passing into the larger sphere of a public school. What -ought to be his training there? - -It cannot be expected that he will receive the same attention that will -be given at a later age, when he is a candidate for his school eleven, -nor do we think that he need be subjected to any rigorous system of -coaching. On the other hand, he ought to have some one of experience -to give him occasional hints and instil into him the true principles -of the game. Above everything else, he should have good ground to play -upon, so that, if his confidence has not been previously shaken, he -will not now learn to shrink from the ball. The question of ground must -always be a great difficulty; for, although it may be easy to get an -extent sufficient to satisfy the requirements of a large public school, -it is no easy matter to keep it in proper order and provide good match -and practice wickets throughout the summer for a large number of boys, -especially as the ground is generally required for football or other -purposes during the winter. However, the better the ground the better -the batsmen; and if this be true, a good ground is one of the most -important requirements in the training of our cricketers. - -As a boy grows in years he will require, and will probably get, -more instruction, and if he meets with a coach of good judgment and -experience he will soon learn all that can be taught. His success will -depend on his own natural powers, his temper, and his perseverance. We -do not propose to deal in detail with all the duties of a coach, but -perhaps a few hints may not be altogether out of place. - -First of all, then, we would say, do not coach a boy too often. Once a -week is all that is either necessary or desirable. A boy who is anxious -to learn will lay to heart the hints and instructions he has received, -and he will find it easier to carry them out when he is practising with -his schoolfellows than when he is actually receiving instruction from a -coach. A new attitude or a new stroke always presents great difficulty, -easy as it may seem in itself; and a boy who is trying something new -will not at first play better, and will become nervous and disheartened -if he is being too constantly pressed by an ardent teacher. - -Do not let a boy practise for more than half an hour at a time, or he -will become careless and lose interest. During that time he should play -to both fast and slow bowling, but never to more than two bowlers; and -it would be well if he could play for a quarter of an hour to two slow -bowlers, and another quarter to two fast. It is confusing to some boys -to receive fast and slow balls alternately, particularly when they are -trying to alter or improve some point of style under the direction of a -coach. - -Do not allow boys to play to fast bowling on bad wickets: slow bowling -on a bad wicket is a good lesson occasionally, as it necessitates -careful watching of the ball and accurate timing; but fast bowling -on bumpy ground can only do harm. Never allow throwing instead of -bowling,--it does infinite mischief. - -A coach will naturally have to give instruction on numerous points, and -try to get his pupil to carry out what he teaches; but there is one -warning which must be impressed on the lad more strongly than anything -else. It is this: when you go to the wicket in a match don’t be -thinking of this or that position, or this or that stroke, but fix your -eye on the bowler’s hand as he comes up to bowl. Think of and watch -the ball only; if you learn correct habits in practice, your instinct -will throw you into the right position and enable you to make the right -stroke, provided that your eye does not fail you with the ball. - -We do not purpose to describe how each stroke should be made or to -enumerate all the instructions that should be given to the youthful -batsman; for such details would be long and wearisome, and entirely -unnecessary for the guidance of anyone who understands the true -principles of the game; and certainly no one ought to try and teach -until he has (at all events theoretically) mastered these, though it -is by no means necessary for a good coach to be himself a first-rate -exponent of the batsman’s art. We would point out, however, that, -apart from natural gifts, over which the coach has no control, the -most important point to teach the batsman is first to watch the -ball; secondly, to throw himself at the right moment into the right -position--if he can do this, it is an easy matter to hit or play almost -any given ball; thirdly, to meet the ball either in playing back or -forward, and not to play in front of the left foot when playing forward -or behind the right when playing back. - -And now what are we to say of the bowler’s art? How are we to teach -our boys the most unteachable department of the game? This part of our -subject we approach with many misgivings, and though we wish to limit -our advice to what is strictly practical, we feel that this very limit -will make many think that our hints are but meagre and uninteresting. - -We must again ‘put back the clock’ (oh that some of us decrepit -cricketers could do so in reality!) to the age of ten. Again we ask -for some natural power of propelling a ball with ease, strength -proportioned to age, perseverance, and a real love of the game. Given -these materials to work upon, how are we to begin? First of all, let -the distance be short, certainly not more than eighteen yards at the -age of ten; let the ball be smaller and lighter than the regulation -size, and let a boy be taught at first to aim only at one length; as he -becomes fairly master of straightness and pitch, let him try to vary -the length a little, but not too often, or he may sacrifice regularity -and injure his delivery. Change of pace can hardly be looked for at -this age; but great care should be taken to prevent a boy from bowling -fast, and he should not bowl for long together. In practice it is a -good plan to take alternate overs with another boy, as it is easier -to bowl four or five balls well and then rest than to go on bowling a -greater number. A boy should be taught to measure the distance he runs -before delivering the ball, and he should learn to bowl on both sides -of the wicket. Great care should be taken to prevent a boy from bowling -too much; and if his bowling seems to be getting worse rather than -better, let him leave off for some days. We offer no advice on the more -abstruse arts of bowling, as the subject has been exhaustively treated -in a previous chapter. - -Supposing that our boy bowler has by the age of fourteen acquired -straightness and pitch, with some power of variation, will he have a -fair chance of improving his bowling and distinguishing himself when -at a public school? We fear that this will be a trying time--indeed -must be so, even if he is taken in hand by some one who understands -and takes an interest in the game. In the first place, batting is more -attractive to most boys; in the second, the young bowler will probably -have a very indifferent field, and the missing of catches tempts -the youthful player to abandon the slower pace for the faster, with -disastrous results to himself. Almost all young boys wish to bowl as -fast as they can, and this ends frequently in ruining a good action and -a good arm which had at one time threatened the fall of many a good -wicket. - -At this point, then, in a bowler’s career, public schools, we think, -have something to answer for; but we do not agree with those who say -that subsequently, when a boy is old enough to be a candidate for his -school eleven, there is any great lack of system or careful training. -Rather, if a short digression may be pardoned, we think that the -Universities, or the laziness of University men, may chiefly be blamed -for the dearth of gentlemen bowlers. Our argument shortly stated is -this. If we compare gentlemen bowlers of the age of nineteen with -professionals of the same age, we shall find that the former have -nothing to fear from the comparison. But pass on for five or six years, -and the gentlemen are seen to be behind in the race for pre-eminence. -Can this be the fault of public schools? Is it not rather that after -leaving school few, scarcely any, systematically practise bowling, -although they are just at the right age to improve, having stronger -muscles and more experience, to say nothing of leisure hours and -increased opportunities? If University men would practise their bowling -both at nets and in matches with the same assiduity that boys do at -a public school, we think that it would approach more nearly to the -professional standard than it now does. - -We do not propose to offer our readers any special advice as to the -method of attack, which will naturally vary with different batsmen. -Experience and observation will suggest what may be done, if we can -only teach our young bowler to bowl straight, to vary his length, and -as he gets older his pace, and if nature has given him strength, and a -happy genius enables him to make the ball turn more or less at will. -Let us leave the bowler himself, and see if we can offer any hints on -providing him with a good field. - -It is a common fallacy to suppose that anyone can field well if he -takes the trouble to do so. With this we cannot agree; but we feel -strongly that most cricketers might improve themselves very much in -this department if they took the same pains they do to improve their -batting. - -But we must return to our small boys. First of all, let us teach them -to catch by throwing the ball from one to another, and let the ball be -small, proportioned to the size of their hands. Teach them to take the -catch opposite the upper part of the chest, when they can get to it -in that position, and to draw their hands back as the ball comes into -them. Do not keep them too long at this, or they will find it irksome. -Vary with a little ground fielding, but do not let them throw too -often or too far, or their arms will soon go, and you will ruin your -bowlers and your throwers as well. It is not, however, at this early -age that the most special attention ought to be given to fielding. It -is rather at our public schools that we here look for improvement; this -is the time at which we think most may be done. As a boy gains strength -and activity he gains two of the qualities most necessary for a good -fieldsman, and if nature has given him a good big pair of hands and -the power of throwing, it will be owing to his laziness if he does not -become a valuable aid to any bowler. We might dwell on the necessity -of keenness, watchfulness in the field, position for starting, and -many other essentials, but we have said enough for practical purposes; -all else will be easily learnt by a boy who has the energy and -determination to train himself into a good field. - -It will be noticed that in our suggestions to the batsman we have not -advised him to make that use of his legs in defending his wicket which -now finds such favour with our leading players. We confess to regarding -this as an ignoble art; but we admit that if the l.b.w. rule is to -continue as at present, the art, ignoble as it is, must be taught in -self-defence, or our pupils will necessarily be handicapped in being -expected to stop balls which break and turn with their bat instead of -with their legs. Fortunately age will relieve us personally of teaching -how this may best be done. It is for the rising generation either to -alter the law or to learn the art of getting in front of the wicket -when the ball does not pitch straight. - -It is in vain to lament over long scores and unfinished matches, -over dearth of bowlers and slackness in the field, whilst all the -time we are doing everything we can to make matters easier and easier -for the batsman, giving him perfect wickets, on which he can score -100 runs without getting out of breath, devoting his legs to the new -purpose of systematically intercepting the more difficult balls. How -different this from having honestly to run out every hit, and from -being compelled to play a real ‘snorter’ before the breath is fairly -recovered after the effort of running several fourers in succession! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -SINGLE WICKET. - -(BY THE HON. R. H. LYTTELTON.) - - -It is necessary in any work which professes to treat of cricket -generally, that the laws and regulations of single wicket should be -discussed, though the subject is not of much importance in these days; -for, as far as first-class cricket is concerned, the game played with -only one wicket has vanished altogether. Some few years ago, if an -ordinary three-day match were over early, a scratch single-wicket match -was sometimes improvised; but the effect was generally depressing. - -Few people now take the trouble to read through the rules which govern -single-wicket matches, and the almost total disappearance of such games -may be mainly attributed to two circumstances: (1) The great increase -in the number of three-day matches; (2) the diminution in the number of -fast bowlers. - -In the days of Alfred Mynn and Fuller Pilch matches practically never -took more than two days, and first-class contests were in number about -one-half what they are at present. A professional of the front rank, -such as Lohmann or Barnes, now has to play two matches a week, and if -a match is over on the second day, he is only too glad to have a rest -before beginning again elsewhere, it may be more than a hundred miles -away. The public also have the opportunity of seeing such a quantity of -first-class play, that there is no demand for single-wicket matches. - -In the second place, the rules of single-wicket cricket make it -essential that driving in front of the wicket must be the staple stroke -of the batsman, and for this reason, because the second rule provides -that, to entitle the striker to a run, the ball must be hit before the -bounds. Now the bounds are placed twenty-two yards each in a line from -the off and leg stump, and there must be bounds unless there are more -than four players on each side. The third rule compels the striker -at the moment of hitting the ball to have one of his feet behind the -popping crease and on the ground. These two laws contain the essence -of the game of cricket as played with a single wicket. It is not sound -cricket to play any bowling that may be called slow in the widest sense -of the term with your right foot absolutely fixed. In the chapter on -Batting the young player is advised to go out of his ground to slow -bowling of a certain length and drive. But at single wicket the batsman -may not move even an inch in front of the popping crease, to get a lob, -for instance, on the full pitch. So the effect of bowling slows in a -single-wicket match is that a batsman must abandon what may be called -the orthodox and correct method of play, and merely wait till he gets -a ball far enough up for him to drive it without getting out of his -ground. - -No correct player can ever drive slows, unless they are right up, -without going out of his ground, and a great many would be so cramped -that they would be at a disadvantage altogether, and obliged to play an -ugly pokey game. If a slow bowler with perhaps two or three fields were -bowling to Mr. Webbe, who plays slows as well as anybody in England, -that gentleman would find himself obliged to abandon his natural game, -stand still, watch the ball carefully, and play it gently, till he got -a real half-volley or outrageous long-hop, off which he could score. -But if certain skilful bowlers were on, the batsman would very likely -have to wait the best part of an hour before such a ball came; and it -would be sadly dull to watch such a game. - -If five play on a side bounds are abolished, the slow bowling may get -hit behind the wicket, and so the game becomes considerably livelier. -The run consists of touching the bowler’s stump with the bat and -getting back to the popping crease. Thus one run at single wicket is -exactly equivalent to two at double wicket. To get three runs in one -hit if there are two fields is almost an impossibility, though it has -been done. There is no wicket-keeper, and nothing can be scored by -byes, leg-byes, or overthrows. To run a man out, it is necessary that -the bowler run to the wicket and put it down, unless of course it is -thrown down. The fieldsman must return the ball so that it shall cross -the ground between the wicket and the bowling stump, or between the -bowling stump and the bounds; and three are scored for a lost ball. - -In very ancient times five players a side used often to contend at -single wicket, and in this sort of match there are no bounds, though -the batsman must have his right or left foot on the ground behind the -popping crease when the ball is hit. - -Single-wicket matches were once very common. Indeed, during the last -century they were played nearly as often as double-wicket games, and we -will briefly notice some of the most famous. - -In the year 1772 five of Kent with Minshull beat five of the famous -Hambledon Club by one wicket, but in 1773 the same five men of -Hambledon vanquished five men of England. Happy village of Hambledon -that could thus defeat All England, a deed that at double wicket no -county could accomplish now! With the redoubtable Lumpy given, the -same village in 1781 beat England by 78 runs, five players on a side. -In the following year six of Hambledon beat six of Kent, and the Duke -of Dorset, Privy Councillor, Knight of the Garter, and Lord Steward of -the King’s Household, played for the village against his own county, -for what reason history telleth not. John Nyren says that this nobleman -‘had the peculiar habit, when unemployed, of standing with his head on -one side.’ He is also celebrated in verse: - - Equalled by few he plays with glee, - Nor peevish seeks for victory. - His Grace for bowling cannot yield - To none but Lumpy in the field. - And far unlike the modern way - Of blocking every ball at play, - He firmly stands with bat upright - And strikes with his athletic might, - Sends forth the ball across the mead, - And scores six notches for the deed. - -The Duke must have been the first who conceived the idea of -international cricket; for while ambassador in France he wrote to -Golden, of Chertsey, to form an eleven to play at Paris. Unfortunately, -when they had got as far as Dover, they met his Grace, who had to flee -the faithless Frenchmen in consequence of a revolution, and the match -was abandoned. - -Six of Hambledon again beat six of England in 1783, but six of Kent -defeated the village in 1786. This was a famous match, though seeing -T. Walker batting for nearly five hours for 26 runs must have been a -trifle monotonous. A Kent player named Ring went in when 59 runs were -wanted to win and two more wickets to go down. He made 15 overnight, -and Sir Horace Mann promised him a pension if he carried out his bat, -and, we presume, won the match. He failed to do so, but got out when 2 -runs were wanted. Aylward then went in and played 94 balls before he -made the winning hit. We hope Sir Horace Mann gave the pension to Ring, -for he must have deserved it. - -Six of Hampshire twice beat England in 1788, and in 1789 a drawn match -was played between six of Kent and six of Hants. In this match betting -at the start was 5 to 4 on Hants, but David Harris was seized with -the gout, and the betting, therefore, stood at 5 to 4 on Kent. David -Harris used sometimes to walk to the ground on crutches, but bowled -splendidly, we are told, when he got warm. - -In 1806, three of Surrey--William Lambert, Robinson, and William -Beldham--beat three of England--Bennett, Fennex, and Lord F. -Beauclerk--by 20 runs. This was the famous match when Beldham, father -of thirty-nine children--none, so far as we know, cricketers--took -a lump of wet dirt and sawdust, and stuck it on to the ball, which -developed an extraordinary twist and bowled Lord Frederick out. His -lordship was of an irritable disposition, and must have been very angry -at this, for he had made 30 runs and was well set. - -In 1814, Osbaldeston, Budd, and Lord F. Beauclerk beat three of -England--Sherman, T. C. Howard, and Lambert. The famous Squire -Osbaldeston clean bowled all his rivals in each innings for 19 runs -only. The Squire, whose reputation as an all-round sportsman still -survives, was the fastest bowler of his day. In 1818, so great was his -fame and that of Lambert, that they challenged Budd, Humewood, T. C. -Howard, and George Brown; but the four won in one innings, which so -provoked the Squire that he withdrew from the M.C.C.--another irritable -man. - -The celebrated William Lambert alone beat two accomplished cricketers, -Lord F. Beauclerk and Howard, by 15 runs. The Squire was too ill to -play, so Lambert played them both, and drew the stakes, 100_l._ Up to -1827, wides counted for nothing, and Lambert bowled wides on purpose to -Lord F. Beauclerk to put him out of temper. They were a choleric race -in those days. The fame of Lambert is tarnished for selling a match at -Nottingham, and he was warned off the ground at Lord’s for ever. - -Mr. Budd in 1820 played a fast bowler called Brand, the match ending -most disastrously for the latter. Mr. Budd went in first, got 70 runs, -knocked his wicket down on purpose, and bowled his opponent out for 0. -Budd then got 31, again knocked his wicket down, and again bowled his -rival out for nothing. Mr. Brand ended his days in a lunatic asylum; we -hope the malady was not brought on by this match, which was got up by -Mr. Ward, who backed Mr. Brand. - -The two brothers Broadbridge, one of whom was called ‘our Jem,’ beat -George Brown and Tom Marsden of Sheffield in 1827, but were beaten -in the return match. In 1832 Alfred Mynn played his first important -single-wicket match against Thomas Hills, Mynn winning with his wicket -standing. Hills said that Mynn bowled at least 50 wides, which seems -to prove that the chief bowlers of that day must have been slightly -deficient in accuracy. Why in this match the wides were not reckoned is -not clear, the rule scoring against the bowler having been put in force -some few years before. A return match was played, and Mynn again won, -this time in one innings, and Hills retired, satisfied, we suppose, -that in Mynn he had found his master. - -In 1833 Mynn and Pilch were perhaps the two greatest all-round players, -and Marsden of Sheffield in this year challenged the immortal Pilch, -who won in one innings and 70 runs. Pilch was not a great bowler, -neither was he fast, but Marsden’s style was fast underhand, and -Pilch’s bat was too straight for such bowling. In the return Pilch got -78 runs in the first innings and 100 in the second, and won the match -by 127 runs. The supremacy of Pilch over Marsden was fully asserted by -these two matches, and Marsden must have returned to Sheffield somewhat -crestfallen. - - Next Marsden may come, though it here must be stated - That his skill down at Sheffield is oft overrated. - -But the Yorkshiremen, we know, are always proud of their countrymen. -Pilch was a great batsman, and we do not feel surprised that he scored -so largely against fast underhand bowling. - -The ground ought to have been now cleared for a match between Mynn and -Pilch, and great would have been the interest if such a game had been -played--Voltigeur and The Flying Dutchman would have been nothing to -it. The two men belonged to the same county, so probably there was -wanting a sufficient motive; but together they would probably have -beaten any three other cricketers. - -Mr. Mynn next heavily defeated James Dearman of Sheffield twice, in -the first match by 112 runs, and again in one innings and 36 runs. Mynn -scored 46 in the last innings off 46 hits, which sounds strange, but -then, as is recorded naïvely in the ‘Scores and Biographies,’ Mynn was -always a great punisher. - -Mr. Felix next challenged Mr. Mynn, and he must have been of a sanguine -temperament to have done so; for, though perhaps a better bat than -Mynn, he was a left-handed lob bowler, a delivery not suited for -single-wicket matches. The first game Mynn won in one innings and 1 -run, only 9 runs being made in the whole match. In Felix’s second -innings Mynn bowled 247 balls for 3 runs. Single-wicket matches had -already begun to get out of favour; this was the most important that -had taken place for some time, and Squire Osbaldeston was a spectator. -In the return Mynn won by one wicket, and this was a small scoring -match. Mynn now was left unchallenged, having won all the single-wicket -matches in which he was engaged alone. In 1847 Wisden beat Sherman -twice. Thomas Hunt of Chesterfield was a great single-wicket -match-player, and beat Chatterton, Dakin, Charley Brown, and R. C. -Tinley. - -Single-wicket playing has been practically dead since 1850, though -Hayward, Carpenter, and Tarrant played two matches about the year 1862. -The subject possesses only an historical interest now, but in old times -it created enormous excitement, and no doubt the pride of the men of -Kent in Alfred Mynn was largely owing to his single-wicket prowess. If -such matches were played on the smooth wickets of modern times, the -fortunate man who won the toss might never be got out all day, and the -game would become a burlesque on cricket. Eleven fieldsmen, and not one -bowler merely, are now required to get out Mr. Grace and Shrewsbury, -and but few wickets are bowled down as compared with the days of fast -bowling and rough grounds. When the All England elevens used to tour -about the country under the management first of William Clarke and then -of George Parr, some of the best bowlers in England were to be found -in their ranks. Jackson, Willsher, Furley, Tarrant, and others used -often to play, and occasionally when the regular match was over, one of -them would earn a cheap sort of notoriety by challenging eleven of the -natives at single wicket. Eleven straight balls were sometimes found -sufficient to get the eleven out, and one run by the England player -gave him the victory. Such matches are absurd, and it is not a matter -of regret that they are played no longer. - -However, it seems right that a notice of the famous contests of old -should have been written, on account of the interest they formerly -excited, and on village greens, where eccentricities of ground are to -be met with, they may still perhaps be played. But they are a relic of -the past. - - - - -INDEX - - - Amateur, M. C. C. definition of an, 356 - - Australians, the, 74, 88, 188, 189, 207, 215, 258, 259, 273, 276, 285; - first matches with English teams in Australia, 313, 322; - first match in England, 314; - character of Gregory’s eleven, 314; - stimulating effect of rivalry on English cricket, 315; - doings, of Murdoch’s teams in 1880, 1882, and 1884, 315–318; - visit of Scott’s eleven in 1886, 318; - McDonnell’s 1888 team, 319; - Murdoch again captain in 1890, 320; - the eighth team (1893), 321; - Trott’s eleven (1896), 321; - Giffen, 322; - leading batting and bowling averages in test matches with England, - 324, 325; - Spofforth, 325; - reasons for excellence of their bowling, 326; - cup contests, 326 - - Authorities and literature cited:-- - Ancient Cities of the New World (De Charnay’s), 2; - A Pleasant Grove of New Fancies, 3; - Bell’s Life, 274; - Bentley’s Cricket Scores, 25; - Brand’s Popular Antiquities, 3, 4; - Byron, 10; - Chapman’s Odyssey, 2, 3; - Chesterfield, Lord, 9; - Clarke, Charles Cowden, 17; - Constitution Book of Guildford, 6, 7; - Contes du Roi Gambrinus, 6; - Cotgrave’s French and English Dictionary, 5, 6; - Cowper, 10; - Durfey’s Pills to purge Melancholy, 3; - English Game of Cricket (Box’s), 11; - Evans, Arthur, 1; - Florio’s Italian Dictionary, 6; - Gentleman’s Magazine, 11; - Gray, 9; - Grimston, Hon. Robert, 39, 364; - Herrick’s Hesperides, 3; - History of Guildford, 6; - Huddesford’s Salmagundi, 10; - Huddesford’s Wiccamical Chaplet, 10; - Jamieson’s Scotch Dictionary, 4; - Jerks in from Short-leg (Fitzgerald’s), 28, 263, 267; - Johnson, Dr., 3, 9; - Juvenile Sports, 27; - Knight, 22; - Life of the Scotch Rogue, 4; - Lillywhite’s Annual, 245; - Lillywhite’s Scores and Biographies, 28, 35, 358; - Lincoln, Bishop of, 26; - Longman’s Magazine, 153, 154; - Love’s Cricket, 12, 15; - Lyttelton, Hon. E., 245; - Mitford’s Our Village, 283; - Murray’s English Dictionary, 5; - Nyren’s Cricketer’s Guide, 12, 16, 19, 21, 25, 388; - Pinder, George, 252; - Piozzi, Mrs., 1; - Pope, 9, 31; - Proctor, R. A., 153; - Prowse, 297; - Punch, 31; - Pycroft’s Cricket Field, 12, 23, 25, 43, 155, 156, 359; - Rambler, 5; - St. Andrews, Bishop of, 12, 23, 26, 329; - Scott, Sir Walter, 294; - Skeat’s Etymological Dictionary, 5; - Sketches of the Players (Denison’s), 21; - the Sporting Magazine, 21; - Strutt’s Sports and Pastimes, 3–5; - Teonge, Henry, 8; - Todd’s Johnson, 5; - Tom and Jerry, 281; - Walker, John, 277; - Walpole, Horace, 9; - Ward, Rev. Arthur, 313; - Zola’s Germinal, 6 - - - Balls, 195 - - Barre, tennis-player, 246 - - Base-ball, 2, 3, 153 - - Bats, 36, 41, 42 - - Batsmen, past and present, amateur and professional:-- - Abel, 69, 74, 100, 215, 321 - Absalom, C. A., 91 - Aislabie, 28 - Almond, H. H., 32 - Anderson, 370 - Ash, E. P., 40 - Aylward, 16, 24, 389 - Bagge, T. E., 370 - Baldwin, 100 - Balfour, Leslie, 32 - Bannerman, A. C., 145, 316, 317, 321 - Bannerman, C., 170, 313, 315 - Barlow, R. G., 90 - Barnes, 68, 358 - Bates, 358, 373 - Beagley, 36, 359, 360 - Beauclerk, Lord F., 20, 23, 24, 36, 359, 360, 389, 390 - Beldham, William, 20, 23–25, 35, 36, 389 - Bennett, 389 - Bentley, 36 - Bligh, Hon. Ivo, 32, 170, 241, 273 - Board, 38 - Bonnor, G. J., 74, 77, 86, 148, 207, 316, 317 - Briggs, 88, 357, 358 - Broadbridge, James, 36, 390 - Brockwell, 321 - Brown, Charley, 392 - Brown, G., 390 - Bruce, W., 179, 318, 321 - Bryan, 15 - Buchanan, 356 - Budd, 20, 36, 359, 360, 390 - Buller, C. F., 37, 49, 212 - Burbidge, 37 - Burgoyne, 68 - Burn, 320 - Cæsar, Julius, 37 - Caffyn, 37, 365 - Carpenter, 37, 39, 40, 54, 64, 366, 369, 370, 392 - Chalmers, 32 - Champain, 38 - Charlton, 320 - Chatterton, 392 - Cheyne, Arthur, 32 - Cobham, Lord, 64, 355 - Cooper, 37 - Daft, Richard, 37, 38, 39, 40, 67, 100, 358, 369, 370 - Dakin, 392 - Dalkeith, Lord, 295 - Darling, 179, 322, 323 - Dearman, James, 391 - Dickens, Major, 32 - Donnan, 69, 322 - Douglas, John, 295 - Drake, 369 - Druce, 323 - Emmett, 310 - Evans, A. H., 240 - Evans, E., 318 - Felix, 36, 37, 359, 362, 392 - Fennex, William, 25, 36, 389 - Flowers, 373 - Ford, F. G. J., 53, 56, 73, 86, 179 - Forman, William, 297 - Freemantle, 21 - Fryer, F. E. R., 43 - Fuller Pilch, 17, 25, 26, 36, 43, 49, 79, 156, 363, 365, 386, 391 - Giffen, G., 74, 148, 207, 316, 317, 321, 322, 324 - Golden, 389 - Grace, E. M., 51, 278 - Grace, G. F., 301, 373 - Grace, W. G., 36, 37, 38, 40, 43, 44, 52, 54, 56, 58, 64–66, 73, 81, - 85, 86, 90, 97, 98, 117, 130, 148, 164, 183, 196, 212, 213, 214, - 216, 254, 262, 263, 267, 278, 313–315, 321, 324, 344, 363, 369, - 371–374, 376, 392 - Graham, 321 - Green, C. E., 309 - Greenwood, Luke, 310 - Gregory, 314, 315, 320–323 - Grey, Jack, 297 - Griffith, 37 - Grundy, 67, 365, 372 - Gunn, 60, 62, 63, 93, 100, 188, 213, 215, 286, 321, 358 - Guy, Joseph, 37, 365 - Hall, Louis, 83, 101, 145, 343 - Hankey, 37, 38, 359, 366, 369 - Harris, Lord, 212, 306 - Hay Brown, 32 - Haygarth, 369 - Hayward, 26, 37, 38, 40, 215, 227, 323, 366, 370, 392 - Hearne, George, 100 - Hearne, Tom, 37, 67 - Henderson, E., 32 - Hewett, H. T., 179 - Hill, Clement, 179, 322–324 - Hills, Thomas, 391 - Hooker, W., 36 - Horan, 170, 315–317 - Hornby, A. N., 43, 183, 314 - Howard, T. C., 390 - Humewood, 390 - Humphrey, Richard, 290 - Humphrey, Tom, 26, 37, 40 - Hunt, Thomas, 392 - Iddison, Roger, 263, 310 - Iredale, F. A., 322, 323, 324 - Jackson, F. S., 40, 85, 214, 215, 321, 354 - Jessop, 38, 74, 86 - Jones, George, 74 - Jones, T. B., 275 - Jones, S. P., 316 - Jupp, 26 - Kempson, 359, 366 - Key, K. J., 61, 64, 254, 263 - King, R. T., 275, 277, 278 - Lambert, W., 25, 36, 389, 390 - Lane, 369 - Lane, C. G., 37 - Law, W., 274, 275 - Lear, George, 17 - Leslie, C. F. H., 239, 240 - Lillywhite, James, 313 - Lillywhite, W., 365 - Lockwood, 213, 357 - Lockyer, Tom, 370 - Long, R. P., 364 - Lubbock, 37 - Lucas, A. P., 66, 196, 373 - Lucas, F. M., 179 - Lyons, 77, 86, 321 - Lyttelton, Hon. A., 92, 373 - Lyttelton, Hon. C. G. (now Lord), 37, 40, 64, 371 - Lyttelton, Hon. E., 189 - McDonnell, P. S., 74, 148, 207, 262, 263, 317–319, 322 - McIlwraith, J., 318 - Mackenzie, Jack, 32 - McLaren, 85, 215, 323, 324, 363 - Maitland, 37 - Makinson, 370, 371 - Marsden, 37, 391 - Marshall, R. T., 295 - Marshall, Tom, 32 - Massie, H. H., 74, 148, 316, 317 - Maul, H. C., 56 - Mitchell, R. A. H., 37, 40, 62, 64, 370, 371 - Mortlock, 37, 268 - Moses, 179 - Moule, W. H., 316 - Murdoch, W. L., 158, 170, 189, 315–320, 324 - Mynn, A., 37, 361, 362, 363, 391, 392 - Newland, 15 - Nichols, 100 - Norman, F. H., 37 - O’Brien, 61, 86 - Osbaldeston, 36, 390, 392 - Painter, 101 - Palairet, L. C. H., 72, 85 - Palmer, G. E., 316 - Parr, George, 37, 40, 62, 63, 65, 66, 227, 256, 313, 362, 363, - 365–371, 392 - Patterson, 66, 373 - Pauncefote, B., 56 - Peel, 88, 179, 213 - Penn, Frank, 46 - Philipson, 321 - Pilling, 212 - Pinder, George, 277, 310 - Quaife, W., 100 - Quaife, W. G., 100 - Ranjitsinhji, K. S., 47, 85, 215, 323, 324 - Read, W. W., 40, 117, 213, 214, 318 - Ridley, A. W., 212 - Robinson, Tom, 389 - Rotherham, 373 - Rumney, 15 - Saunders, 36 - Scott, H. J. H., 163, 317, 318 - Scott, Hon. J. M., 32, 296, 298 - Scott, Lord George, 32, 296 - Scotton, W., 179, 358 - Searle, 36 - Selby, 358 - Sherman, 390, 392 - Shrewsbury, Arthur, 54, 56, 60, 73, 76, 77, 78, 83, 100, 188, 196, - 212, 213, 324, 343, 358, 373, 376, 392 - Small, John, 17 - Smart, Charles, 281 - Smith, 15 - Steel, A. G., 32, 56, 73, 76, 78, 86, 324, 376 - Steel, D. Q., 66 - Stephenson, 37, 313, 370, 371 - Stoddart, A. E., 40, 53, 196, 213, 215, 321–325, 327, 376 - Storer, 321, 333 - Sueter, Tom, 17, 24 - Sugg, 100 - Tarrant, 392 - Taylor, C. G., 37, 362–364 - Thornton, C. I., 77 - Tinley, R. C., 392 - Townsend, 38 - Trott, 189, 322, 323 - Trumble, J. W., 318 - Tufton, Hon. H., 359 - Tufton, Hon. T., 359 - Tunnicliffe, 100 - Ulyett, G., 148 - Wakley, Billy, 281 - Walker, J., 277, 370 - Walker, T., 20, 21, 24, 47, 389 - Walker, V. E., 37 - Walters, 320 - Ward, A., 100, 215 - Ward, W., 16, 23, 26, 31, 36, 390 - Watson, Charles, 281 - Webbe, A. J., 43, 314, 387 - Wenman, E. G., 37 - Wisden, 392 - Wootton, 101, 310, 372 - Wyer, Michael Russell, 296 - Yardley, W., 43, 56 - (_See also under_ University Cricketers) - - Batting, art of, 34; - shape of bat, 35, 36; - choice of bat, 41; - rules for the guidance of batsmen, 41; - position at wicket, 42–46; - Fuller Pilch as a model batsman, 36, 43; - W. G. Grace’s attitude, 44; - manner of holding the bat, 45; - playing fast bowling, 46; - position of right foot, 46, 54, 65, 302; - pulling a straight fast ball to leg, 47; - correct pose of left shoulder and elbow, 48, 54, 71; - what to do when the ball is well outside off stump, 48; - forward play, 48; - how to meet shooters, 50; - tactics when playing and unable to smother the ball at the pitch, - 51; - half-cock stroke, 51; - back play, 39, 53; - dealing with a very short ball, 54; - easy wickets, 56; - the hanging ball, 57; - the yorker, 57, 129, 130; - offensive tactics, 58; - the cut, 40, 42, 59; - weak-wristed players’ cutting, 61; - the leg-hit, 62; - hit to square-leg, 39, - pushing, 64; - the glide, 65; - playing a ball on the legs that is not short enough to play back to, - 66; - the ‘draw,’ 67; - snicking a ball off leg-stump, 67; - forcing stroke off the legs, 68; - off-drive to coverpoint and right hand of point, 68; - off balls, 69; - half-volley on off side, 71; - the hard drive, 72; - half-volley on on side, 72; - play to fast bowling on soft tricky wickets, 73; - hitting on difficult wickets, 74; - play to slow bowling, 75; - running out to drive, 76; - dealing with balls that are well outside the off stump, 78; - playing lobs, 78; - the pat, 79; - how to meet fast or medium-pace balls on soft wickets, 81; - running, 83; - imitation of great players, 85; - temperament, 86; - nervousness, 87; - rules of health, 88; - sleep, 88; - over-eating, 88; - superstitions of players, 89; - number of ways of getting out, 89, 91; - hitting twice, 90; - picking up the ball while in ‘play,’ 90; - obstructing the field, 90; - rule for playing off breaks of all paces, 117; - timidity with balls on off side, 132; - pokey batsman dealing with high-dropping full-pitch ball, 139; - when wicket softened by overnight rainfall, 142; - mistakes made about the state of the wicket, 146; - dealing with left-handed bowlers, 149; - left-handed batsmen, 178; - W. G. Grace’s counsel on how to score, 299–312. - (_See also under_ Bowling) - - Betting, 102 - - Border cricket, 292; - character of wicket, 292; - trop de zèle, 294; - patriotic partiality of umpires, 293; - playing for victory rather than cricket, 294; - surroundings of grounds,294; - batting and bowling, 295; - ‘Les Enfants Perdus,’ 295; - ‘Eccentric Flamingoes,’ 295; - T. R. Marshall, 295; - pleasant reminiscences, 296; - at the present day, 297; - umpiring, 298 - - Border Cup, 298 - - Bowlers, past and present, amateur and professional:-- - Absolom, 285 - Allan, 152, 153, 314, 325 - Appleby, 97, 178 - Atkinson, 277 - Attewell, 48, 88, 149, 212, 215 - Barclay, 23, 24, 32 - Barker, Tom, 37 - Barnes, 358, 373, 386 - Barrett, 320 - Bates, 207, 258 - Bathurst, Sir F., 37, 362, 364, 366, 373 - Bean, 357 - Beauclerk, Lord F., 23, 24, 359, 389 - Beldham, 359, 390 - Bennett, George, 39, 76 - Bland, 122 - Bonnor, 172 - Bowley, 160 - Box, Tom, 276 - Boyle, Cecil, 23 - Boyle, H. F., 258, 314, 315, 316, 317, 325 - Brand, 390 - Brett, Thomas, 17, 23, 24 - Briggs, 73, 75, 88, 100, 147, 149, 151, 152, 169, 211, 215, 321, - 325, 357, 358 - Broadbridge, James, 21, 22, 35, 365 - Brown, 357 - Brown, George, 365 - Browne, 23 - Bruce, W., 321 - Buchanan, David, 38, 97, 132, 151 - Budd, E. H., 26, 35 - Bull, 97, 215 - Bunch, 181 - Butler, 161 - Caffyn, W., 357 - Carpenter, 26, 227 - Christopherson, S., 160 - Clarke, William, 23, 37, 75, 79, 154–157, 362, 363, 365, 366, 392 - Cobbett, 37, 360, 361 - Cooper, W. H., 108 - Crossland, 160 - Cunliffe, 76, 97, 161 - Cuttell, 122, 161 - Davidson, 88, 122, 161 - Dean, 366 - Dryden, Billy, 297 - Emmett, Tom, 88, 101, 134, 166, 168, 178, 275, 277, 309, 318 - Evans, 74, 135, 161, 325, 373 - Felix, 365 - Fellows, Harvey, 24, 364, 366 - Ferris, J. J., 319, 320, 325 - Flowers, 212, 373 - Forbes, 172 - Ford, A. F. J., 239 - Francis, 161 - Freeman, 24, 39, 161, 277, 309, 310 - Fuller Pilch, 361, 365, 391 - Furley, 392 - Game, 172, 275 - Garrett, T. W., 74, 277, 314–317, 325 - Giffen, G., 73, 167, 168, 316, 317, 321, 322, 325 - Glassford, Clement, 32, 297 - Grace, W. G., 97, 153, 168, 169, 213 - Grant, Hope, 24 - Greenwood, Luke, 372 - Hall, Harry, 25 - Hammond, 359 - Harris, D., 19–21, 24, 358, 389 - Harrison, 160 - Hartley, 59 - Hearne, A., 59, 116, 122, 212, 215 - Hearne, J. T., 161, 325 - Hide, J., 357 - Hill, Allan, 160, 277, 358 - Hillyer, 37, 75, 362, 365 - Hirst, 88, 122, 215 - Hodgson, 31 - Hodswell, 16 - Horan, 315, 316 - Howard, T. C., 360 - Howell, 323, 325 - Humphreys, 154, 156, 321 - Jackson, 24, 31, 39, 54, 76, 97, 161, 369, 370, 392 - Jephson, 154 - Jessop, 38, 59, 74, 76, 97, 161 - Jones, 59, 174, 322, 323, 325 - Kempson, 366, 373 - Kendall, Tom, 152 - Knight, G., 21, 22 - Kortright, 76, 97, 161 - Lambert, 17, 18, 23, 359 - Lang, R., 24, 268, 274 - Leslie, C. F. H., 170 - Lillywhite, James, 81, 313 - Lillywhite, John, 301, 369 - Lillywhite, W., 17, 21, 22, 35, 37, 43, 75, 276, 360–365 - Lockwood, 116, 211, 212, 213, 321, 357, 358 - Lohmann, 174, 212, 325, 386 - Lumpy (Stevens), 12, 18, 24, 388 - Lyttelton, Hon. A., 318 - Mann, Noah, 18, 358 - Marcon, 24 - Marsden T., 390, 391 - Marsham, C. D., 369, 370 - Martingell, 63, 112, 366 - Mathews, 360 - McDonnell, P. S., 316 - McIntyre, Martin, 81 - McKibbin, 174, 322 - McLeod, R., 321, 323 - Midwinter, 315, 317 - Miles, Farmer, 280 - Minshull, 388 - Mold, 116, 122, 161, 164, 211, 212, 213 - Morley, Fred., 81, 82, 166, 174, 205, 262, 314, 358, 373 - Morton, 161 - Mynn, Alfred, 22–24, 26, 37, 75, 275, 276, 360, 361, 362, 364, 365, - 366, 386, 391 - Noble, 323, 325 - Nyren, Richard, 17 - Osbaldeston, 23, 390 - Palmer, 74, 105, 121, 151, 164, 168, 174, 258, 276, 277, 317, 325 - Payne, 369 - Peate, 38, 81, 100, 147, 151, 168, 276, 318, 373 - Peel, 75, 88, 149, 151, 211, 213, 215, 325 - Powys, 24, 161, 268 - Rawlin, 88 - Redgate, 37, 75, 275, 361 - Richardson, 39, 76, 81, 116, 122, 161, 174, 215, 325 - Ridley, A. W., 154, 156, 212, 270, 274, 275, 314 - Rotherham, A., 160, 164, 373 - Rotherham, H., 160 - Saunders, 21 - Searle, 21 - Shaw, Alfred, 38, 76, 81, 82, 100, 115, 121, 131, 147, 205, 212, - 289, 309, 314, 364, 372 - Shaw, J. C., 152, 289, 301, 358 - Shrewsbury, 271 - Silcock, 112 - Sinclair, 32 - Slinn, 31 - Smith, 373 - Southerton, 81, 115, 276 - Spofforth, 23, 98, 120, 121, 133, 134, 148, 149, 162, 164, 167, 172, - 174, 185, 189, 241, 258, 268, 277, 310, 314–317, 324, 325, 374 - Steel, 373 - Stephenson, 369 - Stratford, 108 - Streatfeild, 97 - Studd, 97 - Tarrant, 24, 54, 161, 370, 371, 392 - Taylor, 366 - Thewlis, 358 - Thornton, C. I., 181 - Tinley, 31, 156 - Toppin, C., 160 - Trott, 59, 189, 321, 323 - Trumble, H., 320–323, 325 - Turner, C. T. B., 120, 149, 174, 319, 320–322, 325, 326 - Tylecote, 170 - Tyler, 38, 75, 147, 276 - Ulyett, 160, 277, 373 - Vigne, 360 - Wainwright, 59, 88, 147, 212, 213, 215 - Walker, T., 19, 22, 24, 35, 359 - Walker, V. E., 156 - Ward, A., 215 - Watson, 100, 373 - Wells, C. M., 97, 212 - Wenman, 361, 365, 366 - Wheeler, 357 - Whitby, 160 - Willes, 19, 21, 22, 96 - Willsher, 23, 369–371, 392 - Wilson, 97 - Wisden, 365, 369 - Wood, J. B., 156 - Woods, S. M. J., 76, 97, 161, 164, 373 - Wootton, 309 - Wright, W., 100, 101, 178, 357 - Yonge, George, 364 - (_See also under_ University Cricketers) - - Bowling, art of, 94; - present contrasted with past, 95; - falling off in amateur, 97; - at the public schools, 97, 98; - the professional bowler, 98–102, 357; - object of the bowler, 102; - the four motions of the ball and their intention, 103; - the spin from right to left, or leg-break, 104–113; - placing fieldsmen for leg-break balls, 107; - rotary motion of ball from left to right, or off break, 113; - what becomes of likely balls if not well played, 114; - break-back, 115, 117, 138; - fast off break, 116; - playing off breaks, 117; - upward vertical spin, 118; - downward vertical spin, 118; - combinations of spin, 119; - change of pace, 119–121; - high delivery,122; - advantages of slow delivery, 122–127; - two exceptions to putting on slows, 124; - yorkers, 128, 164; - leg half-volleys, 131; - good-length ball outside off stump, 131; - bowling player off his legs, 133; - from different distances, 134; - choice of ends, by the slow bowler, 135; - taking advantage of peculiarities of time and ground, 136; - avoidance of singularity of dress or manner, 137; - changing from over to round the wicket, 137; - varieties of full-pitch, 138; - high-dropping full-pitch, 138; - ordinary slow full-pitch, 140; - medium-paced full-pitch, 140; - how to turn different states of the ground to advantage, 142; - long-hops, 145, 146; - sodden wickets, 145; - the ‘cutting through’ state, 147; - the drying state, 147; - hard and crumbled wicket, 149; - left-handed bowlers, 149–153; - balls curling or twisting in the air, 153, 154; - under-hand slows, 154; - lobs, 156, 209; - fast bowling, 158–167; - the off break, 162; - long run up to wicket before delivery, 162; - practising before beginning, 163; - straight delivery, 163; - value of long stops, 164; - leg-stump bowling, 165; - bowling over and round the wicket, 165; - getting leg bias on a ball, 166; - attitude in delivery, 166–168; - ‘every cricketer should bowl,’ 170; - throwing, 171–175; - position of field for fast bowling, 175, 178; - dealing with left-handed bats, 178; - shooters, 180; - fast under-arm bowling, 181; - sneaks, 181; - rules for bowlers in the field, 182–186; - obedience to captain, 182; - quick return of bowler to wicket, 183; - appeals to umpires, 184; - shoes, 184; - cutting up the wicket, 184; - rules for beginners, 185; - training young cricketers, 382. - (_See also under_ Batting) - - Buccleuch, Duke of, 292, 297 - - Bunyan, John, playing at cat, 4 - - - Captains, 191; - few good, and those amateurs, 187, 188; - difficulties of professional, 188; - captaincy of the Australians, 189; - qualifications for, 189; - nervous order, 190; - apathetic kind, 190; - bowling enthusiasts, 190; - duties of, 191; - choice of team, 191, 207; - putting the other side in first, 191; - order of sending men in, 195–197; - counsel and encouragement to players, 198; - right of captains to order men to get out or to bowl wides to cause - or prevent a follow on, 198–203; - economising time, 203; - educational hints to men, 203; - correcting slovenly dress, 204; - duties in field, 204; - management of the bowling, 204; - placing field, 206; - duties of captains of University and Public Schools teams, 207; - management of school elevens, 209; - enforcing practice, 210; - what to drink, 210; - selection of teams, 211–216; - cheerfulness and watchfulness, 216 - - Cat-and-dog, 4, 5 - - Clubs:-- - All England Eleven, 363; - Drumpellier, 32; - Eccentric Flamingoes, 295; - Free Foresters, 31; - Hambledon, 10, 19, 21, 31, 358, 388; - I. Z., 31; - Melbourne, 313; - Old Grange, 32; - Richmond, 12; - Vine (Sevenoaks), 11; - West of Scotland, 32; - White Conduit, 27 - - Country cricket, 280; - a rustic match in 1830, 280; - dress of period, 280; - paraphernalia of the time, 281; - a common warlike wind-up of the match, 282; - modern village cricket, 282; - training of village lads, 283; - single wicket, 284; - practice before a match, 284; - sixpence on the wicket, 285; - the thing to ‘burn’ into a young player’s mind, 285; - getting and saving runs, 285; - management and finance, 286; - subscriptions, 286; - professional trainers, 284, 286; - playing against strong in preference to weak teams, 287; - educating the rougher element, 287; - introduction of the school element, 288; - a captain’s reward, 288; - début of Richard Humphrey, 289; - expenses, 290; - country umpires, 290 - - Cricket, history of, 1; - archæology of the game, 1; - Strutt on stool-ball, 3; - cat-and-dog, 4; - derivation of the word ‘cricket,’ 5; - ‘Miss Wicket,’ 7, 11; - in Queen Elizabeth’s time, 7, 8; - costume of cricketers in 1791, 10; - the ball in 1770, 11; - curved bats, 11, 24; - earliest laws, 12; - Mr. Love’s poetical effusion, 15; - a ghost at a cricket match, 15, _note_; - Hambledon the centre of cricket, 17; - Nyren’s Cricketer’s Guide, 16, _et seq._; - Lumpy and Noah Mann, 18; - David Harris, 19; - William Lillywhite, 21, 22; - Beldham, 25; - rise of the Marylebone C.C., 27; - M.C.C. laws, 28; - origin of Lord’s, 27, 28; - epochs in the history of the game, 31; - Scotch cricket, 32; - the whole art of batting, 34–93; - Fuller Pilch, 36, 43; - W. G. Grace as a batsman, 37, 44, _et seq._; - C. G. Lyttelton, Humphrey, and Ash, 40; - Robert Carpenter, 54; - superstitions among cricketers, 89; - scientific bowling, 94–186; - Willes’ introduction of round-arm bowling, 96; - concerning professionals, 98–102; - danger of game drifting into a mere monetary speculation, 102; - Spofforth, 120, 133, 324, 325, 374; - A. Shaw, 121; Tom Emmett, 134; - Peate, 151; - David Buchanan, 151; - Briggs, 151; - Mr. R. A. Proctor on bowling, 153; - W. G. Grace as a bowler, 169; - anecdote respecting W. G. Grace and Briggs, 169; - bowling in Australia, 174; - the genius who had discovered how to bowl shooters, 181; - captains and their functions, 187–216; - ‘Pavilion’ criticism, 198; - M.C.C. legislation as to following on and declaring innings at an - end, 202; - Morley’s geographical attainments, 205; - selecting representative elevens, 211–216; - umpires and their duties, 217–244; - a primitive match in Hampshire, 228; - the umpire who ‘dussn’t give him out,’ 231; - the art of fielding, 245–279; - country cricket, 280–291; - description of a rustic match in 1830, 280–282; - reminiscences of Border cricket, 292–298; - W. G. Grace on ‘How to score,’ 299–312; - the Australians and their doings, 313–327; - matches of English with Australian teams, 313–325; - reason alleged for excellence of Australian bowling, 325; - anecdote of a famous fieldsman, 327; - the University cricket match, 328–355; - Bishop Wordsworth’s account of the first Inter-University match, - 330–333; - the famous two-run success of Cambridge University in 1870, 339; - the celebrated six-run victory of Oxford in 1875, 346; - the University bowlers, 352; - encounters of the Gentleman and Players, 356–374; - Alfred Mynn, 361; - training young cricketers, 375–385; - single wicket, 386–393 - - Cricket-grounds, Australian, 326 - - - Dex, 1 - - Dorset, Duke of, 388, 389 - - Dress, 204, 387 - - Drink, 210 - - - Fielding, 245; - a safe field, 246; - directions for, 246; - backing up, 247; - throwing, 248; - deep field, or country catching, 250; - wicket-keeping, 251; - long-leg, 256; - mid-off and mid-on, 257; - cover-point, 259; - point, 260–262; - short-slip, 263; - third man, 265; - short-leg, 266; - long-stop, 267–270; - bad, indifferent, and specious fielding, 271; - famous fielders, 272–276; - celebrated wicket-keepers, 276; - young cricketers, 384 - - Fieldsmen:-- - Andrews, 278 - Barlow, 170 - Bell, F., 278 - Bickley, John, 278 - Boyle, H. F., 206, 258 - Briggs, 278, 325 - Burnup, 247 - Bury, W., 274, 278 - Carpenter, 227, 260, 278 - Dench, 365 - Diver, A., 268, 278 - Douglas, J., 246 - Game, 275 - Giffen, G., 325 - Grace, Dr. E. M., 278 - Grace, W. G., 262, 263, 278 - Gregory, 278 - Gunn, 213, 278, 285 - Hartopp, E. S. E., 278 - Hildyard, 278 - Jones, T. B., 275 - King, R. T., 275, 277, 278 - Lang, R., 274, 278 - Law, W., 260, 274, 275 - Lubbock, A., 278 - Lyttelton, Hon. C. G., 274 - Mansfield, Hon. J. W., 278 - Marshall, H. M., 268, 274, 278 - Moorhouse, 278 - Mordaunt, G. J., 260 - Mortlock, W., 278 - Palairet, 246 - Pickering, W., 275, 278 - Pilch, W., 278 - Read, W. W., 207 - Ridley, 274, 275 - Royle, 275, 278, 326 - Shaw, J. C., 267 - Shrewsbury, 212, 213 - Smith, John, 62, 278 - Studd, G. B., 258, 278 - Sugg, 246 - Taylor, Josiah, 281 - Thewlis, J., 278 - Tinley, R. C., 278 - Tobin, F., 268 - Wainwright, 247, 278 - Walker, J., 277 - Walker, V. E., 278 - Wright, F. W., 278 - - - Gentlemen and Players, 356; - definition of amateur and professional, 356; - Mr. W. G. Grace’s share in the matches, 371, 372, 373; - supremacy of professionals as bowlers, 357; - congestion of professional skill in certain districts, 358; - amateurs, 358; - the first match, 359; - details of matches played, 360–373; - Alfred Mynn, 361; - the Barn Door Match or Ward’s Folly, 361; - William Lillywhite, 362, 364; - William Clarke, 362; - the year 1846, 363; - C. G. Taylor, 363; - Fuller Pilch, 365; - victories of the Players from 1853 to 1865, 366; - in 1857, 369; - victories of the Gentlemen, 1866–1879, 372; - a tie, 373; - the future, 374 - - Gregory’s Australian team, 314 - - Grounds:-- - Bramall Lane, Sheffield, 271; - Brunswick, Hove, Brighton, 301; - Bullingdon Green, 328; - Clifton College, 308; - Cowley Marsh, 328; - Fenner’s, 339; - Lascelles Hall, 357; - Lord’s, 24, 27, 28, 38, 53, 66, 75, 90, 92, 147, 168, 188, 189, 193, - 208, 218, 227, 235, 273, 274, 290, 295, 309, 314, 318–320, - 328–330, 359, 369–373; - Magdalen, Oxford, 328; - Oval, 28, 64, 74, 188, 218, 227, 235, 262, 273, 318–320, 329, - 369–373 - - - Hambledon, the home of cricket, 17 - - Hawick, cricket at, 292, 295 - - Health, 88 - - Hockey, 2 - - - Kent, cricketing in, in 1830, 280 - - - ‘Laws of Cricket’ revised at the ‘Star and Garter’ by a committee of - noblemen and gentlemen, &c., 218 - - Lord, Thomas, founder of Lord’s cricket-ground, 27 - - - McDonnell’s Australian team, 319 - - Mann, Sir Horace, 389 - - Marylebone Cricket Club, the parliament of cricket, 27; - presidents and secretaries, 28; - abolition of rule forbidding ground to be rolled except before each - innings, 142; - on throwing, 172, 174; - on follow-on and declaring innings at end, 202; - on definition of amateur, 356 - - Matches:-- - Australians _v._ Cambridge University, 314, 315, 316; - _v._ Derbyshire, 315; - _v._ England, 169, 194, 262, 271, 315–322; - _v._ Gentlemen of England, 168, 314, 315, 316; - _v._ Gloucestershire, 314, 315; - _v._ Lancashire, 316; - _v._ Leicestershire, 314; - _v._ M.C.C., 314; - _v._ Middlesex, 314; - _v._ Nottingham, 314, 315, 316; - _v._ Oxford University, 316; - _v._ Players, 315, 316; - _v._ Surrey, 314; - _v._ Sussex, 314; - _v._ Yorkshire, 74, 314–317. - Cambridge _v._ Oxford, 135, 194, 275, 328–353; - Eton _v._ Harrow, 332; - Gentlemen _v._ Players, 38, 40, 87, 188, 273, 301, 329, 356–374. - Gloucestershire _v._ Kent, 308; - _v._ Notts, 306; - _v._ Surrey, 86, 307; - _v._ Yorkshire, 306. - Hambledon _v._ England, 388, 389; - Hampshire _v._ England, 389; - Kent _v._ All England, 15; - _v._ Hambledon, 388, 389; - _v._ Hants, 389; - _v._ Sussex, 76. - M.C.C. _v._ Cambridge University, 86, 92; - _v._ Hertfordshire, 28; - _v._ Kent, 306; - _v._ Oxford University, 87; - _v._ Yorkshire, 309. - North _v._ South, 38, 90. - Notts _v._ Yorkshire, 63. - Surrey _v._ Cambridge University, 91; - _v._ England, 389; - _v._ Kent, 43; - _v._ Notts, 289 - - Maxwell, Mr., 298 - - Murdoch’s teams of Australian cricketers, 315–318, 320 - - - Nervousness, 87 - - Nottinghamshire bowlers, 357 - - - Pallamajo, 1 - - Professionals as a class, 98, 101, 102; - prospects of, in their career, 99–101; - definition of, 356 - - Public schools and colleges, bowling at the, 95, 97, 98; - captains, 207, 209; - elevens, 209; - Charterhouse, 330, 354; - Cheltenham, 354; - Clifton, 354; - Eton, 9, 330, 332, 339, 353; - Harrow, 330, 353; - Marlborough, 354; - Repton, 354; - Rugby, 151, 330, 353; - Shrewsbury, 10; - Tonbridge, 354; - Uppingham, 164, 354; - Westminster, 354; - Winchester, 330, 354; - Wykeham, 330, 331 - - - Regimen, 210 - - Rounders, 1, 2 - - Rustic match, a, in 1830, 280 - - - Scores, how to make good, 299; - diet, sleep, and exercise, 299; - early training, 300; - practice on ground previous to match, 300; - testing pads, gloves, and shoes, 301; - punctuality at wicket, 302; - taking guard, 302; - observation of position of field, 302; - beginning of innings, 303; - avoidance of sharp runs, 303; - running out big hits, 304; - playing balls too quickly, 304; - dealing with thirst, 304; - modesty in the hour of victory, 305; - differing orders of wickets, 305; - a fast, dry, and true wicket, 305; - a fast, good, wet wicket, 307; - a slow, good, dry wicket, 307; - a bumpy wicket, 308; - a drying, sticky wicket, 310; - dealing with straight balls, 310; - valuable hints, 310, 311; - playing against odds, 311 - - Scotch cricket, 32, 194, 230 - - Scott’s Australian eleven, 318 - - Shoes, 184, 241 - - Single wicket, 284, 386; - rules, 387; - annals, 388–392 - - Sleep, 88 - - Smoking, 210 - - Snob-cricket, 1 - - Spikes, 184 - - Stoddart’s English team in Australia, 215, 322–323 - - Stool-ball, 1–4 - - Stump-cricket, 1 - - Superstition among players, 89 - - Sutton-in-Ashfield, the nursery of bowlers, 358 - - - Temperament, 86 - - Throwing, 171 - - Training young cricketers, art of, 375; - beginning early, 375; - evils of over-coaching, 376, 380; - learning to bat, 377–382; - duties of the coach, 380; - teaching to bowl, 382–384; - fielding, 384 - - Trott’s Australian team, 321, 322 - - - Umpires, 217; - none in early days of cricket, 217; - scoring by the ‘notcher,’ 217; - rules for, in the ‘Laws of Cricket,’ 218; - former custom of each side providing its own, 218; - present mode of nominating, 219; - source from whence drawn, 219; - difficulties of, 219; - deciding on question of bat or hand touching ball, 219; - finality of decisions, 221; - in cases of l.b.w., 223; - mutinous bowlers, 225; - club cricket disputes, 226; - at rustic matches, 226–231; - folly of giving reasons for decisions, 231; - qualifications for, 232; - quickness in deciding, 233; - powers of concentration, 233; - duties of, 234; - ground-measuring and placing of stumps, 234; - settlement of boundaries, 235; - punctuality, 235; - position at wicket, 235; - crying ‘no ball,’ 236; - wide ball, 237; - precedence of appeal to, at bowler’s end, 238; - bump balls, 239; - stumping, 240; - fair and unfair play, 241; - at striker’s end, 241; - use of common sense, 244; - country specimens, 290; - in Border cricket, 298 - - Umpires:-- - Barker, Tom, 290; - Bayley, J., 290; - Caldecourt, 290; - Good, 290; - Ost, 281 - - Universities, bowling at the, 95, 97; - captains, 207, 209, 210; - teams, 274 - - University cricketers (_see also under_ Batsmen _and_ Bowlers): - Absalom, 344 - Anson, T. A., 334 - Ash, E. P., 40 - Baily, 339 - Balfour, R. D., 334 - Bardswell, 334 - Barnard, 330, 332 - Bayley, 331 - Belcher, 340, 343–345 - Berkeley, 334, 338, 355 - Blacker, 347, 349 - Blore, E. W., 336 - Booth, 352 - Bourne, 340, 342, 343, 345 - Briggs, 346, 348 - Buckland, 347, 348 - Bullock, 335 - Butler, S. E., 334, 337, 340, 342, 343, 345, 355 - Campbell, 347 - Case, 354 - Cobden, 337, 340, 342–346 - Cunliffe, 334 - Curteis, 352 - Dale, 340, 341, 346 - Druce, F. N., 354 - Evans, A. H., 334, 354 - Fawcett, E. B., 337 - Fellowes, E. L., 334 - Fellowes, W., 335 - Fiennes, W., 335 - Fortescue, 341, 346 - Fowler, 352 - Francis, 340, 342, 346, 354 - Freeman, George, 351 - Fryer, 337, 342 - Game, 346, 348, 351 - Green, C. E., 335 - Greenfield, 349 - Hamilton, 349 - Hill, F. H., 342–345 - Inge, 354 - Jackson, F. S., 334, 354 - Jardine, 335 - Jenner, Herbert, 331 - Kelcey, 347, 348 - Kempson, 355 - Kenney, E. M., 334, 336, 354, 355 - Key, 335, 336, 354, 355 - King, R. T., 335 - Lane, C. G., 339, 355 - Lang, R., 334, 335, 337, 346, 347, 349, 350, 351, 352, 355 - Leslie, 329, 353 - Longman, G. H., 339, 347, 349 - Lucas, 349, 354, 355 - Lyttelton, 349, 350 - Lyttelton, Hon. A., 354, 355 - Lyttelton, Hon. C. G. (now Lord), 335, 337, 355 - Macan, 349–351 - Maitland, W. F., 334, 354, 355 - Makinson, J., 329, 335, 336, 354 - Manning, Henry (Cardinal), 330 - Marsham, C. D., 328, 329, 334–336, 344, 352, 355 - Mills, W., 334 - Mitchell, 335, 336, 352, 354, 355 - Money, 337, 340 - O’Brien, 329 - Onslow, D. R., 337 - Ottaway, 339–342, 346, 351, 354 - Palairet, 354 - Patterson, 346–348, 350 - Pauncefote, 340, 341, 344, 346, 353, 354, 355 - Payne, A., 335 - Pelham, Hon. F. G., 334, 352, 355 - Plowden, H. M., 334, 335, 337, 352, 355 - Powys, W. N., 334, 339 - Pulman, 347, 348, 351 - Rashleigh, 354 - Raynor, 339 - Ridding, A., 328 - Ridding, C. H., 328 - Ridley, A. W., 338, 346–350, 352, 355 - Rock, C. W., 334 - Royle, 347–350 - St. Croix, W. de, 334 - Salter, H. W., 334, 335, 337 - Sayres, 336 - Scott, 337, 340 - Sharpe, 346–349 - Sims, 350–352 - Smith, 351 - Smith, A. F., 340 - Stedman, 337 - Steel, A. G., 334, 337, 354, 355 - Stewart, 343, 344, 345 - Studd, C. T., 334, 354, 355 - Tabor, 339 - Thornton, 337 - Tobin, 337 - Townshend, 342, 346 - Traill, W. F., 334, 355 - Tuck, G. H., 334 - Tylecote, 339–342, 346, 348, 354 - Voules, S. C., 334, 354 - Walker, J., 338 - Walker, R. D., 328, 329, 338, 354 - Ward, 341, 342 - Ward, Rev. A. R., 314, 344–347 - Ward, Harrison, 340 - Warner, 353 - Webbe, 346, 347, 350 - Wells, 334 - Wills, T. W., 329 - Woods, S. M. J., 334, 338, 355, 373 - Wordsworth (late Bishop of St. Andrews), 329–333 - Wright, 336, 355 - Yardley, 335–337, 339–341, 344, 345, 346, 353, 354, 355 - Yonge, G. E., 336 - - University cricket-match, the, 328; - rules of qualification to play in, 328; - advantage of playing on own ground, 329; - Bishop Wordsworth’s account of the first Inter-University match, - 330–333; - results of matches, 333; - quality of the bowling, 333, 352; - individual scores, 335, 336; - celebrated bowlers, 336, 337; - Mr. S. E. Butler’s great bowling feat, 337; - batting failures, 338; - vicissitudes of the contests, 339; - the two-run success of Cambridge, 339–346; - the six-run victory of Oxford, 346–352; - public schools and the University elevens, 353; - all-round players, 354 - - - Wicket-keeper, duties of, 209, 219, 220, 251–255 - - Wicket-keepers:-- - Anson, T. A., 275, 276 - Blackham, J. M., 268, 276, 277, 316, 317, 320 - Box, Tom, 76, 276 - Bush, 276 - Gay, 276 - Hunter, 276 - Jarvis, 277 - Jenner, Herbert, 276 - Kemble, 276 - Leatham, 276 - Lilley, 276 - Lockyer, 276 - Lyttelton, Alfred, 240, 276 - McGregor, G., 212, 213, 276, 320 - Mortlock, 268 - Newton, 276 - Nicholson, W., 276 - Philipson, 276 - Pilling, 212, 276 - Pinder, George, 276, 277, 309 - Plumb, 276 - Pooley, 276 - Ridding, W., 276 - Sherwin, 252, 253, 276 - Storer, 215, 276 - Tylecote, E. F. S., 276 - Tylecote, H. G., 274 - Wenman, E. G., 276 - - - Yorkers, 58, 128, 129 - - -_Spottiswoode & Co. Printers, New-street Square, London._ - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - - -On page 269: - -But though the ball is on the leg side, it is quite possible for the -batsman to hit it on the on side, and send it straight to short-slip’s -hands, if he only could have been in his proper place. - -has been changed to: - -But though the ball is on the leg side, it is quite possible for the -batsman to hit it on the off side, and send it straight to short-slip’s -hands, if he only could have been in his proper place. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cricket, by -Allan Gibson Steel and Robert Henry Lyttelton - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET *** - -***** This file should be named 52684-0.txt or 52684-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/6/8/52684/ - -Produced by MWS, Fay Dunn and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Cricket - -Author: Allan Gibson Steel - Robert Henry Lyttelton - -Illustrator: Lucien Davis - -Release Date: July 31, 2016 [EBook #52684] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Fay Dunn and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<h1 class="faux">CRICKET</h1> - -<div class="transnote"> - <h2 class="nopagebreak" title="">Transcriber’s Note</h2> - -<p>Full page figures have -been moved near to the text they illustrate. Figures in the text have -been moved to the start or end of the paragraph.</p> - -<p>Footnotes have been moved to the end of chapters.</p> - -<p>Variant spelling and inconsistent hyphenation -are retained, in a few cases, missing punctuation has been added -for consistency, e.g. to match quotation marks. -A few palpable printing errors have been corrected.</p> - -<p>Other changes that have been made are listed at <a href="#End_Transcribers_Note" title="">the end of the book.</a></p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p class="title"><span class="title1 gothic heavy">The Badminton Library</span> -<br /> -<span class="title2">OF</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title3">SPORTS AND PASTIMES</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title2">EDITED BY</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title4">HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title2">ASSISTED BY ALFRED E. T. WATSON</span> -</p> -<p class="title title5 space_above space_below"><i>CRICKET</i></p> -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 title="" class="title1">THE BADMINTON LIBRARY.</h2> - -<p class="title heavy">28 Volumes. Crown <abbr title="octavo">8vo.</abbr> 10<abbr title="shillings">s.</abbr> 6<abbr title="pence">d.</abbr> each volume.</p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<ul class="library"> - <li><span class="def">ARCHERY.</span> By <span class="smcap">C. J. Longman</span>, <abbr title="Colonel">Col.</abbr> - <span class="smcap">H. Walrond</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 195 Illustrations - and 2 Maps.</li> - - <li><span class="def">ATHLETICS.</span> By <span class="smcap">Montague Shearman</span>. - 51 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">BIG GAME SHOOTING.</span> By <span class="smcap">C. - Phillipps-Wolley</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> - <ul class="library"> - <li><abbr title="Volume 1">Vol. I.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Africa and America.</span> 77 - Illustrations.</li> - <li><abbr title="Volume 2">Vol. II.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Europe, Asia, and the - Arctic Regions.</span> 73 Illustrations.</li> - </ul></li> - - <li><span class="def">BILLIARDS.</span> By Major <span class="smcap">W. Broadfoot</span>, - R.E. 29 Illustrations and - numerous Diagrams.</li> - - <li><span class="def">COURSING AND FALCONRY.</span> By - <span class="smcap">Harding Cox</span> and the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> <span class="smcap">Gerald - Lascelles</span>. 76 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">CRICKET.</span> By <span class="smcap">A. G. Steel</span> and the - <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> <span class="smcap">R. H. Lyttelton</span>. 65 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">CYCLING.</span> By the Earl of <span class="smcap">Albemarle</span> - and <span class="smcap">G. Lacy Hillier</span>. 59 - Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">DANCING.</span> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Lilly Grove</span>, - F.R.G.S., <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 131 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">DRIVING.</span> By the Duke of <span class="smcap">Beaufort</span>. - 65 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">FENCING, BOXING, AND WRESTLING</span>. - By <span class="smcap">Walter H. Pollock</span>, - <span class="smcap">F. C. Grove</span>, <span class="smcap">C. Prevost</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 42 - Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">FISHING.</span> By <span class="smcap">H. Cholmondeley-Pennell</span>.</li> - <li><ul class="library"> - <li><abbr title="Volume 1">Vol. I.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Salmon</span>, <span class="smcap">Trout</span>, and <span class="smcap">Grayling</span>. - 158 Illustrations.</li> - <li><abbr title="Volume 2">Vol. II.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Pike</span> and other <span class="smcap">Coarse Fish</span>. - 132 Illustrations.</li> - </ul></li> - - <li><span class="def">GOLF.</span> By <span class="smcap">Horace Hutchinson</span>, the - Right <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> <span class="smcap">A. J. Balfour</span>, M.P., - <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 89 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">HUNTING.</span> By the Duke of <span class="smcap">Beaufort</span>, - K.G., and <span class="smcap">Mowbray Morris</span>. - 53 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">MOUNTAINEERING.</span> By <span class="smcap">C. T. Dent</span>, - Sir <span class="smcap">W. M. Conway</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 108 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">POETRY (THE) OF SPORT.</span> Edited - by <span class="smcap">Hedley Peek</span>. 106 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">RACING AND STEEPLECHASING.</span> - By the Earl of <span class="smcap">Suffolk - and Berkshire</span>, <span class="smcap">W. G. Craven</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> - 58 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">RIDING AND POLO.</span> By <span class="smcap">Robert - Weir</span>, <span class="smcap">J. Moray Brown</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 59 - Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">ROWING.</span> By <span class="smcap">R. P. P. Rowe</span> and - <span class="smcap">C. M. Pitman</span>. With Chapters on - Steering, Metropolitan Rowing, and - on PUNTING. With 75 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">SEA-FISHING.</span> By <span class="smcap">John Bickerdyke</span>, - <span class="smcap">W. Senior</span>, Sir <span class="smcap">H. W. Gore - Booth</span>, Bart., and <span class="smcap">A. C. Harmsworth</span>. - 197 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">SHOOTING.</span> By Lord <span class="smcap">Walsingham</span> - and Sir <span class="smcap">Ralph Payne-Gallwey</span>, - Bart.</li> - <li><ul class="library"> - <li><abbr title="Volume 1">Vol. I.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Field and Covert.</span> 105 - Illustrations.</li> - <li><abbr title="Volume 2">Vol. II.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Moor and Marsh.</span> 65 Illustrations.</li> - </ul></li> - - <li><span class="def">SKATING, CURLING, TOBOGGANING, - <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr></span> By <span class="smcap">J. M. Heathcote</span>, -<span class="smcap">C. G. Tebbutt</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 284 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">SWIMMING.</span> By <span class="smcap">Archibald Sinclair</span> - and <span class="smcap">William Henry</span>. 119 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">TENNIS, LAWN TENNIS, - RACKETS, AND FIVES.</span> By - J. M. and <span class="smcap">C. G. Heathcote</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> - 79 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><span class="def">YACHTING.</span> By Lord <span class="smcap">Brassey</span>, the -Earl of <span class="smcap">Onslow</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr></li> - <li><ul class="library"> - <li><abbr title="Volume 1">Vol. I.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Cruising</span>, <span class="smcap">Construction</span>, - <span class="smcap">Racing Rules</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 114 Illustrations.</li> - - <li><abbr title="Volume 2">Vol. II.</abbr>—<span class="smcap">Yachting in America and - the Colonies</span>, <span class="smcap">Racing</span>, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> 195 - Illustrations.</li> - </ul></li> -</ul> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<p class="center">LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO. 39 Paternoster Row, London -and Bombay.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 title="" class="faux">Cricket</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_caught_and_bowled" id="image_caught_and_bowled" class="nodec"><img src="images/caught_and_bowled.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="651" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - CAUGHT AND BOWLED - </p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p class="title"> -<span class="title6"><span class="spaced">CRICKE</span>T</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title2">BY</span><br /> -<span class="title3">A. G. STEEL</span><br /> -<span class="title7">AND THE</span><br /> -<span class="title3"><abbr title="HONOURABLE">HON.</abbr> R. H. LYTTELTON</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="title2">WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY</span><br /> -<span class="title2">A. LANG, W. G. GRACE, R. A. H. MITCHELL, AND F. GALE</span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_waiting_batsman" id="image_waiting_batsman" class="nodec"><img src="images/waiting_batsman.jpg" alt="Vignette of batsman waiting on a bench" title="Vignette of batsman waiting on a bench" width="270" height="274" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="title title8"><i>WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS AFTER LUCIEN DAVIS<br /> -AND FROM PHOTOGRAPHS</i></p> -<p class="title gothic">Sixth Edition, thoroughly revised</p> -<p class="title"><span class="title3">LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.</span><br /> -<span class="title4">39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON<br /> -AND BOMBAY</span></p> -<p class="title title8">1898</p> -<p class="title title2"><i>All rights reserved</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="bib_note nopagebreak"> - -<h2><a name="BIBLIOGRAPHICAL_NOTE" id="BIBLIOGRAPHICAL_NOTE" class="nodec"><i>BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.</i></a></h2> - -<p><i>First Edition, June 1888; Reprinted August 1888, -January 1889, September 1890. New Edition, thoroughly -revised and with additions, December 1893. New Edition, -thoroughly revised and with additions, July 1898.</i></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 title=""><i>DEDICATION<br /> -<span class="title2">TO</span><br /> -H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES.</i></h2> - -<div class="figcenter twiddle"> - <img src="images/hr_twiddle.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="85" height="20" /> -</div> - -<p class="address_date"> -<span class="smcap">Badminton</span>: <i>June, 1888</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="noindent">Having received permission to dedicate these volumes, -the <span class="smcap">Badminton Library</span> of <span class="smcap">Sports</span> and <span class="smcap">Pastimes</span>, -to <span class="smcap">His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales</span>, -I do so feeling that I am dedicating them to one of the -best and keenest sportsmen of our time. I can say, from -personal observation, that there is no man who can -extricate himself from a bustling and pushing crowd of -horsemen, when a fox breaks covert, more dexterously -and quickly than His Royal Highness; and that when -hounds run hard over a big country, no man can take a -line of his own and live with them better. Also, when -the wind has been blowing hard, often have I seen -His Royal Highness knocking over driven grouse and -partridges and high-rocketing pheasants in first-rate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span> -workmanlike style. He is held to be a good yachtsman, -and as Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron is -looked up to by those who love that pleasant and -exhilarating pastime. His encouragement of racing is -well known, and his attendance at the University, Public -School, and other important Matches testifies to his -being, like most English gentlemen, fond of all manly -sports. I consider it a great privilege to be allowed to -dedicate these volumes to so eminent a sportsman as -His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and I do -so with sincere feelings of respect and esteem and loyal -devotion.</p> - -<p class="signed"> -BEAUFORT. -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 class="faux"><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</a></h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_badmington" id="image_badmington" class="nodec"><img src="images/badmington.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="191" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - BADMINTON. - </p> -</div> - -<p class="title title5 gap"><span class="spaced_slight">PREFAC</span>E.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/hr_twiddle.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="85" height="20" /> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">A few lines only are necessary to explain the object -with which these volumes are put forth. There is no -modern encyclopædia to which the inexperienced man, -who seeks guidance in the practice of the various British -Sports and Pastimes, can turn for information. Some -books there are on Hunting, some on Racing, some -on Lawn Tennis, some on Fishing, and so on; but one -Library, or succession of volumes, which treats of the -Sports and Pastimes indulged in by Englishmen—and -women—is wanting. The Badminton Library is offered -to supply the want. Of the imperfections which must -be found in the execution of such a design we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span> -conscious. Experts often differ. But this we may say, -that those who are seeking for knowledge on any of the -subjects dealt with will find the results of many years’ -experience written by men who are in every case adepts -at the Sport or Pastime of which they write. It is to -point the way to success to those who are ignorant of -the sciences they aspire to master, and who have no -friend to help or coach them, that these volumes are -written.</p> - -<p>To those who have worked hard to place simply and -clearly before the reader that which he will find within, -the best thanks of the Editor are due. That it has been -no slight labour to supervise all that has been written he -must acknowledge; but it has been a labour of love, -and very much lightened by the courtesy of the Publisher, -by the unflinching, indefatigable assistance of the Sub-Editor, -and by the intelligent and able arrangement -of each subject by the various writers, who are so -thoroughly masters of the subjects of which they treat. -The reward we all hope to reap is that our work may -prove useful to this and future generations.</p> - -<p class="signed">THE EDITOR.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 class="faux"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS" class="nodec">CONTENTS.</a></h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> - -<p class="title title5 gap"><span class="spaced_slight">CONTENT</span>S.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/hr_twiddle.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="85" height="20" /> -</div> - -<table class="toc" summary="Contents"> -<tr> - <th class="cont1">CHAPTER</th> - <th class="cont2"> </th> - <th class="tdr">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="1">I.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">The History of Cricket<br /> - <span class="author">By Andrew Lang.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1" title="Page 1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="2">II.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Batting<br /> - <span class="author">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_34" title="Page 34">34</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="3">III.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Bowling<br /> - <span class="author">By A. G. Steel.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_94" title="Page 94">94</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="4">IV.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Captaincy<br /> - <span class="author">By A. G. Steel.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_187" title="Page 187">187</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="5">V.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Umpires<br /> - <span class="author">By A. G. Steel.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_217" title="Page 217">217</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="6">VI.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Fielding<br /> - <span class="author">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_245" title="Page 245">245</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="7">VII.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Country Cricket<br /> - <span class="author">By F. Gale.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_280" title="Page 280">280</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="8">VIII.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Border Cricket<br /> - <span class="author">By Andrew Lang.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_292" title="Page 292">292</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="9">IX.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">How to Score<br /> - <span class="author">By W. G. Grace.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_299" title="Page 299">299</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="10">X.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">The Australians<br /> - <span class="author">By A. G. Steel.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_313" title="Page 313">313</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="11">XI.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">The University Cricket Match<br /> - <span class="author">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_328" title="Page 328">328</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="12">XII.</abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Gentlemen and Players<br /> - <span class="author">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_356" title="Page 356">356</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="13"><abbr title="13">XIII.</abbr></abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">The Art of Training young Cricketers<br /> - <span class="author">By R. A. H. Mitchell.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_375" title="Page 375">375</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1"><abbr title="14">XI<abbr title="5">V.</abbr></abbr> </td> - <td class="cont2">Single Wicket<br /> - <span class="author">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_386" title="Page 386">386</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="cont1">INDEX</td> - <td class="cont2"> </td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_395" title="Page 395">395</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 class="faux"><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS" class="nodec"><i>ILLUSTRATIONS.</i></a></h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p> - -<p class="title title5 gap"><i>ILLUSTRATIONS.</i></p> - -<p class="hang">(<span class="smcap">Engraved by J. D. Cooper and R. B. Lodge, after Drawings -by Lucien Davis, and Photographs by G. Mitchell, Martin -& Tyler, and Medrington & Co.)</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/hr_twiddle.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="85" height="20" /> -</div> - -<h3 title="">FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.</h3> - -<table summary="Full-page Illustrations"> -<tr> - <th> </th> - <th class="ill2">ARTIST</th> - <th colspan="2"> </th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_caught_and_bowled" title="">Caught and Bowled</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill3" colspan="2"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_a_young_cricketer" title="">A Young Cricketer</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a picture ascribed to Gainsborough, belonging to the M.C.C.</td> - <td class="ill3"><i>To face <abbr title="page">p.</abbr></i></td> - <td class="ill4">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_cricket" title="">Cricket</a></td> - <td class="ill2">After Hayman’s picture, belonging to M.C.C.</td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">12</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_royal_academy_club" title="">Royal Academy Club in Marylebone Fields</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">28</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_caught_at_the_wicket" title="">Caught at the Wicket</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">68</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_run_out" title="">Run Out</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">198</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_stoddart" title="">A. E. Stoddart</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">212</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_country_cricket" title="">Country Cricket <span class="ord_it">(Mitcham)</span></a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">280</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_mcc_and_ground" title="">M.C.C. and Ground <span class="ord_it"><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></span> Australians, Lord’s, May 22, 1884</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">308</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_the_critics" title="">The Critics</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">324</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_the_interval" title="">The Interval</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">348</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_kennington_oval_1854" title="">Kennington Oval, 1854</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">366</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1"><a href="#image_our_national_game" title="">Our National Game</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill3"><span class="lower">″</span></td> - <td class="ill4">376</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<h3 title="" class="illustrations">ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT.</h3> -<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></p> - -<table summary="Illustrations in Text"> -<tr> - <th> </th> - <th class="ill2">ARTIST</th> - <th class="tdr">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_waiting_batsman" title=""><span class="ord_it">Vignette on Title-page</span></a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_miss_wicket" title="">‘Miss Wicket’</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From an old print, 1770</td> - <td class="ill4">7</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#CHAPTER_II" title="">The Champion</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">34</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_w_g_grace" title="">W. G. Grace ready to receive the ball</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">44</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_forward_play" title="">Forward Play</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">50</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_half-cock" title="">‘Half-cock,’ or over the crease play</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">52</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_back-play" title="">‘Back-play’ to a bumping ball</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">55</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_gunn_cutting" title="">Gunn Cutting</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">59</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_shrewsbury_cutting" title="">Shrewsbury Cutting</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_old-fashioned_sweep_to_leg" title="">Old-fashioned Sweep to Leg (Gunn)</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">62</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_square-leg_hit" title="">Square-leg Hit (W. G. Grace)</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">64</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_glide" title="">‘The Glide’ (W. G. Grace)</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">66</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_forcing_stroke" title="">Forcing Stroke off the legs</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">68</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_off_drive" title="">Off Drive</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_running_out_to_drive" title="">Running out to Drive (Shrewsbury)</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">77</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_gunn_playing_forward" title="">Gunn playing Forward</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">93</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#CHAPTER_III" title="">‘The Demon Bowler’</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">94</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_leg-break_diagram" title="">The Leg-break Diagram</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">110</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_position_of_field_if_bowling_on_leg_side" title="">Position of Field if Bowling on Leg side</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">111</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_leg_break" title="">The Leg-break</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">113</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_likely_balls" title="">Likely Balls; and what may become of them if not correctly played</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">114</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_off_break" title="">The Off Break</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">116</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_off_breaks" title="">‘Off Breaks’</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">117</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_slow_ball" title="">Slow Ball</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">123</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_fast_ball" title="">Fast Ball</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">123</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_a_hot_return" title="">A Hot Return</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">127</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_a_pokey_batsman" title="">A Pokey Batsman dealing with a high-dropping full-pitch</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">139<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[xiii]</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_low_delivery" title="">Low Delivery</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">167</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_doubtful_delivery" title="">Doubtful Delivery</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">174</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_field_fast_right-arm" title="">The Field for a Fast Right-arm Bowler</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">176</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_field_fast_left-arm" title="">The Field for a Fast Left-arm Bowler</a></td> - <td class="ill2"> </td> - <td class="ill4">177</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_going_in" title="">Going in</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">187</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_eton_harrow" title="">Eton <span class="ord_it"><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></span> Harrow</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">208</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_at_wicket_after_bowling" title="">At Wicket after Bowling</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">214</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#CHAPTER_V" title="">‘Guard, please, Umpire’</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">217</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_a_clear_case" title="">A Clear Case</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">224</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_you_must_go_jack" title="">‘You must go, Jack’</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">229</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_stumped" title="">Stumped</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">243</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI" title="">‘Saving the Four’</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">245</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_backing_up" title="">Backing up</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">247</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_overtaking_and_picking_up" title="">‘Overtaking and Picking up’</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">249</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_right_way_to_catch" title="">The Right Way to Catch</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">250</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_wrong_way_to_catch" title="">The Wrong Way to Catch</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">251</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_sherwin_in_position" title="">Wicket-keeper—Sherwin in position</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">252</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_another_position" title="">Wicket-keeper—another position</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">254</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_hit_to_square-leg" title="">Hit to Square-leg</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">256</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_point" title="">Point</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">261</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_short-slip" title="">Short-slip</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">264</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_the_wrong_position_for_stopping_the_ball" title="">The Wrong Position for Stopping the Ball</a></td> - <td class="ill2"><span class="spaced_very"> <span class="lower">″</span></span></td> - <td class="ill4">273</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_an_anxious_moment" title="">An Anxious Moment</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">279</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII" title="">A Six-year Old</a></td> - <td class="ill2">From a photograph</td> - <td class="ill4">375</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="ill1a"><a href="#image_drawing_away_from_the_wicket" title="">Drawing away from the Wicket</a></td> - <td class="ill2">Lucien Davis</td> - <td class="ill4">379</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 class="faux">CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OF CRICKET.</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_a_young_cricketer" id="image_a_young_cricketer" class="nodec"><img src="images/a_young_cricketer.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="553" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - A YOUNG CRICKETER<br /> - (<i>From a Picture ascribed to Gainsborough belonging to the M.C.C.</i>) - </p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="title title1"><span class="spaced_slight">CRICKE</span>T.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/hr_twiddle.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="85" height="20" /> -</div> - -<p class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="1">I.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">THE HISTORY OF CRICKET.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By Andrew Lang.</span>)<br /> - -<i>Archæology of the Game.</i></span></p> - -<p class="noindent">Hundreds of pages have been written on the origin and -early history of Cricket. The Egyptian monuments and Holy -Scriptures, the illuminated books of the Middle Ages, and the -terra-cottas and vases of Greece have been studied, to no -practical purpose, by historians of the game. Outside of -England,<a name="Anchor_1" id="Anchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 1.">[1]</a> and before the fortieth year of the reign of Elizabeth, -there are no documents for the existence of cricket. -Doubtless in rudimentary and embryonic forms, it may have -existed. Of those forms we still possess a few, as ‘rounders’ and -‘stool-ball,’ and we can also study degraded shapes of cricket, -which naturally revert to the early germs of the pastime as -degenerate human types throw back to the monkey. There -is a sport known at some schools as ‘stump-cricket,’ ‘snob-cricket,’ -or (mysteriously and locally) as ‘Dex,’<a name="Anchor_2" id="Anchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 2.">[2]</a> which is a -degenerate shape of the game, and which is probably very -like the rudimentary shapes. These degradations are reversals -or returns to primitive forms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<p>A ball, more or less light and soft, is bowled or tossed at -any fixed object, which, in turn, is defended by a player armed -with a stick, stump, hair-brush, or other instrument. The -player counts as many points as he can run backwards and -forwards, after hitting the ball, between the object he defends -and some more or less distant goal, before the ball is returned. -He loses his position when the object he defends is struck by -the ball, or when the ball is caught, after he has hit it, before -touching the ground. Such is the degraded form of cricket, -and such, apparently, was its earliest shape. Ancient surviving -forms in which a similar principle exists are ‘rounders’ and -‘stool-ball.’ The former has been developed in America into -the scientific game of ‘base-ball,’ the name being Old English, -while the scientific perfection is American. It is impossible -to trace cricket farther back than games in which points are -scored in proportion to the amount of ground that the hitter -can cover before the return of the struck ball. Now other -forms of ball-play, as tennis, in different guises, can be found -even among the ancient Aztecs,<a name="Anchor_3" id="Anchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 3.">[3]</a> while the Red Indians practised -the form which is hockey among us, and the French -and Walloons have sports very closely corresponding to golf; -but games with the slightest analogy to cricket are very rare. -Stool-ball is the most important foreshadowing of cricket. As -early as 1614, Chapman, in his translation of the sixth book of -the ‘<cite class="plain">Odyssey</cite>,’ makes Nausicaa and her girls play stool-ball. -Chapman gives certain technical terms, which, of course, have -nothing corresponding to them in Homer, but which are valuable -illustrations of the English game.</p> - -<p>Nausicaa seems to have received a trial ball—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Nausicaa, with the wrists of ivory,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">The <em>liking-stroke</em> struck.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Again,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">The Queen now, for the upstroke, struck the ball</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Quite <em>wide</em> of th’ other maids, and made it fall</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Amidst the whirlpools.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> -<p class="noindent">thereby, doubtless, scoring a lost ball. He describes this as -‘a stool-ball chance.’ Chapman does not say whether the ball -was bowled to Nausicaa. Everything shows that Dr. Johnson -was writing at random when he described stool-ball as a game -‘in which a ball is driven from stool to stool.’ Chapman conceives -Nausicaa as making a ‘boundary hit.’ There would be -no need of such hitting if balls were only ‘driven from stool -to stool.’</p> - -<p>Strutt’s remarks on stool-ball merely show that he did not -appreciate the importance of the game as an early form of -cricket. ‘I have been informed,’ he says, ‘that a pastime -called stool-ball is practised to this day in the northern parts -of England, which consists simply in setting a stool upon the -ground, and one of the players takes his place before it, while -his antagonist, standing at a distance, tosses a ball with the -intention of striking the stool, and this it is the business of the -former to prevent by beating it away with his hand, reckoning -one to the game for every stroke of the ball,’ apparently without -running. ‘If, on the contrary, it should be missed by the -hand and strike the stool, the players change places.’ Strutt -adds, in a note, that he believes the player may be caught out. -He describes another game in which stools are set as ‘bases’ -in a kind of base-ball. He makes the usual quotations from -Durfey about ‘a match for kisses at stool-ball to play.’<a name="Anchor_4" id="Anchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 4.">[4]</a></p> - -<p>Brand’s notes on stool-ball do no more than show that men -and women played for small wagers, as in Herrick,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">At stool-ball, Lucia, let us play</div> - <div class="p_line_i2">For sugar, cakes, and wine.<a name="Anchor_5" id="Anchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 5.">[5]</a></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>It is plain enough that stool-ball was a game for girls, or -for boys and girls, and Herrick and Lucia. As at present -played stool-ball is a woman’s game; but no stool is used: what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -answers to the wicket is a square board at a certain height on a -pole, much as if one bowled at the telegraph instead of the -stumps. Consequently, as at base-ball, only full pitches can be -tossed. However, in stool-ball we recognise the unconscious -beginnings of better things. As much may be said for ‘cat-and-dog.’ -This may be regarded either as a degraded attempt at -early cricket, played by economists who could not afford a ball, or -as a natural <i>volks-kriket</i>, dating from a period of culture in which -balls had not yet been invented. The archæologist will prefer -the latter explanation, but we would not pedantically insist on -either alternative. In Jamieson’s ‘<cite class="plain">Scotch Dictionary</cite>,’<a name="Anchor_6" id="Anchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 6.">[6]</a> cat-and-dog -is described as a game for three.<a name="Anchor_7" id="Anchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 7.">[7]</a> Two holes are cut at a -distance of thirteen yards. At each hole stands a player with -a club, called a ‘dog.’ A piece of wood,<a name="Anchor_8" id="Anchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 8.">[8]</a> four inches long by -one in circumference, is tossed, in place of a ball, to one of the -dogsmen. His object is to keep the cat out of the hole. ‘If -the cat be struck, he who strikes it changes places with the -person who holds the other club, and as often as the positions -are changed one is counted as won in the game by the two -who hold the clubs.’ Jamieson says this is an ‘ancient sport -in Angus and Lauder.’ A man was bowled when the cat got -into the hole he defended. We hear nothing of ‘caught and -bowled.’<a name="Anchor_9" id="Anchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 9.">[9]</a></p> - -<p>Cat-and-dog, or, more briefly, cat, was a favourite game -with John Bunyan. He was playing when a voice from heaven -(as he imagined) suddenly darted into his soul, with some -warning remarks, as he was ‘about to strike the cat from -the hole.’ The cat, here, seems to have been quiescent. -‘Leaving my cat on the ground, I looked up to Heaven,’ and -beheld a vision. Let it be remembered that Bunyan was -playing on Sunday. The game of cat, as known to him, was,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -apparently, rather a rude variety of knurr and spell than of -cricket. This form is mentioned by Strutt.<a name="Anchor_10" id="Anchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 10.">[10]</a> Both stool-ball -and cat-and-dog have closer affinities with cricket than club-ball -as represented in Strutt’s authorities.<a name="Anchor_11" id="Anchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 11.">[11]</a> Perhaps we may -say that wherever stool-ball was played, or cat-and-dog, there -cricket was potentially present. As to the derivation of the -word ‘cricket,’ philologists differ as much as usual. Certainly -‘cricket’ is an old word for a stool, though in this sense -it does not occur in Skeat.<a name="Anchor_12" id="Anchor_12" href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 12.">[12]</a> In Todd’s ‘<cite class="plain">Johnson</cite>,’ we find, -‘Cricket: a low seat or stool, from German <i lang="de" xml:lang="de">kriechen</i>, to creep.’ -In Scotland we talk of a ‘creepy-stool.’</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">It’s a wise wife that kens her weird,</div> - <div class="p_line_i2">What though ye mount the creepy!</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">says Allan Ramsay, meaning the stool of repentance. If, then, -stool-ball be the origin of cricket, and if a cricket be a stool, -‘cricket’ may be merely a synonym for stool-ball. Todd’s -‘<cite class="plain">Johnson</cite>,’ with ignominious ignorance, styles cricket ‘a sport -in which the contenders drive a ball with sticks or bats in opposition -to each other.’ Johnson must have known better. In -the ‘<cite class="plain">Rambler</cite>,’ No. 30, he writes, ‘Sometimes an unlucky boy -will drive his cricket-ball full in my face.’ Observe, he says -‘drive,’ not ‘cut,’ nor ‘hit to leg.’</p> - -<p>Professor Skeat says nothing of this derivation of ‘cricket’ -from cricket, a stool. He thinks ‘et’ may be a diminutive, -added to the Anglo-Saxon <i lang="ang" xml:lang="ang">cricc</i>, a staff. If that be so, cricket will -mean club-play rather than stool-ball. In any case, Professor -Skeat has a valuable quotation of ‘cricket’ from the <cite class="plain">French -and English Dictionary</cite> compiled in 1611, by Mr. Randle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -Cotgrave. He translates the French <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">crosse</i>, ‘<span lang="emodeng" xml:lang="emodeng">a crosier, or -bishop’s staffe, also a <i>cricket staffe</i>, or the crooked staffe wherewith -boies play at cricket.</span>’ Now the name of the club used in -French Flanders at the local kind of golf is <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">la crosse</i>. It is a -heavy, barbaric kind of golf-club.<a name="Anchor_13" id="Anchor_13" href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 13.">[13]</a></p> - -<p>Thanks to Cotgrave, then, we know that in 1611 cricket -was a boy’s game, played with a crooked staff. The club, bat, -or staff continued to be crooked or curved at the blade till the -middle of the eighteenth century or later; and till nearly 1720 -cricket was mainly a game for boys. We may now examine -the authorities for the earliest mentions of cricket.</p> - -<p>People have often regarded Florio’s expression in his <cite class="plain">Italian -Dictionary</cite> (1598) <i>cricket-a-wicket</i> as the first mention of -the noble game. It were strange indeed if this great word -first dropped from the pen of an Italian! The quotation is -‘<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">sgrittare</i>, to make a noise as a cricket; to play <i>cricket-a-wicket</i>, -and be merry.’ I have no doubt myself that this is a mere -coincidence of sound. The cricket (on the hearth) is a merry -little beast, or has that reputation. The term ‘cricket-a-wicket’ -is a mere rhyming reduplication of sounds like ‘hob-nob’ or -‘tooral-ooral,’ or the older ‘Torelore,’ the name of a mythical -country in a French romance of the twelfth century. It is an -odd coincidence, no doubt, that the rhyming reduplication -should associate wicket with cricket. But, for all that, ‘cricket-a-wicket’ -must pair off with ‘helter-skelter,’ ‘higgledy-piggledy,’ -and <i>Tarabara</i> to which Florio gives cricket-a-wicket as an -equivalent.<a name="Anchor_14" id="Anchor_14" href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 14.">[14]</a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_miss_wicket" id="image_miss_wicket" class="nodec"><img src="images/miss_wicket.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="511" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - ‘Miss Wicket.’ (From an old print, 1770.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>Yet cricket was played in England, by boys at least, in -Florio’s time. The proof of this exists, or existed, in the ‘<cite class="plain">Constitution -Book of Guildford</cite>,’ a manuscript collection of records -once in the possession of that town. In the ‘<cite class="plain">History of Guildford</cite>,’ -an anonymous compilation, published by Russell in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -Surrey town, and by Longmans in London (1801), there are extracts -from the ‘<cite class="plain">Constitution Book</cite>.’ They begin with a grant -<i>anno</i> <abbr title="51st of Edward 3rd">li. Ed. III</abbr>. For our purpose the only important passages -are <abbr title="pages">pp.</abbr> 201, 202. In the thirty-fifth year of Elizabeth one William -Wyntersmoll withheld a piece of common land, to the extent of -one acre, from the town. Forty years before, John Parvishe had -obtained leave to make a temporary enclosure there, and the -enclosure had never been removed. In the fortieth year of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -Elizabeth this acre was still in dispute, when John Derrick, gent, -aged fifty-nine, one of the Queen’s Coroners for the county, -gave evidence that he ‘<span lang="emodeng" xml:lang="emodeng">knew it fifty years ago or more. It -lay waste and was used and occupyed by the inhabitants of -Guildeford to saw timber in and for saw-pitts.... When he -was a scholler in the free school of Guildeford he and several -of his fellowes did run and play there at crickett and other -plaies.</span>’</p> - -<p>This is the oldest certain authority for cricket with which I -am acquainted. Clearly it was a boy’s game in the early years -of Elizabeth. Nor was it a very scientific game if it could be -played on a wicket agreeably diversified by ‘saw-pitts.’ William -Page may have played cricket at Eton and learned to bat as well -as ‘to hick and hack, which they will do fast enough of themselves, -and to cry <i>horum</i>.’ It has already been shown that, -in 1611, ‘<span lang="emodeng" xml:lang="emodeng">boyes played at crickett</span>,’ with a crooked bat or -‘<span lang="emodeng" xml:lang="emodeng">cricket-staffe</span>.’</p> - -<p>In 1676 we get a view of a summer day at Aleppo, and of -British sailors busy at the national game.</p> - -<p>Henry Teonge, Chaplain on board H.M.S. ships ‘Assistance,’ -‘Bristol,’ and ‘Royal Oak,’ Anno 1675 to 1679, writes:—</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="address_date">[At Aleppo].</p> - -<p lang="emodeng" xml:lang="emodeng">6.—This morning early (as it is the custom all summer longe) -at the least 40 of the English, with his worship the Consull, rod -out of the cytty about 4 miles to the Greene Platt, a fine vally -by a river syde, to recreate them selves. Where a princely tent -was pitched; and wee had severall pastimes and sports, as duck-hunting, -fishing, shooting, handball, krickett, scrofilo; and then a -noble dinner brought thither, with greate plenty of all sorts of -wine, punch, and lemonads; and at 6 wee returne all home in -good order, but soundly tyred and weary.<a name="Anchor_15" id="Anchor_15" href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 15.">[15]</a></p></blockquote> - -<p>When once the eighteenth century is reached cricket begins -to find mention in literature. Clearly the game was rising in -the world and was being taken up, like the poets of the period, -by patrons. Lord Chesterfield, whom Dr. Johnson found a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -patron so insufficient, talked about cricket in a very proper -spirit in 1740.<a name="Anchor_16" id="Anchor_16" href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 16.">[16]</a> ‘If you have a right ambition you will -desire to excell all boys of your age at cricket ... as well -as in learning.’ That is the right style of fatherly counsel; -but Philip Stanhope never came to ‘European reputation as -mid-wicket-on,’ like a hero of Mr. James Payn’s. Lord Chesterfield -also alludes to ‘your various occupations of Greek -and cricket, Latin and pitch-farthing,’ very justly coupling the -nobler language with the nobler game. Already in the fourth -book of the ‘<cite class="plain">Dunciad</cite>,’ line 592, Mr. Alexander Pope had -sneered at cricket.<a name="Anchor_17" id="Anchor_17" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 17.">[17]</a> At what did Mr. Pope not sneer? The -fair, the wise, the manly,—Mrs. Arabella Fermor, Lady Mary -Wortley Montagu, Mr. Colley Cibber, and a delightful pastime,—he -turns up his nose at them and at everyone and everything!</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0" lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>O le grand homme, rien ne lui peut plaire!</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>See, he cries to Dulness, see—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">The judge to dance his brother serjeant call,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">The senator at cricket urge the ball.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Cricket was played at Eton early. Gray, writing to West, -says, ‘There is my Lords Sandwich and Halifax—they are -statesmen—do you not remember them dirty boys playing at -cricket?’<a name="Anchor_18" id="Anchor_18" href="#Footnote_18" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 18.">[18]</a> In 1736 Walpole writes, ‘I can’t say I am sorry I -was never quite a school-boy: an expedition against bargemen, -or a match at cricket may be very pretty things to recollect; -but, thank my stars, I can remember things very near as -pretty.’<a name="Anchor_19" id="Anchor_19" href="#Footnote_19" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 19.">[19]</a> The bargee might have found an interview with Miss<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -Horace pretty to recollect, but when Horace pretends that he -might have been in the Eleven if he liked, the absurdity becomes -too glaring. We are reminded of Charles Lamb’s ‘Here is -Wordsworth saying he might have written “<cite class="plain">Hamlet</cite>” if he had -had the “mind.”’ Cowper pretends (in 1781) that ‘as a boy -I excelled at cricket and football,’ but he adds, with perfect -truth, ‘the fame I acquired by achievements that way is long -since forgotten.’ The author of the ‘<cite class="plain">Task</cite>,’ and of a good -many hymns, was no Mynn nor Grace. We shall find but few -of the English poets distinguished as cricketers, or fond of -tuning the lyre to sing Pindaric strains of batters and bowlers. -Byron tells a friend how they ‘together joined in cricket’s -manly toil’ (1807). Another noble exception is George -Huddesford,<a name="Anchor_20" id="Anchor_20" href="#Footnote_20" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 20.">[20]</a> author of ‘<cite class="plain">Salmagundi</cite>’ (1791, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 66)—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">But come, thou genial son of spring</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Whitsuntide, and with thee bring</div> - <div class="p_line_i0"><em>Cricket</em>, nimble boy and light,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">In slippers red and drawers white,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Who o’er the nicely measured land</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Ranges around his comely band,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Alert to intercept each blow,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Each motion of the wary foe.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>This passage gives us the costume—white drawers and red -slippers. The contemporary works of art, whereof see a little -gallery on the walls of the pavilion at Lord’s, show that men -when they played also wore a kind of jockey cap. In a sketch -of the Arms of Shrewsbury School, little boys are playing; the -bat is a kind of hockey-stick as in the preceding century. -There are only two stumps, nor more in Hayman’s well-known -picture engraved 1755. The fields are well set for the bowling, -and are represented with their hands ready for a catch. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -are umpires in their usual places; the scores are kept by men -who cut notches in tally-sticks. Such ‘notches’ were ‘got’ by -‘<a href="#image_miss_wicket" title="">Miss Wicket</a>’ a sportive young lady in a somewhat later caricature -(<abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 7). The ball (1770) has heavy cross-seams. But a silver -ball, about a hundred years old, used as a snuff-box by the -Vine Club at Sevenoaks, is marked with seams like those of -to-day. Miss Wicket, also, carries a curved bat, but it has -developed beyond the rustic crooked stick, and more nearly -resembles some of the old curved bats at Lord’s, with which a -strong man must have hit prodigious skyers. We may doubt -if bats were ever such ‘three-man beetles’ as the players in an -undated but contemporary picture at Lord’s do fillip withal. -The fields, in this curious piece, are all in a line at square-leg, -and disappear in a distance unconscious of perspective.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_cricket" id="image_cricket" class="nodec"><img src="images/cricket.jpg" alt="A game of cricket" width="400" height="243" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - After a Picture by Hayman, R.A., belonging to the M.C.C. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Cricket had even before this date reached that height of -prosperity which provokes the attention of moralists. ‘Here -is a fine morning: let us go and put down some form of -enjoyment,’ says the moralist. In 1743 a writer in the ‘<cite class="plain">Gentleman’s -Magazine</cite>’ was moved to allege that ‘the exercise may -be strained too far.... Cricket is certainly a very good and -wholesome exercise, yet it may be abused if either great or -little people make it their business.’ The chief complaint is -that great and little people play together—butchers and baronets. -Cricket ‘propagates a spirit of idleness at the very time when, -with the utmost industry, our debts, taxes, and decay of trade -will scarcely allow us to get bread.’ The Lydians, according -to Herodotus, invented games to make them forget the scarcity -of bread. But the gentleman in the magazine is much more -austere than Herodotus. ‘The advertisements most impudently -recite that great sums are laid’; and it was, indeed, -customary to announce a match for 500<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> or 1,000<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> Whether -these sums were not drawn on Fancy’s exchequer, at least in -many cases, we may reasonably doubt. In his ‘<cite class="plain">English Game -of Cricket</cite>’ (<abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 138) the learned Mr. Box quotes a tale of -betting in 1711, from a document which he does not describe. -It appears that in 1711 the county of Kent played All England,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -and money was lost and won, and there was a law-suit to recover. -The court said, ‘Cricket is, to be sure, a manly game and -not bad in itself, but it is the ill-use that is made of it by betting -above 10<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> on it that is bad.’ To a humble fiver on the University -match this court would have had no kind of objection -to make. The history of betting at cricket is given by Mr. -Pycroft in the ‘<cite class="plain">Cricket Field</cite>’ (<abbr title="chapter 6">chap. vi.</abbr>). A most interesting -chapter it is.</p> - -<p>The earliest laws of the game, or at least the earliest which -have reached us, are of the year 1774. A committee of noblemen -and gentlemen (including Sir Horace Mann, the Duke of -Dorset, and Lord Tankerville) drew them up at the ‘Star and -Garter’ in Pall Mall. ‘The pitching of the first wicket is to be -determined by the toss of a piece of money.’ Does this mean -that the sides tossed for which was to pitch the wicket? As -Nyren shows, much turned on the pitching of the wicket. -Lumpy (Stevens) ‘would invariably choose the ground where -his balls would shoot.’<a name="Anchor_21" id="Anchor_21" href="#Footnote_21" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 21.">[21]</a> In the rules of 1774, the distance -between the stumps is the same as at present. The crease is -cut, not painted.<a name="Anchor_22" id="Anchor_22" href="#Footnote_22" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 22.">[22]</a> The stumps are twenty-two inches in height; -there is only one bail, of six inches in length. ‘No ball,’ as -far as crossing the crease goes, is just like ‘no ball’ to-day. -Indeed, the game was essentially the game of to-day, except -that if a ball were hit ‘the other player may place his body -anywhere within the swing of his bat, so as to hinder the -bowler from catching her, but he must neither strike at her nor -touch her with his hands.’</p> - -<p>At this moment of legislation, when the dim heroic age of -cricket begins to broaden into the boundless day of history, -Mr. James Love, comedian, appeared as the epic poet of the -sport.<a name="Anchor_23" id="Anchor_23" href="#Footnote_23" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 23.">[23]</a> His quarto is dedicated to the Richmond Club, and is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -inspired ‘by a recollection of many Particulars at a time when -the Game was cultivated with the utmost Assiduity, and -patronised by the personal Appearance<a name="Anchor_24" id="Anchor_24" href="#Footnote_24" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 24.">[24]</a> and Management of -some of the most capital People in the Kingdom.’ Mr. Love, -in his enthusiasm, publishes an exhortation to Britain, to leave -all meaner sports, and cultivate cricket only.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Hail <span class="smcap">Cricket</span>, glorious, manly, <em>British</em> game,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">First of all sports, be first alike in fame,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">sings Love, as he warms to his work. He denounces ‘puny -Billiards,’ played by ‘Beaus, dressed in the quintessence of the -fashion. The robust <em>Cricketer</em> plays in his shirt, the <abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> Mr. -W——d, particularly, appears almost naked.’</p> - -<p>One line of Mr. Love’s,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0"><i>Where fainting vice calls folly to her aid</i>,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">appears to him so excellent that he thinks it must be plagiarised, -and, in a note, invites the learned reader to find out where he -stole it from. To this a critic, Britannicus Severus, answers that -‘Gentlemen who have <span class="smcap">Cricket</span> in their heads cannot afford to -pore over a parcel of musty Authors.’ Indeed, your cricketer -is rarely a bookworm.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">‘Leave the dissolving song, the baby dance,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">To soothe the slaves of Italy and France,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">and play up,’ cries this English bard.</p> - -<p>In the second book, the poet comes to business—Kent <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> -All England. The poet, after the custom of his age, gives -dashes after an initial, in place of names. In notes he interprets -his dashes, and introduces us to Newland, of Slendon, in -Sussex, a farmer, and a famous batsman; Bryan, of London, -bricklayer; Rumney, gardener to the Duke of Dorset; Smith,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -keeper of the artillery ground; Hodswell, the bowling tanner -of Dartford; Mills, of Bromley; Robin, commonly called Long -Robin; Mills, Sawyer, Cutbush, Bartrum, Kips, and Danes; -Cuddy, the tailor; Derigate, of Reigate; Weymark, the miller, -with Newland, Green, two Harrises, and Smith made up the -teams. The match is summed up in the Argument of the -Third Book.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><i>The Game.</i>—Five on the side of the Counties are out for three -Notches. The Odds run high on the side of Kent. Bryan and -Newland go in; they help the Game greatly. Bryan is unfortunately -put out by Kips. Kent, the First Innings, is Thirteen ahead. -The Counties go in again, and get Fifty-seven ahead. Kent, in the -Second Innings, is very near losing, the two last Men being in. -Weymark unhappily misses a Catch, and by that means Kent is -victorious.</p></blockquote> - -<p>It was a splendid close match—but let us pity Weymark, -immortal butter-fingers. In the first innings the wicket-keeping -of Kips to the fast bowling of Hodswell was reckoned fine.</p> - -<p>If Love was the Homer of cricket, the minstrel who won -from forgetfulness the glories of the dim Heroic Age, Nyren, -was the delightful Herodotus of the early Historic Period. -John Nyren dedicated his ‘<cite class="plain">Cricketer’s Guide and Recollections -of the Cricketers of my Time</cite>,’ to the great Mr. William Ward, -in 1833. He speaks of cricket as ‘an elegant relaxation,’ and -congratulates Mr. Ward on ‘having gained the <em>longest hands</em> of -any player upon record.’ This famed score was made on July 24, -25, 1820, on the M.C.C. ground. The number was 278, ‘108 -more than any player ever gained;’ Aylward’s 167 had previously -been the longest score I know. Mr. Ward’s feat, moreover, -was ‘after the increase of the stumps in 1817.’ Old Nyren was -charmed in his declining hours by a deed like this, yet grieved -by the modern bowlers, and their habit ‘of throwing the ball.’ -The history of that innovation will presently be sketched.</p> - -<p>Nyren was born at Hambledon, in Hampshire, on December -15, 1764, and was therefore a small boy when Love sang. He -died at Bromley, June 28, 1837. Like most very great men, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -was possibly of Scottish blood. He was a Catholic and believed -that the true spelling of the family name was Nairne, and that -they came south after being ‘out in the ’15 or ’45.’ Mr. Charles -Cowden Clarke describes him as a thoroughly good and amiable -man, and as much may be guessed from his writings.</p> - -<p>Mr. Clarke agreed with him in his dislike of round-hand -bowling, save when Lillywhite was pitted against Fuller Pilch—a -beautiful thing to see, as the Bishop of St. Andrews testifies, -‘speaking,’ like Dares Phrygius of the heroes at Troy, ‘as he -that saw them.’ In Nyren’s youth—say 1780—Hambledon was -the centre of cricket. The boy had a cricketing education. -He learned a little Latin of a worthy old Jesuit, but was a better -hand at the fiddle. In that musical old England, where John -Small, the noted bat, once charmed an infuriated bull by his -minstrelsy, Nyren performed a moral miracle. He played -to the gipsies, and so won their hearts that they always passed -by his hen-roost when they robbed the neighbours. Music and -cricket were the Hambledon man’s delight. His father, Richard -Nyren, was, with Thomas Brett, one of the chief bowlers. Brett -was ‘the fastest as well as straightest bowler that was ever -known’; no <em>jerker</em>, but with a very high delivery. The height of -the delivery was not <i>à la Spofforth</i>, but was got by sending the -ball out from under the armpit. How this manœuvre could be -combined with pace is a great mystery. Richard Nyren had -this art, ‘always to the length.’ Brett’s bowling is described as -‘tremendous,’ yet Tom Sueter could stump off it—Tom of the -honourable heart, and the voice so sweet, pure and powerful. -Yet on those wickets Tom needed a long-stop to Brett—George -Lear. The Bishop has seen three long-stops on to Brown; -‘but he <em>was</em> a jerker.’ At that date the long-stop commonly -dropped on one knee as he received the ball. An old Eton -boy, G. B., who was at school between 1805 and 1814, says, in -a letter to the <i><cite class="plain">Standard</cite></i> (dated September 21, 1886), that ‘a -pocket-handkerchief was allowed round the dropping knee of -long-stop.’ A bowler with a low delivery was Lambert, ‘the -little farmer.’ <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>‘His ball would twist from the off stump into -the leg. <em>He was the first I remember who introduced this deceitful -and teasing way of delivering the ball.</em>’ Cricket was indeed -rudimentary when a break from the off was a new thing. ‘The -Kent and Surrey men could not tell what to make of that -cursed twist of his.’ Lambert acquired the art as Daphnis learned -his minstrelsy, while he tended his father’s sheep. He would set -up hurdles instead of a net and bowl for hours. But it needed -old Nyren to teach him to bowl outside the off stump, so little -alert was the mind of this innovator. Among outsiders, Lumpy, -the Surrey man, was the most accurate ‘to a length,’ and he was -much faster than Lord Frederick Beauclerk. In these days the -home bowlers pitched the wickets to suit themselves. Thus they -had all the advantage of rough wickets on a slope; yet, even -so, a yokel with pluck and ‘an arm as long as a hop-pole,’ -has been known to slash Lumpy all over the field. But this -could only have been done at single wicket. A curious bowler -of this age was Noah Mann, the fleetest runner of his time, -and a skilled horseman. He was a left-handed bowler, and, as -will be seen, he anticipated the magical ‘pitching’ of experts -at base-ball. How he did this without throwing or jerking is -hard to be understood. ‘His merit consisted in giving a curve -to the ball the whole way. In itself it was not the first-rate -style of bowling, but so very deceptive that the chief end was -frequently attained. They who remember the dexterous -manner with which the Indian jugglers communicated the -curve to the balls they spun round their heads by a twist of -the wrist or hand will at once comprehend Noah’s curious -feat in bowling.’ He once made a hit for ten at Windmill-down, -to which the club moved from the bleakness of Broadhalfpenny.</p> - -<p>We have followed Nyren’s comments on bowlers for the -purpose of elucidating the evolution of their ingenious art. All -the bowlers, so far, have been under-hand, but now we hear of -‘these anointed clod-stumpers’ the Walkers. They were not of -Broadhalfpenny, but joined the club at Windmill-down, when -the move there was made on the suggestion of the Duke of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -Dorset. ‘About a couple of years after Walker had been with -us’ (probably about 1790), ‘he began the system of throwing -instead of bowling, now so much the fashion.’ He was no-balled, -after a council of the Hambledon Club, called for the -purpose. This disposes of the priority of Mr. Willes (1807), -and incidentally casts doubt on the myth that a lady invented -round-hand bowling. Nyren says, ‘The first I recollect seeing -<em>revive</em> the custom was Wills, a Sussex man.’</p> - -<p>From the heresiarch, Tom Walker, we come to the classic -model of a bowler in the under-hand school—that excellent -man, christian and cricketer, David Harris.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to convey in writing -an accurate idea of the grand effect of Harris’s bowling; they only -who have played against him can fully appreciate it. His attitude, -when preparing for his run previously to delivering the ball, would -have made a beautiful study for the sculptor. Phidias would -certainly have taken him for a model. First of all, he stood erect -like a soldier at drill; then, with a graceful curve of the arm, he -raised the ball to his forehead, and drawing back his right foot, -started off with his left. The calm look and general air of the man -were uncommonly striking, and from this series of preparations he -never deviated. I am sure that from this simple account of his -manner, all my countrymen who were acquainted with his play -will recall him to their minds. His mode of delivering the ball -was very singular. He would bring it from under the arm by a -twist, and nearly as high as his arm-pit, and with this action <em>push</em> -it, as it were, from him. How it was that the balls acquired the -velocity they did by this mode of delivery, I never could comprehend.</p> - -<p>When first he joined the Hambledon Club, he was quite a raw -countryman at cricket, and had very little to recommend him but -his noble delivery. He was also very apt to give tosses. I have -seen old Nyren scratch his head, and say,—‘Harris would make -the best bowler in England if he did not toss.’ By continual -practice, however, and following the advice of the old Hambledon -players, he became as steady as could be wished; and in the prime -of his playing very rarely indeed gave a toss, although his balls -were pitched the full length. In bowling, he never stooped in -the least in his delivery, but kept himself upright all the time.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -His balls were very little beholden to the ground when pitched; it -was but a touch, and up again; and woe be to the man who did -not get in to block them, for they had such a peculiar curl that they -would grind his fingers against the bat; many a time have I seen -the blood drawn in this way from a batter who was not up to -the trick: old Tom Walker was the only exception—I have before -classed him among the bloodless animals.</p> - -<p>Harris’s bowling was the finest of all tests for a hitter, and -hence the great beauty, as I observed before, of seeing Beldham -in, with this man against him; for unless a batter were of the very -first class, and accustomed to the first style of stopping, he could -do little or nothing with Harris. If the thing had been possible, I -should have liked to have seen such a player as Budd (fine hitter -as he was) standing against him. My own opinion is, that he -could not have stopped his balls, and this will be a criterion, by -which those who have seen some of that gentleman’s brilliant hits, -may judge of the extraordinary merit of this man’s bowling. He -was considerably faster than Lambert, and so superior in style and -finish, that I can draw no comparison between them. Lord Frederic -Beauclerc has been heard to say that Harris’s bowling was one of -the grandest things of the kind he had ever seen; but his lordship -could not have known him in his prime; he never saw him play -till after he had had many fits of the gout, and had become slow -and feeble.</p> - -<p>To Harris’s fine bowling I attribute the great improvement -that was made in hitting, and above all in stopping; for it was -utterly impossible to remain at the crease, when the ball was tossed -to a fine length; you were obliged to get in, or it would be about -your hands, or the handle of your bat; and every player knows -where its next place would be.</p></blockquote> - -<p>This long extract is not too long, for it contains a dignified -study of the bowler.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">This is the perfect Trundler, this is he,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">That every man who bowls should wish to be.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Harris was admired for ‘the sweetness of his disposition -and his manly contempt of every action that bore the character -of meanness,’ and he chiefly bowled for catches, as did Lord -Frederick Beauclerk. Nyren is no great hand at orthography, -and he soon comes to speak of a Sussex bowler named Wells.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -This is apparently the Wills, or Willes, who has more credit than -perhaps he deserves for bringing in round-hand. ‘He was the -first I had seen of the new school, after the Walkers had attempted -to introduce the system in the Hambledon Club.’ -Willes had a twist from leg, and Nyren thinks Freemantle -showed astonishing knowledge of the game because he went in -front of his wicket and hit Willes, and ‘although before the -wicket, he would not have been out, because the ball had been -pitched at the outside of the stump.’ A man might play hours -on that system ‘by <em>Shrewsbury</em> clock,’ but I doubt if David -Harris would have approved of Freemantle’s behaviour.</p> - -<p>The student of the evolution of round-hand and over-hand -bowling now turns to the early exploits of William Lillywhite -(<i><abbr title="born">b.</abbr></i> June 13, 1792). Whatever Mr. Willes may have done, -whatever Tom Walker may have dreamed, William Lillywhite -and Jem Broadbridge are practically the parents of modern -bowling. When Lillywhite came out, the law was that in -bowling the hand must be below the elbow. Following the -example of Mr. G. Knight, of the M.C.C., or rather going -beyond it, Lillywhite raised the hand <em>above</em> the shoulder, -though scarcely perceptible. Lillywhite’s performances in 1827 -caused much discussion among cricketers and in the ‘<cite class="plain">Sporting -Magazine</cite>.’ Letters on this subject are reprinted by Mr. W. -Denison, in ‘<cite class="plain">Sketches of the Players</cite>,’ London, 1846.<a name="Anchor_25" id="Anchor_25" href="#Footnote_25" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 25.">[25]</a></p> - -<p>The last great match of 1827 was between Sussex and -Kent, with Saunders and Searle given. Mr. Denison, reviewing -the match at the time, predicted that if round-hand were -allowed, there would be no driving and no cutting to point or -slip. This of course is part of Unfulfilled Prophecy. ‘Broadbridge -and others will shew that they cannot be faced on hard -ground without the most imminent peril.’ As a compromise, -Mr. Denison was for allowing straight-armed bowling, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>‘so that -the back of the hand be kept under when the ball is delivered.’ -Mr. Steel’s <a href="#CHAPTER_III" title="Go to Chapter 3">chapter</a> on bowling shows what the effect of that -rule must have been.</p> - -<p>In February, 1828, Mr. Knight published his letters in -defence of round-hand bowling. There had been, in the origin -of cricket, no law to restrain the bowlers. About 1804, -the batting acquired such mastery, and forward play with -running-in (as Nyren knew) became so vigorous, that Willes -and Tom Walker tried round-hand. This round-hand was -‘straight armed, and for a time (1818–28) did very well, till -bowlers took to raising the hand, even above the head.’ M.C.C. -then proclaimed an edict against all round-hand bowling. -Mr. Knight proposed to admit straight-armed bowling, which -could not be called ‘throwing.’ To define a throw was as -hard then as now—a man knows it when he sees it; it is like -the trot in horses. Mr. Knight’s proposed law ran, ‘The ball -shall be bowled; if it be thrown or jerked, or if any part of the -hand or arm be <em>above</em> the <em>shoulder</em> at the time of delivery, the -umpire shall call <em>No Ball</em>.’</p> - -<p>In one of the trial matches (Sept. 1827) it is said that Mr. -Knight, Broadbridge, and Lillywhite, all bowled high over the -shoulder. There are no wides in the score. When a man was -caught, the bowler’s name was not given. Lillywhite has thus -no wicket to his name.</p> - -<p>Mr. Knight’s law was discussed at Lord’s (May 19, 1828), -and the word <em>elbow</em> substituted for <em>shoulder</em>. But Lillywhite -and Broadbridge bowled as before, and found many followers, -till the M.C.C. passed the law proposed by Mr. Knight. But -the hand was soon raised, and the extraordinary pace of Mr. -Mynn (born 1807) was striven for by men who had not his -weight and strength. These excesses caused a re-enactment of -the over-the-shoulder law in 1845.</p> - -<p>Lillywhite was now recognised as the reviver of cricket. -His analysis in 1844 and 1845 gives about 6⅞ runs for each -wicket. Round-hand, with a practical license for over-hand, was -now established; but, as late as 1860, a high delivery was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -rarity. The troublesome case of Willsher ended in permitting -any height of delivery, and the greatest of all bowlers, Mr. -Spofforth, sends in the ball from the utmost altitude.</p> - -<p>This is a brief account of the evolution of round and over-hand -bowling. As to slow and fast bowling, Lord Frederick -Beauclerk and one of the Walkers were very slow bowlers in old -days. William Clarke (<i><abbr title="born">b.</abbr></i> <abbr title="December">Dec.</abbr> 24, 1798) was the classical slow -bowler. Clarke was not a regular lob bowler, but, like Lambert, -delivered ‘about midway between the height of the elbow and -the strict under-hand, accompanied by a singular peculiarity of -action with the hand and wrist just as the ball is about to be -discharged.<a name="Anchor_26" id="Anchor_26" href="#Footnote_26" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 26.">[26]</a>’ He had a tremendous twist, and great spin and -ingenuity. Perhaps his success was partly due to the rarity of -slow bowling in his time. Men imitated Mr. Mynn, who was -as big a man as Mr. W. G. Grace, and a very fast bowler. In -old underhand times, Brett had a ‘steam-engine pace,’ and -later, Browne of Brighton was prodigiously fast. The Bishop -of St. Andrews remembers seeing a ball of Browne’s strike the -stumps with such force and at such a point that both bails flew -<em>back</em> as far as the bowler’s wicket. That was at Brighton. He -also remembers how at Lord’s, when Browne bowled, all the field -were placed <em>behind</em> the wicket, or nearly so, that is at slip, leg, -and long-stop, till Ward went in, who, playing with an upright -bat, contrived to poke the ball to the off, and Browne himself -(a tall, heavy man) had to go after it. But this having happened -more than once, a single field was placed in front. Yet Beldham, -as Mr. Pycroft tells, quite mastered Browne, and made 76 -off him in a match. Beldham was then fifty-four. Browne’s -pace was reckoned superior to that of Mr. Osbaldeston. It is -not easy to decide who has been the fastest of fast bowlers. In -our own day, I think that Mr. Cecil Boyle, when he bowled for -Oxford (1873), was the swiftest I have seen, except a bowler -unknown south of the Tweed, Mr. Barclay, now a clergyman -in Canada. Mr. Barclay was faster with under-hand than with -round-hand. Beldham and his comrades played Browne without<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -pads; I have seen this tried against Mr. Barclay—the results -were damaging. Famous names of fast bowlers are Mynn, -Marcon, Fellowes, Tarrant, Jackson, Freeman, Hope Grant, -Powys, and Robert Lang.</p> - -<p>The history of bowling precedes that of batting, because -the batsman must necessarily adapt his style to the bowling, -not <i>vice versâ</i>. He must also adapt it to the state of the -wickets. There are times when a purely rural style of play, a -succession of ‘agrarian outrages,’ is the best policy. Given an -untrustworthy wicket, good bowling, fielding ground in heavy -grass, a stone wall on one side, and another wall, with a nice -flooded burn beyond, on another side, and a batsman will be well -advised if he lifts the ball over the boundaries and into the -brook. Perhaps Mr. Steel will recognise the conditions described, -and remember Dalbeattie. In the origin of cricket, -when the stumps were low, and the bat a crooked club, hitting -hard, high, and often must have been the rule. A strong man -with good sight must have been the pride of the village. When -David Harris, Tom Walker, Lumpy, Brett, and other heroes -brought in accuracy, spin, twist, and pace, with taller wickets -to defend, this batting was elaborated by Beldham and Sueter -and others into an art. Tom Sueter, first, fathered the heresy of -leaving the crease, and going in to the pitch or half-volley.<a name="Anchor_27" id="Anchor_27" href="#Footnote_27" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 27.">[27]</a> Sir -Horace Mann’s bailiff, Aylward, was the Shrewsbury of an elder -age. ‘He once stayed in two whole days, and got the highest -number of runs that had ever been gained by any member—<em>one -hundred and sixty-seven</em>.’ Tom Walker was a great stick. -Lord Frederick was bowling to him at Lord’s. Every ball -he dropped down just before his bat. Off went his lordship’s -white, broad-brimmed hat, dash upon the ground (his constant -action when disappointed), calling him at the same time ‘a confounded -old beast.’ ‘I doan’t care what ee zays,’ said Tom, -whose conduct showed a good deal more of courtesy and self-control -than Lord Frederick’s. Perhaps the master-bat of old -times was William Beldham from Farnham. He comes into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -Bentley’s ‘<cite class="plain">Cricket Scores</cite>’ as early as 1787. The players called -him ‘Silver Billy.’ He was coached by Harry Hall, the gingerbread -baker of Farnham. Hall’s great maxim was ‘the left -elbow well up.’</p> - -<p>From Nyren I extract a description of Beldham’s batting:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">Beldham</span> was quite a young man when he joined the Hambledon -Club; and even in that stage of his playing, I hardly ever -saw a man with a finer command of his bat; but, with the instruction -and advice of the old heads superadded, he rapidly attained -to the extraordinary accomplishment of being the finest player that -has appeared within the latitude of more than half a century. -There can be no exception against his batting, or the severity of -his hitting. He would get in at the balls, and hit them away in a -gallant style; yet, in this single feat, I think I have known him -excelled; but when he could cut them at the point of the bat, he -was in his glory; and upon my life, their speed was as the speed -of thought. One of the most beautiful sights that can be imagined, -and which would have delighted an artist, was to see him make -himself up to hit a ball. It was the <i>beau idéal</i> of grace, animation, -and concentrated energy. In this peculiar exhibition of elegance -with vigour, the nearest approach to him I think was Lord Frederick -Beauclerc. Upon one occasion at Mary-le-bone, I remember these -two admirable batters being in together, and though Beldham was -then verging towards his climacteric, yet both were excited to a -competition, and the display of talent that was exhibited between -them that day was the most interesting sight of its kind I ever -witnessed. I should not forget, among his other excellencies, to -mention that Beldham was one of the best judges of a short run I -ever knew; add to which, that he possessed a generally good -knowledge of the game.</p></blockquote> - -<p>In 1838 Beldham used to gossip with Mr. Pycroft. That -learned writer gives Fennex great credit for introducing the -modern style of forward play about 1800; this on the evidence -of Fennex himself (1760–1839). But probably accurate bowling, -with a fast rise, on fairly good wickets, must have taught -forward play naturally to Fennex, Lambert, Fuller Pilch, and -others. It is not my purpose to compile a minute chronicle -of cricket, to mark each match and catch, nor to chant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -the illustrious deeds of all famous men. The great name of -Mr. Ward has been already mentioned. The Bishop of St. -Andrews, when a Harrow boy, played against Mr. Ward, and -lowered his illustrious wicket for three runs.<a name="Anchor_28" id="Anchor_28" href="#Footnote_28" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 28.">[28]</a> Thus, with Mr. -Ward, we come within the memory of living cricketers. Much -more is this the case with Mr. Budd, Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, -Hayward and Carpenter, Humphrey and Jupp. Mr. Mynn -was the son of a gentleman farmer at Bearstead, near Maidstone. -His extraordinary pace actually took wickets by storm; men -were bowled before they knew where they were. The assiduous -diligence of Mr. Ward was a match for him. When about to -meet Mynn, he would practise with the fastest of the ground -bowlers at Lord’s, at eighteen or nineteen yards’ rise, so to -speak. Mr. Ward’s great reach also stood him in good stead. -Mr. Mynn’s pace, and the excesses committed by his imitators, -for some time demoralised batting. Few balls were straight -(among the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">imitatores, servum pecus</i>), and men went in to hit -what they could reach. The joy of getting hold of a leg-ball -from a very fast bowler, or of driving him, overpowered caution, -and these violent delights might have had violent ends if -accuracy had not returned to bowling. In 1843 Mr. Mynn’s -analysis gave 5⅖ a wicket. His average was but 17 an innings. -Scores were shorter fifty years ago.<a name="Anchor_29" id="Anchor_29" href="#Footnote_29" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 29.">[29]</a></p> - -<p>My attempt has been to trace the streams of tendency in -cricket rather than to produce a chronicle—a work which would -require a volume to itself. Nothing has been said about fielding; -because, however the ball is bowled, and however hit, the -tasks of catching it, stopping it, and returning it with speed -have always been the same. True, different styles of batting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -and bowling require alterations in the position of the fielders.<a name="Anchor_30" id="Anchor_30" href="#Footnote_30" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 30.">[30]</a> -But the principles of their conduct and the nature of their -duty remain unaltered. One change may be noted. In -‘<cite class="plain">Juvenile Sports</cite>,’ by Master Michel Angelo,<a name="Anchor_31" id="Anchor_31" href="#Footnote_31" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 31.">[31]</a> the author speaks -of <em>byes</em> and <em>overthrows</em> as ‘a new mode,’ ‘an innovation with -which I am by no means pleased. It is indeed true that this -places the seekers out continually on their guard, and obliges -them to be more mindful of their play; but then it diminishes -the credit of the player, in whose hands the bat is, as a game -may be won by a very bad batsman owing to the inability of -the wicket-man, or the inattention of the seekers-out.’</p> - -<p>The fallacy of this argument does not need to be exposed.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<h3 title="" class="unobtrusive">M.C.C.</h3> - -<p>No sketch of the history of cricket would be complete without -a note on the fortunes of the Marylebone Club. This is the -Parliament of cricket, and includes almost all the amateurs of -merit. There is nothing very formal in its construction; and -any clubs which please may doubtless arrange among themselves -to play <em>not</em> according to M.C.C. rules. But nobody so -pleases; and Marylebone legislates practically for countries that -were not even known to exist when wickets were pitched at -Guildford in the reign of Henry <abbr title="the 8th">VIII</abbr>. Marylebone is the -<i>Omphalos</i>, the Delos of cricket.</p> - -<p>The club may be said to have sprung from the ashes of the -White Conduit Club, dissolved in 1787. One Thomas Lord, -by the aid of some members of the older association, made a -ground in the space which is now Dorset Square. This was -the first ‘Lord’s.’ As to Lord, he is dubiously said (like the -ancestors of Nyren) to have been a Scot and a Jacobite, or -mixed up, at least, in some way with the ’45. Lord was -obliged to move to North Bank, and finally, in 1814, to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -present ground. The famous Mr. Ward had played at Lord’s -before this migration; his first match here was in 1810, and -he played, more or less, till 1847, being then sixty years of age. -His bats are said to have weighed four pounds. Mr. Ward -bought the lease of the ground from Lord in 1825, ‘at a most -exorbitant rate;’ and, in 1830, Dark bought the remainder of -the lease from him. The first match on our present Lord’s, -or the first recorded, was M.C.C. <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Hertfordshire, June 22, -1814. In 1825 the pavilion was burned, after a Winchester -and Harrow match. The burning of the Alexandrian Library -may be compared to the wholesale destruction of cricket records -on this melancholy occasion. In 1816 the Club reviewed the -Laws: the result will be found in Lillywhite’s ‘<cite class="plain">Scores</cite>,’ <abbr title="1">i.</abbr> 385. -‘No more than two balls to be allowed at practice when a -fresh bowler takes the ball before he proceeds.’ A great deal -too much time is now wasted over these practice balls. ‘The -ball must be delivered underhanded, not thrown or jerked, -with the hand below the elbow at the time of delivering the -ball.’ The umpire is to call ‘no ball,’ ‘if the back of the hand -be uppermost.’ As to l.b.w., the batter is out ‘if with his foot -or leg he stop the ball which the bowler, in the opinion of the -umpire, shall have pitched in a straight line to the wicket, -and would have hit it.’</p> - -<p>The names of the Presidents are only on record after the -fire. Ponsonby, Grimston, Darnley, Coventry are among the -most notable. The renowned Mr. Aislabie was secretary till -his death in 1842; in the pavilion his bust commemorates -him. Mr. Kynaston and Mr. Fitzgerald, of ‘Jerks In from Short -Leg,’ are other celebrated secretaries. In 1868 the Club purchased -a lease of 99 years, at the cost of 11,000<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> There have -been recent additions to the area, and to that celebrated -monument, the pavilion.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_royal_academy_club" id="image_royal_academy_club" class="nodec"><img src="images/royal_academy_club.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="308" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The Royal Academy Club in Marylebone Fields. (After Hayman, R.A. The property of the M.C.C.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>Lord’s is, as all the world knows, the scene, not only of -Club and of Middlesex matches, but of Eton and Harrow, -Oxford and Cambridge, and Gentlemen and Players, which is -also contested at the Oval. Winchester used moreover to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -Eton here, but the head-masters have long preferred a home -and home affair. In other chapters these great matches will -be chronicled and criticised.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<h3 title="" class="faux unobtrusive">Summary</h3> - -<p>The various epochs in the history of the game may now be -briefly enumerated by way of summary. First we have the -prehistoric age, when cricket was dimly struggling to evolve -itself out of the rudimentary forms of cat-and-dog, and stool-ball. -This preceded 154-, when we find an authentic mention -of the name of <span class="smcap">Cricket</span>. Just about the end of the seventeenth -century it was mainly a boys’ game. With the Augustan -age it began to be taken up by statesmen, and satirised by that -ideal whippersnapper, the ingenious but in all respects unsportsmanlike, -Mr. Pope. By 1750 the game was matter of -heavy bets, and scores began to be recorded. The old Hambledon -Club gave it dignity, and the veterans endured till quite -modern times dawn with Mr. Ward. Then came the prosperous -heresy of round-hand bowling, which battled for existence -till about 1845, when it became a recognised institution. -The wandering clubs, chiefly I. Z. and the Free Foresters at -first, carried good examples into the remoter gardens of our -country. The migratory professional teams, the United and -All England Elevens at least, showed the yokels what style -meant, and taught them that Jackson and Tinley were their -masters. But the lesson lasted too long. Nothing was less -exhilarating than the spectacle of twenty provincial players, -with Hodgson and Slinn, making many duck’s eggs, and -fielding in a mob. ‘The first ‘ad me on the knee, the next -on the wrist, the next blacked my eye, and the fourth bowled -me,’ says the Pride of the Village, in ‘<cite class="plain">Punch</cite>,’ after enjoying -‘a hover from Jackson.’ Such violent delights had violent -ends. The old travelling elevens are extinct, but railways -have ‘turned large England to a little’ field, so to speak, and -clubs may now meet which of old scarcely knew each other by -name. The Australian elevens have in recent days given a -great impulse to patriotic exertions.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span></p> - -<p>Scotch cricket is a thing of this century. Football and -golf are the native pastimes of my countrymen, as hurling is of -Ireland. The Old Grange Club is the M.C.C. of the North. -The West of Scotland and Drumpellier are other clubs of -standing. That ever-flourishing veteran, Major Dickens, still -upholds the honour of Kelso. The Moncrieffs have been the -Wards and Budds of Edinburgh, nor will a touching patriotism -allow me here to omit the name of George Charles Hamilton -Dunlop. For some reasons Scotland has not been productive -of bowlers. Professionals are seldom reared there, nor have -amateurs devoted themselves to the more scientific and less -popular part of the game. Mr. Barclay has already been -commemorated for his speed; a few only will remember Mr. -Sinclair and Mr. Glassford, who died young, and very much regretted. -Few men have done more for Scotch cricket than Mr. -H. H. Almond, head-master of Loretto School, which has contributed -several players to the Oxford eleven. An old ‘pewter’ -may here congratulate Mr. Almond on the energy with which -he kept his boys to the mark, and on the undaunted example -which he set by always going in first. The names of Arthur -Cheyne, Jack Mackenzie, Edward Henderson, Chalmers, Hay -Brown, Leslie Balfour, and Tom Marshall are only a few that -crowd on the memory of the elderly Caledonian cricketer. In -the Border district, of which more hereafter, the houses of -Buccleuch and Roxburgh have been great friends of the game, -and that was a proud day for ‘the Rough Clan’ when Lord -George Scott scored over 160 in the University match of 1887. -Abbotsford, too, has been well to the front, thanks to the -<abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> J. Maxwell Scott, and, for some reason, Scotland has -been occasionally represented by Mr. A. G. Steel, and the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> -Ivo Bligh, known to the local press as ‘the Titled Batsman.’ -But these are alien glories <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">et non sua poma</i>.</p> - -<p>Three things are prejudicial to Scotch cricket. First, there -is the climate, about which more words were superfluous. -Next, boys leave school earlier than in England, for professions -or for college. Lastly, the University ‘session’ is in the winter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -months, and the University clubs are therefore at a great -disadvantage. I shall never forget the miraculous wickets -we tried to pitch on the old College Green at Glasgow, and -the courage displayed by divinity students in standing up to -Mr. Barclay there. As for St. Andrews, golf is too much with -us on that friendly shore, and will brook no rival.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="ast">*<span class="lower">*</span>*</span> The author of the historical introduction is much indebted -to the Bishop of St. Andrews, a veteran of the first University -Match, for his kindness in revising proofs, and adding notes. He -has also to thank the Viscountess Wolseley for the loan of her -picture of ‘Miss Wicket’; and Mr. Charles Mills, M.P., for a sight -of the silver ball of the Vine Club. It was filled with snuff, and -tossed from hand to hand after dinner; he who dropped it being -fined in claret, or some other liquor.</p></blockquote> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<ul> -<li> - <a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1" href="#Anchor_1" title="Return to text.">[1]</a> Outside of England Mrs. Piozzi found ‘a game called <i>Pallamajo</i>, something -like our cricket.’ If she meant <i>Pallone</i>, she merely proved herself no -cricketer. Mr. Arthur Evans has noticed, in Dalmatia, a kind of trap-bat, a -‘cat’ being used in place of a ball, and the length of hits being measured by -the stick that serves as bat. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2" href="#Anchor_2" title="Return to text.">[2]</a> The learned have debated as to the origin of the local term ‘Dex.’ Let -it suffice to say that it is not what they suppose. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3" href="#Anchor_3" title="Return to text.">[3]</a> See <abbr title="Monsieur">M.</abbr> de Charnay’s <cite>Ancient Cities of the New World</cite>, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 96. London, -1887. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4" href="#Anchor_4" title="Return to text.">[4]</a> Strutt’s <cite>Sports and Pastimes</cite>, 1810, <abbr title="pages">pp.</abbr> 89, 90; <abbr title="compare">cf.</abbr> Durfey’s <cite>Pills to Purge -Melancholy</cite>, <abbr title="1">i.</abbr> 91. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_5" id="Footnote_5" href="#Anchor_5" title="Return to text.">[5]</a> <cite>Popular Antiquities</cite>, <abbr title="1">i.</abbr> 153, <i>note</i>. London, 1813. The lines are quoted -by Brand from <cite>A Pleasant Grove of New Fancies</cite>, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 74. London, 1657. He -might have gone straight to Herrick, <cite>Hesperides</cite> (1648), <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 280. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_6" id="Footnote_6" href="#Anchor_6" title="Return to text.">[6]</a> Edinburgh, 1841. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_7" id="Footnote_7" href="#Anchor_7" title="Return to text.">[7]</a> In married life, two are quite enough to play ‘cat and dog.’ -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_8" id="Footnote_8" href="#Anchor_8" title="Return to text.">[8]</a> Compare <i>Loggat</i>. See <cite>Hamlet</cite>, <abbr title="5">v.</abbr> 1, and <i>Nares’ <cite>Glossary</cite></i>, <abbr title="sub voce">s. v.</abbr> -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_9" id="Footnote_9" href="#Anchor_9" title="Return to text.">[9]</a> Brand, <abbr title="2">ii.</abbr> 287, quotes a reference to ‘cat and doug’ from the <cite>Life of -the Scotch Rogue</cite>. London, 1722. The <cite class="plain">Scotch Rogue</cite> says nothing about -cricket. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_10" id="Footnote_10" href="#Anchor_10" title="Return to text.">[10]</a> <abbr title="Page">P.</abbr> 101. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_11" id="Footnote_11" href="#Anchor_11" title="Return to text.">[11]</a> The miniature in which a woman bowls to a back-handed player with no -wicket is dated 1344. <abbr title="Bodleian">Bodl.</abbr>, 264. But the evidence of art is never very -trustworthy. The painter may have been a woman, or a monk, or an uneducated -person. Many of the pictures in modern books give a misleading view -of cricket. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_12" id="Footnote_12" href="#Anchor_12" title="Return to text.">[12]</a> <cite>Etymological Dictionary</cite>, 1882. The writer here owes a great deal to -Dr. Murray, of the <cite>English Dictionary</cite>, who kindly lent him the ‘slips’ (short, -of course) on Cricket, as far as they have been collected.—A. L. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_13" id="Footnote_13" href="#Anchor_13" title="Return to text.">[13]</a> See <abbr title="Monsieur">M.</abbr> Charles Deulin’s tale, ‘Le Grand Choleur,’ in <cite>Contes du Roi -Gambrinus</cite>. There is a good deal of information in <cite>Germinal</cite>, by <abbr title="Monsieur">M.</abbr> Zola. -The balls are egg-shaped, and of boxwood. The game is a kind of golf, -played across country. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_14" id="Footnote_14" href="#Anchor_14" title="Return to text.">[14]</a> Cotgrave’s <cite>French Dictionary</cite>, ‘Crosse,’ 1611. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_15" id="Footnote_15" href="#Anchor_15" title="Return to text.">[15]</a> <cite>Diary</cite>, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 159; May, 1676. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_16" id="Footnote_16" href="#Anchor_16" title="Return to text.">[16]</a> <abbr title="1">i.</abbr> <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 197. Letter <abbr title="21">xxi</abbr>. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_17" id="Footnote_17" href="#Anchor_17" title="Return to text.">[17]</a> The bibliography of the <cite>Dunciad</cite> is not a subject to be rushed into -rashly, nor in a note; but this must have been written between 1726–1735, there -or thereabouts. The Scholiasts recognise Lord John Sackville as the Senator, -and quote a familiar passage from Horace Walpole (June 8, 1747) about -<i>Cricketalia</i>, instituted in his honour. We may, perhaps, regard Lord John -as one of the early patrons of the game. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_18" id="Footnote_18" href="#Anchor_18" title="Return to text.">[18]</a> Gray’s <cite>Works</cite>, 1807, <abbr title="2">ii.</abbr> <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 2. See also ‘urge the flying ball,’ which -must refer, I think, to cricket. That ode was first published in 1747. Johnson -carelessly paraphrases ‘drives the hoop, or <em>tosses</em> the ball!’—C. W. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_19" id="Footnote_19" href="#Anchor_19" title="Return to text.">[19]</a> To George Montagu, May 6, 1726. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_20" id="Footnote_20" href="#Anchor_20" title="Return to text.">[20]</a> See also his <cite>Wiccamical Chaplet</cite>, 1804, where there is an excellent ‘Cricket -Song’ (<abbr title="pages">p.</abbr> 131 to 133) for the Hambledon Club, Hants, 1767, in the course of -which the following names of cricketers occur: Nyren, Small, Buck, Curry, -Hogsflesh, Barber Rich (‘whose swiftness in bowling was never equalled -yet’), ‘Little George, the longstop, and Tom Suter, the Stumper,’ Sackville, -Manns, Boyton, Lanns, Mincing, Miller, Lumpy, Francis.—C. W. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_21" id="Footnote_21" href="#Anchor_21" title="Return to text.">[21]</a> <cite>The Cricketers Guide</cite>, fourth edition, <i>s. a.</i>, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 58. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_22" id="Footnote_22" href="#Anchor_22" title="Return to text.">[22]</a> The Bishop of St. Andrews can remember when the creases were cut, -before chalk was used. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_23" id="Footnote_23" href="#Anchor_23" title="Return to text.">[23]</a> <cite>Cricket, An Heroic Poem</cite>, illustrated with the critical observations of -Scriblerus Maximus. By James Love, Comedian, London. Printed for the -Author, <span class="smcap"><abbr title="1770">MDCCLXX.</abbr></span> (Price, One Shilling.) -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_24" id="Footnote_24" href="#Anchor_24" title="Return to text.">[24]</a> Talking of appearances, there is just one story of a ghost at a cricket -match. He took great interest in the game, and went home in a dog-cart as -it seemed to the spectators, though he (the real man, not the wraith) was on -his death-bed at a considerable distance. The spectral dog-cart is the puzzle -of the Psychical Society. The scene of the apparition was the cricket ground -of a public school. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_25" id="Footnote_25" href="#Anchor_25" title="Return to text.">[25]</a> The edition of Nyren’s <cite>Cricketer’s Guide</cite>, used here, is the fourth, -London, <i>s. a.</i> I owe it to Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald. Any cricketer who has -borrowed my own copy of the Editio Princeps will oblige me by returning it.—A. L. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_26" id="Footnote_26" href="#Anchor_26" title="Return to text.">[26]</a> <cite>Sketches of the Players</cite>, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 23. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_27" id="Footnote_27" href="#Anchor_27" title="Return to text.">[27]</a> Nyren, <i>op. cit.</i> <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 50. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_28" id="Footnote_28" href="#Anchor_28" title="Return to text.">[28]</a> It was three or five—I forget which. I know it was the <em>lowest score</em> he -had that year!—C. W. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_29" id="Footnote_29" href="#Anchor_29" title="Return to text.">[29]</a> Was this so? The long scores caused the introduction of round-hand -bowling. From among my brother’s papers (late Bishop of Lincoln) a letter -has lately been returned to me which contains the following:—‘Christ Church, -Oxford: May 24, 1831.—Cricket, I suppose, does not interest you; but you -may like to know that in three following innings, on three following days last -week, I got 328 runs. Christ Church has been playing—and beating—the -University.’—C. W. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_30" id="Footnote_30" href="#Anchor_30" title="Return to text.">[30]</a> My experience, in one respect, is, I suppose, unique. Hitting a leg-ball, I -alarmed the umpire, who turned round, and I was caught by the wicket-keeper -off his back! Naturally enough—but yet—justly? he gave me out!—C. W. -</li> - -<li> - <a name="Footnote_31" id="Footnote_31" href="#Anchor_31" title="Return to text.">[31]</a> London, 1776, <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 76. -</li> -</ul> -</div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER II. BATTING." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="2">II.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">BATTING.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span>)</span></h2> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="365" height="130" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="345" height="30" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="307" height="75" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="295" height="185" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><p class="idropcap_caption" id="the_champion_caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 1.</span>—The champion. - </p> - </div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <img src="images/the_champion.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="436" /> - <p class="idropcap_caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 1.</span>—The champion. - </p> -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="the_champion"> - -<p class="idrop-cap_1st_text" id="the_champion_top"><span class="uppercase"><span class="spaced_slight">Th</span>e</span> great -and -supreme -art of batting -constitutes -to the large majority -of cricketers -the most enjoyable -part of -the game. There -are three especially -delightful -moments in life -connected with -games, and only -those who have -experienced all -three can realise -what these moments -are. They -are (1) the cut stroke at tennis, when the striker wins chase -one and two on the floor; (2) the successful drive at golf, -when the globe is despatched on a journey of 180 yards; (3) -a crack to square-leg off a half-volley just outside the legs. -When once the sensation has been realised by any happy -mortal, he is almost entitled to chant in a minor key a ‘Nunc -Dimittis,’ to feel that the supreme moment has come, and that -he has not lived in vain.</p> - -<p>After<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> what has been said in the foregoing chapter we shall -here only touch upon the cricket of the past in so far as seems -necessary to make this dissertation on batting tolerably complete, -and shall then proceed to discuss the principles and -science of the art as it now exists.</p> - -<p>The shape of the bat in the year 1746—which may be taken -as a beginning, for it was in that year that the first score of a -match was printed and handed down to posterity, at any rate -in Lillywhite’s ‘<cite class="plain">Scores and Biographies</cite>’—resembled a thick -crooked stick more than a modern bat.</p> - -<p>From the shape of the bat, obviously adapted to meet -the ball when moving along the ground, one may infer that -the bowlers habitually delivered a style of ball we now call a -‘sneak.’ How long this system of bowling remained in vogue -cannot exactly be told. The famous William Beldham, who -was born in 1766, and lived for nearly one hundred years, is -reported by Nyren to have said that when he was a boy nearly -all bowling was fast and along the ground. As long as this -was the case it is probable that the bat was nothing but a club, -for if the ball never left the ground the operative part of the -bat would naturally be at the very bottom, as is usual in clubs. -The renowned Tom Walker was the earliest lob bowler; he -probably took to the style late in life, or about the year 1800, -and several bowlers, notably the great E. H. Budd, raised the -arm slightly; but it is believed that the first genuine round-arm -bowlers were William Lillywhite and James Broadbridge, both -of Sussex, who first bowled the new style in 1827. That year -was from this cause a year of revolution in cricket, and the -shape of the modern bat dates from that period. As a rule, up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -to the year 1800 the style of batting was back. William Fennex -is supposed to have been the inventor of forward play, and Beldham -reports a saying of one Squire Paulett, who was watching -Fennex play: ‘You do frighten me there, jumping out of your -ground.’ The great batsmen of the early era of cricket were -Lord Frederick Beauclerk, Mr. Budd, Beldham, Bentley, -Osbaldeston, William Ward, Beagley, William Lambert, Jem -Broadbridge, W. Hooker, Saunders, and Searle. The great -skill of these players, when opposed to under-hand bowling, -was what determined the Sussex players to alter the style of -bowling, and, indeed, it is generally the fact that too great -abundance of runs raises questions as to the desirability of -altering rules.</p> - -<p>After the year 1827 the shape of the bat became very like -what it is now, but it was much heavier in the blade and thinner -in the handle, which seems to indicate that the play was mostly -of the forward driving style, and the great exponent of this -method of play was the renowned Fuller Pilch. Anyone who -has the opportunity of handling a bat of this period will find -that its weight renders it inconvenient for cutting, but suitable -for forward play. The change from under-hand bowling to -round-arm having been effected by slow developments makes it -probable that the style of play was generally forward until the -under-hand bowling was altogether superseded by round-arm. -Some bowlers followed the new order of things by changing -from under to round-arm. Round-arm bowling was at first less -accurate than under-hand, and consequently all-round hitting -greatly developed; and we find Felix, the father of cutting, who -began play in 1828, chiefly renowned for this hit. Scoring -greatly diminished when round-arm bowling was thoroughly -established, and increased again as grounds got better.</p> - -<p>Judging from the scores of that day, the best bat in England -from 1827 to 1850 was Fuller Pilch, and his scoring would -compare favourably with that of nearly all modern players till -1874, with the exception of W. G. Grace. He was a tall man, -and used to smother the ball by playing right out forward.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - -<p>The principle on which his whole play was founded was -evidently to get at the pitch and take care of the ball before -breaks, bumps, and shooters had time to work their devilries. -In order to carry out this method, he used frequently to leave -his ground, and consequently the famous <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Clarke always -found Pilch a harder nut to crack than any of his other contemporaries.</p> - -<p>Clarke’s slow balls tolerably well up were met by Pilch, who -left his ground and drove him forward with a straight bat. -His master appears to have been the great Sam Redgate, who -was fast and ripping, and who on one occasion got him out for -a pair of spectacles, while, on the other hand, twice in his life -he got over 100 runs against <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Lillywhite’s bowling, considered -in those days to be an extraordinary feat. After Pilch, -Joseph Guy, of Nottingham, and E. G. Wenman, of Kent, were -considered the best; but several—C. G. Taylor, Mynn, Felix, -and Marsden, for example—scored largely, and they all passed -through a golden age of bowling, namely, about 1839, when -Lillywhite, Redgate, Mynn, Cobbett, and Hillyer all flourished, -to say nothing of Sir F. Bathurst, Tom Barker, and others.</p> - -</div><!--end of potentially wrapped text--> - -<p class="clear">From the year 1855, when Fuller Pilch left off play, to the -year 1868, when W. G. Grace burst on the world with a lustre -that no previous batsman had ever approached, there was, -nevertheless, a grand array of batsmen—among professionals, -Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, Daft, Caffyn, Mortlock, and Julius -Cæsar; and among amateurs, Hankey, F. H. Norman, C. G. -Lane, C. G. Lyttelton, Mitchell, Lubbock, Buller, V. E. Walker, -and Maitland. These are a few of the great names. They are, -however, surrounded by several almost as renowned, such as -Stephenson, T. Humphrey, Hearne, Cooper, Burbidge, Griffith, -and others; all these, we think, made this era of the game -productive of more exciting cricket than has been known since. -It may seem odd, but the overpowering genius of W. G. Grace -after this time somewhat spoilt the excitement of the game. -His side was never beaten. Crowds thronged to see him play, -all bowling was alike to him, and the record of Gloucestershire<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -cricket, champion county for some time through his efforts, is -the only instance of one man practically making an eleven for -several years. The other Gloucestershire players will be the -first to acknowledge the truth of this. Gloucestershire rose -with a bound into the highest rank among counties when -W. G. Grace attained his position amongst batsmen, a head -and shoulders above any other cricketer. In his prime -Gloucestershire challenged and on one occasion defeated -England; when he declined, Gloucestershire declined; in his -old age she shows signs of renewing her youth, for which all -credit is due to young Townsend, Jessop, Champain, and Board. -To return to the period between 1855 and 1868: the greater -equality of players made the matches more exciting and -established a keener because more evenly balanced rivalry. -The grounds were not so true as those of to-day, and the -matches were not so numerous; consequently cricketers were -not so frequently worn out by the wear and tear of long fielding -and days and nights of travel as they are now. The long -individual scores having been less in number and at longer -intervals, the few great innings were more vividly stamped on -the memory, and it is doubtful if even the modern 200 runs -per innings will survive as historical facts longer than Hankey’s -famous innings of 70 against the Players on Lord’s, Daft’s 118 -in North <i>v</i> South on the same ground, and Hayward’s 112 -against Gentlemen, also on Lord’s.</p> - -<p>The bowling during this period was generally fast or -medium, varied by lobs, but of genuine slow round, like -that of Peate, Buchanan, Alfred Shaw, and Tyler, there was -hardly any in first-class matches. To fast bowling runs come -quicker than they do to slow; consequently the game was -of more interest to the ordinary spectator, and there was -none of that painful slowness, in consequence of the extraordinary -accuracy of modern slower bowling, that is so common -now, and helps to produce so many drawn matches. -Though now, in the year 1897, the average bowling pace is -slower than it was in the sixties, it is nevertheless faster than it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -was in the seventies. The professionals had literally only -one genuine slow round-arm bowler in those days—George -Bennett, of Kent—and of course this fact accounted largely -for the batting style of the period. Wickets being often rough, -the most paying length for fast bowling was naturally that -length which gave the ground most chance, and prevented -the smothering style of play—a little shorter than the blind -spot, compelling back play over the crease, instead of forward -play. The best batsmen were great masters of this style of -play, with which the name of Carpenter is strongly identified. -To modern players the sight of Carpenter or Daft dropping -down on a dead shooter from a bowler of the pace of George -Freeman or Jackson was a wonderful one; but it is rapidly -becoming a memory only, for in these days a shooter may be -said not to exist. Now, in 1897, a wonderful feature of our -great fast bowlers—pre-eminently Richardson—is not that they -bowl straighter than Freeman or Jackson, but that they never -bowl a ball on the legs or outside the legs. The result is that -orthodox leg hitting, and in particular the smite to long-leg -with a horizontal bat, and much nearer the ground than a -square-leg hit, is never seen. During the entire progress of a -match nowadays, between Notts and Lancashire, or Yorkshire -and Notts, the unhappy batsman will not get a single ball outside -his legs to hit. So great is the accuracy of the bowling, -that over after over will go by, and not even a ball on his legs -will soothe his careworn and anxious brain. This accurate -bowling has caused another change in the way of batting. As -no ball is bowled on the leg side at all, so it consequently -follows there is no fieldsman on the on side except a forward -short-leg and a deep field. The batsman therefore waits till -the bowler slightly overtosses a ball—whether pitched outside -the off stump or on the wicket he cares not; he sweeps it -round to square leg, where no fieldsman stands, and he makes -four runs by the hit. In other words, he deliberately ‘pulls’ -it. Twenty years ago, on seeing such a hit, the famous Bob -Grimston would have shown his emphatic disapproval in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -characteristic manner. But the match must be won by runs; -to attain this object the ball must be hit where there is no -field, and it is useless to waste energy by hitting the ball to -every fieldsman on the off side.</p> - -<p>W. W. Read, Stoddart, and F. S. Jackson are all masters -of this stroke, which revives the drooping attention of the -crowd and relieves the monotony of the scorers. To all fast -bowling the cut is a hit largely in vogue, and the perfection to -which some players arrive with regard to this stroke is a joy to -themselves and to the spectators. It is, of course, as will be -explained later on, much easier to cut fast bowling than slow, -and the heroes of the cut whenever fast bowling is on are, and -were, always numerous.</p> - -<p>The champion cutter of old times, by universal testimony, -was C. G. Lyttelton, whose hits in the direction of point are -remembered by spectators to this day. Tom Humphrey, of -Surrey, was another great cutter; and there was a player, -not of the first rank, who was famous for this hit—namely, -E. P. Ash, of the Cambridge University Eleven, 1865 and -1866.</p> - -<p>The five champion bats of this era—1855 to 1868—were, -in the opinion of the writer, Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, -Daft, and R. A. H. Mitchell. The scoring of Hayward and -Carpenter between 1860 and 1864 was very large; both excelled -on rough wickets, and it is on these wickets that genius -exhibits itself.</p> - -<p>In all times of cricket, until the appearance of W. G. Grace, -there has been a large predominance of skill amongst the -professionals as compared with the amateurs. We are talking -now of batting; in bowling the difference has been still more -to the advantage of the professionals. The Gentlemen won -a match now and then, but their inferiority was very great. -W. G. Grace altered all this; and from 1868 to 1880 the -Gentlemen had a run of success which will probably never be -seen again. It was entirely owing to him, though the Players -were astonishingly weak in batting from 1870 to 1876; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -nothing could stop the crack, and his scoring in the two -annual contests was simply miraculous.</p> - -<p>We will now attempt to lay before our readers a more -detailed exposition of the principles which ought to govern -sound batting, and a careful observance of which is found in -the method of every sound player. The first consideration is -the choice of a bat, and as to this each individual must determine -for himself what is the most suitable. It is probable that -a strong man will prefer a heavier bat than a batsman of less -muscular calibre. In any case the style of play is an important -consideration, but the secret of all batting, and especially -hitting, is correct timing; this is a quality which cannot be taught, -but this is what makes a weak man hit harder than a strong -man—the one knows exactly the fraction of a second when all -that is muscular, all that he has got in wrist and shoulders, -must be applied, the other does not.</p> - -<p>At the beginning of this century, when the bowling was -fast under-hand, the bat used was of a style suitable for meeting -such balls—namely, a heavy blade with great weight at the -bottom; for, as already mentioned, the bowling being straight -and frequently on the ground, driving was the common stroke, -and for this a heavy blade is best adapted. So now, if a player -finds that he does not possess a wrist style of play, but a -forward driving game, he will probably choose a heavier bat -than the wrist-player; for a forward drive is more of a body -stroke—that is, the whole muscular strength of the shoulders -and back is brought into use, and the ball, being fully met, -gives more resistance to the bat than a ball which is cut. -This, perhaps, needs a little explanation. Just consider for a -moment, and realise the fact that a tolerably fast ball, well -up and quite straight, has been delivered. Such a ball is just -the ball that ought to be driven. The batsman lunges forward -and meets it with very nearly the centre of his bat, just -after the ball has landed on the ground, at the time, therefore, -when, if there is any spin on it, it is going at its fastest -pace. Obviously, therefore, when the pace and weight of -the ball are taken into consideration, there is great resistance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -given to the lunge forward of the bat. The heavier the blade -of the bat the better is it able to withstand and resist the -contrary motion of the ball. As a rule, players are not equally -good both at the forward driving and the wrist-playing games. -Some few excel in both, but usually batsmen have preferences. -Now let us examine the cut—of course we are now discussing -a ball on the off side of the wicket. A wrist-player will cut a -ball that the exponent of the driving style would drive, and -therefore meet with the full, or nearly full, bat. The cutter does -not meet the ball, for the ball has gone past him before he hits -it. Take a common long-hop on the off side. The driver -meets it with a more or less horizontal bat, and hits it forward -between cover-point and mid-off, or cover-point and point, -thereby resisting the ball and sending it almost in an opposite -direction to its natural course. He hits the ball some time before -it arrives on a level with his body, while the cutter, on the other -hand, does not hit the ball so soon; in fact, he hits it when it is -about a foot in front of the line of the wicket, sometimes almost -on a level with the wicket. He then, with his wrist, hits it in the -direction of third man. He does not meet the ball at all, but he -takes advantage of the natural pace of the ball and, as it were, -steers it from the normal course towards long-stop, in the direction -of third man. The whole essence of the distinction lies -in this fact, that in driving the ball is met directly by the bat; -in cutting this is not so; but the ball is, as it were, helped -on, only in a different direction. The faster the bowling, the -harder, therefore, will be the cut. The reader will at once -see from this that the wrist-player will probably prefer a lighter -bat than the driving batsman, and a bat that comes up well, as -it is called, or is more evenly balanced.</p> - -<p>We will now suppose a batsman properly equipped in pads -and, at any rate, one glove on the right hand, and with a -bat to his taste; our next inquiry must be as to his position -at the wicket. He must remember that, after having chosen -one position—the most natural and convenient to him—he -ought to adopt that position invariably; not alter it from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -day to day. You never see any material alteration in the -position of any great player, and if anyone takes the very -necessary trouble to find out the easiest position, he will be -a foolish man who varies it, as any change must be for the -worse. There is an old engraving, often seen, of a match -between Surrey and Kent about the year 1840. Old William -Lillywhite is about to bowl, and Fuller Pilch is about to play. -The attitude and position of Pilch were taken by the author of -‘<cite class="plain">The Cricket Field</cite>’ as a model; and there is no objection to -be raised to the position: it is a fair assumption that it was the -natural and most convenient position for Fuller Pilch himself. -The author, however, goes on to say that this is substantially -the attitude of every good batsman. To this we can only rejoin, -that out of the thousands of batsmen who have played cricket, -it would be difficult to find two who stand exactly alike. To -begin with, some stand with their feet close together, others -have them apart; some indeed so far apart that it almost seems -as if they were trying to solve the problem of how much length -of ground can be covered between the two feet. Some stand -with the right foot just on the leg side of a straight line drawn -between the leg-stump of the batsman’s wicket and the off -stump of the opposite wicket; others stand with the right foot -twelve inches or thereabouts from the leg-stump in the direction -of short-leg. Players who adopt this position run a risk of -being bowled off their legs, one would think; but they ought to -know best; we should not, however, advise a beginner to adopt -this attitude. W. G. Grace faces the ball, and there is no intervening -space between his hands whilst holding the bat and -his legs. If you look at the position of Pilch, you will see a -considerable interval of distance from the back of his left -hand and the right leg. There were three notable batsmen—namely, -A. N. Hornby, W. Yardley, and F. E. R. Fryer—who -used to throw their left leg right across the wicket so as almost -to hide it from the view of the bowler.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_w_g_grace" id="image_w_g_grace" class="nodec"><img src="images/w_g_grace.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="279" /></a> - <p class="caption"><span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 2.</span>—W. G. Grace ready to receive - the ball.</p> -</div> - -<p>Mr. A. J. Webbe stoops very much in his position, while -some players stand almost at full height; notably is this the case<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -with W. G. Grace. There are, as far as we know, only three -rules which must be observed in taking up a position. The first -is (1) stand so that no part of the right foot is in front of the -wicket or outside the crease; (2) stand in the attitude most -natural and convenient to yourself; (3) do not place the toes of -the right foot materially nearer the wicket than the heel. The -first rule is essential, for the good player never ought to move -his right foot to fast bowling. If, therefore, any part is in front of -the wicket, he runs a risk -of being leg before wicket -when the ball beats the -bat; if his foot is outside -the crease he is in danger -of being stumped; and if -the toes of the right foot -are materially nearer the -wicket than the heel, he -will find himself in a very -awkward position, unable -to get over the ball. Subject -to these rules, the batsman -takes any position he -pleases. The bat should -be held firmly with the -right hand and loosely or -comparatively loosely with -the left; neither hand -should be tightly clenched. The late Mr. <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Ward spoke the -truth when he told a sculptor who had made a statue of a batsman -at guard that he was no cricketer—the wrists were too -rigid and hands too much clenched. It seems that most players -lift their bat from the block-hole while the bowler is running -prior to delivering the ball, and <a href="#image_w_g_grace" title="Go to figure 2"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 2</a> shows W. G. Grace standing -just before the ball leaves the bowler’s hand. His whole -position is changed from what it was a few seconds before. His -first position before the bowler has begun his run, is given in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -sketch at <a href="#CHAPTER_II" title="Go to figure 1">the head of the chapter</a>. The <a href="#image_w_g_grace" title="Go to figure 2">figure here</a> shows -him to be standing almost at his full height, his bat suspended -in the air, and his weight if anything thrown rather on his -right foot. Most players, however, take up a position and stick -to it, except that they raise the bat slightly just before the ball -leaves the bowler’s hand. Nature is the best guide. Let every -player therefore find out the easiest attitude and always adopt it.</p> - -<p>We will now consider the manner in which the bat should -be held by the hands. This varies in a few trifling particulars -with different players: but in very rare instances is there any -substantial difference. The muscles ought not to be in a -state of rigidity, and whilst the batsman is standing in position -waiting for the ball the bat should be held firmly, but not -by any means tightly. The batsman cannot depend on any -particular ball coming to him; consequently, while the ball is in -the air, his mind has to be made up; he has then to set himself -for a stroke determined absolutely by the pace, length, and -direction of the ball, and there are only a few seconds for him -both to make up his mind and make the stroke. There is, no -doubt, a scientific, anatomical reason why quickness of hand -and muscles is incompatible with rigidity of muscle, but quite -practicable when the muscles and sinews are in a natural and -easy state of elasticity; but any man will find this out for himself -if he begins to play. Hold the bat, then, loosely with the left -hand, nearly at the top of the handle, with the back of the hand -turned full towards the bowler, the fingers folded round the -handle, and the thumb lying easily between the first and second -fingers. The right hand is fixed exactly contrary to the left as -far as the back and fingers are concerned, for the back is turned -away from the bowler and the fingers are turned towards him. The -thumb lies across and rests on the top of the first finger, touching -the finger about a quarter of an inch from the top on the inside. -When any sort of hit or block is made the bat at that instant is -held tightly, and both thumbs are slightly shifted so as to lie on -and clutch, not the fingers that hold the handle, but the handle -itself. Whether the hands are high up on the handle or low<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -down near the blade depends very much on the style of the -player. There is no rule on the subject, but we think the old -motto, ‘<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">In medio tutissimus ibis</span>,’ is good to observe, and the -middle of the handle is, on the whole, the safest. Some players, -however—notably Mr. Frank Penn, in his day a tremendous off-hitter -and altogether a grand bat—hold the bat with the knuckle -of the first finger of the right hand almost touching the top of -the blade; and big hitters, rather of the slogging order, as a rule -hold the bat higher up, with the left hand almost on the top; -in fact, they adopt what may be called the ‘long-handled style.’ -In holding the bat, however, follow the precept given before—namely, -ascertain the most natural method, and cling to it for -your cricketing life.</p> - -<p>The actual position at the wicket is the same for both slow -bowling and fast, with perhaps this trifling difference, that the -batsman ought not to stand so firmly on the right foot to slow -as he would to fast. The reason of this will be explained -hereafter, when we consider the right method of playing slow -bowling. At present we will confine our attention to playing -fast bowling, and let us assume that the batsman has taken his -natural position with his right toe clear of the wicket and that a -fast right-handed bowler is bowling with hand raised above the -shoulder and over the wicket. This is the method of bowling -most in vogue in these days; in fact, the strict round-arm bowling -round the wicket, with a curl from leg, is for some inscrutable -reason now comparatively rare. Why this is so nobody can tell, -and we believe that some of the present gigantic scoring is partly -owing to the absence of this sort of bowling.</p> - -<p>However, the popular method will be the first we shall try -and instruct the batsman to meet successfully, and we will -suppose that the wicket is fast and true. We will begin with -laying down one or two rules that must rigorously be observed -by every player if he wishes to become a first-rate cricketer. -(1) <em>Never move the right foot when playing fast bowling except -to cut, or when you want to pull a very short ball.</em> Nobody -will ever become a first-rate player if he does not strictly observe -this rule. The spot of ground on which the right foot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -rests is the vantage-point from which every batsman has to -judge of the direction of the ball, and if he shifts away from -this, all sorts of faults will crop up, chief of which will be an -inability to play with a straight or perpendicular bat. He will -also, if he moves his right foot towards short-leg—which is the -commonest form this vice takes—find that he will drive balls -with a crooked bat to the off, when from a proper position he -would have hit them on the on side. He will also find himself -further removed from the off side, and quite unable, therefore, -to play with a straight bat on the off stump. These are -a few of the faults that come from not keeping the right foot -still. All coaches know that this habit of moving the right leg -is the fault most commonly found in young players, and it is -most difficult to remove. This arises from the fact that the -ball is a hard substance; the beginner naturally dislikes being -hit anywhere on the body, and his first and most powerful instinct -is therefore to run away. But many instincts are base -in their nature, and the young cricketer must realise in this, -as in other cases, that the old Adam must be put away -and the new man put on. He will find, as he improves, that -in these days of true wickets he will not often get hit; the -bat will, as a rule, protect him, and if he is hit anywhere on -or below the knee the pads will perform a similar function. -If he does get hit, well, he must grin and bear it, and try to -emulate the heroism of some giants of old in ante-pad-and-glove -days, of one of whom, the famous Tom Walker, we read -that he used to rub his bleeding fingers in the dust, after -the Mold of those days had performed a tattoo on his -fingers. (2) Never pull a straight fast ball to leg unless it is very -short and you are well in. If you miss it, you are either -bowled out or else you run a great chance of being given out -leg before wicket. The dead true wickets of these days -have no doubt made many more batsmen proficient at this -stroke, but still it is sound to remember that you must have -got thoroughly used to the pace of the ground before you try -this stroke. Ranjitsinhji’s skill at this stroke is marvellous, but -few have such supple wrists. (3) Never slog wildly at a ball well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -outside the off stump, but of a good length. This hit also may -occasionally come off, but there is no trap more frequently laid -by modern bowlers. Attewell, for example, bowls it so frequently -that ‘the Attewell trap’ is becoming a stock phrase, and a -little consideration will show how dangerous a stroke it is. A -good length ball is one that it is impossible to smother at the -pitch, and if it is outside the off stump it has to be played -with a more or less horizontal bat, if the slog is attempted. -What must be the consequence? The ball is not smothered, -consequently any break, hang, or rise that the bowler or the -ground may impart to the ball must almost inevitably produce -a bad stroke, frequently terminating in a catch somewhere on -the off side. The proper way to play such a ball will be discussed -later on, but under no circumstances must the ball be -hit at wildly at the pitch. (4) Keep the left shoulder and -elbow well forward when playing the ball. It is more important -in back play than forward, because in forward play the ball is, -or ought to be, smothered at the pitch, and the value of the left -shoulder being forward is that you are much more master of the -ball if it should happen to bump or hang; besides which, the -bat cannot easily be held straight unless this rule is observed, -neither can the full face of the bat be presented to the ball. -In the case of the shooter, or ball which keeps low after the -pitch, the movement of the left shoulder towards the left or leg -side will inevitably make it more difficult to ground or lower -the bottom of the bat.</p> - -<p>The art of defence—which is the style of play adapted to -stop the ball, as distinguished from the offensive method, where -the object is to hit the ball so as to obtain runs—may be roughly -divided into forward play and back play. The object of all -forward play is to smother the ball at its pitch; that is to say, -the contact of the bat with the ball must be almost simultaneous -with the contact of the ball with the ground. The player must -reach out with a straight bat as near to the pitch of the ball -as is possible. It stands to reason that a tall man will reach -out much further than a short man, and a bowler, if he is wise, -will bowl shorter-pitched balls to a tall man than he will to a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -short. Let anybody take a bat and reach forward as far as he -can, keeping the bat, when it touches the ground at the end -of the stroke, slanting so that the top of the handle is nearer -to the bowler than the bottom of the blade. There comes a -distance when this slant cannot be maintained, and the bat has -either to be held in a perpendicular position or with the handle -sloping behind the blade and pointing towards the wicket-keeper. -Here, then, we come to an invariable rule, viz. never -play forward to a ball so that you are unable to keep the bat at -the proper slant, with the handle of the bat further forward than -the blade. Also, let every player remember that the left foot -must be placed as far forward as the bottom of the bat, and all -play, whether forward or back, is really between the two feet, or, -more strictly speaking, in forward play the bat must not be put -further forward than the left foot, and in back play not further -back than the level of the right foot.</p> - -<p>Some old players may very likely not agree with this precept, -and players of the date of Fuller Pilch constantly had their bat -a great deal further out than the left foot, which used not to be -thrown out so far. Mr. C. F. Buller, again, in his day a magnificent -bat, used to play forward in the same style. But let anyone -take a bat and throw out his left foot to the fullest extent; he -will find that the bat ought not to go any further if the proper -slant be maintained, and he will find also that he has greater -command over the ball in this position than in Fuller Pilch’s. -Look at the position in <a href="#image_forward_play" title="Go to figure 3"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 3</a>, and you will see that the bat -has come down strictly on a level with the left foot. That -a greater command is obtained by this method cannot be -proved in writing, but anyone who tries the old and the new -style will find that the new is preferable as far as command -of the ball is concerned. We are not implying that the great -players of the old style were bad players because they played -in the contrary way, for great players rise above rules and play -by the force of their greatness; but we are chiefly concerned -with the ordinary mortal, and our advice is, throw the left leg -right out and play to the level of the left foot. Some good -players maintain that, as the shooter comes so seldom nowadays,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -it is wasting power to ground the bat when playing forward, -it being sufficient if it is placed according to circumstances, -varying with the state of the ground. This is no doubt true when -the wickets are hard, but if the miraculous should happen and -a shooter come, the batsman is out, and on soft wickets they -still come. <a href="#image_forward_play" title="Go to figure 3"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 3</a> illustrates grounding the bat in forward play, -and <a href="#image_gunn_playing_forward" title="Go to figure 14"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 14</a>, at the end of this chapter, illustrates playing forward -without grounding.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_forward_play" id="image_forward_play" class="nodec"><img src="images/forward_play.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="343" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 3.</span> —Forward Play. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The ball which is too short for the player to play forward -to with his bat at the proper slant must be played back and -not forward. To be a good judge of a ball’s length is a source -of strength in any player, and a strictly accurate player seldom -makes the mistake of playing forward when he ought to play -back, and <i>vice versâ</i>. In cricket, however, poor human nature is -apt to err oftener perhaps than in most walks of life, and the -question may now be asked, What is the batsmen to do when -he finds himself playing forward, but unable to smother the -ball at the pitch? He has made a mistake; how is he to get out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -of the difficulty? Let it be remembered that we are at present -only concerned with a fast and true wicket, the play on a slow -tricky wicket being so different that it will be noticed separately.</p> - -<p>Let us assume, then, that the batsman is forward in the -position here shown, but that he finds he cannot reach far -enough to smother the ball at the pitch. On a fast wicket -there is no time to rectify the error by getting back and playing -the ball in the orthodox manner; and yet the batsman must -do something or he will be bowled out. There are three -courses open to him. (1) He must trust to Providence and a -good eye, and take a slog, or adopt what a humorous cricketer -once called ‘the closed-eye blow,’ in which case, if hit at -all, the ball will probably be hit into the air, but perhaps out -of harm’s way, or, as is quite as likely, into a fielder’s hands. -The famous E. M. Grace, who is blessed with as good an eye as -any cricketer, frequently plays this stroke with success. (2) He -may adopt what lawyers would call the cy-près doctrine; -in other words, though he ought to play forward and smother -a ball, he may at the same time play forward and not smother -the ball, which may hit the bat nevertheless. The dangers of -this play are obvious to every cricketer, for it leaves him at -the mercy of the ball that bumps, hangs, or turns. Modern -grounds are so good that this stroke is far safer than it used -to be; for in the majority of instances the ball comes straight -on, and only the experienced observer sees that the batsman -comes off with flying colours owing to the excellence of the -ground rather than to his skill. (3) He may, after he has got -forward and perceived his error, effect a compromise and perform -what is sometimes called a ‘half-cock stroke.’ This stroke -does not require a violent shuffling about of the legs and feet, -which are placed as they would be while playing forward, -but, instead of the arms and hands reaching forward, they are -brought back so as to hold the bat quite straight over, or a -little in front of, the popping crease. This position and style -of play may be observed in <a href="#image_half-cock" title="Go to figure 4"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 4</a>, and it is worth a careful -examination; for, in our opinion, it is the proper way for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -a man to extricate himself out of the difficulty he has been led -into by misjudging the length of the ball. Nobody can play -a ball in this way more skilfully than W. G. Grace, and the -figure shows him in the act of thus playing to a ball which is -on the blind spot—that is, either adapted for forward or back -play, and therefore eminently qualified for over the crease -play, a compromise between the two. The merit of this style -of play is that it gives the batsman time to watch the ball, and -if it should bump or turn he may alter his tactics to meet it, -whereas by the second -method his play is fixed -and cannot be altered, -and the awkward hanging, -bumping, or twisting ball -beats him. Practise by -all means this half-cock -stroke; on fast grounds -it may be found more -useful than even the -orthodox back play; for -in back play, unless the -ball is very short, the -pace of the ground may -beat a man, especially -when he first goes in and -has not got accustomed -to the pace. The golden rules to guide the beginner in playing -forward may be very briefly stated. (1) Play forward when -the ball is fairly well pitched up, but remember that the faster -the bowling and the faster the wicket the more frequently will -forward play be the safer style of play. (2) Keep the bat quite -straight and the left shoulder and elbow well forward. (3) Get -as near to the pitch of the ball as possible. (4) Do not put -the bat further forward than the level of the left foot, which -ought to be thrown right forward.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_half-cock" id="image_half-cock" class="nodec"><img src="images/half-cock.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="238" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 4.</span>—‘Half-cock’ or over the crease play. - </p> -</div> - -<p>It is often a doubtful question whether a straight drive forward -is what is technically a drive or hit, or mere forward play.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -Of course, when the batsman is well set he may hit as hard as he -can to a straight half-volley; but there are many players whose -forward play is so powerful that it practically amounts to a drive. -Stoddart’s forward play frequently makes mid-off tremble, and -the same used to be said of Ford and several other players.</p> - -<p>But to the beginner again: until you are well set, do not let -all your strength go out to any straight ball; if you do, you will -lose more than you gain. On Lord’s, for instance, a hit over -the ropes can only realise four, the same as a hit under the -ropes; you will very likely, therefore, score as many for a -straight hard bit of forward play as you will for a regular swipe.</p> - -<p>When the art of back play to fast bowling is discussed, the -converse of what has been said about forward play is true, -viz. that as the faster the ground the more balls ought to be -played forward, so under the same circumstances will fewer -balls be played back. As a general rule, it may be observed -that strong-wristed players play more back than batsmen who -play chiefly with their arms and shoulders. A weak-wristed -player playing back on a very fast wicket will frequently be late, -and either miss the ball altogether or else half-stop it, in -which latter case it may dribble into the wicket. The value -of a strong wrist is that the batsman can dab down on a ball -and do the feat in a far shorter space of time than a shoulder-and-arm -player. The difference between a strong wrist and a -weak wrist in playing back is a little similar to what is observed -in an altogether different line. Look at a great underbred cart-horse -with a leg like a weaver’s beam, and then look at the -real thoroughbred with its slim proportions; at first sight it -appears that a kick from the cart-horse will inflict much greater -damage than a kick from the thoroughbred. People who are -learned in horses, however, inform us that the contrary is the -case, and the greater weight of the leg of the cart-horse is -more than counterbalanced by the far more rapid and sudden -movement of the thoroughbred. The bat wielded by a player -with a strong wrist goes through the air like lightning, and -comes down on the ball far quicker and harder than a ponderous -stroke from the arms and shoulders of the batsman with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -no wrist action. Perhaps the champion back-player of the -century was Robert Carpenter, of Cambridgeshire and United -All England renown, whose back play on Lord’s to the terrific -fast bowling of Jackson and Tarrant will never be forgotten by -those who beheld it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_back-play" id="image_back-play" class="nodec"><img src="images/back-play.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="530" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 5.</span>—‘Back play’ to a bumping ball. - </p> -</div> - -<p>A back style of play does not smother the ball at the pitch, -but plays at the ball when its course after contact with the -ground is finally determined, and a careful watching of the ball -is therefore of the highest importance. It is bad ever to assume -that, because a ball has pitched on a line with the off stump, -therefore you are safe if you protect the off stump only, on -the assumption that the ball is going on straight. The ball may -break back, and in order to ascertain that it has done so, and -to shift your bat to guard the middle and leg stumps, you -must carefully watch the ball. Apart from breaking or curling, -the ball may shoot or bump; in either case the batsman -has only his eye to guide him, and the wrist has to obey the -eye. <a href="#image_back-play" title="Go to figure 5"><abbr title="figure">Fig.</abbr> 5</a> represents ‘back play’ to a bumping ball. Sometimes -a ball may be so short that if the batsman has got his -eye well in, and is thoroughly accustomed to the pace of the -ground, he may by a turn of the wrist, keeping the left shoulder -and elbow well forward, steer the ball through the slips. The -beginner, however, must be careful to attempt nothing but -the orthodox forms of play; he is not W. G. Grace or Shrewsbury -and such-like, who, in their turn, do not attempt exceptional -feats until they are well set. The ball ought to be met with the -full face of the bat, and under no circumstances ought the ball -to be allowed to hit the bat, which must be the propeller, not -the propelled. Mind to respect and carefully follow out the -two great commandments—never to move the right foot, and -to keep the left shoulder forward and left elbow up. The -number of hours that a youngster has to be bowled at before -that fatal right foot can be relied upon to keep still is prodigious; -but the bat cannot be straight if the body is gravitating -towards the direction of short leg while the ball is in the air. -To a very short ball different methods of play may be adopted. -The one alluded to above, the steering of the ball through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -slips, is not often attempted, and a safer method would be to -try and come heavily down on the ball and force it past the -fields for two or three runs. This is a safe stroke, much safer -to adopt than the other. The bat must be straight, and it is -wise not to let your whole strength go out, for one or two contingencies -may arise for which the player ought to be prepared. -In the first place, the ball may shoot, and the crisis must be -met accordingly. Now, if the whole of the strength and all the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -faculties of a batsman are bent towards the carrying out of -one particular stroke, there will be no reserve left to provide -for any other contingency, for the muscles will be wholly set -for one stroke, and one stroke only, and the player will infallibly -be late if the ball should keep a little low. Of course, on a -great many grounds in these days the chances of such contingencies -are reduced almost to a minimum on account of -the excellence of modern wickets; but still we have to inform -the reader what <em>may</em> happen, not only what happens commonly. -Some few players rise superior to grounds, and though of course -they can get many more runs on easy wickets, still they show -good cricket when the wicket is in favour of the bowler.</p> - -<p>The prevalence of easy wickets is not, in our opinion, an unmixed -blessing. You may go and watch a match when the ground -is as hard as iron and as true as truth, and see a magnificent -innings played by some batsman. The same player on a bowler’s -wicket is not less uncomfortable than the proverbial fish out -of water. A man may be a lion on a lawn, but a mere pigmy -when the ground is not a lawn. There are a great many of -these lions on lawns in these days, and to hear them all with -one consent begin to make excuse when they have been bowled -out on a crumbling wicket is very amusing. The ball hung, -or it kept low, or ‘broke back a foot, I assure you, dear boy. -W. G. in his best days wouldn’t have been near it.’ In his -best days, and almost in his worst, Mr. Grace would have often -played it, and so would Steel, Shrewsbury, and one or two others—planets -among the stars, to watch whom getting thirty runs -out of a total of eighty on a difficult wicket is far more enjoyable -to a skilled spectator than to see the hundreds got on ABC -wickets. The chances that on a hard smooth wicket the very -short ball will do anything abnormal is, nowadays, reduced to -a minimum. But still it may happen, and it is therefore wise -to have in reserve a little strength and a little elasticity. You -can play very hard, nevertheless, and for this hard forcing stroke -off a short straight ball W. Yardley, the late B. Pauncefote, -H. C. Maul, and F. G. J. Ford have never been surpassed.</p> - -<p>The ball most to be dreaded for the forcing stroke is the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -hanging ball, which stops and does not come on evenly and -fast to the bat. The batsman will fail to time the ball, with -the almost certain consequence that the bat will go on and the -ball will be hit from underneath, and up it will go. The advice -that has been given to keep a slight reserve of strength to provide -against such contingencies as the hanging ball has the -same force now. If you have not altogether let the whole -force go out, you will have a better chance of doing the correct -thing to a ball of this description—namely, to drop the bat and -allow the ball to hit it, the exact opposite of your original intention. -This is an exception to the general rule that the bat -should hit the ball, and not the ball the bat.</p> - -<p>In all cases a quick and correct eye will enable its owner -to come out of the difficulty with flying colours, and any rules -that may be laid down will be utterly useless to him who puts -his bat just where the ball is <em>not</em>, but where his inaccurate eye -thinks it is. If a youth with the best intentions, but with a -false and crooked eye, after reading and thoroughly comprehending -every rule directing how every ball ought to be played, -stands up and tries to play cricket, what will be the result? -He may even have courageously learnt to pin his right foot -firmly to the ground; but, notwithstanding this, the result of his -efforts will be that, though all proper and necessary postures -may be assumed, he will be bowled out, for the bat, except -by a lucky chance, will always be in the wrong place, though -held quite straight. If cricket could be played with no ball, -the careful eyeless cricketer would shine; but the introduction -of that disturbing element dashes all his hopes to the ground.</p> - -<p>There is a ball that in these days more frequently than any -other succeeds in bowling people out, and that is the familiar -‘tice’ or ‘yorker.’ This is nothing else than a ball right up, that -pitches in fact near the block-hole, but is not a full pitch. -This ball ought to be met by the bat just when it touches the -ground, and the bat ought to come down very heavily on the -ball. It is a little difficult to understand why this ball is so -frequently fatal, as it comes straight up and only requires a -straight bat and correct timing. Probably most batsmen hope<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -that the eagerly-looked-for half-volley has at length come; this -induces them to lay themselves out for a smite, and when they -see their mistake it is too late to alter the tactics. Others, on -the contrary, think that a full-pitch is coming, and advance -their bat to meet it; the result is, the ball gets underneath it. -In fact, the length of the ball is not correctly judged, and the -batsman is caught in two minds. A bowler who is in the habit -of sending down ‘yorkers’ is fond of doing so the first ball after -a new batsman comes in, and if a batsman is known to be of a -nervous temperament there is no better ball to give in the -first over. It may be here said, however, that it is next door to -impossible to bowl a ‘yorker’ to some batsmen. W. G. Grace, -for instance, seems always to be able to make a full-pitch of this -ball, and a fourer often results. It is obvious that if a ball pitches -near or on a level with the block-hole when the batsman is -standing still, it ought to be easy to make it a full-pitch by stepping -out to meet it. Mr. Grace does this even to fast bowling.</p> - -<p>Having endeavoured to the best of our ability to enunciate -a few principles as to defensive tactics, we will now try -and discuss offensive tactics, or hitting. A curious feature -of the present day is that new hits have come into existence. -These have not sprung up because they were not occasionally -brought off in earlier days, but formerly when they were the -batsman used to apologise to the bowler for having wounded -his feelings, and a sort of groan used to be heard all round, as -if there had been some gross violation of a cricket commandment. -The grounds have improved to such an extent that -bowlers have had to resort to new tactics to effect the grand -object of all bowlers—namely, to get wickets.</p> - -<p>A fast bowler has one system of tactics, a medium and -slow bowler another. On hard level wickets a fast bowler in -these days is very apt to bowl short on the off stump and try -and make the ball bump, and to cram a lot of fields in the -slips, while the wicket-keeper stands back. The sort of ball -that bowls a man out is frequently a ‘yorker.’ This is not the -perfection of bowling, it is a bad style that the modern perfect -wicket has caused to come in. A bowler who keeps a splendid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -length with really scientific methods, like Hearne, has his -reward in uncertain weather and on catchy wickets, but the -baked smooth wickets of modern-day cricket produce such -bowlers as Jessop and Jones the Australian, who mainly bowl -for catches in the slips—and who can blame them? Slow -bowlers have to sacrifice accuracy and length to get twist or -break like Trott, the Australian captain, and Hartley the -Oxonian, and Wainwright; this is also because the perfect -wickets will not allow the combination of length and break. -So the bowlers have to -cultivate an abnormal -break, which cannot be -done without the sacrifice -of length.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_gunn_cutting" id="image_gunn_cutting" class="nodec"><img src="images/gunn_cutting.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="251" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 6.</span>—Gunn cutting. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Of all hits, the most -fascinating to the intelligent -spectator is the cut. -This requires a very -strong use of the wrist, -and, like all wrist strokes, -charms the spectator -by accomplishing great -results at the expense of -apparently little effort. -Cricket reporters of the -present day are very apt -to call any hit that goes -in any direction between cover-point and long-slip a cut, and -thereby make the term include both snicks and off drives. -This is a mistake, as nearly every cricketer can sometimes -make an off drive, and all can snick the ball, even the worst; -indeed, with some it is the only stroke they seem to possess, -but there are many who have hardly ever made a genuine cut -in their lives. The real genuine cut goes to the left side of -point—assuming that point stands on a line with the wicket—it -is made with the right leg thrown over, and its severity -depends largely on the perfectly correct timing of the ball.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -The ball is hit when it has reached a point almost on a line -with the wicket, and the length of the ball is rather short; if far -up, it is a ball to drive and not to cut. The bat should hit the -ball slightly on the top, and the most correct cutting makes -the ball bound before it gets more than six yards from the -player. <abbr title="Figures">Figs.</abbr><a href="#image_gunn_cutting" title="Go to figure 6"> 6</a> - and <a href="#image_shrewsbury_cutting" title="Go to figure 7"> 7</a> show Gunn and Shrewsbury in the -position proper for cutting. It is a mistake to suppose -that the right leg should be thrown over a long way; it is -sufficient if the foot be put in front of the off stump. When -the player is well in and -has thoroughly got the -pace of the ground, he -very often makes what -may be called a clean -cut; that is to say, he -hits with a bat quite horizontal -to the ball, and not -over it. This produces a -harder hit, as the force -is wholly directed towards -sending the ball in the -proper direction, and not -hard on the ground. It -is not so safe, because, if -the ball should bump, the -bat, not being over the -ball, may hit its lower side and send it up. Therefore be -careful to hit over, and sacrifice some of the severity, if you -wish to play a safe game.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_shrewsbury_cutting" id="image_shrewsbury_cutting" class="nodec"><img src="images/shrewsbury_cutting.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="251" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 7.</span>—Shrewsbury cutting. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Some careful players would hit over the ball even after they -have scored one hundred runs, and we have never seen Shrewsbury, -for instance, cut in any other way. In the figure the -ball must be presumed to lie rather low, for it is certain that -he is following his invariable custom of getting over the ball. -In any case we should never recommend the clean cut to any -but the best players, and that only on a perfect wicket and -when they are well set. If you are in the position to cut and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -the ball should bump, it is wise to leave it alone, for the -danger of being caught at third man is very great. We have -seen lusty hitters get right under a bumping off ball and send -it high over third man’s head, but it is a perilous stroke, and is -not correct cricket. If the ball, on the other hand, keeps a -bit low after the pitch, it is a most effective stroke to come -heavily down on it; if the force is put on the ball at the right -moment it will go very hard, and may be called a ‘chop.’ -Messrs. K. J. Key and O’Brien, who are strong players from -every point of view, excel at this stroke, and they hit the -ground at the same time as the ball with a great power of -wrist. It is useless for anybody to hope to cut well unless he -has both a strong wrist and the power of timing.</p> - -<p>The question now arises, What is the player with a weak -wrist to do with a ball that a strong-wristed man cuts? Some -would say that if he cannot cut in the orthodox vigorous way -he ought at any rate to go as near to it as he can, and if he -cannot make a clean cut for four, at least he should content -himself with two. We think, however, there is for such players -a more excellent way. In the cut we have been describing -the right foot is shifted across: suppose the player now moves -his left foot, not across, but simply straight forward to a ball -that is in every way suitable to cut; let him then wait till the -ball has gone just past his body, and then hit it with the full -force of his arms and shoulders and with as much wrist as he -has got. The ball will naturally go in the same direction as -the orthodox cut, and quite as hard. The player must stand -upright, and must especially be careful not to hit the ball before -it has passed his body. If he does this off a fast long hop, he -will bring off a vulgar sort of stroke, which cannot go so hard as -the ball hit later, because there is greater resistance to the bat; -in the correct way the bat hits the ball partly behind it and, as -it were, helps it on in its natural course, whereas at the incorrect -moment the ball has to be thumped in order to send it in -an exactly opposite direction from that in which it is going -before meeting the bat.</p> - -<p>In our judgment coaches ought to teach all beginners this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -stroke whenever they find weakness of wrist. The body is -put in such a way as to compensate for a weak wrist, and if -anyone takes up this position with a bat in his hand he will -find that the stroke partakes of the qualities of a drive more -than of a cut. Young players are generally rather impatient, -and very apt to hit the ball before it reaches the level of the -body, and this fault must be removed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_old-fashioned_sweep_to_leg" id="image_old-fashioned_sweep_to_leg" class="nodec"><img src="images/old-fashioned_sweep_to_leg.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="277" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 8.</span>—Old-fashioned sweep to leg. (Gunn.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>Let us now discuss the leg hit—most glorious of hits—where -every muscle of the body may safely be exerted; for if you -miss it the ball is not -straight, so you cannot -be bowled, and the -harder the hit the less -chance is there of being -caught, at any rate in -first-class matches in -these days of boundaries. -Bowling having become -more accurate, there is -not half so much leg -hitting now as there used -to be, and in the present -day you hardly ever hear -of a batsman known for -his hitting as George -Parr was formerly, as -also Mr. R. A. H. -Mitchell, and several -others.</p> - -<p>There are plenty of men who can hit to leg, but in these -days they do not often get a chance, and it is a rare event -nowadays to see any fieldsman standing at the old-fashioned -position of long-leg. There is generally a field stationed -against the ropes to save four byes when a fast bowler is on, -who can also stop leg snicks from going to the ropes; but, to -carry the illustration farther, as in leg hitting there is no George -Parr, so in fielding at long leg there is no Jack Smith of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -Cambridge. It is rapidly dying out. In a match which we -ourselves saw at Sheffield in 1887, between Notts and Yorkshire, -for a whole day and a half there was not one genuine leg smack -except off lobs, and at no time was a field placed there. This -is hard for the batsman, but it is even harder for the spectators, -who love to see a grand square-leg hit. George Parr’s leg hit, -for which he was unrivalled, was the sweep to long-leg off a -shortish ball that many modern players would lie back to and -play off their legs. George Parr would extend his left leg -straight forward, and sweeping round with a horizontal bat, -send the ball very hard, and frequently along the ground. -This hit has really totally disappeared in these days. When -George Parr played he used to punish terrifically bowlers like -Martingell, of Surrey and Kent, who relied on a curl from leg -and bowled round the wicket—a most effective style, naturally -producing, however, many leg balls. It is all the other way -now, and it may be taken for certain that for every leg ball -you see now in first-class matches you saw ten or twenty in -former days. However, young players in schools are certain -to get plenty of convenient balls to hit, so they must remember -to throw out the left leg and hit as near to the pitch as possible -and as hard as they can. The ball may start in the direction -of square-leg, but its natural bias after it has gone a certain -distance will be towards long-leg or behind the wicket, and the -fieldsman must remember this, or he will find the ball fly away -behind him on his right side. Be very careful never to try -this stroke to balls that are on the wicket, or even nearer the -wicket than four inches at least. If it is within that distance it -is a ball to drive, and not to hit to leg. <a href="#image_old-fashioned_sweep_to_leg" title="Go to figure 8"><abbr title="figure">Fig.</abbr> 8</a> shows Gunn -carrying out this stroke, and the batsman may put his left leg -in front of the wicket if he is certain the ball did not pitch -straight. This hit ought only to be attempted when the ball -is short of a half-volley. If the ball is a half-volley or at any -rate well up, the proper hit is in front of the wicket or to square-leg, -and with a vertical, not a horizontal bat. In this hit, -how far to throw out the left leg depends on the length of the -ball; the batsman may even sometimes have to draw it back a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -little and stand upright and face the ball if it is well up. There -is no hit that can be made harder than this to square-leg, -and there have been many records of gigantic square-leg hits. -Some hitters have sent the ball as far by the lofty smack -straight over the bowler’s head, but more batsmen can generally -hit farther to square-leg, and only a short time ago Mr. -Key sent a ball right out of the Oval. In years gone by Lord -Cobham and R. A. H. Mitchell were renowned for their square-leg -hitting, as was Carpenter also. There is no very special -rule to be observed for this hit, except that the ball must be -on the legs or just outside them, and not straight, or within -four or five inches of the -leg stump. If the ball -is tolerably wide on the -leg the bat will be more -horizontal as it hits the -ball, which will in consequence -go sharper, and -<i>vice versâ</i>, if the ball is -just crooked enough to -hit; it will, when hit, go -more straight, and be -called by the cricket reporters -an ‘on drive,’ -though it is a square-leg -hit. <a href="#image_square-leg_hit" title="Go to figure 9"><abbr title="figure">Fig.</abbr> 9</a> is supposed to represent W. G. Grace hitting to -square-leg, and the reader must assume that the fieldsman is -running to field the ball going on a line or in front of the -wicket, and not behind it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_square-leg_hit" id="image_square-leg_hit" class="nodec"><img src="images/square-leg_hit.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="198" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 9.</span>—Square-leg hit. (W. G. Grace.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>Some players there are who never seem to hit at any ball, -but push it all along the ground, and for this purpose they -get farther over the ball, and simply use the weight of the body, -using the arms and shoulders but little.</p> - -<p>This is an eminently safe game, but to these players we -would only observe that they deprive themselves of the -glorious sensation, alluded to at the beginning of this chapter,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -which comes when a ball is hit with all the force that nature can -supply and a fine driving bat can supplement. Cricket is a -game; the primary object of games is to give pleasure to the -players, and it is quite impossible that the same amount of keen -gratification can await the stick who never hits as is realised by -the man who, though he may only be at the wickets half the -time, yet in that time makes at least ten great hits that will -realise forty runs. There is, however, a good length ball on the -legs to which this push can be usefully applied if the batsman -is one of the numerous class of cricketers who cannot make -use of the sweep to leg. This stroke is made by slightly moving -out of the ground, or rather, the whole weight of the body being -inclined forward the right foot is dragged forward also. This -may seem to violate a cardinal rule laid down before—that the -right foot should never be moved. It must be remembered -that the reasons why the right foot should not be moved -mainly apply when the foot is moved in front of the wicket or -towards short-leg. It is invariably wrong to go out of your -ground when the fast ball is straight or on the off side, for -in both these instances, if you miss the ball, even if it does not -hit the wicket, you are under the risk of being stumped. But -to move out of your ground to a fast ball on your legs practically -lays you open to no danger of being stumped, for if you should -miss the ball you will stop it with your legs. Now imagine -yourself utterly unable to sweep the ball to leg as George Parr -used to do, and receiving a ball that you cannot reach at the -pitch so as to hit with a straight bat—in other words, rather a -short ball—what are you to do? If the ball is very short you will -probably get back, bring your left foot on a line with, and close -to, the right, and try either to make the ball glide off your bat -to long-leg or play it with a full face for a single in front of short-leg.</p> - -<p><a href="#image_the_glide" title="Go to figure 10"><abbr title="figure">Fig.</abbr> 10</a> shows W. G. Grace attempting the glide, and apparently -he has hardly moved either leg; presumably, therefore, -the ball is not very short, but only just too short to hit. -This is a stroke in which W. G. Grace excels, as indeed he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -does in most others; but it is a dangerous one unless the left -elbow is kept well up, for otherwise, if the ball bumps, you -will find your bat sloping backwards and the ball will go up.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_glide" id="image_the_glide" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_glide.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="229" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 10.</span>—‘The glide.’ (W. G. Grace.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>We must now think of the proper way to play a ball on the -legs that is not short enough for the batsman to play back to -in this way, though, on the other hand, it cannot be hit to -square-leg with a straight bat. The batsman also, on account -of some natural disability, has always been unable to learn -the secret of the George Parr sweep. This sort of ball must -be played forward, and, if necessary, the batsman may even -leave his ground and -push it in front of short -leg. As has been said -before, if he should -miss the ball his legs -will save him from being -stumped. The ball -must be smothered as -far as possible and -pushed on in front of -short-leg, and the reason -why it is not hit harder -is simply because you -cannot quite get at the -pitch, and if, therefore, -you hit hard at it, you -would probably sky the ball. The bat must be kept at the proper -slope: as the body is lunging forward a great deal of impetus -will be given to the hit by the mere weight of the body, and the -ball will frequently find its way to the ropes. This play is most -useful when opposed to left-handed bowlers, for then the ball is -apt to follow the arm and come straight in the direction of the -batsman’s left hip. The famous trio of Uppingham cricketers, -Messrs. Patterson, Lucas, and D. Q. Steel, were very strong in -this stroke, and in an innings of over a hundred which Mr. Patterson -played at Lord’s in 1876 against Oxford a large proportion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -of his runs were made in this way. In ancient days many -balls on the leg side used to be played by a now practically obsolete -stroke called the ‘draw,’ which consisted of an ugly lifting up -of the left leg and letting the ball glide off the bat between the -legs towards long-leg. It was as much part of the <i>répertoire</i> of -a player of the old style as a cut or a drive, but it has utterly gone -out of fashion as a stroke to be learnt, simply because it had no -further effect than the glide off the bat as now practised; the -modern style has also the additional advantage of being more -elegant, and there is less chance of the ball hitting the foot. -The famous Jemmy Grundy used frequently to play this stroke, -and his mantle appears to have descended on some younger -Nottingham players, for at the present day they sometimes -use it. It used to be brought off occasionally by the famous -Richard Daft, and was in fact the only stroke of this graceful -and most correct player that was not elegant. As we have now -got on the subject of the draw, we may as well describe the -other sort of obsolete draw, which was performed by just touching -the ball with the bat quite straight, but with its left side -turned towards the wicket-keeper, or what soldiers would call -left half-face, held some way behind the body. Tom Hearne -used to be great at this sort of draw, but it is even more -entirely gone out of fashion as a stroke than the other style. -The same effect is produced by what is frequently seen—namely, -a batsman only just snicking a ball off the leg stump, or just -touching it, leaving the spectator uncertain whether the ball -has been played or has hit the wicket. Tom Hearne, who was -the last player who used to practise this stroke methodically, -was in the habit of jumping with both feet towards short-leg, -and leaving the bat in the correct position for the draw; and -not unfrequently he was caught at the wicket owing to the ball -not being turned sufficiently; sometimes, though not often, -if the bound towards short-leg happened to be a little too much -in front, he used to be stumped. This stroke necessitated -moving the right leg towards short-leg, and it is on this ground -mainly that we contend that it is not sound cricket; but, as has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -before been stated, it is now quite obsolete, and to imagine it -you must also imagine yourself in the days of tall hats, pads -under the trousers, and braces holding up a curious type of -pantaloon, such as the late Mr. Burgoyne, treasurer of the -M.C.C., used to wear up to the day of his death. The play -shown in <a href="#image_forcing_stroke" title="Go to figure 11"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 11</a> is made by drawing back the left foot, coming -hard on to the ball, and forcing it in the direction of short-leg. -In our judgment, this is the right play for all short balls on the -legs, for the ball is near to the body and consequently to the -eye; you have therefore -great facility in placing it, -and you have also the bat -at a proper angle. It is -more correct than the stroke -shown in <a href="#image_the_glide" title="Go to figure 10"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 10</a>, for there if -the ball should bump it will -run up the shoulder of the -bat, and possibly get caught -by the wicket-keeper, short-slip, -or even point and -short-leg, and we have seen -several instances of the ball -hitting the bat, not in the -front but at the side of -the bat. In the former play -the ball has to hit the bat, -in the latter the bat hits the ball, and, according to the fancy -of the batsman, can either be hit in front of short-leg or be -suffered to glide towards very sharp long-leg. The figure, however, -does not quite convey the impression that the ball is -being hit hard. The bat may have descended from over the -batsman’s head, especially if the ball is very short, while the -figure only shows the end of the stroke.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_forcing_stroke" id="image_forcing_stroke" class="nodec"><img src="images/forcing_stroke.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="239" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 11.</span>—Forcing stroke off the legs. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The off drive in the direction of cover-point and to the right -hand of point is a favourite hit with many players. Barnes -of Nottingham plays it to perfection. The ball to hit in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -way is one well up on the off side, though it need not be a -half-volley. The left foot is thrown across, the ball is hit -with a nearly perpendicular bat, and the stronger the wrist the -cleaner and harder will be the hit. In this and every other hit -correct timing is most important, and whatever the beginner -may try, do not let him attempt to hit wildly at the pitch of the -ball. Let the left foot be put across, and be careful to hit over -the ball in order to keep it down, for if you do not, and the -ball bumps, it will inevitably go up. The ball should be a -foot or so wide of the wicket; the batsman at the moment of -striking the ball will be facing cover-point, and will have his left -shoulder well forward, as in <a href="#image_off_drive" title="Go to figure 12"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 12</a>. The bat is well over the -shoulder, and is coming down nearly perpendicularly on the -ball, which is not a half-volley; if it were, the bat would be -straighter and the ball would be driven straighter. But the ball -is hit after it has gone about a foot from the pitch. If the ball -is a foot or two wide of the wicket and well up it would be hit in a -similar position, for the bat cannot be held straight to hit a ball -at this distance from the wicket; if it should go straight it -would be a pull and not a clean hit, and the further the ball -from the wicket the further ought the left foot to be moved -across. Whatever you do, refrain from hitting a ball when -there is reasonable expectation of the umpire calling ‘Wide.’ -You may hit it for two or three runs; you are more likely -only just to touch it with the end of the bat and get -caught by third man or point; you are still more likely to cover -it and not score off it, thereby losing a run for your side.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_caught_at_the_wicket" id="image_caught_at_the_wicket" class="nodec"><img src="images/caught_at_the_wicket.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="630" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - CAUGHT AT THE WICKET - </p> -</div> - -<p>So completely has the modern method of bowling on the -off side for catches established itself, that cautious players like -Donnan and Abel have got into the habit of leaving off -balls altogether alone. Granted that the bowling is accurate -and the fields well placed, county clubs will very soon find -out that, if this course is pursued much further, cricket will -become a very dull game to watch, and a match will probably -seldom lead to a decisive result. It may be done to a good -length ball outside the off stump when you first go in, and have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -neither got a good sight of the ball nor the pace of the ground; -but that batsmen should habitually watch the wicket-keeper -take the ball while they stand right in front of the wicket, with -their bats behind them, is carrying caution so far that some -people would call it not a virtue but a vice. We actually saw a -cautious player receive four consecutive off balls and not -make an attempt to hit one. What pleasure can there be -in batting if these tactics are adopted? And let such players -please think of the unhappy spectators. The ball can be hit -if you will only get your left foot well across and get well over -the ball, and even if your energies are chiefly directed towards -hitting the ball on the ground, the ball will be hit, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -field may make a mistake; at any rate you have made an -effort, and not given up in despair. It is like a timid man -running away from danger instead of facing it, as he should, -and it is better to try and to fail than not to try at all. Never -mind your average; you cannot win a match by such tactics, -though you may make a draw of it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_off_drive" id="image_off_drive" class="nodec"><img src="images/off_drive.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="406" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 12.</span>—Off drive. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The off drive by cover-point must be always made by putting -the left leg across, and not the right; and the old principle -never to be departed from, namely, to keep the left shoulder -and elbow well forward, must be again emphasised. When -you have once got into position you are master of the situation: -you are right over the ball, and you may leave it alone if -it should bump; or you may wait till the ball has passed you, -and then make the cut with left leg over in the way described -before. You are not in the most favourable attitude for the cut, -because your left leg is too much over, but it can be brought -off; and if only a great deal of practice is given to this off drive -there will be no necessity for leaving balls alone.</p> - -<p>There are several players to whom is denied the ability and -capacity to make these off strokes, who are defective in wrist -and careful timing of the ball, but who are fully capable of -taking quite proper care of a half-volley or balls well up. -Such players are under a great disadvantage when they get -balls on the off side that are shorter than the half-volley, -for they certainly cannot take the same advantage of them. -But they have a great many courses open to them, and if they -will get the left leg over, and hit over the ball, they will run no -risk of getting out, and a casual ball will be well timed and hit -accordingly. But they have also the waiting stroke open to -them, and this consists of letting the ball get past them, and -simply letting it glide off the bat in the direction of long-slip. -The faster the bowling the more runs will result from this -stroke, as the ball is hit at a longer time after it has pitched than -it is when the batsman meets it by the more effective method; -there is more time to observe its pace and direction; and if such -a player is only careful to get over the ball, he will get a lot of -runs in this way.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> - -<p>Lastly, there is the hard drive, which partakes largely of forward -play, but yet is a hit to which you can open your shoulders. -It is made with a straight bat either on the off side, on side, or -straight over the bowler’s head.</p> - -<p>To fast bowling the difficulty arises of distinguishing this -stroke from forward play, for so many balls from fast bowlers on -hard wickets are played forward that are not by any means -half-volleys and yet go very hard. In fact, there are occasions -when fast grounds and fast bowling combine to make batting -very easy—when, as a well-known Yorkshire fast bowler said, -‘If you poke at her she goes for four.’ There is no real necessity -for ever having a regular smack at straight balls from a very -fast bowler; it is practically as effective to play them forward, -with the weight of the body thrown on the left foot and the -arms and shoulders kept free and loose. No more beautiful -exponent of this graceful forward play has ever lived than -Lionel Palairet of Somerset. But by all means hit as hard as -you possibly can at a half-volley outside the off stump; the -ball will either make mid-off tremble, or else go straight to -the ropes between mid-off and cover-point. You move the -left foot slightly forward a little in front of the wicket, and you -hit at the ball with a straight bat and get well over it to keep -it along the ground. Hold your bat tight, for if it should -turn in your hands there will be a miss-hit and you will be -caught at cover-point or elsewhere. You can hit your hardest -at the half-volley just off the wicket, for the simple reason -that if you do miss the ball you cannot be bowled, and there -is no more chance of missing if you put out your whole -strength to it than if you simply drive it forward with a straight -bat. So keep a little reserve of strength in all straight balls, -but to a crooked half-volley put your whole force into the -blow and hit as though you wished to do the ball an injury.</p> - -<p>About the half-volley on the on side very little need be -said. We have observed before that the ball just outside the -leg stump, to within two or three inches of it, is a ball to -drive and not hit to leg. It should be hit towards mid-on or -between the bowler and mid-on; and to apply what has been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -said before, hit it as hard as you can, as if you do miss it you -will not be bowled. Keep the right leg still and lunge forward -on to your left foot, which should be a little thrown -forward, and hold the bat tight.</p> - -<p>We have now sufficiently discussed the principles that -ought to guide the young player in playing fast bowling on a -good fast wicket, and if he observes what has been said he will -find that he plays a good safe game, assuming that his eye is -straight and that he is able to put his bat in the place where his -eye shows him it ought to go. The play to fast bowling on -slow tricky wickets brings out the batsman’s real talent, and he -will discover that what was easy on a hard wicket is full of difficulty -on a soft. There are no decisive rules to guide the player -on such wickets; he must trust to his eye and capacity for -watching the ball. The player that can watch the ball carefully -is the man who will succeed on slow difficult wickets; -and anybody who has seen Grace, Shrewsbury, and A. G. Steel -bat under these circumstances will understand what this watching -the ball means. If the ground is very fast there is hardly -any time for a careful watching of the ball; the player must -play largely by instinct, which will tell him where the ball is -going, and as the wickets nowadays are so very true the ball -will nearly always take a natural course, that is, straight from -the pitch. The left-handed bowler round the wicket will come -with the bowler’s arm slightly from off to leg, the right-handed -bowler also round the wicket from leg to off, but these are both -the natural courses the ball ought to take. On slow wickets, however, -the ball will come slower; it will take all sorts of fantastical -turns and twists, it will get up straight, and sometimes hang -or stop a little. It will generally be found that very fast -bowlers do not shine on slow soft wickets, for they have great -difficulty in getting a good foothold. It is the medium and -slow bowlers who revel on such ground, as Briggs and Giffen -can tell you. The batsman will find that he is bound to play -more back and less forward, for it is little good to play forward -unless the ball can be smothered, owing to the extraordinary -pranks the ball will indulge in after it has pitched. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -will therefore be found playing more on his right leg, and the -runs will inevitably come much slower. It has been ascertained -by experience that hitters are of more value on these difficult -wickets than sticks; for the latter, though they may stay in for an -hour, will perhaps not get a dozen runs during that period. The -hitter, however, if he brings off four hits, does more execution -in a quarter of an hour than the stick will do in thrice that time.</p> - -<p>The value of three or four hitters in an eleven was never more -distinctly shown than in the case of the Australian Elevens of -1882 and 1884, and the Gloucestershire and Cambridge Elevens -of 1897. In the Gloucestershire and Cambridge Elevens of -1897 Jessop’s hitting has on several occasions turned a match -in a quarter of an hour, and this player certainly has the greatest -gift we ever saw of hitting balls of any and all lengths. -The Australian 1882 eleven had four big hitters—McDonnell, -Bonnor, Giffen, and Massie. In the great international match -at the Oval in 1882, Massie got the fifty-five runs in Australia’s -second innings that practically won the match, and to -say he hit at every ball is scarcely an exaggeration. There -was also a match against Yorkshire at Holbeck, where McDonnell’s -scores of over thirty in one innings and over forty in the -other certainly won the match for his side. In 1886 Surrey -had to go in to get eighty-seven runs to win. Abel was playing -for an hour and three-quarters, while Garrett and Evans were -bowling, every ball dead on the wicket, and during that time -laboriously compiled thirteen runs. The result of the match -was really very doubtful after the fall of the seventh wicket, but -Jones, a courageous cricketer, seeing what was the right game, -went out and hit Palmer over the ropes for four, and the value -of this hit cannot be exaggerated. As a rule it may be taken -for granted that steady and slow play, useful and good as it is -in its way, will not win matches on slow difficult wickets unless -there is a sprinkling of three or four hitters in the eleven. By -the doctrine of chances you will find that one of the number -will come off, and one innings like Massie’s may win the match. -To the player who has any hit in him we therefore advise the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -playing of a freer game on slow difficult wickets than on easy -ones. In the latter case runs are bound to come if only you -stop there, but they will not in the former. You may leave -your ground even to fast bowling on slow wickets if you think -you can bring off a hit by so doing, and generally hold the bat -nearer the top and give her the long handle. The defensive -player, if he cannot do this, must play generally back with the -weight on the right leg, watch the ball very carefully, take -advantage of any loose ball that may be bowled, and try and -place the ball for singles to short-leg, or in the slips. The -bowlers find it more easy to put on break or curl on soft -wickets, so whereas on hard wickets you may almost assume -that the ball will play no pranks but come on straight, on soft -you may almost assume the contrary. The ball that hangs or -stops a bit after pitching instead of coming on is perhaps the -most fatal ball that is bowled. If the batsman plays forward -to such a ball he will very likely find that he has done playing -before the ball has reached his bat; this means that the bottom -of the bat goes on and gets under the ball, and he is caught -and bowled. So frequently does this ball come that it is well -not to play hard on soft wickets, for if the ball hangs at all it -must go up on being hit. For defensive play, we think the bat -ought not to be held at all tightly, but rather slackly, for you -cannot get a run by hard forward play or hard back play on -such wickets.</p> - -<p>The general characteristics of play to slow bowling such as -that of Tyler, Peel, Briggs, and others are so very different -that we must make a few special remarks on them. The great -amount of slow bowling is a development of modern times; -not that slow round-arm bowling did not formerly exist, but it -certainly did not to anything like the extent it does now. In -the days which we all of us have heard talked about by old -cricketers at Lord’s, when Mynn, Redgate, Hillyer, and -Lillywhite flourished, there were some lob bowlers, notably -the famous <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Clarke, but there were few genuine slow -round-arm bowlers, and <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Lillywhite had a long stop<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -even when the renowned Tom Box was keeping wicket, as -may be seen in the well-known engraving of the match between -Kent and Sussex played about the year 1840. Coming to -later times, from 1860 to 1868, there was, as far as we can -gather, but one real professional slow round-arm bowler, -namely, George Bennett. Between 1870 and 1887 may be -said to be the dark age of amateur fast bowling, and to a less -degree of professional. Since that date, however, the amateur -fast bowling has wonderfully improved, and the famous S. M. J. -Woods led the way, and has been followed by Jessop, Jackson, -Kortright, Cunliffe, and others, while the great Richardson, we -think, is the best fast bowler that has ever bowled, when the -amount of work and the perfect wickets are considered.</p> - -<p>From a theoretical point of view, to real slow bowling all -forward play ought to be banished. If the ball is short, play -back to it; if it is tolerably well up there ought to be time to -go out and meet it, and drive it at the pitch. There are some -quick-footed players who carry this theory into practice, but -generally, if you observe first-class cricket, you will find that -there are plenty of players who never leave their ground, even to -slow bowling, unless they are really well set. This partly comes -from the great caution which is undoubtedly exercised more now -than it was twenty or thirty years ago, and partly from the fact -that the bowling, though some of it very slow, is not tossed up -so high in the air as it was by Bennett and earlier bowlers. -Peate, for instance, in his prime the best length bowler for the -last twenty years, did not toss the ball at all high in the air, nor -did the renowned Alfred Shaw, the most accurate bowler that -ever lived. But we still think that more running in might be -practised, for there is nothing that more completely demoralises -a bowler than a player who comes out and drives when the ball -is at all over-pitched. We have seen slow bowlers who do not -possess much head completely demoralised by a quick-footed -player like Mr. A. G. Steel. They preserve their dignity by -bowling so short, that though maiden overs might abound -wickets certainly would not fall. Let the cricketer, when playing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -to slow bowling, stand a little easier, in order that, when -he has made up his mind to meet the ball, his right foot will not -be rooted to the ground, as it ought to be when playing to fast -bowling on fast wickets. <a href="#image_running_out_to_drive" title="Go to figure 13"><abbr title="figure">Fig.</abbr> 13</a> shows Shrewsbury going out -to drive, but he is evidently only at the beginning of his jump, -and by the time the bat has got over the ball he will be a couple -of yards outside the crease. Remember, if you are to be stumped, -you may as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. You are -equally out if you are an -inch or ten yards out of -your ground, so never -hesitate to go out as far -as you can in order to -make the hit a certainty, -and if you can hit the -ball full-pitch by all means -do so, as you ought never -to miss a full-pitch. You -can also pull a full-pitch -to leg or anywhere on -the on side where fieldsmen -are scarce, and it is -a sign that for that particular -occasion the bowler -is defeated if the batsman -has not permitted the ball -to touch the ground.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_running_out_to_drive" id="image_running_out_to_drive" class="nodec"><img src="images/running_out_to_drive.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="272" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 13.</span>—Running out to drive. -(Shrewsbury.) - </p> -</div> - -<p>If you find, on going out to hit a ball, that it is too short, -and you cannot get at the pitch of it, you have several -courses open to you. If you are a very big hitter, and the -field is not very far out, it is worth while to try the experiment -of hitting as hard as you can; the ball must go high, -and may go over the ropes or out of harm’s way; indeed, -some great hitters seem to prefer a ball that is not quite a half-volley. -Mr. C. I. Thornton, the biggest hitter the world has ever -beheld, with the exception of G. J. Bonnor and perhaps Lyons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -has made his longest hits off such balls as these; while -Bonnor, who possesses a prodigious reach, seldom leaves his -ground at all, and constantly sends the ball out of the ground -by hitting short of the actual pitch. If the ball is smothered it -cannot go up in the air, and though it is more correct cricket -to get over the ball and drive it forward, as Shrewsbury and -A. G. Steel do, it is probable that the great hitters would lose -more than they gained by playing the orthodox game. There -is a golden rule to be carefully remembered in playing slows, -and that is, never to run out to a ball that is well outside the -off stump. We do not mean to bar the player from running -out to a ball which is absurdly over-pitched, and which he -is certain to get full-pitch if he goes out; but he should not -leave his ground to the half-volley unless it is nearly straight. -There is more than one reason for this. In the first place, -if you miss the ball, it is the easiest sort for the wicket-keeper -to take, and any moderately decent wicket-keeper will certainly -have you out. In the second place, an off ball is one -that it is impossible to hit or play with a straight bat, and -if you run out to slows you ought always to hit thus; and -this rule is sound even when you run out to a ball on your -legs, for that is generally hit to long-on with a straight bat, -and not to leg. It is generally true that you should never -leave your ground to any ball that may be called crooked, -whether it is to leg or to the off, for in either case you run -a serious risk of being stumped; it is only straight or nearly -straight balls that you ought to meet by going out of your -ground. The modern slow bowler is so very accurate that he -very rarely bowls on the leg side at all, and the old-fashioned -lobber who used to bowl on the leg side with a twist from leg -and have four or five fields on the leg side is gradually disappearing. -The ball that in nineteen cases out of twenty you have -to meet by going out of your ground is, therefore, the straight -ball.</p> - -<p>As far as lobs are concerned, you can play them by stopping -in your ground; but the really good player to lobs runs out to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -a certainty when the ball is overpitched, and the famous <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> -Clarke used to say that Pilch played him best, as he used to -wait his opportunity and meet him and run him down with a -straight bat. If you come to reason out the theory of batting -to slows, and think how you can best defend your wicket and -best score off such bowling, you will easily satisfy yourself that -by playing back and gently forward you may ensure safety for a -considerable period, but you cannot score even moderately fast. -The ball does not come up to the bat fast off the ground as -in fast bowling, and if you play forward hard you run the -enormous risk of being caught and bowled or caught at mid -off. In other words, while to fast bowling you play forward -to get runs, to slow bowling you play forward to defend your -wicket. If, therefore, you play the extra-cautious game and -stick in your ground, or from some cause or another are -unable ever to ‘give her the rush,’ you will not be able to -score except by casual singles, unless you wait and fully avail -yourself of a full pitch or an outrageous long hop, relished, and -often obtained, when amateurs are bowling, but very seldom -delivered in first-class matches, and practically never by professional -players.</p> - -<p>It is difficult to know what to do with the good length -off ball. It is much harder to cut slow bowling than fast: -greater strength of wrist is wanted, and there are many -players who are unable to do more than merely pat the ball -towards third man for a single or two runs. Slow bowlers -have a great fancy for bowling without a field at third man, -and this is to the advantage of the batsman; but even if -there is a third man, at any rate he cannot cover more than -a certain amount of ground, and you will find that many a -run may be got by the pat. Mind and get over the ball, -and you cannot then come to grief by being caught at third -man or short-slip, and very rarely by the wicket-keeper. -The bumping ball ought to be left alone; this sort of ball is -the only one in meeting which prudence is the better part -of valour, and no attempt ought to be made to hit at all.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -The old Adam within them forces a great many players to -try and hit, but it is almost a certainty that if the ball is hit -it must be from underneath, and up in the air it will consequently -go. On a soft slow wicket any run getting to -good slow bowling is extremely difficult, but even on such -wickets you will lose nothing and gain the casual single by -the pat.</p> - -<p>The good length ball on the off side is the modern batsman’s -bugbear, but it is far easier to play when the bowling is -fast than when it is slow. It is easier to cut in the first instance, -and there are seldom so many fields on the off side to -the fast bowler. But the slow ball can be and ought to be -driven along the ground if the batsman gets well over it, times -it correctly, and throws the left leg across in the same way -as we explained in describing the proper method of making -this stroke off fast bowling. It is more difficult to time good -slow bowling, when the bowler is continually altering his pace, -than fast, and herein lies the difficulty of hitting these off balls. -Bear in mind, however, that by keeping well over the ball you -practically run no risk of being caught anywhere; sooner or -later you will get your eye in, and when that desirable consummation -is accomplished, you will be astonished to find how -safely you will hit many balls that when you are looking on it -seems impossible to hit without incurring considerable danger. -But nothing can be gained by leaving balls alone; you run the -minimum of risk by hitting at them, if only you observe the -two rules which ought to be hung in your bedroom and branded -into your brain, ‘Put the left leg over,’ and ‘Get on the top of -the ball.’ Above all things do not play for a draw.</p> - -<p>From what has been said on the principles which govern -the proper playing of fast and slow bowling, the reader may be -led to think that slow bowling is far more difficult to play -successfully than fast. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Chacun à son goût</i> is true, no doubt, -but we are inclined to think that, to the majority of players in -the prime of their play, slow bowling is on the whole more difficult -to play, especially on hard wickets. Take the case of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -W. G. Grace. It was almost a waste of time on hard wickets to -put on fast bowlers when Mr. Grace was at his best. The sole -advantage to be derived from so doing arose from the fact that -it was advisable to distract his eye, and for this purpose a fast -bowler was useful. By this we mean that, when slow bowlers -were on at both ends, his eye would become more accustomed -to the pace of the ground, and in a shorter time than it would -have been if a fast bowler had been on at one end. But the -fast bowler was on mainly to enable the slow bowler to get him -out, and if the reader looks at Mr. Grace’s enormous scores of -twenty years back he will find that Shaw, Southerton, Peate, and -Lillywhite got him out a dozen times to the fast bowlers’ once. -And the runs that came from bowlers like Martin McIntyre -were astonishing; anywhere, cuts, pushes through any number -of short-legs, big drives and colossal leg hits—all were alike to -the great batsman.</p> - -<p>On soft wickets, though many think otherwise, we believe -that fast or medium-paced bowling is more difficult. This must -be assumed only in the case of those fast bowlers who have -power to keep their precision and pace on slow wickets, like -Morley and Richardson. The variety of wickets, as is shown -in the chapter on Bowling, is very great, and on the real mud -farmyard sort of wicket it is generally safe to presume that fast -bowlers cannot act. When there is a slight drizzling rain, -which keeps the ball and surface of the ground wet, fast bowlers -flounder about like porpoises, and the only bowlers who can -act at all are the slow, though they are very much handicapped. -But on the real bowler’s wicket, soft, yet gradually hardening -by the effect of the sun, <i>cæteris paribus</i>, the fast or fast medium -bowler will, as a rule, be the most deadly. The year 1879 was, -on the whole, the wettest year for cricket that the present -generation has seen, and it is instructive to turn to the result -of the season’s bowling for the county of Nottingham. This -county possessed in Alfred Shaw and Morley the two best -bowlers in England—one slow, the other fast. Here is the -analysis of each for Nottingham:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span></p> - -<table class="analysis" summary="Analysis of Morley compared to Shaw"> -<tr><td class="head"> </td><td class="head">Overs</td><td class="head wide">Maidens</td><td class="head">Runs</td><td class="head wide">Wickets</td><td class="head">Average</td></tr> -<tr><td class="name">Morley</td><td>725</td><td>349</td><td>867</td><td>89</td><td>9·66</td></tr> -<tr><td class="name">Shaw</td><td>794</td><td>453</td><td>651</td><td>62</td><td>11·31</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>It will be seen from this pair of analyses that Morley’s -is slightly better all round than Shaw, with the exception of -the number of maiden overs. But maiden overs are not the -final goal of the bowler’s ambition. They are only means to -an end. The true bowler’s one idea is to get wickets. The -reader will note that Morley, the fast bowler, got no fewer -than twenty-seven wickets more than Shaw, which more than -makes up for the latter’s greater success in bowling maidens. -The year 1879 was doubtless a great year for bowlers, but none -the less we doubt whether, taking a whole season’s work for a -county, this record has ever been surpassed by any <em>pair</em> of -bowlers at any time, and it is as good an illustration of the -truth of our theory that in wet years slow bowlers are not likely -to succeed so well as fast or medium-pace.</p> - -<p>It has always appeared to us that the reason why real slow -bowling is slightly less deadly than fast or medium on slow -wickets is simply that the batsman is more at the mercy of the -eccentricities of the ground when playing to the latter class of -bowling than when playing to the former. He always has the -power, if he would only exercise it, of leaving his ground to -balls of a certain length from the slow bowler, and smothering -them. And again let the beginner lay this axiom to heart: the -ground can commit no devilry if the ball is smothered at the -pitch. On slow wickets, therefore, to slow bowling leave your -ground with even less hesitation than on fast, and argue in this -way, that as life against these bowlers and on this wicket is -certain to be a short one, therefore it had better be a merry one -for the sake of the score.</p> - -<p>There are and have been a few great men with the bat who -obey no law, but possess that strange indefinable gift called -genius, which rises superior to any difficulty of ground or -bowling; these batting luminaries may play their ordinary -game on slow difficult wickets, and their genius enables them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -to do what ordinary mortals cannot. On really difficult wickets -Shrewsbury shone, and on the whole he has proved himself the -best player the world has ever seen on caking, difficult, soft -wickets. But let the ordinary player, who has acquired a -certain amount of skill in batting, remember that cricket on -hard and fast wickets and cricket on slow are two quite different -things, and that he must alter his game to suit the circumstances. -The very fast-footed bookish sort of player is the -one who is most at sea on soft wickets; and this last bit of -advice we respectfully urge upon him—that one hit for four -and out next ball will probably be of more value to his side -than twenty minutes’ careful defence and no run. It is not on -soft wickets that drawn games are played, unless there is rain -after the match has begun; it is on dry wickets, with boundaries -close in, that the plethora of runs makes the game dull to -all except the ignorant spectator and the voracious batsman. -Of course, if there is only a short time left before the drawing -of stumps and conclusion of the match, say an hour and a half -or two hours, it may be of importance to play for a draw; then -the twenty-minutes-without-a-run batsman may be the means -of salvation for his side, as Louis Hall has proved to be more -than once for Yorkshire; but, except under such circumstances, -the hitter who runs a certain risk for the sake of a hit is the -more valuable man.</p> - -<p>A few words now on running. A man is out if run out as -decisively as if his middle stump is knocked down; but being -run out is more annoying than being bowled, so everybody -ought to learn how to run. Some fieldsmen are so renowned for -their throwing and rapidity of movement that when such a man -is going for the ball the batsman will not venture on a run -which, under ordinary circumstances, he might safely make. -In any event do not run if you feel any doubt of its safety. -The first invariable rule is that the striker calls the run if the -ball is hit in front of the wicket. This is simple to remember -and there is no exception unless it be when the ball is hit to -third man under certain circumstances. These circumstances<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -refer to the fieldsman himself. If the third man knows his -business and throws to the bowler, the striker has to run the -risk; therefore he ought to call. If the third man is a player -of tradition and always throws to the wicket-keeper, the non-striker -is in danger, but if he is backing up he never will -be run out. All hits behind the wicket—except in the case -above mentioned—must be called by the non-striker, and the -striker must not look at the ball after he has hit it, but at the -non-striker. The man who has not to judge the run must -have a simple childlike faith in the judgment of his partner, -and if he gets run out he may remonstrate gently with him -afterwards with good reason. The man who is receiving the ball -can easily get into the habit of watching it after it has passed -him on its way to the long-stop or if he has hit it to long-slip; -but this is a bad habit, and if indulged in will result -in the two batsmen holding different ideas as to whether a -run can be got or not, on which subject there must be no -difference of opinion. If the batsman to whom rightly belongs -the call shouts ‘run,’ and his colleague shouts ‘no,’ unless one -gives way promptly there may be a crisis at hand. Never do -batsmen look so foolish as when they affectionately meet at the -same wicket, and nothing is so maddening to the supporters -of a side as to see a good batsman well set deliberately lose -his wicket by the folly of either his colleague or himself. If -batsmen will only remember that the decision of the run must -rest with one man, and that his call must be obeyed at once, -there will not be many runs out. When, say, the third run is -being made, and the question whether a fourth can be successfully -attempted arises, that batsman who has to run to the -wicket nearest the ball ought to call. The reason of this is, that -as the ball is a considerable way from the nearest wicket it is -almost certain to be thrown there, and the batsman who calls -ought to be he who runs the risk. We will give the following -rules to be remembered by every cricketer with regard to running. -(1) The striker must call every time when the ball is hit -in front of the wicket. (2) The non-striker must call every run -when the ball is hit behind the wicket, except in the case of hits to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -third man as mentioned above. (3) Whoever has to shout, let -him shout loudly; there is no penalty attaching to a yell, -and it is comforting to a man to know his colleague’s intention -without any doubt. (4) If a bye is being run, the striker -must run straight down the wicket, as he may be saved from -being run out by the ball hitting his head instead of the wicket, -for which mercy he ought to be duly thankful. (5) On all -other occasions run wide of the wicket so as not to cut it up. -(6) Always run for a catch if sent reasonably high into the air; -if it is caught no harm is done to you, and to be missed and to -secure a run in one and the same hit is a veritable triumph. -(7) Run the first run as hard as you can, and turn quickly after -grounding your bat within the popping crease, for the fieldsman -may bungle even the easiest ball, and it is never safe to assume -that there can be no second run.</p> - -<p>We hope that we have now explained the true principles -of batting to guide the youthful player in his path. One other -word of caution. A young cricketer may go to Lord’s and -watch a great match; he may see the giants of the game -perform—MacLaren, Ranjitsinhji, Jackson, and Palairet. He -will wonder and admire, but let him beware of imitation, which -may lead him into innumerable quagmires. In another -walk of life, literature, you will find facetious writers who are -fond of imitating the style of famous authors, and very amusing -the attempts sometimes are; but it is easily seen that the -points they successfully imitate are the roughnesses and eccentricities -which are frequently characteristic of great authors. -An imitator of Carlyle, for instance, revels in the brusque -eccentricities of the great man’s style, but he never succeeds -in portraying his noble qualities. It is much the same in -cricket: genius defies imitation, and is only by poor struggling -humanity to be admired. In the prime of his play nothing in -cricket was grander than the sight of W. G. Grace scoring two -runs off a ball that any other cricketer would have been only -too happy to stop. No school coach that understood his business -would tell a youth to play certain balls as they are played<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -by Mr. A. G. Steel, who sometimes adopts the most daring -methods, and it is not safe to infer that anybody else in the -world can play in a like manner. It is so with hitting. Bonnor, -Lyons, O’Brien, Ford, and Jessop can hit many balls which -the great majority of other cricketers would only venture to play -gently forward. Some critics who are great at criticism, but -great at nothing else, have been known to shake their heads at -some of the methods of great players; but we can assure these -gentlemen that real genius admits no more of criticism than -it does of imitation. The four never-to-be-violated rules previously -mentioned need not trouble the genius at all; no -human law need concern him: he is a law to himself, and -looks down from a lofty eminence on his weaker brethren. -What is the good of telling A. G. Steel not to move out of his -ground to fast bowling, seeing that he does so constantly, and -gets four runs by a fine hit when he ‘gives her the rush’? He -will not heed you; and why should he?</p> - -<p>Apart altogether from the natural accuracy and quickness -of hand and eye, without a proper allowance of which labour -will be in vain, a great deal depends on the temperament of -each player. Whether failure is owing to health, to inability -to recover elasticity of spirits after a few defeats, or to some -other cause, it is impossible to say. But let the good player -who goes through a whole month, or perhaps even a season, -with very bad luck, and comes out in the end with a bad -average, comfort himself with this reflection, that not only -have good players had these reverses, but even the very best. -Mr. W. G. Grace must be accustomed to hear and see his name -referred to, but even he has had spells of bad luck, and he will, -we are sure, excuse us if we put in full the following figures -of innings which were played when he was in his prime:—</p> - -<table class="innings" summary="W.G.Grace innings 1"> - <tr><th colspan="2">June 15 and 16, 1871.—<i>Gloucestershire</i> <abbr title="versus">v.</abbr> <i>Surrey</i>.</th></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="caught">c.</abbr> R. Humphrey, <abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Street</td><td>1</td></tr> -</table> -<table class="innings" summary="W.G.Grace innings 2"> - <tr><th colspan="2">June 19 and 20, 1871.—<i>M.C.C.</i> <abbr title="versus">v.</abbr> <i>Cambridge University</i>.</th></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="caught">c.</abbr> Ward, <abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Bray</td><td>4</td></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="caught">c.</abbr> Thornton, <abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Bray</td><td>4</td></tr> -</table> -<p class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></p> -<table class="innings" summary="W.G.Grace innings 3"> - <tr><th colspan="2">June 22 and 23, 1871.—<i>M.C.C.</i> <abbr title="versus">v.</abbr> <i>Oxford University</i>.</th></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="caught">c.</abbr> and <abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Butler</td><td>15</td></tr> -</table> -<table class="innings" summary="W.G.Grace innings 4"> - <tr><th colspan="2">June 29 and 30, 1871.—<i>Gentlemen of South</i> <abbr title="versus">v.</abbr> <i>Players of South</i>.</th></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="caught">c.</abbr> Lillywhite, <abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Southerton</td><td>4</td></tr> - <tr><td class="out"><abbr title="bowled">b.</abbr> Lillywhite</td><td>11</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>These figures show how the mighty do sometimes fall, and -this certainly ought to console those in the humbler walks of -the cricket world. Some players have shot up like rockets, -played for a season or so, and then have been heard of no more; -but the county that plays a series of county matches will act -unwisely if it shunts a player who has shown that he possesses -real batting ability. Of course there are limits to the patience -of every club committee, but all committees would be wise if -they were to err on the side of leniency in this matter.</p> - -<p>It is of very little avail writing any sort of homily on nervousness, -which is in the constitution, and cannot be got rid of -by much or any reading. It is common to all, in greater or -less degree, and if any man tells you that he does not know -what nervousness in cricket is, do not believe him. To say -that there is no sensation other than a distinctly pleasant one -in walking to the wickets is absurd. It is true that nervousness -does not appear to affect the play of some batsmen, who on first -going in seem to be playing their ordinary game. But the -sensation is there, and these are the fortunate men whose play -suffers but little in consequence.</p> - -<p>Nervous players must try and reason to the effect that they -are sometimes in the habit of making runs, and that therefore -there is no great presumption on their part if they assume that -the chances are they will do so again. They must also remember -that, after all, cricket is but a game, and no moral disgrace -will attach to them if they fail. These are but poor consolations -at the best, but the game is so glorious that, as we have -before remarked, it is better to try and to fail than never try -at all.</p> - -<p>It has always been assumed that the crack English Eleven -that failed to make the necessary seventy-nine runs against the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -Australians in 1882 were nervous because they did not succeed -in making them. We are not sure that they all were, or that -there was more nervousness than usual; but the wicket was -difficult, the Australians’ fielding superb, and their bowling -extraordinarily good. Certainly two or three of the Englishmen -were nervous, and no eleven could be got together anywhere -to play such an important match without this being the -case. But the longer anyone plays the less nervous will he -become, and the fortunate men in cricket are those, like the -famous Tom Emmett of Yorkshire, who can, as he modestly said, -‘bowl a bit sometimes.’ The player who plays only because -he is a good bat, and never bowls after he has laid his duck egg, -has no opportunity of retrieving his character by getting four or -five wickets with the ball. The unhappy batsman makes one -bad stroke and his wicket is lost, and he has possibly no further -chance in the match. But though the bowler may bowl a wide -one ball he may take a wicket the next, and we believe that -these all-round players find more enjoyment in cricket than the -man who only bats. To their credit be it said that at no -previous period have the professionals combined the two more -than they do now, and we congratulate Peel, Briggs, Attewell, -Rawlin, Davidson, Hirst, and Wainwright accordingly.</p> - -<p>The obvious advice to give to players whose success depends -mainly on health is to implore them to look after and -pay great respect to the laws by which health is regulated. -Not to eat and drink too much, great though the temptation -may be to do both, is a rule that ought to be observed by -cricketers; but there is another, not so obvious, but of great -importance, and that is, avoid sitting up late at night. There -is such a lot of cricket in these days that some amateurs and a -great many professionals play six days in the week. There -is the corresponding amount of travelling to be got through, -and a lot of fatigue to be undergone; sleep, therefore, must not -be neglected, and long hours devoted to convivial evenings not -only entail loss of health but loss of runs also. It is a curious -and unwholesome feature of the present day that it is judged -expedient to have enormous meals in the middle of the day,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -with salmon, forced meats, creams, jellies, champagne, and -everything calculated to disturb digestion and pervert the sight. -This meal is not only the cause of much indigestion, but also -of a gross waste of time. Instead of half an hour being taken -up by the legitimate luncheon, a precious hour is stolen from -the middle of the day. It must be said that on the principal -public grounds there is no reason to complain of the luncheons: -excess is more the custom on private grounds.</p> - -<p>As we have in this chapter implored captains of elevens to -be merciful to good players who may happen to be out of luck, -so now, in justice to the other side of the question, let us beg -the batsman not to be superstitious.</p> - -<p>Superstitions abound in most games, but we have no -objection to examples of the weakness which cause inconvenience -to nobody except the possessor. We have heard, for -instance, of a really great player who never goes in to bat in -a match with anything new about him, not even a shoe-lace; -but such superstitions are harmless. There is, however, the -man who has got it into his head, or possibly has dreamt, that -it is quite impossible for him to score if he goes in first or fifth, -or in some particular place; consequently the unhappy captain, -after he has written out, with great care, an order of going in, -is bothered and worried by men who begin to make excuse. -One is certain that he cannot score if he goes in first, another -thinks he ought not to be put so low down as eighth, and so on. -Our advice to the captain is to care for none of these things; -let him use his own judgment and not consider the absurd whims -and eccentricities of nervous batsmen. The responsibility of -managing a match is quite enough anxiety and trouble for him -without being bothered by a mutinous eleven, and we entreat -batsmen to obey without murmuring their captain’s orders, and -go in without grumbling.</p> - -<p>The rules of cricket are imperfectly understood even by -some reputedly famous umpires; it may be well, therefore, to -remind batsmen how many ways there are of getting out. They -know what it is to be bowled out, caught out, stumped, run out, -to get out leg before wicket, or to hit wicket; and a great many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -think that nothing else will get them out. This is a mistake, -and it was a comical sight to see, as we saw some years ago, -a first-rate professional diddled out in another way. It is -against the rules, properly understood, to wilfully hit the ball -twice. The rule runs: ‘The batsman is out if the ball be -struck ... and he wilfully strike it again, except it be done -for the purpose of guarding his wicket.’ But if a batsman -plays a ball and a proper interval elapses the ball is dead, -and he may return the ball to the bowler. The old rule -reads: ‘if the striker touch or take up the ball while in -play.’ In the case alluded to, Barlow was batting in a North -and South match at Lord’s. He hit the ball twice, and, -unfortunately for him, started to run. This starting to run -proved the more or less wilful nature of the act. There was a -roar of ‘How’s that?’ from the colossal throat of W. G. Grace, -standing at point; it was a case of ‘You’ll have to go, Barlow,’ -and naturally, in a somewhat moody manner, Barlow went to -the pavilion. It is absurd to say that there was anything unfair -in this; he violated a distinct rule of cricket. A lot of players -think that the ball must not be hit twice under any circumstances, -and they would as soon think of touching a red-hot -coal as hitting the ball a second time. If there is no wicket-keeper -and the ball is played dead against the foot, it may -save a few seconds of time if the batsman shove the ball back -to the bowler with his bat and stand still, thus saving point the -trouble of picking the ball up and returning it. The ball while -‘in play’ must never be picked up by the hand, for handling the -ball wilfully loses a wicket as much as having two stumps knocked -down. It is an easy rule to remember, and is very rarely broken, -but still it is a rule that must be observed. Obstructing the field -is another violation of rule for which the extreme penalty is -exacted. Of course a witness may tell an untruth in the witness-box, -but unless it is spoken wilfully it is not perjury. So it is -with obstructing the field. Many hundreds of times has a batsman -standing in his ground prevented a wicket-keeper from -catching him out; the mere fact that the player’s body, being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -in a certain position, forces the wicket-keeper to run round him -instead of straight at the ball will make an uppish ball as unreachable -as the sun. The fieldsman is obstructed, but not -wilfully, so no penalty is incurred. But if the batsman were to -hit up a ball to point, for instance, and either strike at the ball -with his bat or wilfully baulk the fieldsman in any way, he would -be out, and deservedly so. In this, as in other like matters, the -umpire must be the sole judge, and it ought to be pretty plain and -easy for him to give a right decision. About twenty years ago the -well-known Cambridge University cricketer, Mr. C. A. Absalom, -playing for his University against Surrey, was running a bye, and -whilst running to the opposite wicket the ball hit his bat, possibly -preventing him from being run out. The umpire gave him out; -but the umpire was wrong, for the ball came from behind him, -and as it was never alleged that he looked to see the course the -ball was taking and then interposed his bat, it was obviously -impossible that he could have wilfully obstructed the ball: it -merely chanced that while running in towards the wicket the -ball by accident hit his bat. We do not mean to imply that -the batsman ought to run wide of the wicket to a short run in -order to give the fieldsman every chance of running him out; -on the contrary, if a short bye is to be run, we advise the batsman -to run straight down the wicket, for then, as pointed out -elsewhere, the ball will very likely hit him and prevent him being -run out. But he must not deliberately get in the way of the ball -or in any way contribute to the fact of the ball hitting him. A -case of wilful obstruction ought easily to be detected by any -decent umpire.</p> - -<p>It is amusing to ask experienced cricketers in how many -ways it is possible for a man to be got out at cricket, and -it is astonishing to find many who give most absurd answers. -There are nine distinct ways of getting out—(1) bowled; -(2) caught; (3) stumped; (4) leg before wicket; (5) hit -wicket; (6) run out; (7) handling the ball; (8) obstructing -the field; (9) hitting ball twice. It is well to know these -facts, for the batsman who gets out in an untoward and unusual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -way feels himself to be a fool, and generally looks like -one. Mr. Alfred Lyttelton, when playing some years ago for -Cambridge University Eleven against M.C.C. at Lord’s, got -back to a slow long hop and with his foot just touched the leg -stump, the bail of which did not at once fall off. Oblivious of -this fact, and only conscious that he had caught the ball in the -middle of the bat and sent it far away, off he started for his -runs with radiancy on his face and a mocking smile on his lips. -No less than five runs were run, and not until then did anyone -except the wicket-keeper notice that the leg bail, after hanging -on a frail basis for a few seconds, had fallen off. The appeal was -made and the facts examined, the deadly verdict was given, -and it was a case of a return to the pavilion. The batsman -on such occasions as these may look pleasant; but that is only -one of the beneficent results of civilisation, for, as a matter of -fact, he feels extremely bitter, and there are innumerable swords -in his heart. In the case mentioned the unhappy batsman felt -hot and out of breath after his exertions in running the five -runs, and there was a sad reversal of the pleasant feelings that -attend a successful hit—the applause of the crowd was all -wasted, the expected increase to the score was not realised, -all had vanished, and a melancholy man walked drearily to -the dressing-room.</p> - -<p>Batting may be called the most enjoyable feature of the -great and glorious game of cricket. A man even in full -training invariably feels the effect of fatigue after bowling sixty -or seventy overs, and fieldsmen go through the same experience -during a long outing. But it may with truth be said that the keen -pleasure which is realised by every cricketer worthy of the name, -while he is actually at the wickets, prevents him from feeling -fatigue as an inconvenience until the innings is over. We do -not believe, though with bated breath let it be said, that the -fine rider on a fine horse in a good position and over a grass -country with a burning scent can feel so supremely content -with the world and its glorious surroundings while galloping -and jumping close to hounds, as does a batsman who feels<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -himself master of the bowling on a good wicket in a first-class -match, with a fine day and a large crowd keenly anxious for his -well-doing. He is conscious that his side is gaining a glorious -victory by his efforts, and life can give him no prouder moments. -To the young cricketer let us therefore say, in conclusion, that, -as the pleasure is so intense and the excitement so keen, he -should strive to attain proficiency by care, practice, and the -advice of great masters. Above all, he must cultivate the -moral qualities that of necessity must have a place in such a -great, glorious, and unsurpassable game as cricket.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_gunn_playing_forward" id="image_gunn_playing_forward" class="nodec"><img src="images/gunn_playing_forward.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="268 -" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 14.</span>—Gunn playing forward. - </p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER III. BOWLING." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="3">III.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">BOWLING: BY A. G. STEEL.</span></h2> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="185" height="367" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="170" height="39" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="155" height="39" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="130" height="18" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="110" height="18" alt="" /></div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <img src="images/the_demon_bowler.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="498" /> - -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="the_demon_bowler"> - -<p class="caption" id="the_demon_bowler_top">‘The demon bowler.’</p> - -<p class="idrop-cap_1st_text"><span class="uppercase">Everyone</span> who knows anything -at all about cricket will at once admit -that bowling is, to say the least, as -important a feature of the game as -batting. The same share of fame has -always been conferred on a really good -bowler as on an expert at the other great -branch of the game; but, though this has been -so from the very earliest days of cricket, there is no doubt that -the number of good bowlers whose names figure in the chronicles -of the game is much smaller than the number of good -batsmen. This would seem to show that the art of bowling -is more difficult of attainment than its sister accomplishment, -and in face of this supposition, it seems strange that the energy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -devoted to practising bowling by all beginners at the game -should be so greatly exceeded by that devoted to batting. The -reason for this may easily be found in the fact that the pleasure -derived from making a long score, and the indescribable -feelings of delight experienced by every keen cricketer when he -has a bat in his hand, seem to offer greater attractions than -the more sober, less flashy, and apparently more mechanical -duties of a bowler. It is a great pity, in the interests of the -game, that at our large public schools and universities more -care is not taken to coach beginners in bowling. Hours upon -hours are devoted to the teaching of batting, but it is very, very -seldom any professional ever thinks of endeavouring to instil -into his pupils any of the most elementary rules of bowling.</p> -</div> - -<p>A question which cannot fail to present itself to the minds -of all cricketers, and especially those who recollect some of the -heroes of bygone days, is whether the bowling of to-day is as -good as it used to be. This particular question—so often put, -and answered so differently—seems to me to be one which it is -impossible to decide, as the whole nature of the game has altered -so much in the last few years. This alteration is due, firstly, -to the great improvement in the condition of the grounds; -secondly, to the corresponding improvement in batting, for ‘the -better the grounds the better the batsmen,’ is generally a correct -saying. Formerly bowlers were greatly assisted by the unevenness -of the grounds; whereas now, on our billiard-table-like -wickets, even our very best bowlers know well that their chance -of getting rid of a strong batting side for anything under 300 -runs is extremely remote. It is impossible to compare the tall-hatted -old heroes of the ball with bowlers of the present day. In -olden days the badness of the grounds caused the best batsman’s -wicket to be in frequent jeopardy, and fast erratic bowlers were -well aware that there would be ample compensation for any accuracy -which might be wanting in their delivery in the far from -infrequent shooters and abruptly rising balls which so often -either levelled the stumps or compelled the retirement of the -batsman by a catch in the slips. Nowadays a bowler is nothing -unless he has command of the ball and can practise variety:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -batting is so good and grounds are so level that the merely -accurate bowler may keep down runs, but he cannot get wickets, -but this fact is hardly realised yet, and our best bowlers—and -these consist almost exclusively of the professional class—seem -to aim not so much at getting rid of a batsman as at keeping -down the runs by bowling a good even straight length, and -trusting to chance or the impatience of the batsman for his -dismissal. As, however, this subject is one which will best be -treated later on, and about which there is a good deal to be -said, we will leave it for the present, and turn our attention to -a short retrospect of bowling from the earliest days.</p> - -<p>Round-arm bowling seems to have come into vogue in 1825. -It has been generally supposed that Mr. Willes was the first to -start it, and the following story is told of the way in which that -gentleman found out the advantages of the round-arm delivery. -Mr. Willes, being a most enthusiastic cricketer, and not content -with the summer months for his favourite sport, used in the winter -daily to repair to his barn, and there measure out the proper -distance, pitch the stumps, and, with his sister (also an enthusiast) -as bowler, enjoy a good practice. Now everyone who has seen -ladies attempting to throw a stone or cricket ball will remember -that they invariably have a half-round, half-under sort of delivery, -and this Miss Willes, in common with the majority of -ladies, seems to have possessed. Her brother, accustomed to -play against what in those days was the only known style of -bowling, viz. under-arm, was somewhat perplexed and worried -with this unknown feminine species of ball, which doubtless -he found difficult to tackle. How amusing it would have -been to have watched this keen cricketer, probably not unconscious -of his own merits as a batsman, entirely puzzled -by the deliveries of a lady! We are not told whether his -feelings of shame at being thus defeated, or of delight at -discovering this new style of bowling, predominated, but we -<em>are</em> told that shortly afterwards he made his <em>début</em> as a round-arm -bowler, and met with (until he was stopped by the -conservatism of the crowd) the greatest success.</p> - -<p>From the year 1825 down to the present, round-arm bowling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -has been universal, and it is now quite an exceptional -occurrence to come across a fast under-arm bowler of the old -style. This is not much to be regretted, as every attribute -of good bowling which was obtainable by the fast under-arm -delivery is much more easy of attainment by the round -or over-arm style; and many accomplishments pertaining to -the bowler’s art are possible to the round-arm which, from the -very nature of the action, are impossible to the fast under-arm -bowler. Break, spin, and quickness from the pitch are common -to both styles, but certainly the two latter are made easier of -acquirement by the round-arm style; and with regard to break—an -easier matter for the under-arm bowler—the ball that breaks -or twists the most is not as a rule the ball that gets the most -wickets. To a fast under-arm bowler the variations in flight -and pace, so well known to the best round-arm bowlers, are unknown. -Slow under-arm bowling, of course, must be excepted -from these remarks; later on in this chapter I shall have something -to say on the subject of this most useful style, which unfortunately -in later years seems almost to have died out.</p> - -<p>It was formerly the reproach of amateurs that from the -year 1875 to, say, 1887 they had no bowlers. When Appleby -and Buchanan retired from first-class cricket in 1875, there -was practically nobody except Grace and Studd to carry on -the lamp of amateur bowling till Woods, Jackson, Kortright, -Streatfeild, Wells, Bull, Jessop, Cunliffe, and Wilson by their -pace and accuracy have shown the public what can be done. -Woods, Kortright, Jackson, and Jessop for pace, Bull and Wells -for slow, and Cunliffe and Wilson for medium are all excellent -in their respective classes, and in the sixties, when the grounds -would have given them more assistance, they would have been -far more deadly than now. Still it is a fact that at most public -schools more teaching ought to be bestowed upon bowling. -A few words of instruction or encouragement to a beginner -might have the effect of awakening in him the interest and -keenness about bowling which would eventually cause his -development into a good, or at any rate a fairish bowler. Who -has not seen over and over again a boy come up to a net where a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -companion is practising, and picking up a ball, which as likely -as not is about half as large again as a match ball, proceed to -hammer away at the batsman for about ten minutes or more -in all directions, with all pitches, and, what is worse than everything, -with different lengths of run? Then, perhaps, getting a -little tired, as any bowler will who bowls for long without a rest -(which he would get in a match at the end of each over), he -exclaims, ‘Now I’ll give you some of Spofforth’s patents!’ and -then, with a long run and a kangaroo-like bound (but, probably, -altogether unlike the famous Australian bowler), he proceeds to -hurl the ball wider and in a more erratic style than ever. Then, -perhaps, he will say, ‘Would you like some of W. G.’s?’ and -immediately assuming the well-known and somewhat inartistic -pose of the English champion, proceed to toss the ball lifeless -up in the air. Now this is not the way to learn how to bowl. -Bowling, like everything else worth doing, takes a lot of careful -practice before it can be expected to meet with success.</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt that were boys carefully trained at -school in the art of bowling, as they are in that of batting, our -universities, from which the ranks of our first-class cricketers -are usually replenished, would be continually sending up men -who could take the position as leading bowlers now occupied -by professionals. But, it may be asked, if we have a supply -of fairly good bowlers, what does it matter whether they -are professionals or amateurs? There are two answers to this -question: first, that the Gentlemen every year play the Players, -and are naturally always anxious to beat them; and, secondly, -that the more cricket gets into the hands of professional -players, the worse it will be for the game and its reputation. -We would not say one word against the personal character of -the English professional cricketer, for the great majority of this -class are honest, hard-working, and sober men. We only -say that it is not in the interests of cricket that any branch -of the game should be left entirely in their hands. Your -professional, as a rule, is the son of a small tradesman, or -person in that rank of life, and has been born in a neighbourhood -where the greatest interest is taken in sport of all kinds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -cricket during the summer months being sedulously played. -These neighbourhoods are far more frequent in the northern -than the southern counties, the sporting tendencies of the -people of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Nottingham being developed -to a much greater extent than in the more southern -shires. These three counties, and especially Notts, turn out -large quantities of young professionals yearly.</p> - -<p>A boy who has been born in one of these cricketing districts -is sure to devote a fair share of his time to watching the -victories and defeats of his village club, and consequently to -imbibing that feeling of ‘pleasing madness’ connected with -the game which attacks every cricket enthusiast. The height -of his ambition is to bowl a ball or two to the village champion -batsman, and when the opportunity arises to gratify his wish -you will see him, hardly higher than the stumps, bowling with -an action exactly similar to the crack village bowler, and scorning -to encroach so much as an inch over the line of the bowling -stump. And oh! what sleepless nights ensue from the anticipation -of actually seeing with his own eyes on the following -Saturday one of the real cracks of England—one who has -positively played in Gentlemen <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Players, or represented England -against Australia! No wonder the boy becomes imbued -with keenness for the game, when everyone in the village, from -the parson to the old lady who keeps the sweetshop, is continually -talking about cricket. As the boy grows older he -begins to make his mark in the village club, and when he is -eighteen or nineteen, to the delight of his father, mother, -sisters, and himself, he is selected to make one of the twenty-two -colts of his county that are chosen to play against the -county team. After having played in public, and perhaps tasted -the pleasures of success, the father finds that his son is restless -and disturbed in his trade, and wishes to give it up and -become a professional cricketer. So it happens that his name -is sent up to the county secretary as wanting a situation, and -the young fellow finds himself launched into the world on his -own account as a cricket professional.</p> - -<p>With regard to the young man’s prospect of success on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -starting in his new life, we are bound to say that, assuming he -has only the average cricket ability of the ordinary professional, -his chances of even making a livelihood are not particularly -bright. He may, and no doubt will, earn as much as 2<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> a week, -or even more, during the summer months; but at the end -of August or beginning of September he will find himself -with very little money in his pocket, and seven of the coldest -and worst months of the year to face. He <em>may</em> get employment -in the winter months—many professionals do, either as -colliers or as porters, or some other work. We have known -them to do clerk’s work for railways in the winter; but all work -for men only willing to stick to it for a few months is extremely -uncertain, and there can be no doubt that many -cricket professionals have a bad time in the winter.</p> - -<p>On the whole, professionals who have an assured place in -their county eleven have, for men of their social position, a -very good time. They only get nominally 5<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> a match, but this -often means a minimum wage of 10<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> a week, and besides this -they are well known and consequently well advertised, and this -means a good deal. Many have shops for sale of cricket -goods and golf clubs, footballs and archery, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">cum multis aliis</i>. -A great many become publicans, which, though many of us -think a loathsome profession, is at any rate a livelihood, and -they become publicans because they are well known and -popular, and brewers like such men to manage their public-houses. -Even if they keep no shop, they are constantly selling -bats and balls, and a fair proportion of them, the picked men -of the profession, get permanent posts in public schools. When -there is no county match on a great many, especially in the -North, get engagements in the detestable modern one-day -league match. Leaving publicans out of the question, at the -present day, from our own knowledge, the following old and -young professionals keep cricket shops: Daft, Shaw and -Shrewsbury, Gunn, Watson, Briggs, Sugg, Nichols, Abel, the -two Quaifes, Walter Wright, Baldwin, Peate, Ward, Tunnicliffe, -and George Hearne, and there are no doubt many more; -while the following have permanent engagements as coaches<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -at schools, often with a shop also: Wright of Nottingham, -Louis Hall, Woof, Emmett, F. Ward, Wootton, and Painter.</p> - -<p>In addition to all this, in some counties there has arisen, -in the last year or so, a system of winter wages, or a bonus -paid about Christmas, and when all things are considered, we -cannot help thinking that a professional of ability who is -steady has a better time of it than any other working man; -and even if not a publican or shopkeeper, many have trades -to which they can turn their hands in the winter.</p> - -<p>The first-class professional cricketer is usually a well-made, -strong-looking man, ranging from two or three and twenty to -thirty five, with agreeable, quiet manners. He is a great favourite -with the crowd, and when his side is in may be seen walking -round the ground surrounded by a body of admirers, any one -of whom is ready and willing at any moment to treat his ideal -hero to a glass of anything he may wish for. It is greatly to the -player’s credit that in the face of this temptation to insobriety he -is such a sober, temperate man. I have never seen on a cricket -field a first-class professional player the worse for drink, and I -have only on one occasion heard the slightest whisper against the -sobriety of such a man during the progress of a match. I believe -that, as a class, and considering the thirsty nature of their occupation -and the opportunities that offer themselves for drinking, -there is no more sober body of men than cricket professionals.</p> - -<p>Having attempted to give a short, and it is hoped impartial, -description of the cricket professional, let us, before -resuming the subject of bowling, return to the assertion that -the more cricket gets into the hands of professional players -the worse it will be for the game and its reputation. At -present cricket is perhaps the most popular of all our national -recreations; it is certainly the most popular <em>game</em>, though -football has lately made great strides in popular opinion, and it -is rightly considered to be the manliest and the freest from all -mischievous influences. What these latter are, and what a pernicious -and enervating influence they exercise on other branches -of our national sports, is known to everyone. I allude to the -betting and book-making element, which from the earliest days<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -has been the curse of sport. What is the worst feature about -horse-racing? To what do English lovers of true sport owe the -fact that every racecourse is the rendezvous of the biggest blackguards -and knaves in the kingdom? Is it not betting, and the -pecuniary inducement it offers to every kind of dirty, shabby -practice? The sullying influence has spread to the running-path, -and even, if report says true, to the river and football -field. Happily there is never the slightest whisper of suspicion -against the straightness of our cricket players, and this is entirely -owing to the absence of the betting element in connection with -the game. It is an unfortunate fact that the tendency of first-class -cricket nowadays is to swamp the amateur by the professional. -Some of our best county teams are almost wholly -composed of the latter class. The time taken up in big matches -is so great, owing to their being drawn out by a late start and -early finish each day, that the amateur is beginning to realise -his inability to give up from his business or profession so much -of this valuable commodity. What has happened in consequence? -Cricket—i.e. first-class cricket—is becoming a regular -monetary speculation. Thousands upon thousands troop almost -daily to see the big matches, flooding the coffers of the county -or club, which does its very best to spin out the match for the -sake of the money. If this continue, our best matches will become -nothing better than gate-money contests, to the detriment -of the true interests of the game and its lovers.</p> - -<p>Bowling is as much worthy of the name of an art as any other -branch of sport. The skill, science, and practice which are necessary -before a man can throw a good salmon fly, or before he -can reckon on bringing down a good average of high rocketing -pheasants, are equally necessary for one who wishes to become -an adept at bowling. Perhaps bowling does not require the -same oneness of hand and eye as batting, but it demands, if -possible, more practice and experience, and to a far greater -extent the exercise of mental qualities. The object of the -bowler is to outmanœuvre the batsman; he has either to hit -the stumps or draw him into some incautiousness or hesitation -of play, which will result in the ball being caught from the bat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -or in the batsman being stumped out by the wicket-keeper. -This is a wide field, and suggests at once that to become proficient -a bowler must think—and think deeply too—not once -or twice every few minutes, but before each ball, for none -should ever be delivered without a particular object. Every -ball must be part and parcel of a scheme which the bowler has -in his mind for getting rid of the batsman. The object of every -bowler, whether fast or slow, is always to bowl what is called a -‘good length’—i.e. to pitch the ball so close to the batsman -that he cannot play it on the ‘bounce,’ or, in cricket parlance, -‘on the long-hop,’ and yet so far from him that he cannot play -it just as it touches the ground or immediately on the rise—i.e. -on the ‘half-volley.’ There can be no precise measurement of -the exact spot on which the ‘good-length’ ball must pitch, as it -is constantly varying according to the state of the ground, the -pace of the bowler, and the size and style of the batsman. When -the ground is ‘slow’ and ‘sticky’ from recent rain, the good-length -ball will have to be pitched considerably farther than -when it is ‘hard’ and ‘fast,’ as of course the ball will come faster -off the ground when it is in the latter state than when in the -former. The reason why the bowling of this particular ball is -always the object of every bowler is because it compels the batsman -to meet the ball with the bat by forward play, and because -in so doing he often loses sight of the ball from the moment it -touches the ground till it strikes the bat. No one can be -called a good bowler until he has the power at will of bowling -ball after ball of this sort. It often happens when two batsmen -are well set, and every wile and ‘dodge’ of the bowlers has -been tried without avail, that two bowlers will have to go on to -bowl, or try to bowl, nothing else but good-length balls, in the -hopes of keeping down the runs. If this can be done effectually, -a batsman is bound through impatience to make a mistake which -in time may cost him his wicket.</p> - -<p>Every ball that leaves the bowler’s hand has, in addition to -the propelling power imparted by the bowler, one of four different -motions. The ball as it travels is either spinning from right -to left; or from left to right; or with a downward vertical motion;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -or an upward vertical motion. It is a fact that it is well-nigh -an impossibility for a ball to leave the hand of the veriest -beginner without having one of these four motions to a certain -extent imparted to it.</p> - -<p>On these four rotary motions depends how much and in -what direction the ball will twist or deviate from its course, and -also the speed and height it will assume after touching the -ground. One of the arts of a bowler is to cheat the batsman -by making the ball pitch in one spot and, after the pitch, -suddenly take a different direction; another is to make the -ball rise quicker off the ground than a batsman would be led -to expect from the ordinary rules of reflection. These arts are -accomplished by different movements of the fingers and hand -at the moment of delivering the ball; for the reason why every -ball has a certain amount of spin on it is because the fingers, -being in contact with the ball as it leaves the hand, cause it -to rotate (though perhaps so infinitesimally as not to be noticeable) -on its journey to the ground.</p> - -<p>The spin, or rotary motion, from right to left is gained by -grasping the ball chiefly with the thumb and first and second -fingers, the third and fourth fingers being placed together round -the other side of the ball. The moment the ball leaves the -hand the latter is turned quickly over from right to left, and at -the same time the first and second finger and thumb, coming -over with the hand, impart a powerful twist to the ball, which -leaves the hand when the latter is turned palm downwards. -There is also at the time of delivery an outward and upward -movement of the elbow which gives the arm the shape of a curve, -or almost a semicircle. The ball goes on its way spinning -rapidly from right to left, and the moment it touches the -ground twists very sharply towards the off side of the batsman. -This ball, termed in cricket parlance the ‘leg-break,’ when -well bowled is perhaps one of the most deadly of all balls, but it -is also the most difficult for a bowler to master. It is always -a slow ball, as to bowl it fast with any accuracy of pitch is an -impossibility—at any rate, it may be assumed to be so, as no -bowler has ever yet appeared who could bowl it otherwise than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -slow. Palmer, the Australian bowler, was about the fastest -ever known at this ball, but his faster ones were very inaccurate -in pitch, and he could only bowl them, strange to say, -very occasionally. The author, although he has played innings -after innings against this bowler, never remembers receiving a -single fast leg-break from him. The fact of the hand having -to turn over from right to left, and of the ball being delivered -underneath the hand, so to speak, causes it to be extremely -difficult to attain accuracy of pitch and direction. There are -many men who can bowl this ball in practice at the nets, but who -never dare attempt it in a match, having no confidence whatever -in their ability to bowl it straight, or even fairly straight. -It is no uncommon occurrence to see this ball, bowled by one -who has tried it in practice, travelling somewhere near to where -point is standing. There are some slow bowlers who have -become fairly proficient at it, and who have enjoyed at various -times, and especially against batsmen they have never met -before, a certain amount of success; but it is a style of bowling -which should only be encouraged to the extent of enabling -every bowler to use it occasionally. If nothing but this -ball is bowled over after over, by constant repetition it loses -its sting. The batsman gets wary, and when the ball is pitched -on his leg side gets before his stumps to protect them, and hangs -his bat in front of him, thereby rendering the loss of his wicket -extremely improbable; and when it is pitched straight for the -middle stump or on the off side, knowing the danger of a hit -at the pitch of this ball, he will simply satisfy himself with protecting -his stumps with his legs, and with letting the ball pass -the off stump without further protest. The trap laid for the -batsman in this style of bowling is the danger he incurs by -hitting unless he is actually on the pitch of the ball; if he -falls into the snare, the ball is perfectly certain to go up in the -air, and generally in the direction of cover-point or mid-off. -This, of course, is owing to the twist of the ball causing it to hit -the side and not the centre of the bat. Should the batsman -in the act of hitting miss the ball altogether, as is not infrequently -the case, he pays the penalty of being stumped unless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -he happens to be a fast-footed hitter. Now, of course, these -two traps are well known to every good batsman, and consequently -it is, as a rule, useless to bowl ball after ball of this -nature to him—one might just as well whistle for grouse at the -end of November to come and be shot.</p> - -<p>This ball, therefore, should only be bowled at intervals, and -when according to the bowler’s judgment it may have a fair -prospect of success. Usually this happens on two occasions. -The first is when a batsman has just begun his innings, and is -playing nervously and without confidence; a twisting ball then -from the leg side is extremely apt to fluster and annoy him, -and a catch in the slips or at point, or a catch and bowl, is -not infrequently the result. The second is when a hitter is in, -and is hitting to all parts of the field. Then the ball may be -bowled with a great chance of success, especially if the man is -anxious and impatient to hit every ball. He is extremely likely -to hit a little short of the pitch, with the above-mentioned result. -It is not a good thing for the bowler to worry the batsman -with this ball if the latter seems not to like it or to play -it nervously; it should at most be used not more than twice -in an over. Let the bowler always remember that too much -of one particular ball, even if distasteful to the batsman, will -frighten and steady him, and perhaps in the end teach him to -play it correctly. There are some batsmen, and good batsmen -too, who never seem to be at home to this ball, although they -may have played it scores of times, and I remember once -seeing an amusing incident at a match in which a bowler -who had adopted it was playing sad havoc with the other -side. The first three batsmen had all rushed out to try and -hit the leg-break ball, and, failing to do so, paid the inevitable -penalty of being stumped. Their captain was furious at their -rashness, especially as they were all three good players; he -explained, and rightly, that the proper way to play the -ball was either by hitting it on the full volley—i.e. before it -touched the ground—or else remaining inside the crease and -playing it quietly. He went in himself, intending to illustrate -this principle, and, lo and behold! was stumped the very first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -ball he received. He scraped forward a long way to meet the -ball, missed it, and remained in a most elegant Fuller Pilch-like -attitude, fondly imagining the toe of his boot was inside -the crease. It was, as a matter of fact, a good inch outside -it. In that match there were five stumped each innings off -the same bowler, and the captain was one of them both times. -On another occasion a batsman with rather thin and weedy -looking legs kept jumping in front of his stumps every time this -ball was delivered. Finally the ball, discovering the weak spot -in this gentleman’s physical proportions, managed to find (just -above the knees) an opening large enough for it to pass through -and dislodge the bails. Great was his astonishment and disgust, -and as he retired crestfallen to the pavilion he said to the -writer, who was one of the fielding side on that occasion, ‘It was -not the ball or the bowler that did that; it was all owing to my -confoundedly skinny legs!’ A dodge well worth trying with this -ball is to bowl a good length about two feet to the leg of the -batsman; he is nearly sure to have a hit, and there is a great -chance of the spin on the ball causing it to be a miss-hit, which -may go straight up in the air, for the wicket-keeper, point, or -bowler to secure; even if it is a clean hit to leg it is nearly bound -to be in the air, and long-leg may possibly have a chance. If -this scheme is to be practised it will be generally a good thing -for the bowler to have his long-leg perfectly square, and bring -his long field on round till he is almost in the position of a forward -long-leg. This should be done by quietly waving the -hand in such a manner as to attract the attention of the batsman -as little as possible. It is impossible to lay down any -rule for the way in which the fieldsmen should be placed for -this style of bowling, as this depends so much upon the play of -each particular batsman. A long-leg is, however, nearly always -necessary, and very often an extra man out on the leg side, as -mentioned already. Two men out in the field for the average -batsman cannot be dispensed with. The bowler himself, as a -rule, will know how to place his field for each batsman, but on -no occasion should he ever omit to have a short-slip. This is -such a very likely place to get a batsman snapped up that it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -should never be dispensed with to any style of bowling, except -perhaps to slow under-arm, and not always then. A slow bowler -who intends to use the leg-break, let us say, once an over, or even -once in two overs, and who relies on this ball as most likely -to secure wickets, may on ordinary occasions place his men -thus, but, as we said before, they must be changed to suit the -circumstances.</p> - -<p>If the ground is hard and fast, as a rule a third man cannot -be dispensed with; but if inclined to be slow, he may be brought -forward to extra cover-point, between cover-point and mid-off, -or else put deep in the field on the on side. The bowler may, -however, see that the batsman is wide enough awake to restrain -himself from hitting blindly at the pitch of this ball when -straight or on the off stump; it will then be advisable to try him -entirely on the leg side—a man may refuse the bait on one side -but take it on the other. In these circumstances extra cover-point, -and sometimes even cover-point as well, may be brought -across the wicket and placed for half-hits wide on the on—i.e. -about half the distance from the batsman that a deep field -would stand. If the batsman assumes a poky style of play, it -is often advantageous, both for saving runs and getting wickets, -to have a short-leg a little nearer the stumps than the umpire, and -the mid-on as near to the batsman as he can venture consistently -with safety. In this, as in every other style of bowling, it is a -sovereign rule to make the batsman play to the ball—i.e. to keep -it well pitched up, and compel him either to hit or play forward.</p> - -<p>A very novel style of this kind of bowling was seen on English -cricket grounds in the summer of 1884, when the Australian -team of that year included W. H. Cooper, so well known to all -our cricketers who have visited the colonies. He bowled round -the wicket, and nearly every ball almost a wide to leg. There -was more spin and twist on the ball than had ever been seen in -this country before (excepting, perhaps, in the bowling of Mr. -Stratford, who played for a year or two for Middlesex, but who -never made his mark in first-class cricket). The ball seemed -to be twisted or screwed out of the side of his hand in the -way a billiard-marker will screw a billiard-ball along the table<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -to a certain spot, and then bring it back to him. But, unfortunately -for him, he was unable to combine any pace with this -tremendous twist. The ball was extraordinarily slow in the -air, but directly it pitched it would spin off the ground -comparatively quickly, twisting into the batsman on the faster -wickets, sometimes as much as a yard or more. All his men -except two were on the on side, and he expected his wickets to -be obtained by the impatience of the batsman causing him to -rush out, miss, and get stumped, or else by wide hitting at the -pitch of the ball on the leg side, where there were seven fielders -with seven pretty sure pairs of hands waiting for it. In Australia -he had met with a fair share of success, especially against some -of the English elevens which had been over there. It was this -latter consideration which induced the Australian authorities -to believe that he would be a useful addition to their team. -His bowling was most unsuccessful in this country. Whether -this was due to an accident to his hand on the voyage to -England, or from the light here being not so glaring and -bright for our English eyes as it is in Australia, cannot -be said for certain, but I have a strong opinion from my -own experience that the reason of his success in Melbourne -against Englishmen was owing to the dreadful glare on that -ground.</p> - -<p>One peculiarity of the leg-twisting ball is that when the -ground is soft and sticky it is comparatively of no avail. The -ball then, of course, twists to a greater extent than when -the ground is hard, but it leaves the pitch so very slowly that -the batsman can either wait for it on the long-hop or hit it on -the full or half-volley. The leg-break ball on a soft ground, -if bowled at all, must be bowled faster than on hard, -in order to counteract the deadness of the turf. The best -states of the ground for this bowling, as indeed for most, are -when the ground has been hard and fast, and has since become -crumbly and covered with loose bits of grass and worn -turf, and when there has been heavy rain to saturate the ground -which is being rapidly dried and caked by a hot sun. In the -former state the ball takes plenty of twist, and also leaves the -ground<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> very quickly, in addition to sometimes getting up uncomfortably -high for the batsman. In the caked state the ball -takes lots of twist, and puzzles the batsman by the varied and -uneven paces at which it leaves the ground, sometimes coming -sharply and high, at other stopping on the ground and, in batsman’s -parlance, ‘getting up and looking at you.’</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_leg-break_diagram" id="image_the_leg-break_diagram" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_leg-break_diagram.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="412" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The leg-break diagram.<br /> - <span class="smaller">These positions of the fieldsmen will suit under-arm bowling, except - that, perhaps extra mid-off may be put out on the on side.</span> - </p> -</div> - -<p>The ‘leg-break’ ball is usually bowled from round the wicket, -as from this side there is more scope for the bowler to make -the ball twist. It is doubtless the best side of the stumps to -choose for the delivery of this ball, but every bowler should remember -that it is very nearly as good as a change of bowling to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -change from ‘round’ to ‘over’ the wicket, and this is especially -so with leg-break balls. The ball delivered from round the -wicket generally leaves the hand a good foot outside the extremity -of the bowling crease; this means that it starts about -4 feet 4 inches from the middle stump of the bowler’s wicket, -and in its journey through the air, even if pitched in a line with -the leg stump of the batsman’s wicket, it has to make considerable -way from the leg side of the wicket. This, of course, makes -the ball go across the wicket more from the pitch, and, as a rule, -means that a leg-stump leg-break ball round the wicket misses -the wicket on the off side. A batsman, if the ball is pitched off -his wicket, may defend it, as the rule of leg before wicket now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -stands, with his legs, and consequently the bowler has not much -chance of hitting it. When bowled from over the wicket the leg-break -ball, being delivered in a direct line with the batsman’s -wicket, will naturally, if pitched on the leg-stump or between the -legs and the wicket, not twist so much, thus making it more likely -to hit the wicket if missed by the batsman. There is also a -direct advantage to be gained by bowling over the wicket if the -batsman is inclined to get in front of his stumps, as there is -always a better chance for the bowler to get an appeal for -leg before wicket answered in his favour than when bowling -from the other side.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_position_of_field_if_bowling_on_leg_side" id="image_position_of_field_if_bowling_on_leg_side" class="nodec"><img src="images/position_of_field_if_bowling_on_leg_side.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="442" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Position of field if bowling on leg side. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Although, as previously mentioned, there has never been -any instance of the leg-break ball being bowled by a fast -bowler, some of the best bowlers of the past generation of -cricketers used to bowl with a considerable bias from the leg -side, and were also of well over medium pace. Martingell and -Silcock were bowlers of this class. This old style was very -effective, and it is greatly to be regretted that it has almost -entirely disappeared from the game at the present day. It -differed from the slow ball that has been discussed only in -the amount of spin; and as there was so much less power expended -in spinning or twisting, the pace of the ball was greatly -in excess of that which can be got on to the slow leg-break. -The ball was delivered round the wicket, at the very extent of -the crease, in order to make the angle from the hand to an -imaginary straight line between the two middle stumps as great -as possible. The hand was very little higher than the hip when -the ball was delivered, and instead of the hand and wrist being -completely turned over at the moment of delivery, as in the -slow leg-break, the fingers imparted a right to left spin to the -ball. The ball, coming from a great distance round the -wicket and with a considerable amount of leg spin, would be -gradually working away to the batsman’s off side every inch -of its journey, both before and after pitching. Catches in -the slips and on the off side were numerous from this style -of bowling, and it required the batsman’s greatest care and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -caution to guard himself against playing inside the balls. It -is a great pity we do not see more of this bowling now.</p> - -<p>The next spin or twist on the ball which we will discuss is -the rotary motion from left to right. This, in cricket phraseology, -is termed the ‘off’ break, and is far more universal than -that from the ‘leg.’ In fact, so common is it, and so easy to learn, -that nearly everyone who has ever bowled in a match knows -more or less how to put this spin on the ball. It is, of course, -always easier to get spin on to a slow ball than on to a fast one.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_leg_break" id="image_the_leg_break" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_leg_break.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="432" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The leg-break. - </p> -</div> - -<p>When the ball to be delivered is a slow one, the fingers and -hand may be twisted into almost any shape, as so little power -is required actually to deliver the ball; all the strength of hand,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -of wrist, and of the fingers -may be utilised for -the purposes of spin -alone. When the ball -has to be a fast one, the -power necessary to propel -the ball at the required -pace prevents so -much of the power of -fingers, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr>, being expended -on spin. A slow -ball always takes the -spin, after leaving the -ground, to a greater extent -than a fast one, because -it is longer on the -ground when it pitches, -and the spinning has -more time to take effect -on the turf.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_likely_balls" id="image_likely_balls" class="nodec"><img src="images/likely_balls.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="235" height="565" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Likely balls; and what may become of them if -not correctly played. - </p> - <p class="key"><i>a</i>, a likely one for a wild hitter to get himself out on -the off side; <i>b</i> and <i>c</i>, likely for a stump, or, if hit -with straight bat, a catch to deep field-off; <i>d</i> and <i>e</i>, -likely for ‘catch and bowl;’ <i>f</i>, long-leg and half-hit -chances—short-slip and wicket-keeper often get an -easy chance off this ball.</p> -</div> - -<p>The natural spin -on every ball which is -bowled is from left to -right—i.e. the off break. -Even when a fielder -throws in a ball from a -distance it almost invariably -has this spin -on it. If you watch the -smallest boy in the street -throwing a stone, you -will find, nine times out -of ten, the stone has acquired -this spin. It is -then no wonder that almost -every right-handed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -bowler relies upon this twist as his principal artifice. The twist -depends rather more on the power of the fingers than on the -hand and wrist, as in the ‘leg-break.’ The ball is usually, by a -slow bowler, grasped firmly with all the fingers resting on the -seam, as this gives more purchase and resistance for the fingers -to operate. The latter at the moment of delivery spin the ball, -almost in the same way as they would spin a top, and instead -of an upward and outward motion of the elbow, as in the ‘leg-break,’ -there is an inward motion towards the side of the bowler. -The hand is turned over outwards when the ball is delivered, -and, if properly bowled and pitched just outside the off stump, -and under good conditions of ground, the ball, after the pitch, -will change its course abruptly towards the batsman and the -wicket.</p> - -<p>Differing from the ‘leg-break,’ this ball can with practice -be accompanied by a great accuracy of pitch—an accuracy -which has been attained almost to perfection by some of our -best known bowlers. The late James Southerton, the famous -Surrey bowler, could bowl in this style for hours with only a -very occasional variation from a perfect ‘good length.’ Alfred -Shaw, of Nottingham, in his day was perhaps the greatest -exponent of accuracy of pitch combined with the slow ‘off -break,’ or what is generally termed ‘break-back.’ This ball -should be bowled a good length, and generally about two or -three inches outside the off stump.</p> - -<p>Of course the amount of twist the ball will take depends -on the state of the ground, and this should at once be apparent -to the bowler. The danger most to be apprehended by the -batsman from the off break is that in playing forward, if not -quite on the pitch of the ball, he is very apt, owing to the twist, -to play outside, and allow it to pass between his bat and right -leg to the wicket. It is never a wise thing for the bowler to -use the ‘off break’ every ball, although there are many who -do so. Even if he is devoid of all other artifice, and has no -command over the arts of ‘change of pace,’ ‘flight,’ or the ‘leg-break,’ -he should often vary his style by a ball without any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -twist at all, and this should not always be straight. If a batsman -has been playing over after over nothing but good-length -‘off break,’ a ball pitched about the same spot, two or three -inches outside the off stump, and without any off break at all, -will very often be found to go to hand in the slips, because -the batsman is expecting the break and plays inside the ball.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_off_break" id="image_the_off_break" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_off_break.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="419" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The off break. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The fast ‘off break’ is a most deadly ball, and Lockwood, -Richardson, Mold, and Hearne are four bowlers who -have a consistent break. A slight slope in the ground -from the off side is always a great advantage to fast bowlers -who try the ‘break-back.’ This comparatively rare ball,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -when it does come, is sure to try the very best batsman. -Its difficulty arises from the fact that the ball is of such -a pace as to necessitate quick forward play, when the sudden -turn after the pitch causes it to be missed. For playing -‘off breaks’ of all paces, it is a great and -golden rule for batsmen to remember: <em>Never -allow space between the bat and the left leg -for the ball to pass through</em>. This rule, which -insures the left leg of the batsman being -placed well across the wicket when playing -forward, if followed, will render it almost -impossible for him to be bowled out with an -‘off break.’ It is an astounding fact that this -simple rule, which should be patent to everyone, -seems unknown to all our best batsmen -with one or two notable exceptions. W. G. -Grace has always played with his leg up to -his bat, thereby preventing the ball from -finding an opening between the two. W. W. -Read, of Surrey, is another who plays thus. -We do not express any opinion here as to -the bearing of this rule on the leg-before-wicket -question. It is sufficient for a batsman -at present, as the rule now stands, that -so long as the ball does not pitch between -the two wickets he cannot be given out -‘l.b.w.’</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_off_breaks" id="image_off_breaks" class="nodec"><img src="images/off_breaks.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="95" height="387" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - ‘Off breaks.’ - </p> - <p class="key"><span class="smcap">A</span>, <span class="smcap">B</span>, <span class="smcap">C</span>, all good ones; -<span class="smcap">D</span>, if the batsman stands -with his legs some way -from the leg stump, this -is likely to bowl him -off his legs; but it is a -beauty to hit on the on -side.</p> -</div> - -<p>The two ‘spins,’ from the leg and the -off, are the chief and most important for all -practical purposes. If a bowler by constant -practice has acquired the power of -twisting the ball from off or leg at will, and can at the same -time bowl a ‘good length,’ he has laid a tolerable foundation -for future success. We say tolerable, because, in bowling, twist, -as we shall see later on, is not everything; it is an essential -element in good bowling, but it is only one of several, all of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -which must combine together before anyone can earn the reputation -of a first-class bowler.</p> - -<p>The two other spins which can be put on the ball are -what have been called the ‘upward vertical’ and the ‘downward -vertical.’ By the ‘upward vertical,’ I mean when the ball spins -in its way to the ground vertically, and upwards with regard to -the bowler. It may be compared to the spin imparted to the -billiard ball in the screw stroke. This is effected by striking -the ball low down, which makes it revolve in its course upwards. -The effect this upward revolution has is seen when the -striker’s ball meets the object ball, the former having a decided -inclination to stop and return to the striker. In the same way -a cricket ball, when made to revolve upwards, has a tendency -to stop and go slower off the pitch than it went before it -reached the ground.</p> - -<p>This twist, as a matter of fact, is never practised; and -it is a great pity that more attention has not been paid to -it. Of course it is very much more difficult to make the -ball revolve in this manner than in either the leg or the off -break, but it is quite within the powers of the possessor of a -fairly strong set of fingers. The lower half only of the ball -should be held, so that the upper half protrudes above the -hand and fingers, and at the moment of delivery, which must -be from the level of the shoulder or lower, the fingers and -hand must impart as much upward spin as possible.</p> - -<p>The downward vertical spin is the reverse of this, and is -caused by the upper half of the ball being grasped instead of -the lower, as in the upward. This spin imparts to the ball -a tendency to come quicker from the pitch than the pace -in the air would seem to suggest, and is analogous to the -‘following up’ stroke at billiards. The latter is made by -striking the ball at the top, making it revolve downwards and -vertically from the striker. Very many bowlers possess this -downward spin in their bowling without being at all aware of -the fact. They know, as also do those who play against them, -that every now and then one of their balls will, in cricket slang,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -‘make haste from the pitch.’ The batsman finds he has mistaken -the pace of the ball, which flies past him before he -is anything like ready to play it, and when his stumps lie -prostrate, as often as not he will come back to the pavilion with -the old, old story, ‘Bowled with a shooter;’ whereas, in fact, -the ball has hit the middle or even upper part of his stumps. -He has entirely lost the ball from the pitch owing to his misjudgment -of its pace, and concludes erroneously that it has -shot underneath his bat.</p> - -<p>We have now considered the four kinds of spin which can -be put on to a cricket ball. Of course there may be combinations -of two kinds, as, for instance, the ball may be spinning -from right to left or left to right, and at the same time be -revolving to a certain extent vertically downwards or upwards; -but it would be impossible to discuss the result of every such -combination.</p> - -<p>The ball may break from ‘leg,’ and at the same time show -by its acceleration in speed after the pitch that it has been -revolving downwards as well, and the same may happen with -the break from the ‘off;’ but such variations are beyond the -reach of any practical discussion.</p> - -<p>Let us now turn to another element of good bowling—change -of pace. It does not require any great amount of -technical cricket knowledge to understand that, if a bowler -delivers every ball at the same uniform pace, his bowling is -easier for a batsman to judge and play than when he is continually -altering and changing the pace. If a batsman misjudges -the pace of the ball he often loses his wicket. If he -plays too slow for a fast ball, or too fast for a slow one, he -generally makes a fatal mistake. As it is necessary for a shooter -to accurately judge the pace of a driven grouse before pulling -the trigger, so is it equally necessary for a batsman to judge the -pace of the ball before he plays to it. This power of judging -pace only comes after long experience; but when it does exist -it seems to be exercised almost intuitively, and without any -conscious thought—indeed there is often no time for thought.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> - -<p>Perhaps the one thing which made Mr. Spofforth, the famous -Australian bowler, superior at his best to all others, and has -earned him the reputation of being the best bowler that has ever -lived, was his wonderful power of changing the pace of the ball -without making it perceptible to the batsman. In his bowling -the same run, action, and exertion were apparently used for delivering -a slow or medium-paced ball as for a fast one. Many -a time, especially on his first arrival in England, when this bowling -was strange to our batsmen, the ball seemed to dislodge the -bails long after the bat had completed the stroke, and was perhaps -high in the air. Change of pace, to be effective, must not -mean change of action; and the first thing a bowler who wishes -to practise this art must understand, is that the slightest variation -in style or action for a slower or faster ball will at once put -the batsman on the <i>qui vive</i> and destroy the effect of the device.</p> - -<p>C. T. B. Turner, the Australian bowler, was a great adept -at changing the pace of the ball without sounding any warning -note to the batsman. He is one of the very finest bowlers we -have ever seen bowl; he has great command over the ball, -and a beautiful and easy delivery. His performances in this -country have been wonderful; the only defect in his bowling -which, in the writer’s opinion, keeps him from being considered -Spofforth’s equal is that his action is too easy to see. A good -batsman is not so likely to be deceived by him as readily as by -Spofforth’s windmill deliveries.</p> - -<p>When a slow or medium-pace bowler wishes to deceive -the batsman by a change of pace, he has, of course, two courses -open to him—either to accelerate the speed of the ball or -diminish it. When he wishes to bowl a faster ball than usual, -he must remember that the object of the experiment is to make -the batsman play slower to the ball than he has been doing, -and that this result will be far more easily accomplished by -pitching a good-length—if anything, a little further than a good-length—ball, -than by a short one. If the latter is bowled, the -batsman, although deceived in the pace up to the pitch, has -time to discover his mistake before the ball reaches him, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -consequently has his bat ready in time to stop it. If a ball -is, however, pitched a good length, or a trifle beyond it, and up -to the pitch is successful in deceiving the batsman, he will not -have much chance of stopping it afterwards.</p> - -<p>Palmer, another of the famous Australians, sends down the -best fast ball that has been seen from a medium-pace bowler. -There is no change of action to warn the batsman, no -longer or faster run, but the ball comes with lightning rapidity, -generally pitched well up, and very often in the block-hole, -making that most deadly ball a ‘fast yorker,’ about which -something will be said farther on. The change from slow -or medium-pace bowling to quite slow is much more frequently -practised than the change to fast, and consequently we may -presume it is more easy of accomplishment. There are few -slow or medium-pace bowlers who do not try occasionally to -deceive the batsman by making the high slow ball pitch a little -shorter than the rest have been doing. But although there are -many bowlers who endeavour thus to deceive, there are but -few who are really skilful in the art.</p> - -<p>It is an extremely difficult thing to reduce the pace on the -ball without altering the action. Mr. Spofforth, the Australian, -as we have observed, excelled in this, as also did Alfred -Shaw, of Nottingham, when at his best. For many years -Shaw had the reputation of being the best slow bowler in -England, and justly so. His most deadly device was, after -he had bowled three or four of his ordinary paced ones, -to toss the ball a little higher, a little slower, and a little -shorter. Unless the batsman detected the alteration in speed -at the moment of delivery, he made what was often a -fatal mistake. If he hit, the ball would go high in the air, -generally in the direction of deep field-on; if he played forward, -a catch and bowl was the very likely result. If this ball -is bowled without deceiving the batsman, it generally meets -with a very heavy penalty, as, if rightly judged at first, it can -generally be either waited for and hit almost to any part of the -field on the ‘long-hop’ or bound, or run down and driven past<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -the bowler; but the latter feat can only be accomplished by -batsmen who are very quick on their legs.</p> - -<p>Some of the best exponents of this ball appear, just prior to -delivery, to greatly exert their bodies, and go through their whole -customary action, while the arm, dragged slower than usual -through the air, delivers the ball when the body is comparatively -at rest. This, no doubt, gives the batsman the idea that -the ball is going to be delivered before it really does leave the -bowler’s hand. But it would be quite beyond the capabilities -of the writer to furnish any intelligible hints as to how to bowl -this ball; every bowler will with practice find this out for himself.</p> - -<p>As a rule, good bowlers of the present day bowl with their -arms above the shoulder, and it is a rudiment in the art that -the action of delivery should be as high as possible. The -high delivery is certainly the most successful where the ground -is hard, fast, and true, as then little or no twist can be put on -to the ball, and the higher it is made to bound the more chance -there is of the batsman making an uppish stroke. In addition -to this advantage which the high has over the low delivery, the -higher the arm is raised above the shoulder the more difficult -it is for a batsman to judge the pitch and flight of the ball.</p> - -<p>With regard to the amount of success that slow and fast -bowling meet with, a great deal depends on the state of the -ground, but speaking of England, and on hard wickets, fast -bowlers are having the best of it; at any rate, Richardson is -far the most deadly, while Mold, Hearne, Davidson, Bland, -Cuttell, and Hirst are very successful. In a later chapter, -however, the causes are discussed which seem to show that -head bowlers, bowlers who change their pace and methods, -will have to be the bowlers of the future. But it is also true, -as a general rule, that slow bowling is more difficult to play -than fast. The advantages that it possesses over fast are as -follows:—</p> - -<p>First.—The slowly delivered ball describes a curved line in -the air both before it pitches and afterwards to the bat; and -balls coming in a curved line are far more difficult to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -accurately than those which come quick and straight from the -pitch. If the batsman properly judged the fast ball, by simply -putting his bat straight forward he would always meet and -stop it. It is not quite so with the slower ball. The ball, -coming on to the ground in a curve, will leave it in a curve, and -may consequently go over the shoulder of the bat. Besides, -the quicker the ball is, the shorter time the batsman has to play -it; his mode of playing must be decided on instantaneously, -so he has no time to get into two minds on the subject.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_slow_ball" id="image_slow_ball" class="nodec"><img src="images/slow_ball.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="74" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <i>SLOW BALL</i> - </p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_fast_ball" id="image_fast_ball" class="nodec"><img src="images/fast_ball.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="67" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <i>FAST BALL</i> - </p> -</div> - -<p>Secondly.—In slow bowling there is always more actual hitting -than in fast, and the more hitting the greater chance there is -of the ball going up in the air. Fast bowling may perhaps be -driven more—that is to say, it may be pushed hard by good forward -play in front of the wicket in all directions; but it is not -often with this style of bowling that the bat is lifted high in the -air, and the shoulders, arms, and whole body combine together -for a big hit or ‘slog,’ as it is sometimes called, whereas slows -often tempt the best of batsmen to hit without quite getting on -to the pitch of the ball, the consequence being that the ball -goes up in the air somewhere.</p> - -<p>It is a very common occurrence to see a slow bowler who is -bowling really well, and with tolerable success, taken off at once -on the advent of some batsman who has earned a reputation -for big hitting. He himself may be nervous about the fearful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -smashing the batsman may give him, and suggest to his captain -to put on some fast bowler in his place, or else the captain -may make the change himself. What is the usual result? The -fast bowler compels the hitter to play a steady game, and then, -when the latter has just got his eye well set and fit for hitting, -on go the slows again, with the probable result of being utterly -knocked to pieces in a few overs. If the slows had been -allowed a chance at first, when the batsman’s eye had not got -settled down to the light, and he himself was still suffering -from the nervousness inevitable to every man on first going in, -what a different tale might have been told! It is always the -best thing to put on slows to a big hitter when he first comes -in. His anxiety to begin to hit at once is fostered by the slow, -easy-looking balls that give him such time to lift his bat and -put his whole strength into the stroke; this anxiety is often -helped, too, by his nervousness, which in many instances produces -a tendency to hit.</p> - -<p>On a certain occasion one of the biggest hitters our cricket -grounds have ever seen made about eighty runs without having -a single slow ball bowled to him. The captain at last put on -a slow bowler out of sheer desperation. As the slow bowler -walked up to the wicket to bowl, the big hitter turned to him -and said, ‘What, are <em>you</em> going to bowl your donkey-drops? -I’ll hit them all out of the ground.’ ‘If you <em>keep on</em> doing it -I shall have to go off,’ was the modest reply. The third ball -of the over there was a terrific slog; the bat fairly whistled with -the speed it went through the air, and the ball, touching the -shoulder, landed in short-slip’s hands.</p> - -<p>There are only two exceptions to the golden rule to put on -slows when a hitter first comes in: the first is when there is -something peculiar connected with the condition of the ground -which is making a fast bowler at that particular time especially -deadly; and the second, when the condition of the game renders -it imperatively necessary to keep down the runs at all costs. In -the latter case a slow bowler may prove too expensive, as even -the miss-hits of a strong hitter are apt to go to the boundary.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thirdly (to resume the consideration of the advantages of -slow bowling, interrupted by the anecdote and the statement -of the rule and its exceptions).—Slow bowling offers more -opportunity to the wicket-keeper for stumping than fast. It -is so tempting for a batsman to rush in and drive the slow -tossed-up ball that often he chooses the wrong one, misses -it, and is left standing still a yard or two out of his ground. -Chances to the wicket-keeper are also much easier off slows -than fast, and consequently a great many more wickets are -taken.</p> - -<p>Fourthly.—The very slowness of the ball induces liberties -of all sorts to be taken, besides that of hitting mentioned -above. The batsman, when his eye is well in, often tries to -score by placing balls to a particular spot, which their pitch -does not justify. A favourite error that even the best batsmen -fall into is that of trying to hit the leg-stump half-volleys -too much to the on side, and sometimes absolutely to leg, a -stroke which would never enter his head were a fast bowler -bowling.</p> - -<p>Fifthly.—A slow bowler has much greater command of pitch, -pace, and spin than a fast one. The power which is expended -by the latter on the pace of the ball is available by the former -for these more subtle devices. There is consequently a much -wider field for experiment open to the slow bowler. Usually a -fast bowler bowls away ball after ball in the hopes of breaking -down the batsman’s defence by a good-length ball or a ‘yorker;’ -if he fails to do this he retires in favour of the next change. A -slow bowler has many devices, of which actually bowling the -batsman out is perhaps very seldom resorted to. He should -be able to pitch the ball within a few inches of the spot -he wishes, and thus, when he has ascertained any particular -weakness the batsman seems to possess, he is able to take -advantage of it. There are very few batsmen who have not -certain favourite strokes; some may have a partiality for -cutting, others for playing on the on side for ones and twos, -others for off driving; but whatever the particular <i>penchant</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -may be, a slow bowler’s business is to make himself acquainted -with it and then take the greatest possible advantage of it. -Suppose a batsman shows by his play that he is always on the -look-out for a cut, and even goes so far as to cut balls which -should be driven or played forward to, on the off side, a slow -bowler by his command of pitch and pace may do much execution. -A ball pitched a trifle further up than usual on the off -side and a trifle faster may, and often does, induce the batsman -to try his favourite stroke, at the imminent peril of placing the -ball in the hands of point or third man, or of being caught at the -wicket. A slower and higher ball than usual pitched on the leg-stump -will often induce a batsman to try a favourite ‘on side’ -stroke, at the risk of playing with a cross bat and being bowled -or out leg before wicket. In fact, every fault that it is possible -for a batsman to possess may be taken advantage of by a slow -bowler to a much greater extent than by one of great pace. -How often one sees a batsman who has given great trouble -dismissed by a slow bowler who seems to have absolutely -no merit whatever! The ball is tossed high in the air with -apparently no spin of any sort, and so slow as hardly to reach -the wicket, and yet the well-set batsman falls a prey to his over-anxiety -to play the ball where the pitch of it does not warrant.</p> - -<p>Sixthly.—A slow bowler has the advantage over a fast one -of having what is equivalent to an extra man in the field, viz. -himself. After the ball is bowled he is firm on his legs, ready to -run in for a catch and bowl, or to dart to the on or the off side -as the batsman shapes to play the ball. No matter how hard -the ball is returned from the bat, he has always ample time to -get down with the right hand or the left or to jump high in the -air; when the batsmen are running he is always able to get -behind his wickets ready to receive the ball when returned by -the fielder, a golden rule for every bowler which is too often -neglected. A fast bowler is generally unsteady on his legs after -the ball is delivered; the pace with which he runs up to the -wicket carries him on a few paces after the delivery, and he is -thus generally unable to exhibit the same activity and sharpness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -in fielding his own bowling as a slow bowler does. In days gone -by, when grounds were bad and rough, slow bowling was not so -successful as fast, but the general improvement in the ground -has altered this.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_a_hot_return" id="image_a_hot_return" class="nodec"><img src="images/a_hot_return.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="376" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - A hot return. - </p> -</div> - -<p>And now, having seen some of the advantages slow bowling -possesses over fast, and before discussing the latter’s merits, let -us see on what principles a slow bowler should endeavour to -bowl, and what rules he should follow in order to attain success. -Whilst speaking of slow bowling we shall refer to -any pace under that of medium, as the rules and principles -of medium are included in what is said on fast bowling. -Perhaps the most important thing that every bowler, whether -fast, medium, or slow, should realise is, as we have said before, -to keep the ball well pitched up when a batsman first comes in.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -The importance of this rule is manifest, as a short-pitched ball -requires no play, whereas one pitched a good length, or even -farther, requires steadiness and accuracy of eye to play; -because there is a moment after its pitch when it is lost to the -vision, and consequently if the eye lacks accuracy the ball will -be missed or bungled. An old professional cricketer, one who -has made his mark in times gone by both with bat and ball, -once observed to the author, ‘Anything rather than straight long-hops, -sir, when a man first comes in; wides and full-pitches are -better,’ and he was right; straight long-hops, which, alas! many -of our professional bowlers bowl only too often, in order to -prevent runs being made off them, do more to get in the eyes -of batsmen than any other sort of ball. Often and often -one sees a bowler, and perhaps one who has the name of -being first-class, send down to a new batsman straight long-hops -one after the other—balls which it is impossible, or nearly -so, to score off, and then at the end of each over walk to his -place with a thoroughly satisfied air, as if adding one more -maiden over to his analysis had really helped his side on to -the ultimate goal of victory. It is always better for a bowler -to see a fresh batsman make half a dozen runs from well-pitched -balls or half-volleys his first over than to see him stop four -straight long-hops.</p> - -<p>On the fall of a wicket the bowler should always remember -that the new batsman is entirely unaccustomed to the light -and not yet warm to his work, and that consequently the pet -devices which may have been clearly seen through and mercilessly -punished by the retiring batsman are for the present quite -fresh for the new one. He should consequently begin by doing -all he can to get rid of him at once before he gets ‘set.’ He -should in the first two or three overs try every effective ball he -knows—and certainly in the first over he should try a ‘yorker.’ -This ball, called in days gone by a ‘tice,’ an abbreviation of -‘entice,’ is certainly one of the most deadly balls that can be -bowled, if not absolutely the most deadly. We believe that, if -statistics could be kept of how every wicket fell during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -course of a season, more would be found victims to the ‘yorker’ -than to any other ball. We can find no derivation for the word -‘yorker,’ but are told that it came from the Yorkshiremen, who -were fonder of bowling this ball than any other. A story is told -of a famous old Yorkshire professional who, on being asked -whether he knew why this ball was called a ‘yorker,’ replied, -‘Of course I do.’ ‘Well?’ said his questioner. ‘Why, what -else could you call it?’ was the answer, with a puzzled look and -a scratch on the top of his head. The ordinary definition of a -‘yorker’ is a ball that pitches inside the crease, and this, no -doubt, is correct so far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. -It really should be, any ball that pitches directly underneath the -bat. It is quite possible for a man to be bowled out with a -‘yorker’ when he is two or three yards out of his ground, if he -misjudges the ball, and allows it to pitch directly beneath his -bat, although the ball pitches as far from the crease as he is -standing. The most deadly sort of ‘yorker,’ however, is the one -that pitches about three or four inches inside the crease. One -mistake which the batsman makes with this ball is that he -imagines it is going to pitch shorter for a half-volley, and gets -ready to hit, when he finds the ball coming farther than he expected, -and is then too late to stop it. Another grave error -which many batsmen fall into is that of lifting their bats up, after -judging the pace and pitch of the ‘yorker,’ intending to come -down on it as it touches the ground, which really is at the very -last moment. It seems an easy thing to stop a ‘yorker’ in this -way, but it really requires the greatest nicety in timing, and a -moment late means that the ball has passed and the stumps are -down. Whenever a batsman is playing ‘yorkers’ by chopping -down on them inside his crease, it is as certain as can be that -he is not at all at home with them, and the bowler may hope -for success with every one he tries. Even if the bat does come -down on a ‘yorker’ in the crease at the last moment, it often -dribbles on with the spin, and just dislodges the bails. The -only proper, workmanlike way to deal with ‘yorkers’ is to play -them forward. The bat should be thrust forward directly the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -ball is seen to be right up to the batsman, and then it cannot -fail to be stopped. One great peculiarity of ‘yorkers’ is that -it is impossible to bowl such a ball to some batsmen. W. G. -Grace hardly ever gets one; directly the ball leaves the bowler’s -hand he sees its destination, viz. an inch inside the crease; he -puts the bat out to meet the ball, and makes it one of the -easiest possible, viz. a full-pitch. If there were no such thing -as misjudgment on the part of a batsman, there would be no such -thing as a ‘yorker.’ It depends for its very existence on being -taken for something else. If every batsman were perfectly -accurate in his sight and judgment of pitch, every so-called -‘yorker’ would be neither more nor less than a ‘full-pitch.’ -However, as every batsman, we are thankful to say, is liable to -err in judging the pitch, and as nearly every batsman when -first going in is more liable to err with a ‘yorker’ than any -other ball, the bowler should most decidedly try it. A slow -bowler should first try a medium-paced ‘yorker,’ somewhat -faster than his usual pace, and then a slower one. It is astonishing -how many wickets fall to slow ‘yorkers;’ the ball is -mistaken for everything but what it really is, viz. a full-pitch—for -every ball pitching inside the crease must be playable as a -full-pitch.</p> - -<p>When a bowler is put on to bowl by his captain, it is his -duty to do everything in his power to dislodge the batsman. -It is really quite a secondary consideration for him whether -many or few runs are being made off his bowling. It is the -duty of the captain to tell the bowler when he wants the pace -in the run-getting to be diminished, and then, and not till then, -must the bowler begin to bowl straight and short with that -object. But until certain instructions are given, the bowler -must never stop for an instant in his endeavour to get the -batsman’s wicket. If he has experimented with every one of -his arts and is unsuccessful, or even if he becomes too expensive -in run-getting before he has done this, the captain’s duty -is to take him off.</p> - -<p>It is a common sight enough to see a bowler put on in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -match who simply dare not try the experiments which he has -practised with success, for fear of being hit for a four or two -and taken off. He is quite content to see ball after ball -played full in the middle of the bat straight back to him, -knowing well that with such bowling he has not the remotest -chance of getting a wicket. In the hopes of getting a -wicket a slow bowler should often try leg half-volleys; they -are, of course, delightful balls for a batsman to hit, but, at the -present day, when the old George Parr leg hit is comparatively -unknown—viz. to fine long-leg all along the ground well behind -the wicket—and the leg hitting off slows is generally high and -square, they often result in a long-leg catch, and sometimes -one at the wicket, through the batsman hitting too quick at the -ball. A bowler who has been sending down ball after ball with -the off break on should often try pitching one on the same -spot but without the break; the batsman is very apt to play inside -this ball, and place it in short-slip’s hands. In addition to -the change of pace which we have above commented on, it is -a most excellent thing occasionally to lower and heighten the -action. Alfred Shaw used continually, by lowering his action, -to send in a ball which skimmed, so to speak, from the pitch -at a great pace, and much faster than his ordinary balls. The -raising of the arm higher than usual makes the ball bound -higher, which is very often an advantage, especially on rough -cut-up grounds. The good-length ball outside the off stump, -pitched perhaps eight inches to a foot wide of it, and without -any break on at all, is often a most telling ball, especially to -eager, excitable batsmen. The ball, not being straight, cannot -be met with the full face of the bat, and consequently, unless -the batsman puts his left leg right across the wicket, he -must, in playing it, lift it up in the air, when it is probably -captured by cover-point or mid-off. If this ball can be made to -go ever so little from the leg side after it has pitched it becomes -more deadly, as then there is a much greater chance of the -batsman being unable to get over the ball sufficiently to keep -it along the ground.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p> - -<p>There has grown up in late years a most deplorable practice -amongst batsmen of leaving balls on the off side alone, for fear -of risking their wickets. In every match, big and little, one -may see batsmen jump in front of their wickets time after time -to off balls, allowing the ball to go by unplayed at, or if it -twists to hit their legs. We call this a most deplorable practice, -because it is not real cricket. The true object of the batsman -is to defend his wicket with his bat; let him use his legs as -well if he likes, but his bat he should certainly use, and when -he holds the bat high in the air and guards his wicket with his -legs, and legs alone, in our opinion he goes beyond the limit of -legitimate batting. A batsman is perfectly right in refusing to -hit or play at wide balls on the off side, but when he remains -passive to balls a few inches only outside the off stump, he not -only acknowledges his want of confidence in himself, but also -degrades the dignity of a cricket bat by substituting in its place -his own usually nervous legs. We remember seeing, some -years back, a batsman who had completed his hundred refusing, -on a perfectly good wicket, to play ball after ball on the off side. -The famous old bowler David Buchanan was bowling at one -end, and could not understand how some of his most lovely -half-volleys were allowed to pass by unlooked at and despised. -The batsman, however, was thoroughly well roasted by his own -side and the other for his tame play; and it was satisfactory -afterwards to learn that he had given up his weakness for seeing -long-hops and half-volleys pass on the off without being first -heavily taxed for the good of his side. It is rather a difficult -thing for a slow bowler to know what to do when he has to bowl -to a batsman of this sort. He might, of course, go on bowling -on the off side, and try to tire the batsman out and make him -play; but this, in these present days of good wickets and lengthy -matches, would take far too long. The best course for a bowler -to take is continually to alter his pace, and endeavour by -pitching a ball sharper from the pitch and quicker than usual on -the off stump to get the batsman out leg before wicket. Just -the very slightest degree outside the off stump is also a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -place for this class of player; he gets undecided whether to -adopt his mawkish style of play or not, and in his indecision is -apt to make mistakes.</p> - -<p>A favourite scheme for a slow bowler to get rid of a batsman -is by bowling him off his legs. This is always more easy -of accomplishment when the batsman’s legs stand some distance -from the leg-stump and his bat. When this is going to -be tried an extra man should be put out on the on side between -long-leg and deep field-on, as the ball which is to be bowled -will, if hit by the batsman, generally go in that direction. If -the bowler can dispense with a long-leg, it is advantageous to -have a short-leg, perhaps a yard or two in front of the umpire, -and also a mid-wicket on as near to the batsman as he can -with safety venture. The ball should then be bowled with as -much off break and as good a length as possible, in a line with -the leg-stump; if played at and missed on account of the twist -it hits the legs, and so cannons into the wicket. If it is met with -the bat there is always a chance of the twist taking it into the -hands of short-leg or mid-on. The place on which the ball -pitches must depend on the state of the ground and the amount -of twist that can be put on to the ball.</p> - -<p>Spofforth, the Australian, was a bowler who used this ball -very successfully, as indeed he did most others. When he had -the ground in a suitable state—i.e. when it was sticky or else -crumbled and loose—he used to place a short-leg close in to the -batsman about two yards behind the wicket; he would also -have another short-leg or mid-on close in to the batsman and -fairly straight. He would then bowl about medium pace, -pitching ball after ball a good length on the leg-stump, and -with as much off break as he could get on, which, of course, -would vary with the state of the ground. The result of this -manœuvre was to make the batsman’s chance of remaining at -the wickets for long extremely doubtful. The pace (medium) -would compel him to play forward to all good-length balls; -the break-back and abrupt rise or kick then made it very -probable that he would either place the ball in the hands of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -one of the expectant short-legs or else be bowled off his bat or -legs. The author recollects on one occasion having to play -against the redoubtable Spofforth under the above circumstances. -After receiving a few balls he came to the conclusion -that it was absolutely impossible to prevent being captured by -one of the short-legs, who were both standing ridiculously close, -and every ball was rising uncomfortably high. He determined -to take the liberty of pulling, and did so once or twice with -success, till he paid the usual penalty of the practice on a kicking -wicket by being badly cut over. He then tried jumping -in front of his wicket and trying to slide the breaking balls off -his bat to very fine long-leg. Spofforth, however, was too -much for him, and almost immediately bowled a straight -middle stump ball without any break on it and rather faster -than the others; it kept low, hit the shin, and there was as -dead a case of ‘l.b.w.’ as any bowler could wish for.</p> - -<p>A favourite trick of some slow bowlers is to bowl from -different distances. Sometimes the bowler will have one leg -behind the wickets and the other in front, and sometimes both -behind; we have even seen some bowl occasionally with the -front leg as much as two yards behind the wicket. The object -of this is to deceive the batsman as to the pitch of the ball by -changing the distance the ball has to travel. This is doubtless -an excellent theory, but in our opinion it is not of much -worth in actual practice. We have seen bowlers of all sorts repeatedly -try this experiment, but in our experience it never -meets with any appreciable success. This is perhaps owing -to the fact that the batsman can always see very clearly when -the bowler does not come up the whole way to the wicket, -and is accordingly on the alert for a shorter pitched ball than -usual. The only practiser of this trick who ever seems to turn -it to good account is Tom Emmett, the left-handed Yorkshire -veteran; he usually bowls his slow wides from some distance -behind the crease, and certainly obtains a fair share of -wickets with these balls; but even in his case we think that -it is generally not so much the difference in the distance that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -the ball has to travel which causes disaster to the batsman, as -the latter’s anxiety and impatience to score from slow wide off -balls, which look so easy and are really so deadly. However, -though our opinion of this bowler’s ‘dodge’ is not particularly -high, we still think it is worthy of trial at times by every slow -bowler. A slow bowler should try every wile that can possibly -be attempted; by adopting slow bowling he has undertaken -to use the ‘wisdom of the serpent’ in the guise of the -‘harmlessness of the dove,’ and has sacrificed pace to cunning -and thought. No slow bowler is worth his salt who merely tosses -the ball into the air and trusts to chance for success, even if it -has a little spin on it; he must continually think and diagnose -every particular case which comes before him, and then adopt the -measures necessary for each one. With this object it is the duty -of every slow bowler to take advantage of any local peculiarity -which the size and situation of the ground may afford. He -should almost always have the choice of ends, except on occasions -when the captain of the side considers that for some -reason his fast bowler is more likely to get rid of the batting side -for a small score than the slow, and then, of course, the fast -must have the choice.</p> - -<p>For example, in the University matches from 1878 to 1881, -Oxford was so overmatched by Cambridge that in each of -these years before the play began it was considered by the -outside public as a foregone conclusion for the latter. The -really knowing ones, however, who thoroughly understood the -game, were aware that there was one man on the Oxford side -who might any day get rid of the best side in England for a -very small score. That man was Mr. Evans, the famous fast -bowler. He was the only man on the side who, humanly -speaking, seemed capable of turning the chances of the game. -He consequently chose his own particular end—the one he -thought most suited to his style, quite irrespective of any -mediocre slow bowler that was on his side; and the havoc he -played amongst the Cambridge wickets for those four years -may be seen from the old scores. It is, however, an exception<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -when a side depends almost entirely on its fast bowling, and it -is only when this exception arises that a slow bowler (assuming -him to be one who is competent to judge) must not have his -choice of ends. Of course we mean his choice of ends at the -commencement of an innings, as after that it is the captain’s -duty to put any bowler on at either end, and it is the duty of -every bowler to obey his captain cheerfully.</p> - -<p>As already remarked, every slow bowler should take -advantage of every local peculiarity that may offer itself. -For instance, there may be a ground where a high tree is behind -one of the wickets; the slow bowler, if he thinks this tree -will help him at all, should take his measures accordingly. We -hope none will think we are advocating anything at all unfair -in the game, or anything that is even on the line between fairness -and ‘not quite straight.’ As a rifle-shooter takes advantage -of a lull in the wind to pull his trigger, as a deerstalker of every -rock and unevenness of ground to approach his game—in short, -just as in every kind of sport natural facilities may be utilised—so -in bowling every peculiarity of time and place should be -enlisted on the side of the bowler in his (in these days of good -wickets and good batting) by no means easy task of getting rid -of the batsman. If a bowler, who, we will say, usually bowls -over the wicket, perceive that by bowling round the wicket he -may make his bowling more difficult to see, and consequently -more effective, on account of a tree, house, or hedge that is -directly behind that side of the wicket, he should most certainly -change and make the most of that advantage. An injudicious -and talkative batsman often materially assists a bowler -by such remarks as, ‘I can’t see your bowling a little bit. When -tossed high in the air that beastly tree is right behind;’ or, -‘When you bowl over the wicket the ball gets right in a line -with the dark windows of the pavilion, and I can’t see it at all.’ -Can anyone imagine for a moment that a bowler will not do his -very best instantly to make the most of the dark branches of -the tree or the windows of the pavilion? The sun, too, often -materially assists a slow bowler, especially during the last hour<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -or hour and a half of the day’s play. If there are any trees -round the ground, the shadows, beginning to lengthen, will often -lie right across the pitch, and if there is one anywhere near -where a good-length ball should pitch, it is advisable to try -pitching one occasionally on it. If the sun is behind the -bowler’s wicket and getting a little low, the bowler should try -by bowling high slow ones to get it in the line of the batsman’s -vision. Every possible advantage within the limits and spirit -of fair play may be considered legitimate for a bowler. Local -advantages of ground and weather are certainly within these -limits, but any peculiarity of dress or tricks of manner, which -are in themselves calculated to baulk or annoy a batsman, are -not.</p> - -<p>For example, bowling with a long loose and flapping sleeve -in order to distract the batsman’s attention from the ball, a -habit which of late has been seen on our English grounds, is -in itself intrinsically unfair and unworthy of any true cricketer. -And again, waving the arms behind the ball after it has been -delivered, or any other trick adopted in order to worry or harass -the batsman, is manifestly unfair. Some batsmen are extremely -fastidious, and are distracted by the merest trifle. The writer -remembers on one occasion taking part in a match when a -batsman objected to a bowler on the ground that he was -wearing a stud made of some bright material or stone, which -glistened so in the sun that it diverted his attention from the -ball. This, of course, sounded absurd, but the bowler at once -removed the glittering nuisance, and rightly too.</p> - -<p>A slow bowler must bear in mind what has before been -mentioned, viz. that it is often almost as good as a change of -bowling to change from over to round the wicket, or <i>vice versâ</i>, -quite apart from the advantage he may gain from any local obstruction -to good light. Supposing a slow bowler has been ‘on’ -for some time over the wicket, as a rule the great majority of his -balls have been pitched a few inches outside the off stump and -breaking in to the middle or middle and leg. The batsman -has got thoroughly into the way of playing this particular ball,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -and does not show any signs of making a mistake. The bowler -goes round the wicket, and although he still continues to pitch -a little outside the off stump, the ball is quite different now from -what it was from over the wicket. It is, of course, impossible -to get as much ‘break-back’ spin on to the ball when bowling -round as over the wicket, because the ball is delivered several -feet from a straight line between the two wickets, but in most -conditions of the ground it is possible to get a certain amount -on. The change in the direction of the ball, or rather in the -spot from which it is delivered, combined with the diminution -in the amount of break, makes it often a most effective change -and one well worth the trial. In addition there is always from -round the wicket the chance of a batsman playing inside a ball -which, delivered without any spin at all, keeps going across the -wicket, as it is technically called, ‘with the arm.’</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_a_pokey_batsman" id="image_a_pokey_batsman" class="nodec"><img src="images/a_pokey_batsman.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="415" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - A pokey batsman dealing with a high-dropping full-pitch. - </p> -</div> - -<p>We cannot omit, when enumerating the different balls of -which a slow bowler may avail himself, one which is by no means -used as often as it should be, viz. the full-pitch. In slow bowling -there are three different kinds of full-pitches—the high-dropping -full-pitch, which will pitch either on the top of the -wicket or a few inches before it; the ordinary slow full-pitch, -which reaches the batsman about the height of his knees; and -the medium-paced full-pitch, which will hit the stumps nearly -at the top. The high-dropping full-pitch is a ball that is -seldom used, the reason for its rarity probably being the extreme -difficulty of bowling it accurately and the certain punishment -it will meet with if it falls at all short either in height -or length of what it should be. It should be delivered as high -as possible; there is no limit to the height this ball may go -in the air, as the higher it ascends the more difficult it is to -play. It should be bowled so that it reaches its highest point -when it is almost directly over the head of the batsman, and -should pitch on the very top of the stumps. It is strange -that this ball is not more often practised by slow bowlers, as, -especially to the pokey, nervous style of batsmen, it is fraught -with considerable uneasiness and requires some skill to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -properly. To really first-class punishing batsmen it is a ball -which has comparatively no terrors, and on which not much -reliance can be placed, though it should always, in our opinion, -be tried at least once to every batsman who is getting ‘well -set.’ But to the poker, the man who refuses to do anything -but stick his bat in front of the wicket, who lets half-volleys, -full-pitches, and long-hops pass unscathed and unplayed on both -sides of him—to him who considers he is doing his side good -service by wasting three hours of valuable time for a dozen -runs on his side of the balance, and three hours’ wear and tear -of the wicket on the other—to him who helps so greatly to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -fill up the records of drawn matches, the high-dropping full-pitch -is an excellent ball. He does not know what to do -with it; he is afraid to step back to play it for fear of hitting -his wicket, and he hardly likes to be so bold as to try to cut -or hit it on the on side. One of the most amusing sights we -have ever seen at cricket was one of these batsmen having -ball after ball of this sort bowled to him; it was not till after -he had nearly lost his wicket a dozen times, only keeping it by -exceptional good luck, and had afforded the greatest merriment -to players and spectators alike, that he burst out from sheer -desperation into wild and furious hitting—a line of conduct -which had the immediate effect of compelling the bowler to -desist from his lofty attacks.</p> - -<p>The second kind of full-pitch—the one reaching the batsman -about the height of his knees—is the most usual of full-pitches, -and enjoys the distinction of being considered the -easiest of all balls to hit. A good batsman can hit this ball -from a slow bowler to almost any part of the field; consequently, -though it often happens in the chapter of accidents -that a wicket falls to this ball—a catch in the country perhaps, -or a hard catch and bowl—it is of all balls the very worst -for a slow bowler to deliver, except perhaps a long hop.</p> - -<p>The third kind—the medium-paced full-pitch straight to -the top of the stumps—is occasionally, for a slow bowler, a -very useful ball. In the first place, it is not quite so easy to -hit as it appears to the batsman; the change in pace from slow -to medium often causes him to hit a trifle slower than he -should do, when the ball, coming on faster than expected, hits -the top or splice of the bat, and goes straight up in the air. -This ball is generally more successful with players who have -a partiality for on-side hitting than with others, as it is never -a difficult one to play quietly; it is only when the batsman -tries to hit that it becomes likely to get a wicket. It is also -useful when a hitter, by running out and hitting every ball, -is demoralising bowler, fielders, and the whole side. If the -bowler sees the intention of the hitter to run out before the ball<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -is delivered—and he is often able to do this—he can do nothing -better than bowl a good medium-paced full-pitch straight at -the top of the middle stump; if the batsman goes on with his -intention of running out, he is not only apt to overrun this -faster than usual ball, and let it pass over the top of his bat, -but if he does hit it he is likely to send it high in the air, from -the above-mentioned cause of catching it with the top or splice -of the bat. There is, however, nothing so flurrying to a bowler -as a batsman who runs out to every ball, and who evinces -his intention of doing so before the ball is delivered. The -writer has often talked with old cricketers on this subject, and -they have remarked how well the old bowlers of their early -days used to keep their heads under these trying circumstances. -Doubtless they deserve the very greatest credit for doing so, -for there is nothing so trying to a bowler; it spoils his pitch, -and is rather apt to do the same to his temper. The regular -attendant at matches may have seen almost every bowler of -reputation in England so thoroughly flurried and upset by a -batsman doing this, that, in spite of all efforts to keep cool, the -bowling was simply paralysed and rendered useless to the side -for the time being. The best courses for a slow bowler to pursue -on these occasions is, 1st, to bowl the sort of full-pitch just -discussed; and, 2nd, to increase his pace a little, and bowl a little -short of a good length, about a foot or more outside the legs -of the batsman. There is nothing a rushing-out batsman finds -so hard to hit as a ball well outside his legs.</p> - -<p>Widish off balls are also useful, as a batsman going down -the wicket is not only apt to miss, but also, if he can reach, -to sky them. A high full-pitch into the hands of the wicket-keeper -is likewise sometimes successful; but, though we may lay -down certain rules and suggestions as to what is best for a -bowler to do at this very trying time, we are afraid that, unless -he is able to keep exceptionally cool, they will be of no practical -assistance.</p> - -<p>The variableness of the English climate plays a very important -part in the success or otherwise of slow bowlers. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -shower of rain in the night often has the effect of making particularly -deadly a slow bowler who, the day before, on a hard -and fast ground, was comparatively harmless and ineffective. -Up to 1884 the disadvantage of a rainfall in the night to a -side that had begun but not finished its innings was increased -by the rule forbidding the ground to be rolled except before -the commencement of each innings. Rain in the night not -only softens the ground, but brings up to the surface numbers -of worms, which cover the pitch with little heaps of earth -mould. These little heaps, in the absence of any rolling, -made the ground bumpy and treacherous, and consequently -entailed serious discomfiture to the batting side. The only -plausible argument ever advanced for this injustice was that it -might happen to either side, and was one of the chances of the -game. However, the M.C.C. wisely decided, though not till -quite recently, that this rule should be abolished, the reason -for the decision being that the side which won the toss had a -great advantage as it was, from having the first and best of the -wicket, and that, as the other side was usually batting at the -end of the day, it gave the men an extra and unfair disadvantage -in having the wicket spoilt by rain and worms without the -chance of having it rolled. No rule, however, can affect the -drawback under which a batting side is placed whose wicket -is softened by a heavy rainfall in the night. The roller may level -the worm moulds, but it cannot alter the slow, sticky state of -the ground; in fact, it often brings up more water, and makes -the pitch still more sticky and slow. It is on occasions such -as these that slow bowlers meet with their greatest success. So -frequently during the course of the season do these soft wickets -occur, even in what are called our hot summers, that it is part -of the science of bowling to know how to turn such grounds -to the best advantage. The different states of the ground -caused by the weather may be roughly, and for all practical -purposes, divided into five: 1st, the hard and dry state; 2nd, -the hard state, with the grass wet; 3rd, the very soft and slow -state, (<i>a</i>) with the grass dry, (<i>b</i>) with the grass wet; 4th, the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>drying state, when it has been very slow and soft, but is gradually -drying under the influence of a hot sun or wind; 5th, the -hard and crumbled state. The hard and dry state calls for no -comment, as everything written on the subject of bowling, unless -otherwise specified, refers to the ground in this condition. -The hard state, with the grass wet, is perhaps the most trying -time for a slow bowler. He has to bowl with a wet ball, which -he has great difficulty in holding; he cannot get on the slightest -degree of twist, as the wet ball slips off the wet grass directly -it pitches, allowing no time for the ball to ‘bite’ the ground -and take the twist. A good batsman on these wickets knows -that all he has to do is to play forward with a straight bat -when the ball is anything like a good one, and he is bound to -meet it. The slippery ball flies off the bat like lightning, and -travels, if the grass is short and not too thick, over the hard -ground faster than it does when the grass is dry. Every now -and then a ball may be inclined to keep low or shoot; but a -shooter does not possess the same terrors on a wet as on a dry -ground, because in almost every instance it can be played -forward to, and a good batsman in playing forward always -keeps his bat low enough to stop shooters (especially on wet -wickets) until he actually sees the ball rise.</p> - -<p>The only course for a slow bowler to adopt on these wickets -is to bowl as good a length as he can, and as straight as -possible. He should also bear in mind that the ball leaves the -ground far more quickly than usual in its wet, slippery state, -and that, consequently, the most likely place in the field to -capture a batsman is short-slip. Easy as the ground is for a -batsman when once he gets the pace of it, it often happens -that at first he is surprised at the great pace from the pitch, -plays back instead of forward, and places the ball in the slips. -It is a golden rule for every bowler, slow and fast, on these -wickets to have short-slip ‘finer’ than on ordinary occasions, -and a trifle further back. It is often advisable to have an -extra man standing about three yards squarer than the regular -short-slip, but no farther from the wicket. Two quick active<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -men, who are capable at times of bringing off smart one-hand -catches, should be chosen for these places. They are by far -the most likely men in the field to dismiss good batsmen on -wet hard wickets; in fact, it is often difficult to see how two -such batsmen are to be separated on these occasions except -by a catch at one of these places, or at the wicket. A bowler -should with this object keep bowling a good length on the -off stump and just outside it, recollecting that good-length balls -must pitch considerably shorter than usual on these very quick -wickets.</p> - -<p>The very soft and slow state is the result of heavy rain -which has left the surface of the pitch dry, but the ground itself -thoroughly sodden. This condition of the ground is popularly -supposed to favour a slow bowler. How often, on coming on -to the ground to inspect the wicket after a night’s rain, is he -accosted something in this style: ‘Well, Jack, this ought to -suit you; those twisters of yours will want some watching to-day!’ -Jack, after looking at the pitch, which is as soft and -sodden as a piece of dough, knows full well that it will be a -long time before the ground gets back enough of its half-drowned -life to help him in the slightest degree. There is no -poorer fun for a slow bowler than having to bowl on these -utterly lifeless wickets. On a hard true ground, though it may -be favourable to the batsman, he has good sport in trying every -dodge he can think of; he fishes and feeds and angles as warily -as Izaak Walton himself; the ground and ball are full of life -and go, and very often, unfortunately for the bowler, the batsman -too. On wet hard wickets, when he can get no twist on, -there is still life and pace in the ground; but in the sodden -dead state, directly the ball touches the ground it sinks in, -loses all life and pace, and comes on to the batsman like what -a Yorkshire professional was once heard to call a ‘diseased -lawn-tennis ball.’ There is no greater fallacy at cricket than -to suppose that a sodden wicket is an advantage to a slow -bowler. The time when it begins to assist him is when the -surface is ‘caking’ under the influence of the sun or a drying -wind; and then it is that, as we said above, the greatest successes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -of slow bowlers are met with. A slow bowler having to -bowl on a sodden wicket perceives at once that it is extremely -difficult for him to bowl to a good batsman a ‘good-length’ -ball for the following reasons:—</p> - -<p>What is called a ‘good-length’ ball on ordinary occasions -remains on the ground so long and comes off the pitch so slow -that a batsman, if he is so minded, can with ease play it back—i.e. -he can see it coming on from the pitch in time for him -to get back and play it as a simple ‘long-hop.’ Anything short -of this will all the more be capable of being played as a ‘long-hop.’ -If the ball is pitched farther than a good length, it -becomes at once—certainly to batsmen quick on their legs—a -half-volley. Thus, if a batsman really gets the time of the -ground, he has only to play these two simplest of balls. No -amount of spin will help the bowler; the ball in the soft ground -may twist at right angles, but it does it so slowly that the batsman -has ample time to defend his wicket. In these circumstances -there is only one thing for a slow bowler to do, and -that is to bowl faster and endeavour, by giving extra pace to -the ball, to make it come off the ground quicker. There are -some batsmen whom, on these sodden wickets, it is almost impossible -to get rid of. They remain for hours, perfectly contented -if a whole day is taken up with their innings and forty -runs added to the total, the chances of a draw being thereby -greatly augmented. A famous professional stick, on one occasion, -remained at the wickets when the ground was sodden for -one hour and fifty minutes before troubling the scorer; he was -then so flustered by the jeering of the mob that he rushed out, -hit a catch, was missed, and, amidst as much cheering as if he -had wanted one run to complete his hundred, broke his duck’s-egg. -Louis Hall, of Yorkshire, was a desperate man to bowl -to on these grounds; every ball that was bowled he either played -back or smothered. Nothing in cricket could be more dull -or dismal than bowling to this batsman on a sodden wicket at -Bramall Lane Ground in a real Sheffield fog. A. Bannerman, -the Australian batsman, is another terrible hard nut for a bowler -to crack on these sodden wickets.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span></p> - -<p>Although, as has been said, slow bowlers are not assisted by -the ground when in this condition, and it is extremely difficult -to bowl anything approaching a good ball to a good batsman, -there are some batsmen, and real good ones too on a hard true -ground, who are utterly unable to adapt their style of play to a -slow ground, or rather never can realise that a ball pitched into -a lump of dough will leave it much slower than when pitched -on to a stone. These batsmen, if they kept their keenness of -eye and activity till they were a hundred, would still be seen -playing a quick forward stroke on the sodden ground, sending -the ball up in the air in every direction. A batsman who persists -in playing forward on a dead wicket and finishing his -stroke as he would do on a fast wicket is certain not to last -long. It is very curious to notice how sometimes nearly a -whole batting side will make a mistake about the condition of -the wicket. The first batsmen see the ground slow and the -ball twisting a good deal, and begin playing as they would do -on a faster wicket, viz. playing forward to the pitch instead of -waiting and playing a back game. Four or five batsmen will -follow, play in the same style, and lose their wickets, generally -bowled, or caught and bowled. Some batsman will then come -in who at once finds out what the slow bowlers have long since -known—that it is a slow easy wicket he has to bat on, and -not a ‘caked,’ ‘kicky’ one. What happens? He plays every -ball back except those that he hits, and he hits everything -except a long-hop, because he can get to the pitch of anything -else. The slow bowlers who have been doing the mischief are -soon knocked off, and his side, in spite of the failure of its four -or five most competent batsmen, makes a good score. On one -occasion in a first-class match the first seven wickets fell for -fifty runs, the wicket being deadly slow and dull; the eighth -man came in, and, by dint of playing back and hitting and a -little luck, made over a hundred in about an hour and a half, -being fortunate enough to have some one to stick in with him -at the other end.</p> - -<p>When the ground is very soft and the grass wet, the bowler<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -is in about the same position as when the grass is wet on a -hard wicket; he has to bowl with a wet slippery ball, and cannot -get any twist at all upon it. This is called the ‘cutting -through’ state, which means that, the ball being slippery and -the ground and grass wet, it cuts through the surface of the -pitch, taking with it a small piece of wet sticky turf. As in -the hard state with wet grass, short-slip is an important place -and likely to get chances. Although the ground when in this -condition is in favour of the batsman, cricket is miserable under -such circumstances, and is enjoyed neither by batsman, bowler, -nor fielders. The batsman cannot stand on the slippery mud; -the bowler, with wet dirty hands, and boots and trousers -bespattered with slush, is utterly unable to do anything with -the slimy ball; and the fieldsmen can neither hold nor stop it. -The ground is covered with sawdust, without the use of which -it would be impossible for the bowler to grasp the ball firmly, -and altogether the whole scene is so unlike cricket, essentially -a fine-weather game, that it always seems a pity under such -conditions to go on playing.</p> - -<p>The drying state, when the ground has been very soft and -sodden, but is gradually drying and caking on the surface under -the influence of a hot sun or wind, is the time when slow bowlers -have it all their own way. It is on this condition of ground -that in former days bowlers like Alfred Shaw, and Peate, of -Yorkshire, and in present times Tyler, Briggs, and Wainwright, -have so often astonished the cricket community with wonderful -analyses. When the ground has got into this state, it will often -remain so for several hours. At Lord’s, when the ground after -being soft has become caked on the top, it is no unusual occurrence -to see thirty good wickets or more fall in the course of -the day. When a side, no matter how many really good batsmen -it may number, has to go in on ‘caked’ wickets against -good bowling, they may think themselves lucky if they get 100 -runs. The ball takes almost as much twist as a bowler wants -to put on; it comes off the ground at different paces, one part -of the pitch being a trifle drier and harder than another. The -first ball of the over will perhaps get up almost straight and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -very quickly from the pitch as a batsman is playing it; the -next pitches a trifle shorter, may stop in the ground, and ‘get -up and look at you,’ as it is called, making correct play an impossibility. -Or perhaps one ball will get up very quickly and -high, and hit the batsman on the arm or side, and the next, -pitched in almost the same spot, will leave the pitch equally -quickly, but never rise more than an inch from the ground. -It is no recommendation to a bowler to be able to get wickets -on such grounds as these; any bad bowler might bowl a good -batting side out for a small score with such assistance. The -only way a batsman can reasonably hope to add any notches -to the score of his side is to grasp the situation at once, throw -careful correct play to the winds, and hit, pull, and slog in -every direction where he thinks he can get rid of the teasing -ball. The Australian eleven of 1882 were particularly good -on this class of wicket; they had four men—Giffen, Bonnor, -McDonnell, Massie—who, rarely needing much inducement to -hit, used to launch out most vigorously and successfully on -these occasions, often cracking up twenty or thirty runs in about -half the number of minutes, and securing victory for their side.</p> - -<p>Although very badly caked wickets are not uncommon, -perhaps the best for bowling and the worst for batting in -modern experience was at the Oval during the last innings -of the England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Australia match, in 1882. It is the only -disastrous match for England in the whole list of national -fixtures that have been played in this country. It may be -remembered that England, having only a few runs to get to win, -nearly made them for the first two wickets, Grace and Ulyett -both making about twenty. The ground at this time was drying -and becoming every minute more difficult, and the way in -which our English wickets were mowed down by Spofforth is -now a matter of cricket history, too well known to repeat. -Spofforth was bowling rather more than medium pace, bringing -the ball back a foot or more very quickly from the pitch, -sometimes kicking to the height of the batsman’s head, and at -others shooting. Some of our cricket reporters talked in an -airy manner about the ‘funk’ of the English team on that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -occasion, but the charge was wholly without foundation. A -batsman’s consciousness that twenty thousand spectators were -watching each ball with breathless interest, and that on his -own individual efforts depended the reputation of English -cricket, that the bowling was about as good and the ground -as bad as any cricketer had ever seen, might, and probably -did, cause a feeling of intense anxiety in the minds of each -of the English players who failed in his efforts to win victory -for his side; but to say that their efforts were paralysed, or -that any one of them was unnerved by what is popularly called -‘funk,’ is certainly unjust to the well-tried cricketers who did -battle for England on that memorable and disastrous occasion.</p> - -<p>The hard and crumbled wicket is perhaps almost more -difficult for batsmen than when it is caked. The ball will -twist a great deal on this class of wicket, and does it very -quickly. It is also inclined both to ‘pop’ and keep low. -Spofforth and Turner of the Australian bowlers, and Peel, -Briggs, and Attewell of the English ones, are all most deadly -bowlers on such a wicket as this.</p> - -<p>Some of our most successful slow bowlers have been left-handed. -The peculiarity and difficulty about left-hand bowling -is that the natural spin imparted to the ball by a left-handed -bowler is the off-spin, which, of course, makes the ball after the -pitch twist from the leg side of the right-handed batsman to the -off. This, as we have mentioned above, is the most difficult twist -for a batsman to play, as an off break is more easy to watch after -the pitch than a leg-break. The leg-break which a batsman -has to meet from a right-handed bowler is not so difficult to play -as that from a left-hander; because, first, the latter is usually -faster than the former, and, secondly, it is much more disguised. -The right-hand leg-break is impossible without getting the ball -in the centre of the hand and screwing the hand round just -as if it were twisting a corkscrew the reverse way—an action -which at once prepares the batsman for the leg twist. Thirdly, -because it usually twists very much less than the right-hand leg-break. -It is not the ball which twists the most that gets the -wickets; it is the ball that just twists enough to beat the bat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span></p> - -<p>The mode of attack generally adopted by a slow left hander -is to place all his men, with the exception of a short-leg and a -deep mid-on, on the off side. He then proceeds to bowl on -the off stump and outside it, making the ball go away from the -batsman to the off as much as possible after the pitch. Great -care has to be taken by the batsman, as the slightest mistake -in hitting or forward play will give a catch to one of the numerous -traps laid all round on the off side. It is the object of -the bowler to get the batsman either to hit at a ball which is -not quite far enough to be smothered, or to reach out and play -forward at one which is a little beyond his reach. A favourite -device of the left-handed bowler is to get the batsman to hit at -widish ones on the off side, a stroke that must cause an uppish -hit somewhere, as it is impossible for a batsman to smother a ball -that is a trifle out of his reach. It is often a good thing for a left-handed -bowler to send down a ball without any twist on it at all, -especially if he is bowling on a wicket where he is able to ‘do’ -a good deal. The ball without any spin on it should pitch on -the middle and off stumps; and if the bowler is bowling from -round the wicket, as left-handers usually do, it will then come -on in a line with the pitch and the hand at the moment of -delivery, and if not stopped by the bat, take the leg-stump. -This slow ball that comes with the arm in the middle of others -going the other way is very successful. Slow left-handed bowlers -often have their tempers sorely tried by a class of batsmen that -were discussed in a previous portion of this chapter, namely, -those who are so frightened of getting out that they will never -play at an off ball, long-hop, half-volley, or good-length. -There are many enticing balls bowled by left-handed bowlers -that ought to be left alone by every batsman, notably those -that pitch too wide to enable them to be played forward and -smothered. There is no greater or more successful trap for -wild young players than these widish off balls. But it is indeed -a trying time for the bowler when he keeps pitching just -outside the off stump, and is not even played at by the batsman. -Bowlers should, in these circumstances, bowl ball after -ball on the off stump and just outside it. It is by no means an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>uncommon occurrence to see these punishing batsmen taken -in by a ball that comes in a little with the arm, and removes -the bail while they are striking an attitude, bat over shoulder.</p> - -<p>We have had some excellent left-handed bowlers in England, -and there can be no doubt that every team should possess one -of this sort if possible. Peate for some years enjoyed the reputation -of being the best left-hander in England, and rightly so. -He was an exceptional good length, difficult to see, and had a -lot of work on. Some of his performances against the Australians -are truly wonderful. When Peate first began to play -cricket he was a very fast, high-actioned bowler, and the writer -remembers finding him on the slow sticky wicket of the Carlisle -ground very nasty to play. He subsequently altered his -pace to slow, and it is a remarkable fact that after this alteration -he completely lost the power of sending down a really fast -ball. Another of our great slow left-handed bowlers was David -Buchanan, and, strangely enough, he too was in his early days a -fast bowler. As one of the slow school he is best known, and -we have no doubt that he at the present moment has taken -nearly twice as many wickets in the course of his career as any -other living cricketer. His bowling was celebrated for the great -amount of work he got on to the ball; unless the batsman was -on the pitch of it, a mistake was certain. The only team that -ever seemed to enjoy Buchanan’s bowling was the Rugby boys, -and constant practice had robbed it of all terrors for them.</p> - -<p>It is a doubtful point amongst cricketers whether Peel of -Yorkshire or Briggs of Lancashire was the best left-handed -slow to medium bowler. In the writer’s opinion Peel was the -best. He bowled perhaps a slightly better length than Briggs, -and as he had a more difficult action to see, was not so -easily hit by a resolute batsman as Briggs. They were both, -however, excellent bowlers, but both are now a little past their -prime. Briggs possesses a marvellous strength of wrist and -fingers, which give him great power of twist and pace. His -very fast ball is nearly as good as that of Palmer, the Australian. -One of his best performances was in England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Australia at -Lord’s in 1886. None of the English bowlers on this occasion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -could do much with the ball except Briggs. There is one -Australian left-handed bowler who we regret has never been -seen on English cricket grounds—Tom Kendall. In 1878, -when the first colonial team visited this country, great accounts -of Kendall’s prowess with the ball had reached us. His -name was included in the list of the players whom we were -led to expect, but for some reason or other, though he did -actually start with the team, he left it at Adelaide or at some -other port at which the ship touched. The writer saw him -and played against him in 1882 in Tasmania, and, though -getting on in years and rather on the big side for bowling, he -was about as nasty a left-hander as any batsman could wish to -play. He had a high action, changed his pace well, from slow to -medium, and then to very fast, had lots of work both ways on -his slow and medium balls, and the very fast ones went with -the arm. When the writer saw him his length was not as -good as it might have been, or, from all accounts, as it once -was. His action reminded us rather of that excellent bowler -J. C. Shaw, in his day the best left-hander in England.</p> - -<p>In the first Australian team that visited this country, in 1878, -there was another left-handed slow bowler named Allan, about -whom the Australians themselves spread most extraordinary -statements. It was said that Allan, ‘the bowler of the century,’ -as he was called in Australia, possessed some of the most -remarkable qualities. Rumour declared his spin off the ground -was so great that the slowest ball came off up to the bat at ten -times greater speed than it had travelled to the pitch; that he -could twist either way, to almost any degree, at will, and that -his bowling had a most remarkable curve in the air, which rendered -it most deadly. This left-handed bowler is mentioned because, -though his powers of bowling had, of course, been greatly -exaggerated, it was certainly most puzzling. He met with some -considerable success at the outset of the tour; but subsequently -his health gave way before the wearing work of cricket every -day, and he was unable to bowl at all. His bowling had a -considerable amount of spin, but what was the most extraordinary -thing connected with it was the inward curl in the air<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -towards the body of the batsman, and then, after the pitch, the -outward twist of the ball. A ball that goes one way in the air, -and another after the pitch, is calculated to try the mettle of the -best batsman. It is a subject for regret that Allan, through increasing -years and his consequent inability to stand hard work, -has not accompanied any of the later teams, as his bowling -was so very different from anything we have ever seen at home.</p> - -<p>Does bowling curl or twist in the air? is a question we have -often been asked, and we have frequently heard disputes, by -men who possessed some considerable knowledge of the game, -as to whether it was possible for balls to travel thus or not. It -seems almost incredible that men who have over and over again -handled the bat should doubt the tendency of some kinds of -bowling to twist or curl in the air. Nearly all leg-break slow -bowlers curl inwards towards the batsman before the pitch, -and no one who has ever played against W. G. Grace’s bowling -can doubt that the real secret of his success as a bowler has -been in the peculiar flight his action gives the ball, causing it -to curl before it pitches.</p> - -<p>However, the question as to balls turning in the air has -been definitely settled by the American base-ball players. In -this game the pitcher throws one full-pitch after another to the -batsman, and even if the latter happen to be one of the best -and most experienced in the game he misses a considerable -proportion of these full-pitches. And why? because of the -twist or curl in the air which the pitcher imparts to the ball. -A very interesting account is given by Mr. R. A. Proctor in -‘<cite class="plain">Longman’s Magazine</cite>’ for June 1887 of a well-known English -cricketer’s failure to strike the full-pitches of one of the best -American pitchers. Time after time the bat struck the air and -nothing else; and this was simply owing to the curl the pitcher -put on the ball. Mr. Proctor scientifically explains the curl in -the air, and it may be of interest to insert a short extract from -his article:—</p> - -<blockquote> -<p>When a ball (or in fact any missile) is advancing rapidly -through the air, there is formed in front of it a small aggregation -of compressed air. (In passing we may remark that the compressed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -air in front of an advancing cannon ball has been rendered discernible—we -can hardly say visible—by instantaneous photography.) -In shape the cushion of air is conical or rather conoidal, if the ball -is advancing without spin; and therefore it resists the progress of -the ball equally on all sides, and only affects the ball’s velocity. -The same is the case if the ball is spinning on an axis lying along -its course. But in the case we have to consider, where the ball is -spinning on an axis square to its course, the cushion of compressed -air formed by the advancing ball has no longer this symmetrical -shape. On the advancing side of the spinning surface the air -cannot escape so readily as it would if there were no spin; on the -other side it escapes more readily than it would but for the spin. -Hence the cushion of air is thrown towards that side of the ball -where the spin is forwards and removed from the other side. The -same thing then must happen as where a ball encounters a cushion -aslant. A ball driven squarely against a very soft cushion plunges -straight into it, turning neither to the right nor to the left, or if -deflected at all (as against a billiard cushion) comes straight back -on its course; but if driven aslant against the cushion, it is deflected -from the region of resistance. So with the base ball. As the -cushion of air against which it is advancing is not opposed squarely -to it, but is stronger on one side than on the other, the ball is -deflected from the region of greatest resistance.</p> -</blockquote> - -<p>There is one style of slow bowling that has of late years -almost completely vanished from first-class cricket: we refer to -under-hand slows. When Ridley left off bowling lobs, about -twelve years ago, nobody except Humphreys attempted to -bowl lobs, but in 1897 Jephson, of Surrey, has introduced -them again with some success, and we hope he will prosper. -As under-hand was at one time the only bowling that was -allowed by the rules of cricket, and as it met with a great -amount of success, even after the raising of the arm was -permitted, it will be as well to refer to the cause that has -brought about its practical abolition. This is owing to the -increasing popularity of the game, and the consequent great -increase in the number of good batsmen. The greatest under-hand -bowler that ever played was probably William Clarke, -whose merits have been so often discussed in cricket writings -that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. In order to ascertain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -the style of batsmen Clarke made his great reputation -against, we must refer to some one who has seen and known -the great bowler and conversed with those who were in the -habit of playing against him. We are told that Clarke had -perfect accuracy of pitch, a quick rise from the ground, and a -good leg twist on his bowling. These attributes in an under-arm -bowler, most excellent as they are, would not nowadays, -with the present efficient state of batting, justify the name of -the possessor being placed in the first rank, because we consider -no amount of accuracy of pitch, twist, or anything else -can ever secure this coveted distinction to a bowler of this -kind. Mr. Pycroft gives us the information we require on -the subject of batting against Clarke’s bowling. He says with -regard to Pilch, at that time the best batsman of the day, ‘He -played him back all day if he bowled short, and hit him hard -all along the ground whenever he over-pitched; and some -times he would go in to Clarke’s bowling, not to make a -furious swipe, but to “run him down” with a straight bat.’</p> - -<p>Now this description of the play of a man who was able -to meet Clarke’s bowling is interesting to us, because it shows -us that the way in which the great bowler was played by one of -the few who could oppose him successfully is exactly the same -method in which every good batsmen of the present time <em>does</em> -play under-hand bowling. If any man of to-day, chosen to take -part in the Gentlemen <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Players match as a batsman, were to -endeavour to play under-hand bowling in any other manner, -he would be laughed at as being devoid of the most elementary -rules of the game. Mr. Pycroft goes on to tell us the way -which many did adopt in playing Clarke. He says, ‘This -going in to Clarke’s bowling some persons thought necessary -for every ball, forgetting that discretion is the better part -of cricket; the consequence was that <em>many wickets fell</em> from -positive long-hops.’ This description shows that a great number -of those who fell victims to Clarke’s bowling were absolutely -uninitiated in the first principles of playing slows, viz. never to -hit except on the volley, or just as the ball pitches. Nowadays<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -every batsman—at any rate all who play in first-class cricket—knows -the danger of playing wildly at under-hand ‘lobs,’ as they -are called. Occasional mistakes are made, no doubt, when -an unexpected lob bowler appears, but more from wildness -and anxiety to score than from any ignorance as to the mode -of playing such balls. The way to play lobs is exactly the -method Mr. Pycroft tells us was adopted by the great Fuller -Pilch.</p> - -<p>Slow lobs have therefore in first-class cricket died a natural -death, and although we may expect to find a lob bowler occasionally -cropping up here and there, we do not think there is -much prospect of seeing an exemplar of this style who will ever -attain the rank of a first-class bowler such as that acquired by -Clarke, Mr. <abbr title="5">V.</abbr> E. Walker, and Tinley. Mr. A. W. Ridley was -the last well-known amateur under-arm bowler who made a -mark in first-class cricket. His performance against Cambridge -in the now famous University match is too well known to need -record here. Humphreys of Sussex has only retired two or -three seasons, and for a long time he got a lot of wickets. -His bowling has always been useful to his county, but during -the season of 1893 it has met with extraordinary success. He -has great command over the ball and can consequently vary -its flight, pitch and break at will. Humphreys will always be -a terror to those batsmen who prefer to hit the ball in the air -rather than along the ground, and to those who recklessly leave -their ground and hit wildly at the pitch of the ball. J. B. -Wood of Oxford has occasionally got wickets for his University -with lobs, and helped materially to win the match <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Cambridge -in 1892; but he, though useful as a change, is a long way removed -from a good lob bowler, and, indeed, his best ball would -seem to be a straight high full pitch. Although we have stated -that lob bowling has died a natural death, and cannot ever be -expected to cope with the present state of batting, still under-hand -slows are occasionally such an excellent change that we -are sorry they are not more practised. It is not, however, wonderful -that there are so few lob bowlers who can go on at a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -pinch for a change, when we consider what has been already -said about batting having mastered the art of under-hand; men -will not practise any art unless they have some fair prospect of -being ultimately successful, and knowing that lobs will only be -useful very occasionally and cannot attain to great success, they -will not practise them. It is a pity they do not, as over and over -again we see instances of a good wicket falling to a poorish lob -bowler when everything else has failed. The previous remarks -about under-hands refer to first-class cricket; against schools -and against second-class batsmen lobs have been and always -will be particularly deadly. There is something so tempting to -an inexperienced player in seeing a ball chucked up in the air -slowly and simply, it looks so very easy to hit, so peculiarly -guileless, that a wild slog is frequently the result, too often -followed by disastrous consequences.</p> - -<p>For this reason the captain of every school eleven should -insist on one of his team devoting himself to lob bowling; a -little practice will enable any one to get a fairly accurate pitch, -and twist from the leg side any boy can manage. Lob bowling -thus acquired at school will often be useful in after days as -a change, even in first-class cricket. There are one or two -simple rules connected with lob bowling which everyone who -attempts this style should master.</p> - -<p>First.—Do not bowl too slow; if the ball is thrown high -and slow in the air, a good batsman, quick on his legs, will have -time to reach and hit it before it pitches. Old Clarke used to -say, ‘It wants a certain amount of pace to make a good-length -ball with proper rise and twist.’ The ball should be sent at -such speed as will oblige the batsman to play forward to it.</p> - -<p>Secondly.—A good long run should be taken, as this gets way -and ‘fire’ on to the ball, and is always more likely than a short -run to deceive the batsman as to the pitch.</p> - -<p>Thirdly.—Generally bowl round the wicket.</p> - -<p>Most of the remarks that we have made on slow round-arm -leg-break bowling apply to slow lobs.</p> - -<p>Having devoted a number of pages to the subject of slow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -bowling, let us now turn to the consideration of what is almost -equally important—fast bowling; indeed, it may be said that the -co-operation of a good fast bowler is absolutely essential if a -team wants to rank amongst the best, particularly as, if there -be one of each sort bowling at either end, the change in pace -is more likely to embarrass the batsman than if he had to -play two bowlers of the same pace. Between 1872 and 1887 -there was a great dearth of good fast bowlers, at the time much -regretted and not easily accounted for. Now there is a great -improvement, and fast bowling gets much more attention paid -to it than formerly was the case.</p> - -<p>Although ordinary fast balls are easy to play on good wickets, -however, it is but seldom that a wicket which is good at the -beginning of a match remains so to the close. The ground -wears and cuts up with the continual pitching of the ball and the -tramp of feet, and fast bowling on such occasions often becomes -most deadly. Then, again, a fast quick delivery to a newcomer, -even though the best of batsmen, may deceive him in -the pace, and, before the eye gets accustomed to the light and -the hand becomes steady, cheat him into playing back at a ball -which ought to have been met with forward play. Often have -crack batsmen been dismissed summarily by the first or second -ball coming quicker than they expected off the pitch. Murdoch, -the famous Australian batsman, was particularly apt to mistime -fast bowling on first going in, and several times has the author -seen his stumps shattered immediately by an ordinary straight -fast ball without any ‘work’ at all on it. The tail end of a team -are usually victims to a good straight fast bowler, as, unless a -fast bowler is met by straight fearless forward play, he is bound -to be dangerous, and it very rarely happens that the tail end of -an ordinary team, even a county team, is capable of this. A -great deal has been said and written about young fast bowlers -bowling too fast for their strength, thus overtaxing their powers -and over-bowling themselves. It is doubtless a fact that many -young promising fast bowlers have been rendered useless by -this anxiety to get more pace on the ball than their strength<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -warranted; and there can be no better advice to a young aspirant -for the honours of a fast bowler than that so often given, -viz. ‘Bowl within your strength, or else you will over-bowl yourself.’ -Although the wisdom and truth of this warning are generally -ascertained by personal experience pretty early in the career of -most fast bowlers, it is seldom, we are sorry to say, remembered -in actual practice—which remissness, we are bound to add, does -not in the least surprise us. It may possibly sound like heresy -to many old cricketers to say that in fast bowling pace is nearly -everything; but such is our opinion. Assume that a man can -bowl straight and a good length—i.e. has a good command over -the ball—and then it may be said that the faster he bowls the -more likely he is to get wickets. And this is generally discovered -by young bowlers who have an aptitude for fast bowling, -with the result that many ‘over-bowl’ themselves, strain -muscles, rick shoulders, and render themselves useless.</p> - -<p>The object of fast bowling is to beat the batsman by the -pace of the ball, and if this object be accomplished the ball will -either be missed or a bad stroke will be made by the batsman. -The faster the bowling the more likely it is that a batsman will -be beaten both before and after the ball leaves the ground. -Should the ball ‘shoot’ or ‘get up,’ the chances of its being -played accurately are rendered much less when the ball leaves -the ground with lightning-like speed and is almost invisible to -the eye than when it leaves it with less speed, and gives the -batsman an opportunity of seeing what is going to happen for -an appreciable moment before it reaches him. Besides, the -faster the bowling the more scope there is for the bowler to -change his pace should he be one of the few fast bowlers who -have the power of so doing with advantage. While saying that -pace is everything in a fast bowler, we do not wish for a moment -to cry down or disparage the advantages of medium-paced bowling. -This style has its own characteristics, which are more -closely allied to slow bowling than to fast; but at the same -time there are many moderately good medium-paced bowlers -now bowling with some success in first-class matches who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -would be much more deadly and successful could they add -about half as much speed again to their bowling. There are, of -course, men who, on the other hand, spoil a good style by trying -to bowl too fast—men who depend for their success on peculiarity -in flight and the work on the ball. Every man must judge -for himself; if he possess great powers of twist combined -with accuracy, and anything peculiar or difficult to see in his -action, then let him devote himself to slow or medium-paced -bowling.</p> - -<p>When the first edition of this work was published, first-class -cricket was almost entirely without any really fast good -bowling. Things have changed since then, and the hope that -we then expressed that a new race of good fast bowlers would -arise has been happily fulfilled. Ten years ago the only really -fast professional bowler was Ulyett of Yorkshire. He was fast -and bumpy, and occasionally most deadly with his break-backs. -Allan Hill of the same county, with his easy and beautiful delivery, -had retired owing to increasing years. There were -brilliant comets for a season or so who shone brightly and then -quickly disappeared. Harrison, likewise of Yorkshire, seemed -likely to make his mark, but after a brilliant beginning vanished -from the scene of first-class cricket. Crossland of Lancashire, -for a brief period, mowed down the County Palatine’s opponents -like ninepins, but he too retired—a victim to the just cry -against unfair bowling. There was Bowley of Surrey, a very -fast and uncertain bowler, who was perhaps the best fast bowler -for a season or so, but it was a pitiful best for English cricket -to produce. Amongst the amateurs were A. Rotherham, -S. Christopherson, Whitby and C. Toppin. H. Rotherham, at -the beginning of his career, his last year at Uppingham and the -year following, was a very deadly bowler. He had a good -slow ball and a splendid yorker; but he only lasted a very -short time. S. Christopherson was a fairly good fast bowler -at one time, but he took a good deal out of himself with his -action, and soon lost the fire and life that a fast bowler must -possess. The temporary absence of good fast bowlers during<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -some of the years between 1880 and 1888 was one of the most -remarkable facts connected with first-class cricket. It was the -more remarkable because it was only a few years before this -that nearly all the great bowlers were fast: the list included -Tarrant, Jackson, and Freeman, whose bowling used, it was said, -to hum in the air; and after these what a harvest of fast -amateur bowlers there was—Butler, Francis, Powys, Evans, -Morton, and names too numerous to mention.</p> - -<p>Now, we are happy to say, English cricket can once more be -proud of her array of fast bowlers. Richardson of Surrey, the -greatest in our judgment that ever lived, Mold and Cuttell of -Lancashire, Hearne and Davidson are all good fast bowlers. -Among amateurs, S. M. J. Woods was the best, but for the last -few seasons he has been handicapped by a sprain, but when at -his best he was a magnificent fast bowler with a most deceptive -slow ball; while Jackson, Kortright, Jessop, and Cunliffe are -all far above the average.</p> - -<p>As mentioned above, with reference to slow bowling, the -higher the hand and arm are raised at the moment of delivering -the ball, the higher the ball will bound after it leaves the -pitch. A fast bowler should always bear this in mind, and -keep his hand as high as possible. It is simply a matter of -ordinary common sense that a ball which rises up high from the -pitch is more difficult for a batsman to get over and smother -than one that comes on low and skimming. A fast ball, when -it is anything like a good length, must be met with the bat, i.e. -it must be played with the forward stroke; consequently a ball -that rises quickly from the pitch, and is still rising when it -meets the bat, is extremely likely to rise higher still after it -leaves it, unless it is played with great care and caution.</p> - -<p>The low skimming fast bowler is generally an easy man to -play; the batsman, when the ground is true, can play hard -forward to almost any length of ball; there is no abrupt rise to -render an uppish stroke probable, even if he does slightly misjudge -the pace and length of the ball. There is, of course, in -fast bowling, a much greater difficulty in getting any appreciable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -twist on to the ball than in slow. The ball leaves the ground -so quickly that it is hardly in contact with it long enough to -‘bite’ the turf, and so avail itself of any spin that may have -been imparted to it by the bowler. It is to be remembered, -however, that the slightest deviation of a fast ball from its -course after it has pitched is, if a good length, most likely to -deceive the batsman. The latter is bound to play to the pitch -of the ball, as it leaves the ground so quickly as to render it -impossible for him to follow it with the eye in its course from -the ground. He plays forward with a straight bat to meet it; -should it turn an inch or two he will most likely miss it.</p> - -<p>The off break is the one most usually attempted by fast -bowlers; the ball is grasped firmly, generally by the seam, to -give the hand a firmer grip, and is delivered in the same way -as described for the slow off break. There have been but -few really fast bowlers who have been able consistently to -make their balls come ‘back.’ Every now and then, however, -for some unaccountable reason, a fast bowler finds that he is -making the ball do a lot from the off side. Perhaps his grasp -is firmer and his wrist and fingers are more powerful than on -ordinary occasions, or the ground may have more turf on it, or, -for some other reason, his bowling twists in from the pitch with -most fatal results to the batsmen.</p> - -<p>If a fast bowler happen to be a man of strong physique, -which is usually the case, a fairly long run up to the wickets -before delivering the ball is an advantage to his bowling. This -gives more impetus to the ball, and what is popularly known as -‘devil.’ Spofforth, the Australian bowler, when bowling fast, -took a much longer run than when bowling medium pace. It -is also an advantage to keep the batsman waiting for the delivery -of the ball, which happens when the bowler runs several -yards up to the wicket. For a fast bowler who intends to -change his pace from very fast to medium slow, a long run is -of great advantage, as the sight of the bowler coming up to the -wicket before the delivery of a slow ball as fast as before the -delivery of a fast one, is extremely likely to take in the batsman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -with regard to the pace. There are not so many tricks -and dodges in the art of bowling fast as there are in bowling -slow; the chief object to be sought is to bowl straight and good -length, and to make the ball bound. A fast bowler, when first -being put on, should remember that his muscles are probably -stiff, and that he may not at first be able to bowl as accurately -and as fast as he will be when thoroughly warmed to -his work. For this reason it is always well to bowl two or -three balls to one side of the wicket before beginning. These -should be not quite at full speed, for fear of straining or ricking -a muscle not yet in full swing, but a good medium pace. It -is always best for a fast bowler to try a ball or two before -beginning, excepting in circumstances when he is called upon -to bowl to some one he has never bowled to before, and -especially so to some one who has never seen him bowl. How -often when batting have we silently chuckled with joy at seeing -a man quite unknown to us rapidly loosening his arms with two -or three balls before beginning to bowl! It is a great thing to -have an unknown bowler on one’s side, but he loses half his -value if his style and action are revealed to the batsman before -he receives the ball. In 1886 the writer was playing in a match -against the Australians, when, although things had been going -very well for the English side, the team was beginning to get -tied up into a knot owing to the steady careful way in which -Scott, the colonial captain, was defying all the efforts of our -bowlers to dislodge him. A fast bowler, who had never seen -Scott in his life before, was deputed to bowl, and was proceeding -to get ready for ‘two or three down’ to loosen his arm, -when he was told not to mind his arm being stiff, but to bowl -the first over as fast as ever he could. The first ball sent -Scott’s leg-stump flying; it was quite a simple ball, never -turned a hair’s breadth either way, but the action and pace of -the bowler took him in, and this would have been very unlikely -to happen had he had an opportunity of seeing the bowler’s -style.</p> - -<p>A fast bowler must be straight to be good. This is not the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -art of one skilled in the dodges of slows; he has to bowl -straight, and a good length too, or else the runs will come at -an enormous rate. In the present day it is usual to do without -a long-stop even to the fastest bowlers; this makes it -imperatively necessary for the bowler not to bowl to leg, -or, if missed by the batsman, the balls have a good chance -of flying past the wicket-keeper to the boundary for four. -Whether it is a good principle to do without long-stops, even -when the best wicket-keepers are behind the sticks, is a -doubtful point.</p> - -<p>A fast bowler should have such command over the ball -as to be able to bowl a ‘yorker’ whenever he wishes, for -the fact may be repeated that a fast ‘yorker’ is a most deadly -ball.</p> - -<p>Spofforth and Palmer, the Australians, and Rotherham, -the old Uppingham bowler, Woods, and Mold were about the -best fast ‘yorker’ bowlers of modern times. The ball came -from these bowlers as high as the arm would allow, and -seemed to fly like an arrow, with lightning-like rapidity, -straight to the block-hole, or a few inches inside it. A high-action -‘yorker’ is more likely to deceive a batsman than a -low-action one, as in the former case the starting-point of -the ball is above the line of vision, and in the latter on a -line with or below it, which naturally makes the course and -pace of the ball more easy for the eye to judge. A very -common error into which good fast ‘yorker’ bowlers fall is -not being content with trying the ball occasionally to a -batsman, and when he first comes on or when they first go -on, but persistently trying, over after over, to break down his -guard with a ball with which he is evidently quite at home, -and which presents no terrors to him. The result of this -mistake is that the balls get considerably punished, either by -being driven on the full-pitch or else on the half-volley, the -latter ball being often the result of a tired-out ‘yorker’ bowler’s -persistency. The writer remembers, when playing in a match -some years ago, asking W. G. Grace, who was on the same side,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -what sort of a fast bowler a certain man was who was going on -to bowl. ‘Oh, I’m never frightened of him; he is always trying -to “york” you, and bowls any amount of half-volleys,’ was -the reply, and this was soon proved to be, like most of the -champion cricketer’s opinions, perfectly accurate.</p> - -<p>A good length just outside the off stump and between the -off and middle stump is the direction that may be commended -to the bowler who bowls over the wicket, and tries to get a -little off spin on the ball. The leg-stump, in olden days, was -considered the most deadly spot for a fast bowler to aim at; -but since every first-class batsman now stands up to his wicket, -and does not draw away an inch when the ball comes between -it and his legs, leg-stump bowling is rather expensive work. -By all means let fast bowlers lay siege to the leg-stump of inferior -batsmen; but good batsmen, getting over this ball, will -play it with an almost perfectly straight bat on the outside, and -tax it most unmercifully for the total of their side.</p> - -<p>As a rule, it is better for a fast bowler to bowl over the -wicket, as by so doing he has more of the wicket to bowl at, -and has, consequently, a slightly better chance of hitting it if -the ball is missed by the batsman. He has also a greater chance -of an appeal for leg before wicket being answered in his -favour than if bowling from the other side of the wicket. -There are some fast bowlers, however, who must, from the very -nature of their action and delivery, bowl from round the wicket, -viz. those who have either a natural bias from the on to the off, -or who are able by their strength of wrist and fingers to impart -such a bias to the ball. A man who bowls from the very extent -of the crease outside the wicket, and whose bowling has naturally -or otherwise this leg side bias—it can hardly be called twist -in fast bowling—is a particularly awkward customer for the -batsman. There is such a constant tendency and inclination -for the ball to keep going farther away to the off side, both before -and after its pitch, that the greatest care must be exercised -by the batsman to prevent himself playing inside the ball and -putting it up either to point, third man, or short-slip. A fast<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -ball that comes in from the leg side is the most difficult ball -that has to be played, assuming its good length. There have -been very few—too few—fast right-handed bowlers who have -been able to manage this ball, but there are many instances -of left-handed men who have attained to great accuracy with -it. The late Fred Morley, of Nottingham, and Emmett, of -Yorkshire, are instances.</p> - -<p>About thirty years ago there were numerous good fast -bowlers, who used to get the leg bias on the ball in the following -way: They bowled round the wicket, and delivered the -ball from about the height of the hip; the backs of the fingers -were presented to the batsman before and at the moment of -delivery; the result being that the ball had on it a slight amount -of what, in slow bowling, we have described as leg-break. This -was a useful style, and it is a pity that it has almost altogether -died out at the present day.</p> - -<p>It is quite impossible to say with any certainty what essentials -are necessary in fast bowling before it can be ranked -as first-class; so very much depends on whether the action is -easy or difficult for the batsman to see. By the word ‘see’ is -meant whether the pace and pitch of the ball at the moment -of delivery can be instantly gauged by the batsman or not. -Given equal straightness, pace, and command over the ball -in every respect, the bowler who has an action which it is easy -to see cannot compare with the man who, from some peculiarity -in the movements of his body at the moment of delivery, has -an action which is not easy to see. Now, it is a very difficult -task to lay down any rules or reasons why some bowlers are -easier to see than others; but after a good deal of consideration -on this subject the writer has come to the conclusion that the -bowlers who do <em>not</em> present a square front to the batsman when -the ball is delivered, but who stand sideways or half turned, are, -as a rule, the most difficult to judge. The hand comes then -from behind the body, and is often not plainly seen till the -very latest moment before delivery. There may be, and no -doubt are, many mannerisms in bowlers which have their effect,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -but the above suggestion will probably be found to contain a -good sound working rule. Take Giffen, the Australian; almost -as much of his back as his front was visible to the batsman -when he delivered the ball, and his bowling was most difficult -to see—at any rate until the batsman was thoroughly well set. -Perhaps the best English batsmen have made more bad and -utterly mistimed strokes off Giffen than off any other modern -bowler. Spofforth may have bowled more men out, but Giffen -certainly was the cause of more misjudged and uppish strokes, -due, in all probability, to the fact of his bowling being so difficult -to see.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_low_delivery" id="image_low_delivery" class="nodec"><img src="images/low_delivery.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="378 -" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Low delivery. - </p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p> - -<p>The best bit of bowling the writer ever recollects playing -against was in the second innings of the Gentlemen of England -<i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Australians, at Lord’s in 1884. It was Giffen’s day, -and a batsman had to have luck on his side if he succeeded -in staying in long enough to appreciate the beauty of the -bowling. Take Peate and Emmett, the two Yorkshire left-handers, -both in their day the best bowlers in England—both -these men stand sideways to the batsman when they -deliver the ball, and both are most difficult to see. Palmer, the -Australian, bowled very nearly quite square; his bowling was -very easy to see and to judge, and the more credit is therefore -due to him for being such a successful bowler. There is no -doubt a greater difficulty in attaining to perfect length and -command over the ball when the body of the bowler is not -square at the moment of delivery; but if these essentials to -good bowling are obtained by patience and constant practice, -the bowler has this great advantage, that his balls are more -difficult for the batsman to judge accurately. It seems strange -that not one of the numerous published books on cricket has -ever suggested the advantage to the bowler which is obtained -in this way. In almost every one of these works great stress is -laid upon the necessity of the bowler presenting a full face to -the opposite wicket at the moment the ball leaves the hand. It -is doubtless easier for a beginner to bowl <em>straight</em> if he adopts -this style of bowling; but if he can once gain straightness by -the other, viz. the sideways style, he has enlisted a great help to -success.</p> - -<p>W. G. Grace is, however, an exception to this rule. He -delivers the ball perfectly square with the batsman; and yet we -suppose that to a batsman who meets him for the first time, -his bowling is about as difficult to see and to judge as that of -any bowler ever was. It is a fact that his bowling is invariably -fatal to men he has not met before. This is owing to the -hovering flight that his action imparts to the ball. The first -time the writer ever played against W. G. Grace’s bowling was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -at Cambridge in 1878, and on the way to the wickets he was -greeted with the cheering cry, ‘I’ll get you out; I always get -youngsters out!’ and surely enough he did, caught and bowled -for two or thereabouts. What the champion did next morning -showed that he was as generous and kind to young cricketers -as he was skilful in the game. He took the writer to the nets -prior to the beginning of the second day’s play, and saying that -youngsters required to know his bowling before being at home -with it, he proceeded to bowl for quite twenty minutes to him; -a comprehension of his method was thus gained, and the result -was an addition to the Cambridge score of some forty odd -in the second innings. Few latter-day cricketers would do -this.</p> - -<p>Perhaps one of the reasons why W. G. Grace is so deadly to -young cricketers is this: the batsman, seeing an enormous man -rushing up to the wickets, with both elbows out, great black -beard blowing on each side of him, and a huge yellow cap on -the top of a dark swarthy face, expects something more than -the gentle lobbed-up ball that does come; he cannot believe -that this baby-looking bowling is really the great man’s, and -gets flustered and loses his wicket. W. G. Grace is certainly -enormous, and a year or two ago at Lord’s an amusing remark -might have been overheard on this subject. The England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> -Australia match was being played. W. G. walked out into the -field side by side with Briggs of Lancashire, the latter, as is -well known, being very small, perhaps hardly up to W. G.’s -elbow. A small child of about five was in the pavilion with his -father, and said, ‘Father, who is that big man?’ ‘That’s -Dr. Grace, the champion,’ said the papa; and ‘Who is the -little one?’ the child continued. ‘That is Briggs.’ Dead -silence for a few moments, and then, ‘Papa, is Briggs Dr. -Grace’s baby?’</p> - -<p>Although power of pace, straightness, and command -over the ball are the really essential qualities of good fast -bowling—as, indeed, of all sorts—there are many occasions when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -fortune smiles upon bowling which possesses none of these -good attributes. And it is for this reason, we think, that every -cricketer should be able to bowl when called upon to do so by -his captain. Every man who has played cricket has bowled at -a net, and he certainly has an action which is different from -everybody else’s. As a rule, men who are not considered -regular bowlers can send the ball in somehow or other at a -fairly fast pace more or less straight, and these unknown, wild, -and erratic bowlers often succeed in getting rid of well-set batsmen -who have defied all the efforts of the recognised bowlers -of the side. There are numerous instances of a side being -deeply indebted to a bowler who never before nor afterwards -showed the slightest ability to get wickets. In Australia in -1882, when Ivo Bligh’s English team was playing combined -Australia, on a certain occasion two of the best Australian batsmen—Murdoch -and Bannerman—seemed immovable. They -had been in for about an hour, and every one of the regular -English bowlers had been on and off. A suggestion was made -to try C. F. H. Leslie. Now this gentleman, with all his great -merits, was never, even in the estimation of his best friends, a -great bowler. But on he went with pleasure, as every cricketer -should when ordered. The first ball was a very fast one, -rather wide, the second ditto, but the third one—‘Ah, the -third!’—was a head ball, designed after the manner of Spofforth’s -best; and it pitched on the middle of Murdoch’s -middle stump! The next comer was Horan, at that time -the reputed best player of fast bowling in the Colonies. A very -fast long-hop, wide on the off side, was prettily cut straight -into Barlow’s hands at third man, and Mr. Leslie had secured -two wickets for no runs. He continued for another over or -two, had Bannerman beautifully stumped by Mr. Tylecote off a -fast wide half-volley on the leg side, and then retired in favour -of one of the regular bowlers, after having, simply by wild -erratic fast delivery, lowered three of the best Australian -wickets. We give this as an example of the principle that every -cricketer should try to bowl, and if he finds that he cannot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -attain to any efficiency, even with constant practice, then let -him try to ‘sling in’ as hard as ever he possibly can; he will -often be of use to his side when in a fix.</p> - -<p>Before leaving the subject of fast bowling a word must be -said about what—some years ago, and again now—may be -called the great cricket bugbear of the last few years—viz. -throwing. It is worthy of notice that when over-arm bowling -was first allowed a great outcry arose, and there were not -wanting those who prophesied that this ‘hand over head’ style -would ultimately result in ‘a mere over-hand throw—a kind -of pelting, with a little mannerism or flourish to disguise it.’ -Now it is an astonishing thing that, in a great variety of cases, -this is just what actually has happened. Some of the bowling -that has been allowed to pass unnoticed by umpires is -well described by the phrase quoted; but, although this is -so, there are many minor offenders whom all would like to -see pulled up short, not out of any ill-will to them personally, -but in the interests of the game. Now throwing is most -pernicious to cricket, and is calculated, if allowed to increase -(as it surely will unless promptly suppressed by the authorities, -backed by public opinion), to exercise a most disastrous -effect on the game. The subject of throwing is sometimes -pooh-poohed by prominent cricketers, who have remarked, -‘What does it matter whether a man bowls or throws?’ If -it makes no difference, by all means let the M.C.C. at -once expunge the rule relating to throwing and jerking. -But let us pause for a moment to see if there are any reasons -to suppose that it does make a difference. There are, in -truth, two very good reasons why throwing should be stopped. -First, if it were allowed it would seriously interfere with the -art of bowling. The reasons for this proposition are as -follows: In throwing there is no scope for dissimilarity of -style. All men who throw must, from the very nature of the -delivery, send the ball on its course with exactly the same -description of spin. It is impossible for a thrower to make -the ball go across the wicket from the leg to the on side; every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -ball which leaves a thrower’s hand has the off-side spin on -it, and none other is possible. Any style which tends to cramp -bowling, as this does, must be bad. Again, a throwing bowler -cannot change his pace as other bowlers do; he dare not bowl -the slow high-dropping ball so successfully used by Spofforth -and others, because he knows that when his arm and wrist -move slowly the unfair jerk of the wrist and elbow will be -more manifest than when it is partially concealed by the usual -quick movement of his arm. If throwing tends to cramp bowling, -as it does, and render certain essentials for the development -of the science impossible, then it must be injurious to -the game. Secondly, if throwing were allowed the batsman -would be in a position of considerable danger. Many cricketers -say, ‘Let throwers alone, they are always easy to play;’ and -this, no doubt, is so, for the reasons given above, especially -when every thrower must, for the sake of appearances, adopt -some slight measure of disguise in his action; but once let it -be recognised that throwing is part of the game, and a race of -sturdy chuckers will spring up, whose pace will be so terrific -that the best and pluckiest batsman will not be able to defend -his body, much less his wicket, against their lightning-like -deliveries. Imagine what it would be if Bonnor, or Forbes, -or Game were to be allowed to throw, all of them having -thrown in their best days as much as 120 yards—is it likely -that a batsman at a distance of only twenty-one yards could be -quick enough with his bat to stop such bowling? Even with -an ordinary fast bowler a batsman has sometimes difficulty in -preventing himself from being struck by the ball, and with an -undisguised thrower the danger would be tenfold.</p> - -<p>The question then arises, what can be done to stop the -throwing nuisance? And it is one which every member of the -cricket-loving community should ask himself. It is a question -of the greatest difficulty, as is evident from the fact that the -committee of the M.C.C. have so far found it impossible to -legislate with regard to the nuisance. The committee has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -done everything in its power; it has instructed the umpires to -watch closely the delivery of every doubtful bowler, and probably -the umpires have acted fully up to their instructions; -but they have stopped here, and absolutely refused to report -to the world the result of their careful observations. It is a -fact that of late years no professional umpire in a first-class -match has no-balled a professional bowler for throwing. This -is not to be wondered at: professional umpires themselves -have been professional bowlers, and they cannot bring themselves -to take the bread out of the mouth of one of their own -class by no-balling him, and stigmatising him at once and for -ever as a ‘thrower.’</p> - -<p>We cannot get amateur umpires to stand: these would, no -doubt, fearlessly no-ball any unfair bowler; but if we could, we -should probably find that the quantity of bad decisions in the -course of the year would be greatly increased. An umpire wants -practice and experience in keeping his attention and whole mind -fixed impartially on the game, and this can only be acquired by -those who stand day after day in that capacity.</p> - -<p>The only way, then, to our mind, to stop throwing, as the -M.C.C. cannot and the umpires will not, is to get public -opinion to step in and sweep it off our cricket grounds. Let -every amateur cricketer, whether he plays for his county or his -village club, set his face resolutely against the evil, and do his -utmost to discourage it. If an ‘Anti-Throwing Society’ could -be established amongst cricketers, we firmly believe it would -effect its object.</p> - -<p>In the North of England, where the game is ever increasingly -popular, there are many ‘chuckers’ to be met with. -The clubs who do not possess, to say the least, a doubtful -bowler are, we should say from our experience, in the minority. -Young professional bowlers see the general laxity that prevails, -and adopt the peculiar flick of the wrist and elbow, hoping -thereby to get more twist on the ball, and this sooner or later -develops into a throw. Young bowlers of this description get<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -drafted from their village clubs into the county team, and thereby -augment the number of ‘doubtful’ bowlers in first-class -matches. Now if every amateur stood out against this system, -and even went so far as to say, ‘I will not be one of a team -that wins its matches by such means,’ unfair bowling would -soon die out.</p> - -<p>It may be accepted as an absolute truth that the greatest -bowlers do not throw, and never have. Spofforth, Turner, Palmer, -Lohmann, Richardson, Morley, and a host of others are -true bowlers, and to the credit -of the Australians it may be -said that till 1896, when Jones -and McKibbin came over, there -had been no suspicion against -any Colonial bowler, and it is a -matter of great regret that both -Jones and McKibbin must be -described as very great offenders -in the matter of throwing.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_doubtful_delivery" id="image_doubtful_delivery" class="nodec"><img src="images/doubtful_delivery.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="180" height="206" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Doubtful delivery. - </p> -</div> - -<p>It will be well for everyone -to realise that, if this question is -allowed to drift on from year to -year without any serious protest -from public opinion, it will become absolutely necessary for the -committee of the M.C.C. to do something in the matter. What -this should be is, as we have said, very doubtful, and many and -varied would be the opinions of competent judges as to the form -of legislation that would meet the evil. It can almost be taken -for granted that it is impossible satisfactorily to define a throw, -and even if this were not so the solution of the question would -be no nearer, as there would be just the same difficulties in the -way of an umpire saying that a bowler came within the definition -as there is now in saying that he throws. What is wanted -is to get rid of throwers in small club and village matches, and -then we should never get them drafted into first-class cricket.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -If the umpire at either end were allowed to no-ball, we believe -the system of throwing would receive a serious blow. It often -happens that the thrower can only bowl at his own umpire’s end; -if he attempted it at the other end he knows what would await -him; and if both umpires had the right to no-ball <em>for throwing</em>, -this difficulty would be overcome by his not being able to bowl -at either end. It is, however, earnestly to be hoped that no -change of any sort in the rules will be necessary, but that all true -cricketers will unite in discountenancing that which is always a -source of wrangling and dispute.</p> - -<p>Before leaving the subject of fast bowling a few remarks on -the position of the field will not be out of place. Every bowler -who is worth his salt knows much better than anyone else how -the field should be placed to his bowling. So much depends upon -the style and favourite strokes of the batsman to be dislodged and -the mode of attack that is going to be brought into requisition, -that the general rules we suggest here are more as a guide to -young fast bowlers than to those who have gained their experience. -To a fast over the wicket round-arm bowler (on a true -wicket) the field should be placed as on page 176.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_field_fast_right-arm" id="image_field_fast_right-arm" class="nodec"><img src="images/field_fast_right-arm.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="582" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The field for a fast right-arm bowler. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Should the bowler, however, be one who changes his pace to -slow and relies occasionally on quite a slow head ball, it will be -as well to bring short-leg half-way between the umpire and the -bowler, and put mid-on out deep in the field on the on side. On -no occasion should short-slip be dispensed with; he should on a -fast wicket be fairly fine, and if he is a quick active man with his -hands (as he should be for this post), about eight yards from the -wicket. The object of short-slip is to pick up snicks which just -miss the wicket-keeper, and although he may hold a larger proportion -of these quick snap catches when a long way from the -wicket, he will get an infinitely greater number when closer in; -consequently, if he is a man of quick sight and tenacious -hand, he will actually secure more catches close in, although at -the same time he may miss more. The positions of long-leg, third -man, short-leg, and mid-on depend to a great extent on the batsman’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -play. It is a golden rule never to do without a point and -cover-point, although in some instances—e.g. when a strong cutting -batsman is in on a fast wicket—it is sometimes advisable to -place point in front of the wicket and cover-point square. It is, -however, but seldom that this is necessary, and many cricketers -always view the change with some misgiving as to its correctness, -because a good active cover-point in the usual place saves a large -number of runs and, probably, gets more catches than any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -other man in the field, with the exception of the wicket-keeper -and short-slip.</p> - -<p>A round the wicket fast bowler requires the field in much -the same position. But in his case it is sometimes necessary to -have an extra man on the leg side, as these bowlers are very apt -to bowl between the legs and the wicket, which means with good -batsmen that they get played on to the leg side, between mid-on -and short-leg. If this change is necessary long-leg may be sent -almost to the boundary, very fine, behind the wicket, and long-stop -be brought on to the leg side. A very fine long-leg prevents -boundary byes, and generally manages to save the fine long-leg -boundary hits. Unless there is a first-class man behind the -stumps, however, this generally results with first-class bowling in -rather too many extras to justify its continuance. Fast left-hand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -bowlers want more men on the off side, as, from the nature of -their bowling, they get more punished in that direction than -anywhere else. If fast left-hand bowling is accurate and straight, -long-leg is usually dispensed with, and, in fact, mid-on as well -is often taken to the other side of the wicket, leaving short-leg, -who is brought forward a few yards, the only man on the leg -side of the wicket. Then there is an unbroken line of fielders -on the off side, which the batsman finds it difficult to break -through if it is composed of active and energetic men. The -way in which fast left-handed bowlers place their field is usually -as on page 177.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_field_fast_left-arm" id="image_field_fast_left-arm" class="nodec"><img src="images/field_fast_left-arm.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="412" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The field for a fast left-arm bowler. - </p> -</div> - -<p>There is a class of fast left-hand bowlers who require more -men on the on side—viz. those who give the ball the leg side -bias on delivery, which, to a right-handed batsman, causes the -ball to come in from the off side, or, as it is usually termed, -to come with the arm. It is often necessary with this style of -bowling to have a very fine short-leg, to stop the snicks and leg -byes which are caused by the batsman playing outside the ball. -Then a short-leg by the umpire is necessary, and also a mid-on, -making three on the on side. Mr. Appleby, of Lancashire, is -an example of this style of bowler, as is Wright of Kent, who at -times is most deadly with the ball coming with the arm, especially -if he has any assistance from the lie of the ground. We -have occasionally seen a left-arm bowler, like Emmett of Yorkshire—who -relies exclusively on the off break, which, to a right-handed -batsman, brings the ball from leg to off—involuntarily -send down a ball that, instead of taking the bias imparted to it, -for some strange and unaccountable reason went the other way, -an accident which places the batsman in a most awkward fix.</p> - -<p>Some bowlers experience great difficulty in bowling to -left-handed batsmen. The necessary alteration in their style -seems to worry them and interfere with their accuracy of pitch. -Usually a slow bowler tries to get a left-handed batsman caught -on the off side. He places most of his men on this side, and -bowls the off break (or, as it would be to a left-handed batsman, -the leg-break) with the object of getting the batsman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -to play inside the ball, and thus make an upstroke. In short, -he places the men as a left-handed bowler places them when -bowling to a right-handed batsman. Left-handed batsmen -are notoriously strong and powerful in their off hitting, and -consequently in this direction must the bait be laid. As a rule, -left-handed batsmen are apt to be a trifle wild and unable to -restrain their keenness to hit, and consequently they pay the -usual penalty of attempting to hit widish off balls going away -from them. But occasionally a bowler meets a left-hander who -is too wide awake and too good a batsman thus to throw away -his chance of scoring, and then different tactics must be employed. -There have been, and are, wonderfully few really good -left-handed batsmen in England, and the chance of a bowler -having to meet one of them is very slight. Between the years -1880 and 1890 there were only, in first class cricket, the late W. -Scotton of Notts and Peel of Yorkshire and the late F. M. -Lucas. The best of this class was perhaps F. M. Lucas, whose -early death in India will always be deeply regretted by his wide -circle of friends. He was really an accomplished batsman with -good sound defence and great punishing powers. A slow -bowler might bowl for hours on the off side to him with the -sole result of seeing four after four being despatched all along -the ground to the boundary. Moses of Sydney has many times -distinguished himself against our English teams in Australia, -and was an excellent batsman. At the present time we have -Ford, Clement Hill and Darling the Australians, and the two -last are probably the two finest left-handed batsmen the world -has seen. Ford as a hitter was perhaps the hardest left-hander -that ever lived, and Hewett a few years ago was almost as hard. -Bruce the Australian is a fine free left-handed batsman, and certainly -has a more graceful and finished style than any other left-hander -we have yet seen. In our opinion, when a really good -left-hander comes in, one who is not likely to get himself out -on the off side by careless hitting, an attack should be made -on his leg-stump. Most left-handers are good leg-hitters, but -we have never yet seen one (not excepting those above<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -named) who was as good on the leg-stump as a first-class right-handed -batsman. There is an awkwardness apparent in the -left-hander’s play to a ball pitching on the leg-stump, or just -inside it, and there is always a great likelihood of a cross bat -being used for a leg hit. Many and many a time has the writer, -after trying the off-ball trick unsuccessfully against one of these -batsmen, succeeded in dismissing him by bowling over the -wicket at the leg-stump and between the legs and leg-stump -of the batsman. This manœuvre only entails a couple of -men being brought across from the off side to stop the run-getting.</p> - -<p>There is one species of ball which we have not discussed, -deadly as it is, both in fast and slow bowling. This is the ball -which, after the pitch, never rises, but shoots along the surface -of the ground, and is commonly called a ‘shooter.’ The reason -why no notice was taken of this when the different kinds of -ball which may be bowled were being dealt with is because -no amount of practice or skill can enable a bowler to bowl -thus. It depends for existence upon inequalities in the ground. -There are some grounds which have acquired great reputation -for supplying ‘shooters’ for the benefit of bowlers; but this -reputation is unfortunately always accompanied by one for -being lumpy and dangerous. Not a great many years ago -Lord’s used to be celebrated for shooters, owing to its rough -condition; and even now, well looked after as it is, shooters -are of more frequent occurrence there than on most other -good grounds. Although it is not in the power of any man -to bowl shooters at will, still there is no doubt that men with -a low delivery have a greater chance of being helped by a -shooter than men who bowl with a high overhead action. -The writer recollects at Cambridge, about 1879 or 1880, being -told by a young professional bowler, engaged at the University -ground at that time, that he had found out how to bowl shooters. -He was a bowler of considerable promise, and had begun to -make his mark in county cricket, but it being known that his -cricket abilities far exceeded his intellectual powers, the announcement<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -of this wonderful discovery was received with some -amount of doubt. However, out he came to bowl, to prove his -prowess with the celebrated shooter; but it simply appeared that, -instead of bowling with an overhead delivery, which was his wont, -he bent his body quite low, and proceeded to bowl in a manner -which was hardly removed from genuine under-hand. It is -unnecessary to say that there were no shooters. His balls kept -low after the pitch because his action was low.</p> - -<p>There is one style of bowling sometimes seen in the present -day that has not been mentioned, viz. fast under-arm. This -is of two kinds: first, that which pitches a good length as with -round-arm bowling; secondly, ‘sneaks,’ or bowling that pitches -near the bowler’s hand and travels along the ground till the ball -reaches the batsman. The latter can never be of any avail -against a good player on a decent wicket, as every ball can be -met by the forward stroke and rendered harmless. In country -matches it is amusing to see the batsmen holding their bats in -the air and trying to pounce down at the very last moment on -these balls. This mode of playing such bowling is essentially -incorrect, and would even be likely to cause the downfall of a -good batsman; it is as certain as anything can be at cricket -that a good forward straight bat cannot miss a ‘sneak.’ Mr. -C. I. Thornton at one time attempted this style of bowling, -and was known to get a wicket or two. The good-length fast -under-arm, when bowled round the wicket with a good leg twist -on, might be made very dangerous. The old style of low -round-arm, mentioned a few pages back, was very similar to this -style of bowling, and was bowled with the same object as this -has in view, viz. catches in the slips and on the off side. We -only know of one fast under-arm, leg twist, good-length bowler, -and he does not play in first-class cricket. His name is Bunch, -an old sergeant of the Black Watch, well known on many military -cricket-grounds all over England and India. Some years -ago he was decidedly a good bowler, his balls came very fast, -pitched good length on the leg-stump, and, having lots of leg -stuff on, wanted very careful play.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span></p> - -<p>And now, after having discussed the different styles of -bowling known in cricket, let us consider some of the main -rules which must guide the action of every bowler in the field. -The first and chief principle that a young bowler must master -is that he is bowling for his side’s success, and not for his own; -and that, with that object in view, he has voluntarily placed -himself under the leadership of his captain. He must, therefore, -give in at once, and readily, to every order. A captain is -always ready to hear the suggestions of a bowler, and, as a -rule, with regard to placing the field, is always willing to adopt -them; but should he not do so, the bowler must accept the -decision with the best grace possible. There is nothing more -discouraging and demoralising to a side than a sulky bowler—i.e. -one who gets angry when spoken to, and subsequently -adopts a defiant manner towards his captain. This bowler is -usually a very poor stamp of sportsman, but unfortunately -he may often be seen, and the marks by which he may be -recognised are: First, bowling wildly and much faster than -usual. Secondly, getting to his place at the end of his over -after everyone else. Thirdly, if he fields a ball, throwing at -the wicket, instead of to the wicket-keeper, as hard as he can, -generally causing an over-throw. Fourthly, if he misses a -ball in the field, standing still and allowing some more remote -fielder to run after it, or else running after it himself at about -the same pace as if he were just starting on a five-mile race. -He is a great nuisance generally in the game. We do not deny -that circumstances often arise when one is bowling that tax to -the utmost the temper of the mildest man in the world; it is, -to say the least, very irritating to try for half an hour to get a -man caught out by a particular stroke off a particular ball, -and then at the end see the ball bowled, the stroke made, and -the catch missed; but, as chance enters to a great extent into -the game, the bowler ought to do his very utmost to curb his -feelings, in the interests of others who are taking part in the -game.</p> - -<p>A bowler should be ready to take any place in the field<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -when he is not bowling. In these days, when slow bowling is -frequently on at both ends, there is often a difficulty in getting -four men to do the out-fielding. A bowler should not object at -all to help his side by doing this out-country work. Although -a great specialist in the field, such as an excellent cover-point -or point, is always an object of admiration, more admirable still -are men good at all places. W. G. Grace, A. N. Hornby, and -many others we could mention were at one time equally safe -and at home in any position where they were placed.</p> - -<p>A bowler should never grumble aloud at catches being -missed; the unfortunate man has done his best and failed, -and any censure only makes him more flurried and adds to his -discomfiture without doing any good.</p> - -<p>A golden rule for every bowler to observe is—after the -batsman has played the ball, <em>get back to the wicket as quickly -as possible</em>. Neglect of this rule loses many a ‘run out.’ If a -bowler does not get back to his wicket, there is no one to take -the ball and knock the bails off should the batsmen run and -the ball be returned to the bowler’s end. When the ball is -thrown up, the bowler should not take it till it has just passed -the wicket; he should then seize and sweep the ball into the -stumps in one and the same action. Should he stand behind -and take the ball before it reaches the wicket, there is great -danger of his disarranging the bails before he gets the ball in his -hands. Of course there are exceptions to this rule—e.g. when -a ball is coming very slowly up to the wicket from a feeble -throw or because the ground is sticky and dead; then the -bowler must do his best anyhow to get the ball into the stumps -before the batsman reaches the crease.</p> - -<p>A bowler should never throw the ball at the wicket unless -it is the only possible chance of running the batsman out. -There is always a chance of the ball slipping out of his hand -and missing its aim.</p> - -<p>A bowler should take plenty of time between each ball he -delivers. If he hurries he will get flurried and out of breath -and bowl badly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span></p> - -<p>It is a mistake for a bowler to appeal unless he has a -good chance of getting a favourable decision. Umpires are -very peculiar individuals; once let it enter their heads that a -bowler is trying to ‘jockey’ a decision out of them, up go their -backs, and they suddenly become a mechanical toy that glibly -answers every appeal with the two words ‘Not out,’ and those -only. A bowler is quite justified in appealing for a leg before -wicket even if he is himself doubtful and uncertain as to -whether the ball pitched quite straight or would have quite hit -the wicket, since he is exceedingly likely not to form a correct -impression of its straightness from the fact of his being at the -moment of the pitch of the ball a little out of the straight line -between the wickets.</p> - -<p>Bowlers should always take care before a match that they -are shod with good stout shoes with plenty of nails in them. -It is a most important thing for a bowler to have shoes which -will prevent him from slipping, and this is somewhat difficult -when grounds are so constantly changing from hard to soft. -For a hard ground nothing is better than big nails or screws; -these do not go into the ground, but grip it and give a firm -foothold. The left shoe of a right-hand bowler and the right -shoe of a left-hand one should be extra well supplied with nails, -because in the act of bowling the whole weight of the body -comes down upon the left foot with the right-hand bowler and -the right with a left-hand one.</p> - -<p>For a soft ground the old-fashioned spikes are the best. -They can be put in and taken out in a few minutes before the -beginning of a match, according to the state of the ground. -Every bowler should carry spikes, nails, and screws, a screw-driver -and gimlet, in his cricket-bag.</p> - -<p>A bowler should do all in his power to prevent cutting up -the wicket with his feet in a place where bowling from the other -end may pitch. If he finds that he is doing so with either foot -he should at once change sides of the wicket, and if he then -finds that, do what he will, he cannot help damaging the wicket—which -is a most unlikely event—he should at once desist from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -bowling. If the ground is unduly cut up and made artificially -difficult for the batsman by bowlers’ feet, whether it is done -intentionally or not, such bowling is unfair and should at once -be stopped. Spofforth in some states of the ground used to -spoil it terribly, and this although he wore no spikes on the -offending foot. The side of this foot, however, came down -with great force a few yards in front of his own wicket. No -doubt great damage at times was caused to the opposing batsmen -by this unfortunate foot, and also to the Australian batsmen -themselves, and on one occasion an appeal was made to the -umpire as to whether, though caused unintentionally, it was or -was not unfair. The umpire declined to give an opinion. -But there can be little doubt that a bowler who has unfortunately -developed this tendency is transgressing the rules of fair -cricket.</p> - -<p>A chapter on bowling would not be complete without -the addition of some rules for the guidance of those who are -beginning to play cricket and who want to learn how to bowl. -Success depends so much upon the natural action of the -bowler that the multiplicity of rules so often laid down for the -guidance of young bowlers, though followed out to the letter, -does not greatly profit the aspirant to bowling honours. There -are many straight accurate bowlers who can put as much twist -as most men on the ball, and who yet never attain to any -eminence in the art. This is due to their action being simple -and easy to see, and to their consequent inability to deceive -the batsman as to the pace and flight of the ball. There are, -however, one or two simple elementary rules which it would -be always as well for young bowlers to follow.</p> - -<p>First.—Take every opportunity of bowling at imitation -cricket with a racquet or fives ball, or any other sort of ball. -This teaches you by practical experience the difference in the -spins of the ball and what constitutes a good ball. Small -cricket with a fives ball and a fives bat is splendid fun, and has -initiated many a youngster into the mysteries of break-backs -and breaks from leg.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span></p> - -<p>Secondly.—Keep your arm as high as possible.</p> - -<p>Thirdly.—If naturally inclined to be a fast bowler, aim at -straightness first of all, and take care to bowl well within your -strength.</p> - -<p>Fourthly.—Always bowl in the same style and action. Bowl -every day in practice, but not for more than half an hour. And -take a rest of a minute or so after every six balls; remember in a -match you have a rest after every four or five. Bowl carefully -in practice. If you get tired leave off at once. If you find -your bowling is getting worse instead of better, leave off for a -few days and have a complete rest.</p> - -<p>Fifthly.—Take a good long run, whether you bowl slow or -fast; and if you can, run on a little after delivering the ball. -This gives extra ‘fire’ to the ball.</p> - -<p>Sixthly.—Be sure to practise bowling both sides of the -wicket.</p> - -<p>Seventhly.—If you want to become a really good bowler -accustom your fingers early to get as much twist as possible on -the ball, both ways.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER IV. CAPTAINCY." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="4">IV.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">CAPTAINCY.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By A. G. Steel.</span>)</span></h2> - -<div class="figleft"> - <a name="image_going_in" id="image_going_in" class="nodec"><img src="images/going_in.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="421" /></a> - <p class="caption" id="going_in_top"> - Going in. - </p> -</div> - -<p id="going_in"><span class="smcap">It</span> is a strange fact connected -with cricket -that a good captain -is but seldom met -with. The game has -made such progress -in popularity during -the last thirty years, -and the numbers of -those who are proficient -in its different -branches have increased -so enormously, -that we should -certainly expect to -find in our county -and other important -matches captains who -thoroughly understand -the duties they -are called upon to -fulfil. But on looking -round we are -disappointed to find -that the really good captains in first-class (including of course -county) cricket are extremely few, and these few are amateurs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -The cause of this may be that few men are able to take part in -first-class cricket after they have served such an apprenticeship -as would give them the experience, calmness, and judgment -necessary for the difficult post of captain; or it may be that -the qualifications for a good leader in the cricket-field are, -from their very nature, seldom met with—in other words, -that a captain is born not made, and very seldom born, too. -Few professional cricketers (it is a well-known fact) make -good captains; we have hardly ever seen a match played, -where a professional cricketer was captain of either side, in -which he was not guilty of some very palpable blunders. -Take the Gentlemen <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Players matches, at Lord’s and the -Oval, for the last twenty years; the Players have always -been seriously handicapped by the want of a good captain, -though Shrewsbury and Gunn may be exceptions. Bowlers -are kept on maiden after maiden without the faintest chance -of a wicket, no originality of attack is ever attempted, and -altogether the captaincy is usually bad. It must, however, be -admitted that ‘professional’ captains are in a more difficult -position than amateurs, inasmuch as they are often exposed to -the but thinly concealed murmurings of their fellows, who -consider that they have not been treated with the amount of -consideration they deserve. Amateurs always have made, and -always will make, the best captains; and this is only natural. -An educated mind, with a logical power of reasoning, will -always treat every subject better than one comparatively untaught. -There are exceptions to every rule, and Alfred Shaw, -the best professional captain we ever came across, is the exception -here. The disastrous effects of bad captaincy on the -success of a side were never more clearly manifested than by -the Australian team that visited England in 1878. This team -contained several good bowlers who, helped by the sticky state -of the ground, were very deadly to our best batsmen. Their -batting was rough and rather untutored, but still at times -dangerous. They met with great success until the grounds got -hard and firm, when their bowlers were collared. It is in adversity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> -at cricket, as in the more serious walks of life, that the -best qualities come to the fore; and whenever the Australian -bowlers were collared, the whole team seemed to go to -pieces. Either the captain or the bowlers placed the fielders -in the most extraordinary and unheard-of positions, where -they had but little chance of saving runs or getting catches. -Spofforth during one match at Lord’s in that season bowled -the greater part of the day to a batsman—the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> Edward -Lyttelton—who was not dismissed till he had topped his -hundred. Ball after ball was neatly cut on the hard true ground -to the boundary, past the spot where third man ought to have -been but was not. Fancy a fast bowler bowling on a hard -ground, while a batsman made a hundred without a third -man; then think that this batsman was one of the finest -amateur cutters of his day, and you will wonder what had -become of the management of the side! This was, however, -the first year the Australians visited us; on many subsequent -occasions we found out to our cost that they had made good -use of their time and experience in England, and had improved, -in every branch of the game, to what was to an -Englishman’s eye an alarming extent. Their captaincy, however, -has never been good, till Trott, a thoroughly good captain, -took command in 1896; Murdoch, of course, had a -thoroughly sound knowledge of the game; but his better -judgment was too frequently hampered by the ceaseless -chattering and advice of one or two men who never could -grasp the fact that in the cricket-field there can only be one -captain.</p> - -<p>The chief qualifications for a good captain are a sound -knowledge of the game, a calm judgment, and the ability to -inspire others with confidence.</p> - -<p>Bad captains may be split up into three classes:—</p> - -<p>1. Nervous and excitable men.</p> - -<p>2. Dull apathetic men.</p> - -<p>3. Bowling captains, with an aversion to seeing anybody -bowl but themselves.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p> - -<p>1. The nervous and excitable class is perhaps the worst of -all, and sides which have the misfortune to be led by one -of this division are indeed heavily handicapped. The chief -peculiarity of a captain of this sort is that he seems never to be -able to keep still for a moment in the field. He is continually -rushing about, altering the field every over without any reason, -shouting excitedly at the top of his voice whenever a fielder -has to stop or throw up the ball, and generally creating a feeling -of uneasiness and excitement among players and spectators. -He is at one moment tearing his hair distractedly because some -unfortunate fielder has let a ball through his legs, and the next -shouting and dancing with excitement and joy when some -exceptionally good catch or bit of fielding has got rid of a -dangerous batsman.</p> - -<p>2. A member of the second class may be easily recognised. -He walks slowly to his place at the end of each over with his -eyes fixed on the ground, as if in deep thought. In reality he -is thinking of nothing, or, at any rate, nothing connected with -the game. He has put his two best bowlers on, and so long -as a wicket falls every thirty or forty runs, what does it matter -whether or not time is being wasted by a series of profitless -short-pitched maiden overs? It is the bowler’s duty, not his, -to get the batsmen out, and if the latter put on forty runs without -a wicket falling, why it will be time enough then to try -someone else, and perhaps later on he himself might have a -turn with lobs if things get into a very bad state. It does not -take long, with a captain like this, for a side to get thoroughly -demoralised and slack.</p> - -<p>3. The bowling captains suffer from the very opposite of the -feebleness which affects the last class; over-keenness is their -bane. They are generally moderate bowlers, who at times enjoy -a fair amount of success, and who are often very valuable to -their side as changes. But the power of bowling wherever and -for as long as they please is too much for them. Over after over -hit to all parts of the field, without the slightest suspicion of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -chance of a wicket, only convinces the self-confident captain -that something must happen sooner or later—and something -generally does after the match has been bowled away. The -fascination that bowling has for captains and the danger it often -leads to is a good reason for pausing before selecting as -captain anyone who has any pretensions in this branch of -the game. It is sometimes, however, impossible for a side -to recognise anyone as captain except a bowler. He may -be the oldest and most experienced member of the team, -or perhaps from his position as a cricketer it may be out of -the question to pass him over, and then, of course, the best -of a bad job must be made. But a captain who is also a -bowler has much heavier responsibilities in the field than -one who is not. Even if he happens not to be over-anxious -about trundling all day himself, he is apt from shyness and -diffidence of his own merits not to put himself on at all—another -extreme into which some captains before now have -fallen.</p> - -<p>The duties of a captain are of two kinds: those out of the -field and those in it, and it is proposed to discuss them in -the order named. The first duty of a captain is the choice -of his team; but as it so frequently happens, nowadays, that -the team is chosen for him by the committee of his county -or his club, this topic may be passed over till we discuss -the duties of the captains at the Universities and Public -Schools.</p> - -<p>When the team is chosen, the captain’s first duty is to win -the toss; and assuming that by the aid of his lucky sixpence -he has succeeded in so doing, he should at once decide whether -he or his opponent is to begin the batting. It is a very old -saying that the side that wins the toss should go in, and it is a -very true one. No captain who wins the toss and puts the -other side in deserves to win the match, unless there are -some very exceptional circumstances to be taken into his consideration. -There is, perhaps, only one reason to justify a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -captain putting the other side in first. <em>If the ground, previously -hard, has been softened by a night’s rain, and if at the time -of beginning it is drying under a hot baking sun, and if the -captain is tolerably sure that it is going to be a fine day</em>, then -he will do well to put the other side in. There must be present -these three conditions of ground and weather before he <em>is</em> justified -in refusing to bat. The ground will then for the first -hour and a half or two hours make a bowling wicket; the top soft -in the early morning, and gradually getting caked under the -hot sun, will in the afternoon, if the weather keeps fine and it -has been <em>hard</em> before the rain, assume its former hardness and -become easy for batting for the last few hours of the day’s play. -If the ground has been soft before the rain and has been made -still softer by the rain, it is madness to put the other side in. -The first two or three hours will then be easy for batting, as a -very slow soft wicket is always against the bowlers, and it will -not be till after several hours of hot sun have been on it that it -will begin to get caked and difficult for the batsman. Suppose -the weather looks uncertain and broken, and the glass has been -gradually going down, a captain should never in any state of -the ground risk putting his opponents in. Rain is always in -favour of the in side; bowlers cannot stand and cannot hold -the ball, which, wet and slippery, cannot be made to take any -twist or screw that the bowler may try to give it.</p> - -<p>Sometimes in a one-day match it may be advisable to put -the other side in under circumstances different from the above, -circumstances which are for the captain alone to judge of, and -which it is impossible to discuss. Suppose a very strong side -is playing against a very much weaker one. It may be that the -captain of the former is afraid that if his side once goes to the -wickets, so many runs will be made as to preclude all probability -of finishing the match; and he may be content after conference -with the members of his team to take the undoubted risk -of putting the other side in; it is, however, a very dangerous -thing to do at any time, and his finesse may very possibly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -end disastrously to his side in the imperfect light of the -evening.</p> - -<p>There are, however, <em>some</em> disadvantages in batting first. -In the first place, nearly every cricketer is a better man after -luncheon than before. Do not let this be understood for a -moment as a hint that the overnight carousals of cricketers -(very pleasant though they be) are such as to interfere with -correctness of eye and steadiness of hand in the morning. -Far be it from me to suggest such a thing. But every man -is fitter in the afternoon, his eye is more accustomed to the light, -and his digestion is better. And besides, the men that walk -to the wickets to bat the first time they go into the field are -apt to be more nervous than those who have been playing a -few hours and have got accustomed to the light and general -surroundings. These are disadvantages certainly, but they are as -nothing compared to the advantages gained by batting first. -These include getting the best of the light, the best of the -wicket, and, last but not least, the incalculable advantage of -having in the last innings of the match to save and not get -runs on a wicket that has previously stood the wear and tear -of three innings. The side that bats second is nearly always -in at the close of the first day’s play, and the lights and shadows -between six and seven often make the ball very difficult to -judge accurately; at Lord’s, especially, the light gets bad towards -the close of the day; a haze overspreads the ground, -making clear and accurate sight extremely difficult. As for -the respective difficulties of making and saving runs, a cricketer -need only look at his scores and references to see how often -the out side at the close of a match has prevented the in side -from getting the runs required. The feeling of responsibility -which affects the batsmen on these occasions creates an over-anxiety -to play steadily and run no risks, and often results in -feeble play. Then the bowlers and fielders are nerved to their -utmost endeavour to keep the runs down, every fielder runs after -the ball at the very top of his speed, half-a-dozen men are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -backing up to prevent an overthrow, and the bowler not only -does all he knows to secure a wicket, but strives hard to avoid -the delivery of a punishable ball. Whenever a side goes in for -the last innings of the match against a big score and wins, -one may feel sure the match has been won by sound and -sterling cricket. There are many well-known instances of -the fielding side pulling the match out of the fire at the -very last moment. In the Oxford and Cambridge match in -1875, Cambridge in their last innings wanted 175 runs to -win. Seven wickets fell for 114. The eighth went down -at 161. Before this wicket fell it looked any odds on Cambridge, -but the eleven were eventually all out for 168, and -lost the match by six runs. In England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Australia at the -Oval in 1882, England, the last innings, wanted 85 to win, -but only made 77. The annals of cricket are full of instances -showing that it is better at the end of a match to have -to save runs than make them. We remember playing in a -match some years ago in Scotland, where the folly of putting in -the other side first on a good wicket was clearly shown. It was -a two days’ match, and the two best batsmen on the side which -lost the toss had been travelling all night from England. This, -in spite of a good wicket, induced the captain who had been -successful in the toss to put the other side in. One of these -travel-worn and weary batsmen knocked up over ninety runs, -the ground began to cut up, and the side that had refused to -bat first came utterly to grief. As the losing captain left the -ground, he said, ‘One thing this match has taught me—<em>never</em> -to put the other side in first.’ The following year the same -match was arranged, and once more the toss was won by the -same captain. The ground was very soft indeed, in fact sodden -with days of heavy rain. Again, in spite of the former sad experience, -the other side were put in first and made over 200 -runs. The ground was too soft for bowlers to put any life into -the ball, and all bowling was comparatively easy. Next day the -ground had got firmer and more solid, and the side that won -the toss was again dismissed for two insignificant totals.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p> - -<p>With regard to the order in which a captain should send in -his men, a good deal depends on the strength of the batting he -has at command. With a weakish batting team it is, in our -opinion, always better to send in the best batsman first, assuming -of course he has no objection to the place. It is of great importance -to give the best batsman every possible advantage, and -the men who go first to the wickets have a great advantage over -the others. They have less waiting for their innings, and consequently -less of that restless nervousness from which few men -are free; they have the best of the wicket; they have often -loosish bowling just at first, before the bowlers have warmed to -their work; and, last but certainly not least, they are batting -a new ball. Few people realise what a difference a new ball -makes to the batsman; it goes cleaner and firmer off the bat -than an old one, and, what is better than all, a hard new ball is -much more difficult to twist than one that has had a hundred -runs made off it. Let anyone look at an old bowler who has to -begin the bowling: his first action is to rub the ball on the -ground in the hope of taking off even a little of its slippery -newness; it is not, however, till after its surface has been considerably -worn that it begins to take much notice of any twist, -at any rate on a hard ground.</p> - -<p>With such advantages to be gained by going in first it would -be a pity not to give the best batsman the chance of making a -good start for his side. A good start gives confidence to the -shaky batsman, and shows the bowlers that they are not to have -it all their own way. Sometimes the best batsman on a side -does not care about going in first; if so, it is always well to consult -his wishes and humour him, but he should <em>never</em> go in later -than second wicket. With the best batsman should go some -steady correct bat, one who plays the game thoroughly and -does not take liberties with the bowling. In these days of -perfect grounds it is a vast mistake to send in first a regular -‘sticker,’ one who scores at the rate of eight or ten an hour. -The stonewallers of our cricket-fields have a great deal to -answer for in the heavy indictment against modern players<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -of leaving so many unfinished matches. An account was -lately given in the papers of a man recognised as a first-class -county bat who was in on a fast hard wicket in the -first innings of a match three hours and forty minutes for -thirty-two runs. More shame to him! He did his best to -draw the match, and by puddling about for so long only helped -to wear out the ground for more capable scorers who were to -follow him. Sometimes, when the ground is very bad, it is -good to have a sticker, but taken altogether cricket would be -very much better off if the whole race of stickers occasionally -adopted a somewhat freer style. Nobody objects to slow -scoring so long as the batsmen are playing good correct cricket, -playing the straight ones with a straight bat and cutting or -hitting the crooked ones; but every cricketer objects to seeing -ball after ball simply stopped without the slightest attempt to -make a run.</p> - -<p>Two very fast run-getting batsmen should not be sent in -together; they are apt to run each other a bit off their legs. -W. G. Grace and A. P. Lucas were as good a pair for first that -have ever been seen; both played sound correct cricket: the -former scored freely, the latter when the ground was hard quite -fast enough; and Shrewsbury and Stoddart were about as good.</p> - -<p>After the first two have been selected the others must -follow generally in order of merit; it is as well not to put in -two hard-hitters together if possible, as it often tends to -make one hit against the other. First one makes a big hit; -the other feels bound to follow suit, quite irrespective of the -pitch of the ball, and loses his wicket. It is always an excellent -thing to have one or two real good hitters, but they should -be kept apart as far as possible in their innings; sixth or -seventh wicket down is a very useful place for a hard hitter; -the bowling has often begun to get a trifle loose by that time, -and good hitting may make a dreadful mess of it in a very -short time.</p> - -<p>If any of the bowlers on whom the captain relies for his -main attack happen to be goodish batsmen and likely to make -a few runs, it is just as well to let their innings come off as early<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -as convenient. A bowler who makes forty or fifty runs at the -close of an innings never bowls as well after the running about -as he would do had he made nothing, and it is consequently -best if possible to insure him a rest before he begins his -more important duties as bowler. It is exceptional to find -a man successful in batting and bowling in the same match. -There are a good number of modern cricketers who are -very fair all-round men, and shine at times in both branches of -the game; but it very rarely happens that success awaits them -in both in the same match. Sometimes we find a well-known -bowler piling up heaps of runs, but on looking at the other side -of the score-sheet we generally perceive that he has done it at the -expense of his wickets. Alfred Shaw, the famous Nottingham -bowler, used at times to bat with great success, but when he -did so he was nearly always unsuccessful with the ball.</p> - -<p>When once the captain has arranged the order in which -his men are to bat he should stick to it. It is worrying and -harassing to the batsmen to be continually shifted up and down. -We once saw one of the best batsmen in England put in last -but one because the captain thought he looked nervous. His -side was beaten by a few runs, and without his having received -one single ball. An order made out before the innings begins -is more likely to be correct than one hashed and cut about -amidst excitement and anxiety. Never should a captain change -his order in the second innings; of course a man who is in -particularly good form may be given a hoist up a place or so, -but the bad bats of the team should not be sent in first so -long as there is the remotest possibility of losing; and at cricket -this contingency is nearly always on the cards. The good -batsmen do not wish to go in if there is only an hour or an -hour and a half to play; they may get out and cannot make -a really big score, so they fight shy for their average’s sake. -Captains should put a stop to this and insist on their taking -their proper place; first, because the side may otherwise be -beaten, and secondly, because those who have the advantage -of going in first in favourable circumstances should also take -their turn when things are not so bright.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span></p> - -<p>After a captain has written out his order of going in, he -should carefully watch the innings from the first to the very last -ball. A watchful captain can at times greatly help his side; a -shout of ‘steady’ when a young batsman appears to be getting -rash in his play, or when two players are getting a little abroad -as to running, often comes with great effect and authority from -a captain, and may prevent such a catastrophe as that represented -in the <a href="#image_run_out" title="Go to Run out illustration">illustration opposite</a>. A word of encouragement -to a nervous player as he leaves the pavilion may also often -be of service. On no account should a captain ever abuse a -batsman, no matter what rash stroke or foolish lack of judgment -has cost him his wicket. Nothing is so galling to a -batsman when he has made a bad stroke or been guilty of a -mistake as being publicly derided or reproved. Afterwards, -when the keen sense of vexation has somewhat subsided, a -quiet word of advice may be given, and will have much -more effect than a noisy public remonstrance. A good -cricketer who has made a bad stroke and thereby lost his -wicket knows better than any spectator what a mistake he -has committed. Pavilion worthies, ye who love cricket for -its own sake, ye who sit for hours criticising every ball and -every stroke, forbear, we pray you, out-spoken remarks on the -arrival of a discomfited batsman. ‘What on earth possessed -you to try to hit a straight one to leg?’ ‘You never seemed -at home the whole time!’ ‘You can’t keep that leg of yours -out of the way!’ are all remarks that may be withheld at any -rate till the keen sense of failure has diminished.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_run_out" id="image_run_out" class="nodec"><img src="images/run_out.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="236" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Run out. - </p> -</div> - -<p>It may possibly happen that during the course of an innings -a point which during the summer of 1887 was considerably discussed, -and about which some very extraordinary remarks have -been made, may crop up for decision by the captain. Supposing -he considers that his side has made enough runs to win the -match, and that if any more are made there will not be sufficient -time to get the other side out. Is he justified or not in giving -orders to his men to get out on purpose? A great controversy -arose on this point about ten years ago, owing to the captain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -of one of our leading counties considering that he was entitled -to give such orders. If this question be looked at from a -cricketer’s point of view—and by that is meant from one which -is in every way honourable and to the furtherance of the true -interests of the game—it will be seen at once that a captain has -a perfect right to ask his men to get out whenever he considers -enough runs have been made to insure victory.</p> - -<p>The true principle of the game is, we take it, that every side -should do its utmost honourably to win the match. In days -gone by, when grounds were rough and uneven, every match -had to be completed in a much shorter time than is now allowed. -In these times of improved batting and perfection in grounds, -three whole days have been decided on as the time within which -every county or club must win, lose, or draw the match. The -game is not to lose or to draw; it is to win; and the side that -can win most matches in the time allowed is plainly the best -side. And should a side make so many runs as to render it impossible -to win if they make more, whereas if they get out they -must almost inevitably win, and can scarcely lose, we consider it -would not be acting up to the true principle of the game if it -did not get out. Besides, what sport or individual interest to -a batsman is there in making runs after the match is practically -finished? A man does not play at cricket for himself so much -as for his side; it is not the number of individual notches or -wickets that falls to his lot which delights the true cricketer: it -is the actual result of ‘won or lost.’ What pleasure does a -member of either of the University elevens derive from making -fifty every innings he plays in the Inter-University matches if -all his matches are lost? There are some who say that directly -the principle is recognised that a man has a right to get out -on purpose in order to gain victory for his side, it will open the -door to all sorts of shady tricks in the game, and there will be -no guarantee to the cricket-loving public that a side is trying. -We cannot see the relevancy of this argument; if a man sacrifices -himself for his side, the more honour is due to him. It is -suggested that if the batting side has a right to get out or to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -forego its right of batting, the fielding side has a right to drop -catches purposely and to bowl no balls and wides so as to avoid -being beaten. If this latter course were permitted, it would be -in direct contradiction to the true principle of the game—viz. -the endeavour to win; it would be a dishonest subterfuge to -prevent victory from rewarding the side that had played the best; -it would be an un-English, dog-in-the-manger policy, and, in our -opinion, it would entitle the umpires to say that the game was -not being played fairly. There is a vast difference in principle -between getting out on purpose in order to win and bowling -and fielding badly in order to snatch victory from the best side. -A captain is, then, not only perfectly justified, but is bound in -the interests of his side, and in the true interests of the game, -to order his men to get out if that is the only way to win.</p> - -<p>[In 1894 the M.C.C. passed a law to the effect that the side -which goes in second shall follow their innings if they have -scored 120 runs less (not 80 as formerly) than the opposite -side in a three days match, or 80 runs in a two days match, and -power was also given for the in-side on the last day of a match -to declare the innings at an end. This last most important -rule was passed partly in order to prevent drawn matches, and -partly to prevent cricket lapsing into burlesque, as it has on -several occasions. But still the true principle alluded to in the -beginning of the preceding paragraph is difficult to find, and -the awkward question still remains, as it is within the right of -a captain to order his men to get out that he may follow on, -is it not within the opposing captain’s right to order his -bowlers to bowl wides to prevent the follow on? The motive -is the same in each case: one captain desires to follow on -because he thinks that by following on he has a better chance -of winning the match; the other captain is of the same opinion; -is it wrong, therefore, for him to try and defeat that object by -bowling wides? I am not able to say that it is. One captain -to make his side follow on orders his batsmen to play skittles; -the other captain to prevent a follow on orders his bowlers to -play skittles. Where is the difference in principle? There is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -difference of another kind, which is, that it is easier for a batsman -to get out on purpose without making it appear to be a burlesque -than it is for a bowler to bowl wides or no balls on purpose. -A batsman may run himself out or put his leg in front, and -nobody wonders; but if a steady bowler bowls three wides -running, the most ignorant spectator sees through the game -at once, and yells accordingly. The problem may be stated -in another way. Is it cricket to sacrifice runs by running yourself -out or knocking down your wicket? If the answer is in -the affirmative, then state your reason why it is wrong for a -bowler to sacrifice runs by bowling wides or no balls. To a -genuine cricketer it is equally unpleasant to see cricket turned -into burlesque by the batsmen as by the bowlers; what is -difficult to understand is why the batsmen should be allowed -to practise burlesque and command the applause of the crowd, -while the bowler is hooted and yelled at.</p> - -<p>The question is a most difficult one to answer, and perhaps -the most satisfactory solution may be in the direction of -abolishing the follow on altogether, and giving power to close -the innings at any time. Every proposal has its drawbacks, -and the drawback to this is that it gives an additional advantage -to winning the toss; but it is not easy to see that there -is any better solution of the question.—R. H. L.]</p> - -<p>In club and county matches a captain whose side is batting -may often have little duties to perform, such as hurrying his -men in after the fall of a wicket and allowing no time to be -wasted, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> There is nothing so annoying to a keen cricketer -as to see the field waiting three or four minutes whilst some -‘local swell’ calmly buckles his pads and saunters sleepily to -the wicket. A captain should see that the next batsman is -always ready to go in directly the preceding one reaches the -pavilion; and a good experienced captain can also give many -valuable hints to the younger members of his team as they sit -waiting for their innings. ‘Play your own game, of course;’ -he is the first one to know and realise the truth of the old -saying; but (and there are often many <em>buts</em>) <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>‘for goodness sake -don’t try and hit that curly bowler unless you are on the pitch -of him;’ ‘if you play back to that fast chap you are done; -he is out and away faster than he looks;’ ‘watch that man -at cover: he’s as quick as lightning with his return.’ All these -little odds and ends from an old hand are well worth the attention -of a young player; they all help to give him more confidence -and more knowledge and experience, and consequently -make him a better cricketer. And then a captain’s eyes must -be sharp to detect any slovenliness in the dress of a batsman. -What a sorry sight it is to see a man going to the wickets with -his pad-straps hanging two or three inches down his legs, -his trousers unfolded and sticking out from behind his pads, -his shirtsleeves hanging loose, and altogether having a general -air of being a slovenly fellow! A captain must note this; -he knows that there are a good many better ways of getting -out than being caught from one’s pad-straps or loose trousers -that flap gaily in the breeze, or from one’s shirtsleeves that -float round the forearm with so great an expanse of canvas, -looking for all the world like a bishop’s sleeve. All these little -things are worth knowing; cricket is a game with a great deal -of luck in it and full of a great many odd chances, and the -sooner a young player realises that he must do all he can to -minimise the chances against himself, the better cricketer he -will become and the more runs he will make.</p> - -<p>The duties of a captain in the field are far more onerous -than those out of it. It is here that his good qualities are tested, -his knowledge and judgment of the game put to the proof. -The most difficult task he has to perform is the management of -the bowling. It, of course, occasionally happens that his two -best bowlers are put on, and bowl successfully without a chance -during the whole of the innings. But this is a very exceptional -occurrence, and is but seldom seen in first-class cricket, and -then only when the ground is sticky or crumbled. It is in the -bowling changes and placing that a captain’s skill is principally -seen. On a hard fast wicket it is best to begin with fast -bowling at one end and slow at the other. A good overhand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -fast bowler on a hard wicket has more chance of making -the ball rise, and getting catches in the slips and at the wickets, -than a slow one; but it is always well to have different-paced -bowling on at either end, as in this way the batsman’s eye does -not get thoroughly accustomed to one pace. The late F. -Morley—in his day the best left-hand fast bowler in England—and -A. Shaw were always individually more successful when -playing together for their county, the fast left hand and slow -right being an excellent variation for the eye of the batsman. -Poor Morley, what a good bowler he was! In our opinion -he was the best fast bowler we have had in England for a very -long time. He was a good pace, had a beautifully easy left-handed -delivery, just over his shoulder, and was most wonderfully -accurate in his length. He had a good spin and break-back -on his bowling, and every now and then sent in one that -came with the arm and required a lot of playing. His early -death caused a great gap in the ranks of our professionals, and -was much lamented by every class of cricketers; for a more -honest and unassuming professional player than Fred Morley -never went into the cricket-field. His knowledge of geography -was not up to his cricket capabilities; for after a serious collision -in the Indian Ocean, on his voyage to Australia in 1882, -a mishap which subsequently ended fatally to him, he said: -‘No more ships for me: I’ll home again by the overland route!’</p> - -<p>At the beginning of the innings the two bowlers put on -should both be asked which end suits them best; if both want -the same, the captain should give the choice to the one on whom, -taking into consideration the state of the ground, he relies most. -The field should be placed according to the style of the opposing -batsman, and in doing this the captain should act with the consent -of the bowler. There are many captains who change the field -from time to time without ever consulting the bowler, who, if -a cricketer, knows better than anyone else where his bowling -is likely to be hit.</p> - -<p>No rule can be laid down with regard to the frequency of -bowling changes, except the more the better. A bowler should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -never be kept on if he is not getting wickets, and if the batsmen -are playing him with ease. It goes no way towards winning a -match to bowl ten or a dozen short-pitched consecutive maiden -overs. Directly the batsmen seem to have guessed the length -and style of bowling it should be changed, if only for a few overs, -while some new style is tried for a short time. If a long stand -be made, every style of bowling should be quickly tried; thirty -runs should never be allowed without a change of some sort, -unless the bowling happens to be particularly puzzling to the -batsman, and is being badly played.</p> - -<p>As regards the placing of the field, it has already been -said that usually the bowler is best able to guess where his -own bowling is most likely to be hit; but there are many -things which a captain should recollect, as the suggestions of -a captain in whom his bowlers place confidence are always -accepted readily. He should keep his eye on short-slip, as -this place is, especially on a fast wicket, the most important -of all. There are more good batsmen dismissed at short-slip -and the wicket, on good wickets, than at any other places. It -is an extraordinary fact connected with short-slip that, unless he -has had a great deal of experience, he is continually shifting his -position; one over he will be standing fine and deep and the -next square and near to the wicket. It is the captain’s duty, -even more than the bowler’s, to see that this does not happen.</p> - -<p>On a true hard wicket we never like to see a captain putting -his mid-on or short-leg close in to the batsman, to field what is -called ‘silly’ mid-on; the risk of standing near in on a hard -wicket to a batsman who can hit at all is not by any means -slight, and we have on several occasions seen men placed in -this position get very nasty blows. Boyle, the Australian mid-on, -stood about as near in as any man ever did stand; on sticky -grounds he made many catches, on fast grounds he missed many -which if standing further back he would have caught. He not -seldom received nasty injuries, and on one occasion was laid up -for several weeks with a broken or injured bone in his hand. A -quick active field at mid-on who will run in when he sees the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -batsman making a quiet forward stroke on the leg side, and -when he observes a leg-side ball kick up higher than usual, is -all that should be required. In a match at Melbourne, in 1882, -we recollect a very amusing little incident in which mid-on -played a prominent part. The Australians were batting, and -Bates, the Yorkshireman, had just dismissed two of their best -bats, McDonnell and Giffen, in two consecutive balls. Bonnor, -who used to congratulate himself, and not without a certain -amount of justification, that he could make mincemeat of our -slow bowling, was the next man in. Somebody suggested that, in -the faint hope of securing a ‘hat’ for Bates, we should try a -silly mid-on. Bates faithfully promised to bowl a fast shortish -ball between the legs and the wicket, and said he was quite -certain Bonnor would play slowly forward to it. Acting on the -faith of this, W. W. Read boldly volunteered to stand silly -mid-on for one ball. In came the giant, loud were the shouts -of welcome from the larrikins’ throats; now would the ball soar -over the green trees even higher than yonder flock of twittering -parrots. As Bates began to walk to the wickets to bowl, nearer -and nearer crept our brave mid-on; a slow forward stroke to a -fast shortish leg-stump ball landed the ball fairly in his hands -not more than six feet from the bat. The crowd would not -believe it, and Bonnor was simply thunderstruck at mid-on’s -impertinence; but Bates had done the hat trick for all that, and -what is more, he got a very smart silver tall hat for his pains.</p> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="400" height="220" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="240" height="210" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><p class="idropcap_caption" id="eton_caption"> - Eton <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Harrow - </p> - </div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <img src="images/eton.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="418" /> - <p class="caption"> - Eton <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Harrow. - </p> -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="eton"> - -<p id="eton_top"><a name="image_eton_harrow" id="image_eton_harrow" class="nodec">The</a> duties of captains of the University teams and of the -Public Schools are far more arduous than those of a captain -of a county or a club eleven. At our large Public Schools -the captain is responsible for the selection of the team; he -may be assisted to a certain extent by a committee, but the -actual filling up of the vacant places in his eleven generally devolves -on him alone. An energetic and keen boy captain will -usually manage before the close of the summer term to get -together a team of fair merit; even if the stuff he has to work -upon is inferior in quality, the great amount of time at his -disposal for practice, and the assistance he receives from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -school professionals and -masters, ought always to -ensure a keen captain -having a tolerable eleven -before the summer holidays -begin. It may be -taken as true that a bad -fielding school eleven denotes -a bad and slack -captain. Whatever may -be the batting and bowling -material at his disposal, -a boy captain can, if he likes, have a good fielding side; -and if in his school matches at Lord’s, or elsewhere, he finds -that he loses the match by slack fielding, he has none to blame -but himself. None of our best county teams can field as boys -can if they are properly taught and kept up to the mark. -There are few men of thirty taking part in the game who can -throw with any effect for more than about thirty or forty yards; -their arms and shoulders are stiff, and will not stand it, whereas -boys can all throw, and are about twice as active as many of -those whose names at the present time figure prominently in -our leading fixtures.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p> - -<p>A school eleven, as indeed every other, only requires four -regular bowlers. ‘If you cannot win with four bowlers, you’ll -never win at all,’ is an old and true saying. But this wants a little -explanation. The four best available bowlers must be played -without regard to their batting powers, and after these four have -been selected let the team be filled up with good batsmen and -fielders, quite irrespective of whether they can bowl or not. -It is an excellent thing for a side that every man should be -able to bowl a bit if wanted, and every boy should be able to -do so, but it is only necessary in choosing the team to play four -men as bowlers only.</p> - -</div><!--end of potentially wrapped text--> - -<p>Every school eleven should possess a lob-bowler; if he be -a good one so much the better, but one of some sort there must -be. Lobs have always been most destructive to boys, and even -very indifferent lobs are occasionally very fatal to schools. A -little practice will teach any boy to bowl them fairly; he must -take a long and rather a quick run, and bowl just fast enough -to prevent the batsman hitting the good-length balls before they -pitch. The high slow lob is generally worthless.</p> - -<p>The wicket-keeper must also be trained and coached. He -should be taught the right and the wrong way to stand, and -should practise keeping for a short time every day. And, above -all things, the school wicket-keeper should know that for anything -over slow and slow medium bowling he is to have a long-stop. -The number of good wicket-keepers who have been spoilt -by having to perform the office of long-stop as well as their own -is legion. There are no first-class keepers nowadays who put -out their hands on the leg side and draw the ball to the stumps; -they all jump to the leg side in front of the ball to prevent it -resulting in a four-bye, and consequently, even if lucky enough -to take the ball with their hands, they are so far from the stumps -as to make it exceedingly difficult to knock the bails off.</p> - -<p>A captain of a University team has not so much to do with -training and coaching his team as a school captain. By the -time men have reached their University eleven they have generally -mastered the elementary principles of the game, and require<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> -more practice and experience, keeping up to the mark rather -than coaching. A captain’s duty is consequently to see that his -men engage in constant practice at all parts of the game, and -by showing an example of keenness and energy to inspire his -team with the same qualities. Some men at the University, and -especially those fresh from the restraint of a public school, -occasionally require a few words of advice about the mode -of life which is necessary for undergoing with success the wear -and tear of a University cricket season. A ’Varsity team has -about six weeks’ hard work, and no man can bear the strain of -this if, at the same time, he is keeping late hours and distributing -his attentions impartially amongst all the numerous delicacies -that adorn the University dinner-tables during the May -term. No strict training is required, thank goodness! Cricket -does not demand of her votaries the hollow face and attenuated -frame, and too often the undermined constitution, that a long -term of arduous training occasionally results in, especially -to a youth of unmatured strength; but a cricketer should live -a regular life and abstain at table from all things likely to -interfere with his digestion and wind. Above all else, smoky -rooms should be avoided. A small room, filled with ten or a -dozen men smoking as if their very existence depended on the -amount of tobacco consumed, soon gets a trifle foggy, and the -man who remains there for long will find next morning on -waking that his head feels much heavier than usual, and his eyes -are reddish and sore. A University captain should never hesitate -to speak to any of his team on these matters, should he -think warning or rebuke necessary.</p> - -<p>The necessity of moderation in drink is happily a thing -which few University cricketers require to be reminded of. -There are many opinions as to what is the best drink for men -when actually playing. By best we mean that which does -least harm to the eye. In hot weather something must be -drunk, and the question is, What? Our experience is that -beer and stout are both too heady and heavy, gin and ginger -beer is too sticky, sweet, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr>, to the palate. In our opinion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -shandy-gaff, sherry, or claret, and soda are the most thirst-quenching, -the lightest, and the cleanest to the palate. The -latter consideration is a great one on a hot day at cricket. In a -long innings the heat and the dust are apt to make the mouth -very dry and parched, and a clean drink is especially desirable.</p> - -<p>As a rule a ’Varsity captain has not much difficulty in selecting -the first eight or nine of his team—there are usually that -number that stand out as far and away better than all the others—but -the last two or three places often cause him the greatest -difficulty. There may be two or three men of the same merit -fighting for the last place, inflicting sleepless nights and anxious -thoughts on the captain. He cannot make up his mind, and -possibly remains undecided till the very week before the big -match. A ’Varsity team owes half its strength to playing so -much together. Every man knows and has confidence in the -others, and every man’s full merits and the use he may be to -the side are understood by the captain; consequently, the -sooner the whole team is chosen the better.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_stoddart" id="image_stoddart" class="nodec"><img src="images/stoddart.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="626" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - A. E. STODDART - </p> -</div> - -<p>Now let us briefly discuss the considerations that should -guide the captain in the choice of his team. And perhaps -the simplest and best way will be to assume that a captain has -to choose the best team in England (our fictitious captain -making the twelfth man on the side). The first thing he -must do is to choose his bowlers, and, as we have said above, -these must be the best four he can get, each one different -from the others in style. He wants a fast bowler to begin -with (and if the match is to be played on a hard wicket he will -probably want two). He has Mold and Lockwood to choose -from, undoubtedly the two best. If he wants one only, he -must be guided by present form; whichever is bowling the -best must be selected. Let us say he has selected Mold. -This is No. 1. No. 2 must be a good left-hand bowler. Peel -and Briggs are perhaps the only two at the present time who -have good qualifications, and we think our captain would probably -fix on Peel as being the best bowler of the two. No. 3—a -medium-pace to fast round-arm bowler—is next wanted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -Lohmann would be the very man, but since ill-health at the -present date prevents his appearance on the field, let our -captain bring into his team as No. 3 Lockwood. Surely he -or Mold, if not both, will prove destructive. No. 4.—Our -captain now wants a right-arm slow bowler accurate enough to -keep down the runs (if it is necessary) on a hard true wicket, and -powerful enough with the ball to take advantage of crumbled -or sticky wickets. Who is he to take? C. M. Wells of Surrey -and Cambridge, Flowers of Notts, Attewell of ditto, Wainwright -of Yorkshire, A. Hearne of Kent, are all good names. -The man for this place a few years ago would have been -Alfred Shaw. What a fine bowler he was! Perhaps his best -performance was in 1875, when for Notts <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> the M.C.C. at -Lord’s he bowled 162 balls for 7 runs and 7 wickets (bother the -maidens: we don’t care how many of them he bowled!), and -amongst these seven wickets were W. G. Grace, A. W. Ridley, -C. F. Buller, and Lord Harris. In the same match, for the -M.C.C., A. W. Ridley with his lobs had a good analysis for the -two innings—208 balls, 46 runs, and 10 wickets. Our captain -thinks for No. 4 he cannot do better than Wainwright, and we -agree with him. No. 5—the wicket-keeper—must be G. -McGregor of Cambridge and Middlesex. Alas! when this -chapter was written for the first edition of this book Pilling was -the wicket-keeper selected, and we then expressed a hope that -his health would allow him to remain behind the stumps for -many years to come. Pilling died a few years ago, but those -who ever played with him will never forget the excellence of -his calm and quiet wicket-keeping, nor the gentleness and -courtesy which graced his whole character. No. 6.—Now our -captain has got to fill up six places; he has up to the present -provided for getting rid of the opposite side: he now turns his -attention to the selection of his batsmen. W. G. Grace first, -no one disputes. Does someone suggest Shrewsbury? Well, -certainly, during the last seven or eight seasons he has batted -most wonderfully well; but for winning a match give us W. G. -as our first choice. Shrewsbury may be the best to prevent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -his side being beaten; but we want to win, and if one man -stays in the best part of a couple of days for 150 runs there is -a great chance of the game being drawn. We like the man -who makes 150 in three to four 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, Shrewsbury. No. 8, A. E. -Stoddart, that sound and resolute batsman, who perhaps gives -more pleasure to the spectators than any other living cricketer. -No. 9, Gunn. No. 10.—And now, having selected 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, A. E. Stoddart, Gunn, G. McGregor, Mold, -Lockwood, Peel, and Wainwright. He has therefore the four -best batsmen in England—Grace, Shrewsbury, Stoddart, and -Gunn—three sound first-class batsmen in Lockwood, Peel, and -Wainwright, a very likely run-getting bat in McGregor, and an -indifferent performer in Mold. He has six bowlers, the four -chosen and Grace and Stoddart. Now what has he in the -field? Shrewsbury will have to go point, that is evident, as he is -a fairly good point and useless elsewhere owing to his inability -to throw. Grace, Mold, and Lockwood must all be in places -somewhere near the wicket, Grace because of advancing years -and stiffened muscles, the other two because much throwing -would damage their bowling. We have Stoddart and Gunn, -both excellent fielders and throwers, and these two must be -kept for fielding in the country. Peel and Wainwright are -also two good fielders, but they being bowlers will not probably -be wanted for country fielding except in an emergency. Taken -as a whole, the nine we have already got are good fieldsmen. -What does our captain then want for the tenth place? As he -has already got a strong batting, bowling, and fielding side, he -must look out for a good all-round cricketer who will strengthen -his team at all points. He must take care not to give either -of his last two places to men who will weaken the side in -fielding; above all, they must be good in the field. Would -W. W. Read do for the tenth place? Unquestionably he is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -magnificent batsman, but where is he to go in the field? -Shrewsbury is at point; W. W. Read would have to field -elsewhere then, and, for the same reason as already given for -W. G. Grace, he would seriously cripple the side if required to -go into the country, as undoubtedly he would have to. No. -Our captain rejects W. W. Read, and selects F. S. Jackson of -Cambridge University and Yorkshire as his tenth man. And as -he is one of our most accomplished and resolute batsmen, a fine -field and thrower, and a most useful fast change bowler, surely -his inclusion in the team will add strength to every department -of it. No. 11.—The last place in the team is a difficult task to -select. The same considerations must guide the choice here<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -as for the tenth place. If another bowler were required we -would suggest Briggs or A. Hearne as being good bowlers and -all-round good cricketers, but our captain is already playing -four men to bowl, and has in addition the various changes -already mentioned. Is there any really first-class batsman -who, if included in the team, would not injuriously affect the -fielding of the side? W. W. Read we have already said has to -be rejected. A. Ward of Lancashire is the man, a really sound -batsman and a good field and thrower. Our captain has completed -his task, and a very powerful team he has selected, strong -in batting, bowling, fielding, and throwing, and indeed a -difficult nut for any Australian side to crack.</p> - -<p>Such was the selection of the first English eleven about ten -years ago, but a great deal has happened since that date. At -the present moment Stoddart’s team in Australia have been so -unsuccessful that though when they started they were reckoned -to be about our best eleven, for the honour of England it must -be hoped that a better is to be found. There can be no doubt -that our bowling is terribly weak, weaker on good wickets than -at any previous time in cricket history, and it seems that we -must go out of the beaten track of bowlers and try a change. -Our representative eleven to-day is chosen with no great -confidence, and many will unfavourably criticise the selection. -There is no difficulty about the batsmen, who shall be MacLaren, -Ranjitsinhji, Gunn, Abel, Jackson and Hayward, and the -wicket-keeper Storer; but what about the bowlers? Hirst is -not good enough, Peel and Briggs are past their prime, and -Wainwright on good wickets is harmless. Richardson and -Hearne we still must select, but for the last two we shall select -a veteran and a youngster. Attewell shall be one and the -young Essex amateur Bull shall be the other. During the last -season Bull on hard wickets showed himself to be a slow -bowler with more spin than any other bowler in England, moreover -he is not so well known; while Attewell bowls still the -best length, and can always keep runs down.</p> - -<p>One thing will be noticed here, and that is, that for the first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -time since 1867 W. G. Grace is left out of a representative English -team, and the elements of a tragedy can be found here. For -twenty-nine years he would have been chosen, but the time has -come at last; but to show his wonderful powers, if he had been -chosen now—and some people would still choose him—it would -largely be for his bowling, which is unlike other bowling, and -would still get wickets.</p> - -<p>An old cricketer may here be permitted to drop a tear over -the decadence of the bowling and the superlative excellence of -the grounds that has disturbed the old balance of cricket, and -brought far too prominently forward the second and third rate -batsman.</p> - -<p>In the field all captains should be cheery and bright, and -full of encouragement to both fielders and bowlers. A despondent -captain, who becomes sad and low when things are -going against him, has a most depressing effect on his men. -Cricket is a game full of so many chances and surprises that -no match is ever lost till the last ball has been bowled, so the -bowlers must be cheered and encouraged and the fielders kept -up to the mark till all is over.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_at_wicket_after_bowling" id="image_at_wicket_after_bowling" class="nodec"><img src="images/at_wicket_after_bowling.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="412" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - At wicket after bowling. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Everything that goes on in the game should be noticed by -the captain. If a bowler forgets to get behind the stumps -when the ball is to be returned to him by a fielder, the captain -should at once call his attention to the fact; if a fielder keeps -shifting his position over after over without orders, a gentle -reminder must be given; if a fielder throws unmercifully at -the bowler or wicket-keeper when there is no attempt at a run -on the part of the batsmen, he must be spoken to. It is a -bad fault on the part of a fieldsman to knock the poor wicket-keeper’s -hands to pieces for no purpose.</p> - -<p>If a captain keeps his eye open on all these little things, and -does his best to eradicate them and others of the same nature -from his men, if he is a keen zealous cricketer gifted with a -calm temperament and sound judgment, he may rest assured -that before he has led his men very long he will be the captain -of a good team.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="400" height="200" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="160" height="150" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><p class="idropcap_caption" id="umpire_caption"> - ‘Guard please, Umpire.’ - </p> - </div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <img src="images/guard_please_umpire.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="357" /> - <p class="caption"> - ‘Guard please, Umpire.’ - </p> -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="umpire"> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER V. UMPIRES." class="chapter_head" id="umpire_top"><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="5">V.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">UMPIRES.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By A. G. Steel.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">If anyone were to ask us the question -‘What class of useful men receive most -abuse and least thanks for their service?’ -we should, without hesitation, -reply, ‘Cricket umpires.’ The duties of -an umpire are most laborious and irksome; they require for their -proper performance the exercise of numerous qualifications, and -yet it is always the lot of every man who dons the white coat, -the present dress of an umpire, to receive, certainly no thanks, -and, too frequently, something which is not altogether unlike -abuse. Nowhere can any notice be found in the history of -cricket of the first appearance of umpires as sole judges of the -game; and from old pictures, and notably <a href="#image_cricket" title="">the one at Lord’s</a>, it -is evident that, in the early days of cricket, there were no umpires. -The scoring was done by the ‘notcher,’ who stood by -and cut a notch in a stick every time a run was made, and -who also most probably would be the one to decide any point -of dispute that might arise amongst the players. The earliest -copy of the laws of cricket that we have is dated 1774; the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -heading is ‘The Laws of Cricket, revised at the Star and -Garter, Pall Mall, February 25, 1774, by a committee of noblemen -and gentlemen of Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, -Middlesex, and London.’</p> - -<p>These laws are the foundation of those which now govern -cricket, and in them rules were laid down with regard to -umpires, some of which, with certain modifications, are still -in force. Although these laws, promulgated in 1774, are the -earliest authenticated, there is still in existence a much older -document, though the date is unknown, which contains a few remarks -on the game, entitled ‘Ye game of cricket as settled by -ye cricket club at ye Star and Garter in Pall Mall,’ and then it -goes on, ‘Laws for ye umpires,’ showing that in considerably -earlier days than 1774 umpires were recognised institutions in -the game.</p> - -<p>It has always been the custom, till within the last few years, -for each side to choose its own umpire, even in the most important -matches, except those played at Lord’s and the Oval. -The system of each side providing its own umpire existed till -1883. It thus happened that aged and decayed cricketers were -rewarded by being chosen as umpires to watch over the interests -of their old colleagues.</p> - -</div> <!-- end potentially wrapped text --> - -<p>It was quite impossible for men who were thoroughly imbued -with a strong spirit of partisanship to remain perfectly -impartial; however honest and free from suspicion a man -might be, his opinion, at a critical stage of the game, could -not fail to be unconsciously biassed in favour of the side with -whose name his own had been long associated. Many men -became alarmed at the idea of obtaining a reputation for giving -partial decisions, and would go to the other extreme, and decide -against their own side oftener than the facts justified. There -were also men, no doubt—but these were few and far between—who -used their important position to unfairly enhance the -chances of victory for their own side. This system was a bad -one, as it made the position of an umpire so extremely -invidious: but it was not till 1883 that the present practice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -was introduced. At the beginning of the season each county -now sends up the names of two or more umpires to the secretary -of the M.C.C. Then from the list of names nominated -by the different county committees the secretary has to appoint -two umpires for every county match, neither of these two -being the nominees of either of the counties that are playing -in the match. This system works very well and is a very fair -one, as the judges of the game are not now exposed to the -charge of partiality, so frequently made under the old rule, -their interests being connected with neither side. The list of -what may be called the official umpires is almost totally composed -of elderly professional cricketers, who, as young men, -were themselves famous players, they are consequently men -who, having spent many years of their lives in the active -pursuit of the game, possess a thorough knowledge of its laws -and practice. And our experience of the way in which those -arduous duties are performed is that, considering the difficulties -of the situation they are placed in, our English umpires, taken -as a body, give good and correct decisions. We think that this -opinion would be indorsed by most leading cricketers.</p> - -<p>The difficulties of an umpire are many, and the nice -distinctions he is called upon to draw over and over again -during the course of the match may be gathered from the -fact that bad decisions in first-class matches are not infrequent. -And yet we adhere to the commendation given -above. It is an absolute impossibility to find an umpire -who will not make mistakes at times. The most likely slip -for him to make is, perhaps, when he is appealed to -for a ‘catch at the wicket.’ Let us just glance at some of -the difficulties which may, and often do, arise as to this decision. -The umpire has to satisfy himself that the bat or the -batsman’s hand (but not the wrist) has touched the ball -before it has lodged in the wicket-keeper’s hand. There are -often cases where there is no doubt that the bat has touched -the ball; the batsman strikes at the ball and hits it so hard that -the sound of the ‘click’ may be heard by every fieldsman on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -the ground, and even sometimes by the spectators; and then, of -course, the umpire has no difficulty. But supposing a batsman -in playing forward to a ball just outside the off stump apparently -misses it, and the ball turns after the pitch and, without any -sound or ‘click,’ lodges in the wicket-keeper’s hand, what -has the umpire to say if appealed to? He sees the ball turn -after the pitch, and he sees it pass the bat dangerously near, but -he hears no sound; perhaps in this case no one on the field -but the wicket-keeper knows for certain what has taken place; -he knows that the ball turned from the pitch, just grazed the -shoulder or edge of the bat, and came into his hands. The -batsman, perhaps, has in his forward stroke touched the ground -with his bat at the very moment the ball grazed the bat. The jar -of his bat on the ground has nullified the effect of the touch -of the ball, and he doubtless considers that if the appeal is -answered against him he has met with injustice. In a case -like this the umpire gives, or should give, the batsman the -benefit of the doubt that exists, and No. 1 bad decision is -chronicled against him by the fielding side. No blame can be -attached to the umpire, he has done his very best to give -a correct decision, but the circumstances have made it absolutely -impossible for him to be certain on the point. Again, -it is sometimes next to impossible for an umpire to be sure -whether a ball has just grazed the tip of the indiarubber finger -of a batsman’s glove or not; for often in such a case no -sound can be distinguished. The batsman feels and the wicket-keeper -sees it, but none else in the field knows anything at -all about what has happened. The umpire can see the ball -pass very close to the glove, but whether they have actually -touched he cannot at a distance of twenty-four or twenty-five -yards decide. An umpire may often be deceived, too, in his -vision, if the ball pass the bat quickly and the stroke of the -bat towards the ball has been a rapid one; he may hear an -ominous ‘click’ that sounds like a touch, and yet he may -think that he saw daylight between them at the moment the -ball passed the bat. We have more than once in a first-class<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -match, in which two good umpires were engaged, struck a ball -fairly hard and seen it lodge in the wicket-keeper’s hands, and -heard in answer to a confident appeal, ‘Not out; he was -nowhere near it!’ and this when everyone in the field heard -the sound, and knew it could only have been caused by the -ball meeting the bat. And again, supposing a slight noise or -‘click’ to be heard just when a ball is passing outside the legs -of a batsman, should the ball be taken by the wicket-keeper, -it is often a most difficult thing for an umpire to be certain -whether the ‘click’ has been caused by the bat and the ball, or -the batsman’s leg or pad-strap and the ball. The click of the -ball hitting a strap or hard piece of cane in a pad is very like -the sharp sound caused by the bat hitting the ball, and this, -added to the impossibility of the umpire actually seeing whether -a leg ball passes close to the bat or not, makes appeals for leg-side -catches at the wicket extremely hard to answer with any -degree of certainty.</p> - -<p>These are a few instances of the many very difficult cases -which an umpire may be called upon to decide at any moment -during a match. Many others will probably occur to the minds -of most of the readers of this chapter, at any rate of those who -have any practical experience of the game. We do not, however, -propose to mention all these cases at present; some of -them we shall have to refer to later on.</p> - -<p>We think enough has been said as to the difficult nature -of the post to show conclusively that it is an impossibility -to find an umpire who will not be liable to give bad verdicts. -It is most unfortunate that all umpires, in addition to having -to bear the heavy weight of knowing that they may at any -minute be called upon to give a decision about which they -are uncertain and consequently liable to err, have also too -often to suffer from the abuse of those who consider themselves -aggrieved by wrong decisions. The chief principle -that tends to harmonise the game, and make it the quiet -English pastime that it is, is that the umpire’s decision shall -be final. It would be impossible to play the game if this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -were not so; how would matches ever be finished satisfactorily -if every batsman had a right to remain at the wickets -until he himself thought he was fairly out? And yet, though -this principle is universally known as the main one on which -the prosperity of the game depends, we unfortunately find -but too frequently, and even amongst some of the leading -cricketers of the day, a tendency to revile and abuse the unfortunate -umpire whenever an appeal has been given against -them. If a batsman considers he has been given out wrongfully, -he has a perfect right, of course, to give his opinion of -what has taken place privately to anyone; but he has no right -to stand at his wicket wrangling with and abusing the umpire, -nor has he a right to declare publicly to the pavilion on his -return from the wickets that a wrong decision has been -given. Too often one sees a sulky, bad-tempered-looking face -arrive at the pavilion, and in loud tones declare he was not -within a yard of it, or ‘it didn’t pitch within a foot of the -wicket.’ Such conduct is unsportsmanlike and ungentlemanly, -and, what is more, is unfair, as such a statement is a public -accusation made against the professional capacity of an absent -man who has no opportunity of refuting or contradicting it.</p> - -<p>First-class amateur cricketers should remember that it is impossible -for them to pay too much deference to the decisions -of umpires, as it is from them that the standard or tone of -morality in the game is taken. They should ask themselves, if -they wrangle and dispute with umpires in first-class matches -when a large assemblage is present, what will happen in smaller -matches, when there is not the same publicity and notoriety to -restrain the rowdiness which has before now been the result of -a wordy warfare with ‘the sole judge of fair and unfair play.’ -We admit that there is nothing so disappointing and annoying -to a batsman as to be given out by what is really a bad decision. -Take, for instance, a man who cannot for business reasons get -away as much as he would like to indulge in his favourite game. -He has been looking forward for weeks to a particular match, -perhaps one of the greatest importance; he has been practising<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -hard for the last month in his spare time in the evenings after -business hours. The eventful day comes, the time for his -innings arrives, and just when he has settled down with ten or -fifteen to his score, and has begun to find himself thoroughly at -home with the bowling, his hopes are dashed to the ground by -a bad decision. He is maddened with anger and disappointment -for the moment, and every cricketer will heartily sympathise -with him; but if he allows his feelings to get the better of him, -and indulges in an open exhibition of anger against the umpire, -that man should never play cricket again until he has satisfied -himself that, come what may, he will be able to curb himself -sufficiently to prevent such exhibitions, which act so greatly -against the true interests of the game.</p> - -<p>The majority of cricketers, we are happy to say, are not -open abusers of umpires and their decisions, though a considerable -number have earned this unenviable notoriety. But by -far the greater proportion of batsmen, though not open cavillers -at the umpire’s verdict, always refuse to allow that his judgment, -when adverse to them, is correct, and especially in cases -of l.b.w. It is one of the most extraordinary things connected -with the game that, no matter how straight the ball may have -pitched, how low down it may have hit the leg, and how -straight it is going off the pitch to the wicket when stopped -by the opposing leg, there is not one batsman in twenty who will -allow that he is fairly out. ‘The ball pitched off the wicket;’ -‘It would have gone over the wicket;’ ‘It was twisting like -anything and would have missed the wicket;’ and ‘How could -it be out? I hit it hard,’ are the usual excuses that are made -to a knot of the crestfallen batsman’s friends and sympathisers -after his return to the pavilion. Sometimes, no doubt, one or -more of these excuses may be perfectly true, and the batsman -has been unfortunately dismissed by an error in judgment on the -part of the umpire; but in far the larger number of instances -they are simply sham excuses invented by the player to cover -his own discomfiture. In some cases a batsman may really -believe that the ball would have missed the wicket or did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -pitch straight, and if so he has a perfect right, if he thinks fit, -to tell his own friends what is opinion is; but as a rule the -umpire’s judgment is right and the batsman’s is wrong. The -mere fact of a ball hitting the leg when it is pitched <em>so nearly</em> -straight and would have <em>so nearly</em> hit the wicket as to justify -an appeal to the umpire, shows that the batsman has seriously -erred either in his judgment of the pitch of the ball or in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -stroke. He has made a mistake—the ball hitting his leg is a -proof that he has done so; and yet, with this proof staring -him in the face, he comes out and states positively what -practically comes to this: ‘The ball must have been very -nearly straight and would have very nearly hit the stumps, or -else the bowler would not have asked; I mistook the pace, or -the pitch, or the flight of the ball, or all three of them at the -same time; but now that I have had time to think over it, I -know for certain the ball was not pitched straight or would -not have hit the wicket.’ This is the logical conclusion of the -vast number of excuses that are made with regard to decisions -of l.b.w.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_a_clear_case" id="image_a_clear_case" class="nodec"><img src="images/a_clear_case.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="513" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - A clear case. - </p> -</div> - -<p>When a batsman says that he has hit the ball, it does not -always follow that it is correct, for under certain circumstances -he may imagine he has touched it when in fact he has not done -so. For instance, if he plays forward with the bat close to his -left leg, he may slightly touch his pad or his boot, which may -produce in his mind the same impression as if the bat had -touched the ball. In a forward stroke a slight touch on a hard -ground with the end of the bat will often convey the same -idea. There are one or two well-known cricketers, thoroughly -keen and honest players of the game, whose habit of finding -fault with umpires’ decisions adverse to themselves has often -provoked great amusement. We remember on one occasion taking -part in a match in which one of these critical gentlemen -was playing. Shortly after his innings began he missed a perfectly -straight ball, and just as it was going to hit the centre of -the middle stump it came into contact with a thick well-padded -leg. He had to go. Shortly afterwards in the pavilion he was -overheard replying in answer to a friend, ‘Out? why, it didn’t -pitch straight by a quarter of an inch!’</p> - -<p>What has been said with regard to the duty of batsmen to -abide by umpires’ decisions applies equally to bowlers. What -can be worse form than a public exhibition of temper on the -part of a bowler because an appeal is not answered in his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>favour? ‘<em class="plain" title="What?">Wha-a-a-t?</em>’ shouts a bowler at the top of his voice, -after a negative answer to an appeal, his eyes glaring at the -poor unfortunate umpire as if he wanted to eat him. ‘What -<em>is</em> out, then?’ Perhaps in the next ball or two the batsman -is palpably out, either bowled or caught. ‘How’s that, then, -sir?’ says the bowler in sarcastic glee, as if his success was -directly due to the former verdict of the umpire. All this -sort of thing is very poor cricket, and not calculated to promote -the true spirit of friendliness which should distinguish every -match if the game is to be enjoyed.</p> - -<p>It is in club cricket that there is always the greatest number -of disputes about umpires’ decisions. This is owing to the fact -that the only way in which umpires can be procured is by each -side bringing its own. As a rule the professional bowler of -a club stands as umpire in all matches, and this system, as -before mentioned, cannot fail occasionally to cause a little -wrangling. Supposing, for instance, a side has to get half a -dozen more runs to win a match with only one wicket to fall, -and the umpire of the fielding side, by giving the last hope out -leg before wicket, decides the game in favour of his employers, -it must inevitably stir up some angry feelings, especially as a -batsman is scarcely ever known to admit the impeachment of -being fairly out l.b.w. Considering the keenness and anxiety -to win of every cricketer worthy of the name, the fact of serious -disputes being almost unknown is a remarkable instance of the -generosity and manliness of English players.</p> - -<p>But it is in <i>bonâ fide</i> country or rustic matches that there -is most often good reason for finding fault with the decisions of -umpires. We are not speaking of matches between clubs who -can boast enough members to enable them to engage a professional -bowler, level a good large square piece of turf, and erect -a local habitation in the shape of a neat and pretty little pavilion; -but of matches between clubs in remote villages, where the -village common, rough and uneven as it is, suffices for practice -on the week-day evenings and for matches on Saturday afternoons, -where the only weapons of the batsmen are the old well-worn -and usually desperately heavy club bats, where the village<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -barber is the bowler, the village baker the best batsman, and -the umpire, on whom his side relies for victory more than on -all the other men in the village, the publican. There are still -such clubs in existence, though not nearly so many now as in -days gone by. The increased popularity of the game, and the -greater facilities for getting about the country, have caused -many of these old village clubs to become large and well-to-do. -One of the greatest treats that any cricket-lover can have is to -take part in a match between two really primitive village clubs. -The old fast under-arm bowling, now sixty years at least out -of date in first-class cricket, still preserves its pristine efficacy -on the rough uneven turf, and against the untutored batsmen. -The running and the shouting and the general excitement -when the parson misses a catch, or the butcher is bowled, -is very pleasing to one accustomed to the stateliness and -publicity of a match at Lord’s or the Oval. But the village -umpire is, perhaps, the most interesting personage on the -ground. He is usually a stout elderly man, who, grown too -grey on the head and too thick in the girth to give his side -any more active help in the field, assists in quite as efficient a -manner in his new post. He is generally a genial, jolly sort -of fellow; devoted to the game, he fondly imagines that he -is an infallible judge of every point that can arise in it, though -really he is wofully ignorant of the whole subject. He is, -however, looked up to by the whole village as an authority -whose opinion cannot be disputed; probably he has once in -his life, many years ago, been to Lord’s, and has there, while -watching Carpenter, Hayward, and George Parr, laid up a store -of information connected with the play of great cricket celebrities -which has sufficed ever since to maintain his reputation -as a cricket savant.</p> - -<p>Before the beginning of a match, he may be seen diligently -rolling the stubborn ground with a small hand-roller, in the -hopes that some of the numerous adamantine hillocks may be -compressed to something like a level with the surrounding -dales and valleys.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span></p> - -<p>After this labour of love has been ineffectually bestowed he -proceeds to mark the creases. And what marvellous works of -art they are when finished! Long crooked lines, some three or -four inches in thickness, suggest that straightness and neatness -have been sacrificed to the desire of using as much whitening -as possible. When it is time for the match to begin, he marches -solemnly to the wicket, with a bat over his shoulder, chaffing -and joking with the players as he goes. Then, what numerous -appeals are made to him! Catches at the wicket, l.b.w., runs out, -all follow one another in quick succession. His decisions are -always given with deliberation and evident doubt, and often are -preceded by questions to the batsman, such as, ‘Did yer ‘it it, -Jack?’ or, ‘Whereabouts did it touch ye?’ Thus the length of -a man’s innings is often in the same ratio as his moral obliquity -in concealing or perverting the truth. However, there is -wonderfully little disputing, the good-natured batsmen being -quite willing to abide by the fiat of the great authority; and if -decisions are given rather more against than for them, they are -induced to keep quiet by the knowledge that they have their -own village judge at the other end, who, when the time comes, -will do his best to equalise matters.</p> - -<p>One of the most primitive rustic matches we ever saw -was on a village common in Hampshire. We always look -back to that match as one which produced more real fun -than any we have ever taken part in. The village umpire -there, a jolly good-natured old man, but absolutely ignorant -of the laws of cricket, caused us the greatest merriment during -the whole day. In addition to his official post as umpire, he -was the village caterer at all public entertainments, and consequently -supplied luncheon at all the matches. It was -evident his thoughts in the field were divided between the -responsibilities of his two duties—at least we inferred so by his -occasionally allowing the bowler to bowl as much as ten or -more balls in an over, and giving as his reason, ‘If Mr.—— -doant have a bit o’ exercise, he woant relish my steak pie. -O’im vaamous for steak pies, yer know, sir,’ he added by way of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -apology for introducing the subject. This worthy old umpire -gave certainly the most astonishing decision we ever saw. A -man was batting at one end who was evidently one of the -swells of his side. Owing to the roughness and slope of the -ground, the slow bowling that he had to play was going about -in all directions. Now a ball, pitching nearly a wide to leg, -would twist in and pass the wicket on the off side, and then -one pitched wide on the off would hit or pass the legs of the -batsman, who, after many wild and futile attempts to strike -this, to him, peculiar style of bowling, determined, as a last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -resource, to treat it with supreme contempt. He therefore, -whenever the ball pitched wide, got in front of his stumps, -turned round, and presented the back portion of his person to -the bowler. The umpire watched these proceedings with a -somewhat perplexed smile on his broad good-humoured face, -but said nothing. Shortly, a ball that pitched a couple of feet -on the leg side, twisted in, and struck the batsman on the -seat of his trousers. This caused some laughter amongst the -lookers-on, and when the mirth had subsided the umpire -walked slowly a few yards down the pitch and addressed the -batsman thus: ‘Why, Jack, that ain’t cricket. O’im a pretty -favourable umpire as a rule, you know, Jack: but when a man -stops the ball with <em>that</em>, he must be out. You must go, Jack.’ -Nothing would induce the injured batsman to remain; we -implored him to stay, but no; he had been given out and was -going out; and for the rest of the day he enjoyed the importance -of being an injured man—an importance enhanced by -the opinions of his admirers that, had he not suffered an -injustice, the village scorers would have had on that occasion -anything but a holiday.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_you_must_go_jack" id="image_you_must_go_jack" class="nodec"><img src="images/you_must_go_jack.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="350" height="454" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - ‘You must go, Jack.’ - </p> -</div> - -<p>The well-known crack player who now and then plays in -village cricket matches usually enjoys perfect immunity from -the vagaries of the village umpire; in fact, he runs only a very -slight chance of ever being out at all, unless he is palpably -caught or his stumps knocked down. The old style of umpire -that we have attempted to describe is immensely delighted -at the prospect of seeing what he calls ‘real cricket,’ and -whether the ‘swell’ is on his side or against it, he fully -makes up his mind that it will be no fault of his if spectators -are not treated to an exhibition of the real article. The -bowlers may be hoarse with appealing, but the umpire remains -obdurate, and it is with real sorrow he at last sees the great -man go.</p> - -<p>We remember on one occasion coming across a strange -umpire in Scotland. It was in a country (very country) match. -The writer was batting, and his co-partner at the other end was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -well-known sporting baronet. The latter was the continual cause -of appeals both from the bowler and wicket-keeper for l.b.w.’s -and catches at the wicket. All were answered in the batsman’s -favour, much to the disgust of the fielders. Thinking that the -latter were really being treated rather badly, the writer ventured -humbly to ask the umpire whether the last appeal (an enormous -thigh right in front of all three stumps to a straight one) had -not been a very near thing. ‘Lor bless you, sir,’ was the reply, -‘I have been his valet for fifteen years, and I dussn’t give him -out; he gets awful wild at times.’</p> - -<p>A little knowledge is a dangerous thing to umpires as well -as everyone else. A ball in a country match hit the batsman’s -leg, skied up in the air, and was caught by point. ‘How’s that -for leg before wicket?’ shouted the bowler. ‘How’s that for a -catch?’ said point. The bewildered umpire had not an idea -what it was, but no doubt he thought such loud appeals meant -something, and so said, ‘Out.’ ‘What for?’ said the batsman; -‘it didn’t pitch anything like straight, wouldn’t have hit the -wicket, and what’s more, never touched it.’ ‘Out,’ said the -nonplussed umpire; ‘it hit <em>you below the wrist</em>.’ This story, -although told of an ignorant umpire, illustrates a principle -which the best umpires should have in mind, but which many -of them seem never to have learnt, or else to have forgotten, and -that is, never give your reasons for a decision. This is a golden -rule for all umpires. An umpire is engaged to say ‘Out’ or -‘Not out’ when appealed to, and not to state the reasons -which have induced his verdict. When a man adds to his decision, -‘It didn’t pitch straight,’ ‘Your toe was up in the air,’ -‘Your bat was over the crease but not on the ground,’ it -has a tendency to create useless discussion and waste of time. -Besides, an umpire may occasionally be right in his verdict, -but may be brought to grief by explaining his reasons. For -instance, suppose an appeal for a l.b.w., and the umpire says -‘Not out.’ The wicket-keeper and the bowler may know that -the point for decision is whether the ball pitched straight or -not; the umpire adds, for example, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>‘The ball would have gone -over the wicket.’ Well, this may be so, but both the wicket-keeper -and the bowler think not; if the verdict had been -a decided ‘Not out,’ both of these two would have been satisfied—a -doubtful point had been given against them, no one -was to blame for it, better luck next time, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> But since -the umpire has been guilty of stating reasons, which, according -to them, are not satisfactory, he has branded himself with a bad -decision in the eyes of the fielding side.</p> - -<p>Some umpires—in fact, the majority of them—have a habit -of putting their hand and arm in the air and pointing to the -skies when they give a man out. A verdict propitious to the -batsman is given by a solemn ‘Not out,’ but one adverse by an -annoying silence and a most inappropriate wave of the arm -in the air. It would be far more to the purpose if the finger -were pointed downwards instead of upwards, as the batsman’s -hopes are shattered. We never like to leave the wickets till -the umpire’s voice is heard. The arm may go in the air -involuntarily, or the umpire be surprised into a spasmodic -upward arm-jerk; but a good honest ‘Out’ can never be -doubted.</p> - -<p>With regard to the qualifications that a man should possess -before he can hope to perform satisfactorily to himself and others -the duties of an umpire, the first essential is that he must -have been at one time a good cricketer. By good we do not -mean first-class, or that he must have had his name amongst -the list of the best players of his time; but he must have been -fairly proficient in the game, and must have had a large practical -experience. The qualifications of a good judge are, no doubt, -of a different nature from those for a good advocate, but before a -man can sit on the Bench he must have passed through the -wear and tear of the bar, and had, when there, varied experiences -in the practice of law. So with an umpire; it does not -absolutely follow that a first-rate player will make a good -umpire, but it does follow that a man who has had great -practical experience in the game will be better qualified to -decide the nice points that arise than one who has only made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -cricket a theoretical study. Assuming that a man has sufficient -knowledge of the game to stand as umpire, he must possess -quick and keen sight, a good sense of hearing, powers of rapid -decision, and last, but not least, he must be very fond of -cricket. The necessity of the first two of these qualifications -for good umpiring is apparent. For most decisions a good -power of sight only is required, but in appeals for catches at -the wicket an umpire has both to be guided by his eyes and -his ears. Many cases occur where the ball and the bat pass -each other with such rapidity that it is impossible for an umpire -to be certain from his eyes alone that they have touched -one another, and he must then, to a great extent, be guided -by what he has heard. Both sight and sound must help him -to come to his conclusion, and he must give no decision if -it is inconsistent with the effect of either of these senses on his -mind.</p> - -<p>No umpire should ever be chosen to stand in first-class -matches unless he possesses the perfect use of these two senses. -More than once in important matches we have seen an umpire -with his ears stuffed full of cotton-wool. This, no doubt, was an -excellent preventive against catching cold in the head, but it -was a monstrous thing to see the result of a match of some -interest depending upon the amount of sound that could penetrate -through two or three layers of wadding.</p> - -<p>An umpire should possess powers of quick decision, because -every time his opinion is asked he has to give it at once, and -with firmness. If he shows any signs of doubt or hesitation, -he destroys the confidence which it should be his constant endeavour -to see reposed in him and his judgment.</p> - -<p>An umpire has to concentrate every particle of his attention -on the game, every minute of the five or six hours he is in the -field has to be devoted to studiously watching every ball that -is bowled and every incident in the play. Once let his attention -be distracted, or his interest lessened in what is going on around -him, and he will make a mistake. The powers of concentration -necessary in an umpire are so great, and are required for such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -a lengthy period, that it is impossible to find them in any man -unless he is imbued with a thorough love of cricket. It is this -devotion to the game which enables our umpires to fix their -attention on it for such long weary hours, in all conditions of -weather, and in our most important matches, with such a heavy -weight of responsibility upon their shoulders. Firm, free, and -unbiassed in their judgment, our English umpires have the -satisfaction of knowing that unbounded confidence is placed -in them by the players and the public, and that never in the -history of modern cricket has there been the faintest whisper -of suspicion against their integrity or fair fame.</p> - -<p>And now let us discuss the actual duties of an umpire connected -with the game. The two umpires before the beginning -of the match should be present when the ground is chosen and -measured. By rights, it is the duty of the umpires actually to -choose the pitch; but this is seldom done, as so much care -and attention is spent on all grounds at the present day by the -ground-men, that the wicket intended to be used has been -generally prepared with diligence for two or three days previous -to the match. They should, however, be present, and see that -the ground is the proper measurement, and that the stumps -are so fixed in the ground as to satisfy the sixth rule of the -game—namely, ‘Each wicket shall be eight inches in width, and -consist of three stumps.... The stumps shall be of equal -and sufficient size to prevent the ball from passing through, -twenty-seven inches out of the ground. The bails shall be each -four inches in length, and when in position on the top of the -stumps, shall not project more than half an inch above them. -Umpires should be very careful to see that these provisions are -complied with both with regard to the width of the wicket and -the ball passing between the stumps.’ We have often seen -stumps in a first-class match so wide apart that the ball would -pass between them without dislodging the bails; over and over -again have we taken hold of the ball and passed it between them -to show the umpire that the stumps were too far apart; but -we have never seen a bowled ball pass between the stumps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -without removing the bails in a first-class match, though this -often happens in smaller matches. Umpires should themselves -measure the ground between the wickets; groundsmen, as a -rule, do this, but they occasionally do it in a careless and -slovenly fashion, which may result in the distance being a foot -too short or too long. The slightest difference in the usual -distance of twenty-two yards from wicket to wicket makes a -great difference to the bowler, and so it should invariably be -checked by the umpires themselves using the chain.</p> - -<p>Before the match begins, the umpires should settle what -the boundaries are to be. This, of course, will only apply -to those places where the boundaries have not been finally -settled, as at Lord’s and the Oval and other well-known -grounds. The usual practice, however, is for the visiting team -to accept the boundaries that are customary on the ground; -but should there be any dispute on this subject, it must be -settled by the umpires. Having arranged all preliminaries -connected with the pitch and the boundaries, the umpires -should go to the wickets punctually to the very minute agreed -upon for beginning play. A vast amount of time is on many -grounds lost owing to unpunctuality; and if the umpires -appear on the ground at the appointed time, irrespective of -whether the players are ready or not, it has a good effect. The -umpire at the bowler’s end, when the bowling is over the wicket, -should stand as near as he can to the wicket without inconveniencing -the bowler in his action; he should stand sideways -fronting the bowler, but with his head looking over his right -shoulder down the pitch. The object of this attitude is that as -small a surface of his body as possible should be permitted to -be in the line of sight of the batsman and the ball. There are -some umpires who stand as much as five or six yards from the -wicket, no doubt under the impression that so long as they are -in a straight line with the two wickets they can see everything; -but this is a mistake, as it is evident that the nearer the umpire -stands to the wicket the better he can see and judge the points -that arise for his decision. Before umpires were required to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -wear the long white coats which now render them so conspicuous, -their dark ones often greatly interfered with the batsman’s -view of the ball, but now this inconvenience has been done -away with, and the batsman can never rightly complain of his -sight being obscured by the umpire.</p> - -<p>The umpire should stand perfectly still at the moment the -ball is delivered; he must not even move his head, as any moving -object directly behind the ball, and especially as near to it as -the umpire is standing, may distract the batsman’s sight from -the ball. He must watch the bowler’s hindmost foot to see if -it touch or cross the bowling crease, in which case it is a ‘no -ball,’ and must almost at the same time watch the bowler’s hand -and arm to guard against any infringement of the rule against -throwing.</p> - -<p>The rule with regard to ‘no balls’ is, ‘The bowler shall -deliver the ball with one foot on the ground behind the bowling -crease, and within the return crease, otherwise the umpire -shall call no ball.’ The umpire must, therefore, call ‘no ball’ -if the hindmost foot of the bowler is, at the moment of delivery, -even touching the bowling or return creases. This rule makes -it important that the bowling crease should be neatly and correctly -marked. The rule with regard to the bowling crease -says that it ‘shall be in a line with the stumps, 6 ft. 8 in. in -length, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr>,’ but says nothing about the width of it. We must, -therefore, infer from the words ‘in a line’ that the bowling -crease should not be of greater width than the thickness of the -stumps. If it is drawn of this thickness only, it is a very -narrow line, but is correct according to a common-sense interpretation -of the rules 7 and 11; for supposing, as is often the -case, the crease is thicker than the width of the stumps, it -would then be a manifest injustice to ‘no ball’ a bowler because -his hindmost foot has just touched the edge of it. These two -rules evidently mean that the hindmost foot shall be behind the -line of the wicket when the ball is delivered. If the crease is -too thick, the foot may just touch it and yet not transgress the -spirit of the two rules taken together.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span></p> - -<p>With regard to the necessity, laid down in rule 11, for the -hindmost foot to be on the ground ... when the ball is -delivered, we think umpires may take it as settled that it is -quite an impossibility for a bowler to deliver a ball with this -foot off the ground. Let anyone try to bowl with only the -left foot on the ground, and he will at once see the practical -impossibility of doing so. A ‘no ball’ should be called -quickly and distinctly directly the ball has been delivered; -an umpire must not shout ‘No ball’ as soon as he sees the -foot touch or overlap the crease, but must wait till the ball is -actually bowled; otherwise he may land himself in a difficulty -should the bowler stop and not deliver the ball. We remember -an umpire, who is generally supposed to be about the best in -England, making this mistake in 1886; he called a ‘no ball’ -so very prematurely that it gave the bowler time to stop before -the ball left his hand.</p> - -<p>A wide ball is one that, in the opinion of the umpire, is not -within reach of the striker. It therefore does not make the -slightest difference where it pitches so long as, in the umpire’s -opinion, it has <em>never been</em> within the batsman’s reach. Some -people entertain the idea that if a ball has pitched fairly straight -but afterwards twisted beyond the batsman’s reach, it should -not be called wide; but this is wrong, as the rule says positively -that ‘if it is not within reach of the striker, the umpire shall -call “wide ball.”’ It is often a very nice point as to what is -or is not within reach of the striker, and umpires’ opinions vary -on this head. We think the true reading of the rule is that, on -the off side, the batsman’s reach should not be limited to what -he can only reach when standing still in his original position, -but should be extended to what he can conveniently and comfortably -reach with either leg across his wicket, say for ‘cutting’ -or ‘off driving.’ On the leg side we think a ball should be -called ‘wide’ if the batsman in the ordinary swing of the -arms and bat for a leg hit could not reach it.<a name="Anchor_32" id="Anchor_32" href="#Footnote_32" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 32.">[32]</a> It thus follows,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -that a ball may be a ‘wide’ on the leg side which would not be -one if at an equal distance from the batsman on the off side. If -the ball passes so high over the batsman as to be out of his -reach, it is a ‘wide.’ This very rarely occurs, but umpires -should remember that if the batsman can touch this ball by -holding the bat in the air, it is not a ‘wide.’ It does not -follow that it is a ‘wide’ because the ball goes over the head of -the batsman without being played at—most batsmen refuse to -strike at such a ball because of the attendant risk—but it must -be so high that the batsman cannot reach it when holding the -bat in the usual manner.</p> - -<p>When the bowler is bowling round the wicket the umpire -should stand exactly in the same place as he does for ‘over -the wicket’ bowling, but should of course front the bowler’s side -of the wicket. He should be watchful to see that the bowler -keeps within the limit of the return crease; if he touches -this with his hindmost foot, it is a ‘no ball’ and should be -instantly ‘called.’ Round-the-wicket bowlers often have a -tendency to bowl as far as possible round the wicket, and as -this is done with the object of making their bowling more -difficult, umpires should be careful to keep them within the -prescribed limits. There is rather a slackness in many umpires -about calling ‘no ball’ because the return crease is touched; -but they ought to be quite as particular in this respect as in -the case of the bowling crease—in fact, even more so, as a ball -delivered an extra inch from the line between wicket and wicket -makes more difference to the batsman than one delivered an -inch nearer than usual.</p> - -<p>The principal duties of the umpire at the bowler’s end are -those we have discussed—viz. calling ‘wides’ and ‘no balls,’ -answering decisions for leg before wicket and catches at the -wicket—and there are some few other points he may occasionally -be called upon to decide. Before mentioning these, let -us see what the laws say with regard to the several duties of -the two umpires. Law 47 says, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span>‘The umpire at the bowler’s -wicket shall be appealed to before the other umpire in all -cases except in those of stumping, hit wicket, run out at the -striker’s wicket, or arising out of law 42 (the law relating to any -part of the wicket-keeper’s person being in front of the wicket, -or to his taking the ball before it reaches the wicket); but in -any case in which an umpire is unable to give a decision, he -shall appeal to the other umpire, whose decision shall be final.’ -It will thus be seen that the umpire at the bowler’s end must -be appealed to first in all but the excepted cases; he therefore -has to decide all questions relating to catches; but if he is -uncertain, or from some cause has been prevented from seeing -the circumstances of the catch, he may appeal to the other -umpire, whose decision shall be final. It is sometimes a very -difficult thing for an umpire to be certain whether or not the -fielder’s hands have got under the ball before it has touched -the ground; if he is at all doubtful, he should at once appeal -to the other umpire, whose position may probably have enabled -him to get a better view of the ‘catch.’ A difficulty occasionally -arises in connection with what is commonly called a ‘bump’ -ball. A bump ball is one which the batsman, playing hard on -to the ground and close to the bat, causes to bound in the -air. Should it be caught by a fielder, a question often arises -whether it touched the ground after the bat or not. Sometimes -these decisions are hard to arrive at with certainty, and especially -so if the ground is dry and dusty and the batsman in -striking stirs up a cloud of dust, as the actual contact between -the bat and the ball is then partially, if not altogether, obscured -from the umpire’s view. Perhaps the most historical decision -on this point is one that was given in the University match of -1881. C. F. H. Leslie, the well-known old Rugbeian, had just -begun his innings; A. F. J. Ford was bowling. Leslie made -a half-hit at a well-pitched-up ball, and raised a cloud of dust -around him; the ball came straight back to the bowler, who -caught it, and Leslie instantly left his wicket for the pavilion, -evidently under the impression that he was fairly out. Before -he had reached the entrance of the pavilion circumstances arose -which caused the other batsman then at the wickets to appeal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -to the bowler’s umpire for a decision as to whether the catch -had been made off a ‘bump’ ball or not. This umpire, not -being able to give a decision, appealed to the other one, who, -after some discussion with his colleague, decided in the affirmative, -and consequently Leslie resumed his innings.</p> - -<p>When an umpire has to decide the question of a ‘bump’ -ball or not, he must be guided by its length, its flight from the -bat, and the way in which the latter has been used; the state -of the ground sometimes must be considered, as it is unlikely, -when the turf is in a soft, spongy state, that a ball will bounce -high or far from it.</p> - -<p>As will be seen by the latter part of law 47 (just quoted), -the bowler’s umpire may occasionally be appealed to on matters -which are primarily in the discretion of his colleague. If the -latter cannot decide, for instance, a question of stumping, which, -by the law, must first be referred to him, he may appeal to the -bowler’s umpire. This power of appealing in cases of stumping -is rarely used—in fact, we have never seen or heard of a -single case of its exercise, though we once saw a case arise in -which an appeal might very rightly have been made. In the -University match of 1878, A. H. Evans was batting, he ran out -to a slow, hit at it with all his might, missed it, and let the bat -slip out of his hands. The ball was taken, and the wicket put -down by the Cambridge wicket-keeper, Alfred Lyttelton; but -the umpire had seen the bat flying straight at his head, and not -wishing to risk a broken crown by sticking to his post, had -fallen down with his head averted from the wicket, and was -consequently unable to give a decision on a case which he had -not seen. Evans was some three or four feet out of his ground -when the bails were knocked off, but as no decision was given -against him he of course remained at the wickets. This is -exactly the case which this part of rule 47 is framed to meet; -the other umpire would have been quite able to have given a -decision on a plain case like this, and no doubt would have -done so had there been an appeal made to him.</p> - -<p>Under law 43 many points arise for the decision of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -bowler’s umpire, two of which merit discussion here. This law -says, ‘<em>The umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play</em>, -of the fitness of the ground, the weather, and the light for play; -all disputes shall be determined by them, and if they disagree -the actual state of things shall continue.’ But law 46 says, ‘They -(the umpires) shall not order a batsman out unless appealed to -by the other side.’ So that no umpire can really decide anything, -except wides, no balls, and boundary hits, unless an -appeal is made to him. As will be seen from law 43, appeals -may be made on the fairness or otherwise of the play. These -appeals happily are seldom made, but circumstances may arise -in which it is the duty of the umpire to give his opinion under -this rule. For instance, should the bowler so cut up the pitch -with his feet as to place the batsman at a disadvantage when -opposed to the bowling from the other end, it would be the duty -of the umpire, if appealed to, to say that such tearing or cutting -up was unfair, whether done accidentally or not. When the -<abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> Ivo Bligh’s team was in Australia in 1882–3, an appeal -was made to the umpire by one of this team as to whether the -way in which Spofforth was cutting up the wicket was fair or -unfair. There was no doubt the wicket was being seriously -damaged; the appealing batsman of course made no imputation -of intentional unfairness against Spofforth, but only asked for -a decision whether such damage was fair to the batting side. -The umpire asked to see the soles of Spofforth’s shoes; these -were held up for public view, and as they only had about one -spike each, it was decided that there was nothing unfair. It, -is, however, a well-known fact that when ground is cut up, it is -done by the force with which the boot is brought on to the -ground; the edge of the sole is often answerable for the damage, -and the number of spikes that are worn is quite beside the -question.</p> - -<p>As we have before noted, the umpire at the striker’s end -has to decide some few points; his duties, however, are not -nearly so onerous as those of his colleague at the other end.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -They are decisions on stumping, hitting wicket, running out, -and matters arising under law 42. This umpire should stand -quite square with the wicket, so near as to enable him to see -accurately all that happens without placing himself in any risk -from a hard square hit. He should take care that the popping -crease is clearly visible to him: if it has got worn out and -difficult to see, a pinch of sawdust placed at the end of it -will give him its correct line. It is always best, however, when -either of the creases has become indistinct to send for the -whitening and re-mark it. Stumping rarely gives much difficulty -to the umpire; his position is such that he ought always to be -able to see whether the bails are off before the bat or foot are -within the line. If the toe of the batsman is on the crease -and <em>no part of his foot within it</em>, of course the decision must be -against the batsman. If the batsman relies on his bat being in -his ground when the bails are off, the umpire should recollect -that the bat must be <em>in his hand</em> according to law 19. We -recollect once seeing in a county match a batsman after a -tremendous futile swipe fall prostrate outside his ground with -the force of the unsuccessful stroke; he was lying some two -feet out of his ground, and his bat was within the crease -with the handle resting on his shoulder when the wicket was -put down. The umpire wrongly gave him ‘not out,’ no doubt -thinking he was justified in doing so as the bat was connected -with a portion of the batsman’s body. The bat must, however, -be in his hand to prevent a decision against him, unless ‘some -part of his person be grounded within the line of the popping -crease.’</p> - -<p>It is generally easy for an umpire to see when a batsman -hits his wickets. The ball is usually played by the bat, but -the batsman coming further back than usual, either from a mistake -in his judgment as to the pitch or from originally standing -too near, strikes the wicket. An umpire, however, must keep -a sharp look on the wicket-keeper’s feet and hands, and see -that the fall of the bails is not due to any of these coming -in contact with the wicket. It is possible for a wicket-keeper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -to dislodge the bails with the tip of his gloves or the point of -his boot, and yet be unconscious that he has done so. An -umpire must also keep his eyes open to guard against any -chance of this being intentionally done. Fortunately there -is now no ‘hanky-panky’ play in our first-class cricket; but -there have undoubtedly been cases where a smart wicket-keeper -has been unable to resist the temptation of removing -the bail with foot or glove when in the act of taking the ball. -If any part of the batsman’s person hits the wicket ‘in playing -at the ball,’ it is sufficient to justify a decision against him. If -his hat blow off and knock the bails off when he is in the act -of playing, he is out; several instances are on record of this -unfortunate method of dismissal. In the season of 1886 there -was an instance recorded of a man knocking one of his bails -off with a piece of the string that had been wrapped round -the blade of his bat; he was, of course, given out. A difficulty -sometimes arises as to whether the bail was knocked off in the -actual stroke at the ball, or whether it was in the action of the -bat preliminary or subsequent to the stroke.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_stumped" id="image_stumped" class="nodec"><img src="images/stumped.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="251" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Stumped. - </p> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span></p> -<p>The duties of umpires are so various, and the decisions -they are called upon to give are so numerous, that it is an impossibility -to discuss them all. Every umpire should remember -that when an unforeseen incident occurs in the game he must -use his common sense for its solution, and then he will not go -far wrong.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span></p> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<ul> -<li> - <a name="Footnote_32" id="Footnote_32" href="#Anchor_32" title="Return to text.">[32]</a> A batsman’s reach is further on the off than the leg side, because he has -his legs to put across the wicket to help him on the former side. -</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER VI. FIELDING." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="6">VI.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">FIELDING.<a name="Anchor_33" id="Anchor_33" href="#Footnote_33" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 33.">[33]</a><br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span>)</span></h2> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="385" height="275" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="255" height="20" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="270" height="8" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="250" height="15" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="230" height="15" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="220" height="15" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="200" height="40" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><p class="idropcap_caption" id="fielding_caption"> - ‘Saving the four.’ - </p> - </div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <a name="image_saving_the_four" id="image_saving_the_four" class="nodec"><img src="images/saving_the_four.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="416" /></a> - <p class="idropcap_caption"> - ‘Saving the four.’ - </p> -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="fielding"> - -<p class="idrop-cap_1st_text" id="fielding_top"><span class="uppercase">Certain</span> natural -qualifications are -indispensable to enable -any cricketer to become -a great fieldsman. -The highest reputation that -can be attained by any painstaking -cricketer who is not -endowed with these qualifications -is that of being a good -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span>safe man. When you hear this epithet, you may take it for -granted that reference is made to a man who may cover himself -with glory if he has to field a ball within a certain more -or less limited space from the spot where he has taken his -position, who is generally in the habit of holding a feasible -catch, and who will seldom disgrace himself.</p> - -<p>In other words, a safe field is generally a slow one, is lacking -in electricity and rapidity of movement, and, as batsmen get to -know this, the short run is attempted with impunity. Slow fields -are earnestly advised to practise throwing; for their defects are -less apparent when fielding a long distance from the wicket, and -the non-observant spectator does not notice that the ground covered -at a distance from the wicket by a slow field is very small -compared to that commanded by some space-covering field -like Palairet, Sugg, or J. Douglas.</p> - -<p>Again, let safe and slow fields, the roadsters among the -thoroughbreds, try and get a respectable knowledge of the -game; for if they obtain this they can in a great measure discount -their deficiencies. A good judge of the game gets to -know by instinct where a batsman is likely to hit certain balls, -and so does the observant fieldsman. He will consequently shift -a few yards or so from his original position to the spot towards -which his instinct tells him the ball is likely to be hit; and -he will thereby earn the enviable reputation of being a man -who is frequently in the right place. It used to be said of the -immortal French tennis player, Barre, that he himself did not -run after the ball, but the ball ran after him; his genius told -him where his opponent was going to hit the ball, and he planted -himself accordingly. In like manner will a fieldsman so plant -himself; and it is important to a slow field to try and acquire -this instinct, for if the fieldsman is not on a certain spot of ground -before the hit is made, his slowness will prevent his getting there -afterwards, especially if the hit is hard and the ground fast.</p> - -<p>Directions may now be given on the knotty points, ‘Where -ought I to stand?’ ‘When ought I to back up?’ ‘Which -end ought I to throw to?’ and a few others; for this reason,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -that many a good fieldsman might be better if he knew where -to place himself and precisely what to do.</p> - -<p>First, then, it may be safely asserted that a concentrated -attention on every ball is a <i>sine quâ non</i> of even decent fielding. -Men often think that if they are simply looking at the -batsman they are doing all that is required. But this is not so. -There is a difference of opinion as to whether the eyes should -be fixed on the batsman, or should follow the ball as it leaves -the bowler’s arm; this is a matter of dispute, our own opinion -being in favour of the former plan. But each man should stand -as if the next ball were sure to come to him, not only as if it -might come to him. One can see a whole eleven doing it now -and then when there are (say) six runs wanted to tie and seven -to win. They are all adopting for a few minutes the position -they ought to adopt always—in short, the position in which great -fieldsmen like Wainwright and Burnup are found invariably. -We will first take a few general points, and then the separate -places in the field.</p> - -</div> <!-- end of potential wrap round dropcap --> - -<h3 title="">BACKING UP.</h3> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_backing_up" id="image_backing_up" class="nodec"><img src="images/backing_up.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="179" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Backing up. - </p> -</div> - -<p>This is a matter which demands the earnest consideration -of all who field within thirty yards of the wicket. There -ought always to be two men backing up; never more.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -Nine times out of ten they will be superfluous, but the tenth -time they will save a ‘four overthrow,’ and all the chagrin, -demoralisation, and tearing of hair connected with that disaster. -No fieldsman can throw his best unless he is confident about -the backing up, and the man who ought to be abused when an -overthrow occurs is not the fieldsman who throws the ball, -but the men who should be backing up and are not. Again—and -let young fields take heed to this—there must be ten yards -between the two men backing up, and also between the one -nearest the wicket and the wicket. This gives them room to -stop the wildest throw, but does not give the batsmen time to -run if the ball passes the wicket. If the fields stand close -together, two are as bad as none, and get in each other’s way. -Rules for the different fields we give in dealing with them -separately.</p> - -<h3 title="">THROWING.</h3> - -<p>This is, of course, a gift of nature, not a result of art. -Few men can throw far, but everyone can throw quickly, and -that is what prevents batsmen from running. There is a -moment which decides a batsman whether he can manage to -secure another run or not. It is just when a fieldsman, having -run some way after the ball, and having his back turned to -the wicket, is stooping to pick up preparatory to throwing in. -Now any good judge of running, after seeing a man go through -this process once, knows exactly how long it will take. Every -nerve should be strained to make it as brief as possible: a little -extra sign of life and rapid movement will make the batsman -hesitate a moment, and the run is lost. The engraving on <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 245 -shows what in our opinion is the proper way to pick up a ball -going away. The field is not trying to catch the ball up as far as -his feet are concerned. He is stretching his hand forward to -pick it up, and when he has got it into his hand he will throw it -rather over his left shoulder to the wicket. Again, supposing a -run is being snatched. The field should then remember that -to throw in slowly is of no possible use. The throw may be, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> -other respects, as perfect and as straight as Robin Hood’s arrow, -but the batsman will be safe over the crease, and such a throw -becomes an example of showy drawing-room cricket, which is -sure to be applauded by the spectators, as well as the reporters, -but is useless to the side. If every field picked up and threw -in as quickly as his knee -joints and the state of his -arm allowed him, a very -considerable percentage -of the runs usually -scored would be saved. -It is commonly asserted -by many of those -supporters of the game -who, having laid down -their arms, devote themselves -for the rest of their -lives to laying down the -law, that nobody ought -ever to throw down the -wicket. This is certainly -wrong. We do not mean -that everybody ought -always to throw at the -wicket, but only that -some fields, under certain -circumstances, ought to do so. These circumstances occur -when it is the only chance of running a man out. The ball -should be hurled violently at the bails, and if an overthrow -occurs, the wise captain will abuse those who ought to be -backing up, and not the thrower. But to throw hard at the -wicket when there is no chance of running a man out is -strongly to be condemned; it may produce an overthrow, and -it is certain to inflict useless concussion on the hands of -bowlers and wicket-keepers. No fieldsman is so apt to disregard -this advice as the bowler; at least, it is a fact that many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -bowlers are particularly fond of returning the ball hard to the -wicket after they have fielded it. It does not succeed in running -a man out once in a thousand times, it often enables a -run to be got by an overthrow, and it uselessly troubles the -wicket-keeper. A batsman is next door to an idiot who is -got out by such means, and we suspect that it is often done to -secure the applause of an unthinking mob.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_overtaking_and_picking_up" id="image_overtaking_and_picking_up" class="nodec"><img src="images/overtaking_and_picking_up.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="364" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - ‘Overtaking and picking up.’ - </p> -</div> - -<h3 title="">DEEP FIELD, OR COUNTRY CATCHING.</h3> - -<p>This is an art which the above-mentioned critics lament as -having died out. It may be suspected that they missed as -many catches as the present -generation, but still -the present generation miss -more than they ought. All -fine country fields catch -the ball close to the body—nay, -more close to the head—and -rightly so, because -the eye is more in a line -with the ball, and with the -hands in the position shown -in <a href="#image_the_right_way_to_catch" title="Go to figure 1"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 1</a>, not in the way -shown in <a href="#image_the_wrong_way_to_catch" title="Go to figure 2"><abbr title="figure">fig.</abbr> 2</a>. If a -young player begins in the -wrong way, he will miss -one or two and get nervous. -It is worth remembering -that folios of rules -will never make a nervous -field keep hold of a country -catch. Cold hands are -a frequent cause of failure, -but loss of confidence and -the disorganisation of the nervous system is the commonest -reason, and a constant prayer of many a cricketer is to be -spared a high catch.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_right_way_to_catch" id="image_the_right_way_to_catch" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_right_way_to_catch.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="340" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 1.</span>—The right way to catch. - </p> -</div> - -<p>When a field begins to be uncertain, he should keep wicket -to fast bowling for a quarter of an hour a day, and field somewhere -close in for a week or so. The wicket-keeping will -practise his eye, and the fielding -close in will spare his -nerves during this educational -process. Practice is, of course, -useful for long catches, but -only up to a certain point. A -player may alter from a bad -style of catching to a good -one by practice, but a very safe -catch in practice is frequently -a bad performer in a match, -simply on account of nervousness. -For sharp catches, -wicket-keeping is, perhaps, -the only thing that will help. -The peculiar faculty they demand -is, like the spin in -bowling, something that cannot -be taught, the possession -of which is a guarantee of -genius.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_wrong_way_to_catch" id="image_the_wrong_way_to_catch" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_wrong_way_to_catch.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="200" height="361" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - <span class="smcap"><abbr title="Figure">Fig.</abbr> 2.</span>—The wrong way to catch. - </p> -</div> - -<p>And now for those who -occupy the separate places, first among whom we are surely -right in dealing with the</p> - -<h3 title="">WICKET-KEEPER.</h3> - -<p>A little thought makes it clear that there are given at least -three chances of catching to one of stumping a man out. And -so the wicket-keeper must first feel the ball safe and warm in -his hands before he attempts to put the wicket down. This -advice sounds obvious, but it is so often disregarded that it -must be insisted on. The first rule accordingly is, that the -ball must not be snatched at, but received. This snapping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -used to be a very common fault with amateurs, and the great -George Pinder’s remark, ‘You amateurs snap ’em a bit,’ hit on -a then weak spot in amateur wicket-keeping. Another reason -for not snapping is one that will certainly strike home, and -that is, that the non-snapper is not nearly so likely to hurt his -hands, as one form of snapping consists in jerking the hands -quickly forward to meet the ball, and thereby resisting a blow -instead of waiting for it. Another danger of snapping is, that -you run the risk of moving your hands in such a way that instead -of the ball striking the palms of the hands where it does -not hurt, it strikes you on the top of the thumb or fingers, causing -an agony that only wicket-keepers can rightly appreciate. -Hardly any two wicket-keepers stand alike, so take any position -that is natural to you, as was recommended in the chapter on -Batting, only bearing one fact in mind, which is, to avoid -standing so far away as not to be able comfortably to put down -the wicket without moving the legs. The postures generally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -assumed are, it must be confessed, the reverse of graceful; -they are too well known to need description, but the two most -common forms are shown in the figures given on <abbr title="pages">pp.</abbr> <a href="#image_sherwin_in_position" title="Go to illustration of Sherwin in position">252</a> -and <a href="#image_another_position" title="Go to illustration of another wicket keeper position">254</a>. In one figure we recognise the massive proportions -of the famous Sherwin. It is wise to teach the beginner to -stand still and not to move his feet till the ball is hit by the -batsman or has passed his hands or is in his hands. We say -beginners because some famous wicket-keepers do move right -in front of the ball, but if a beginner moves his feet it may be -inferred that he funks the ball, and is getting out of its way. -Again, you may not be able to take many leg-balls, but every -time you do put the wicket down, not regarding the fact that -the batsman may not be out of his ground. If you wait to -look, he certainly will not wait to get back, warned as he is by -the sound of the ball impinging on the gloves that there is no -time for loitering about. We do not say that an appeal ought -to be made to the umpire every time that the wicket is put -down; that ought only to be done when you think that the batsman -was out of his ground; unless this is the case it is an unfair -and unsportsmanlike proceeding.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_sherwin_in_position" id="image_sherwin_in_position" class="nodec"><img src="images/sherwin_in_position.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="287" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Wicket-keeper—Sherwin in position. - </p> -</div> - -<p>We have before protested against pandering to the vicious -tastes of the gallery, and we must protest against it again, -and caution wicket-keepers in the following particular. It is -supremely difficult to take leg-balls, and the populace applaud -accordingly when one is taken. Now we have no objection to a -wicket-keeper taking as many leg-balls as possible, but on one -condition, and that is, that he does not lay himself out to take -leg-balls at the expense of the off balls. It is easy to do -this by a different position and a concentration of thought -on the leg-balls. The vast majority of catches are given -on the off side, and catches, as has been before remarked, -out-number stumping chances in the proportion of 3 to 1. -We would infinitely sooner have a wicket-keeper on our side -who was safe on the off side and did not take one leg-ball in -a hundred, limiting leg-balls to those outside the legs of the -batsman. Let your first thoughts be concentrated mainly on -straight and off-side balls, and pay no regard to the applause<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -of any save those whose knowledge of the game makes their -approbation valuable.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_another_position" id="image_another_position" class="nodec"><img src="images/another_position.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="387" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Wicket-keeper—Another position. - </p> -</div> - -<p>A player with no aptitude for wicket-keeping on first going -to that position will undergo moments of unspeakable agony. -Spectators do not thoroughly realise the position of the wicket-keeper, -indeed nobody can who has not attempted the art. In -the first place, we will suppose a very fast bowler; in the second, -a fast and possibly a rather bumpy wicket; in the third place, -a batsman with perhaps the bulk of W. G. Grace or K. J. Key, -wielding a bat of the orthodox proportions; and in the -fourth place, three stumps with two bails placed on the top. -The body of the batsman in many cases completely obstructs -the view the wicket-keeper ought to have of the ball. Even if -he can get a good sight of the ball there is that abominable bat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -being fiddled about, baulking the eyesight in the most tantalising -manner, and there are some batsmen who have a provoking -habit of waving their bats directly the bowler begins his run, -and continuing their antics till the ball is right up to them; -while others seem to be built like windmills, and have a limb -always at hand to throw out between the unhappy wicket-keeper -and the rapidly-advancing ball. There are several seconds, -therefore, when the wicket-keeper is only conjecturing what -course the ball is taking, and is certain of but two things—one, -that the ball is hard; the other, that it is advancing in -the direction of himself with terrific rapidity. Then, even if -you see the ball plainly, it may happen to be, and frequently is, -straight, and a straight fast ball raises unutterable emotions in -the wicket-keeper’s breast; for who knows what devilish tricks -the ball, to say nothing of the bails, will play after the wicket is -struck, and the course of the missile diverted, not stopped? One -reads how a bail has been sent a distance of thirty or forty -yards by a fast ball, and that bail may take the wicket-keeper -in the eye <i>in transitu</i>. The writer was once struck by the ball -on the eye and by the bail on the mouth at very nearly the -same second. The wicket-keeper is grimly told that he must -not flinch, and that he never can be really good if he does not -keep his legs still. True, most true; but, like other great people -who do great things, he must resist every natural impulse and -all his lower nature, and not till he has succeeded will he stand -the least chance of reaching to a pinnacle of excellence. Having -briefly pointed out these difficulties and dangers, let us beg the -field to treat the wicket-keeper as tenderly as possible, to cultivate -a straight throw, either a catch or a long-hop, and not half-volleys -or, worse still, short-hops, and never to throw hard when -there is no necessity. If the throw is crooked, the wicket-keeper -should not leave his position to stop it; leave that to the men -who are backing up. He may be called upon afterwards to put -down the wicket, and he ought to be in a position for so doing. -Bear in mind also this cardinal rule—namely, to stand behind -the wicket to a throw and not in front.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span></p> - -<h3 title="">LONG-LEG.</h3> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_hit_to_square-leg" id="image_hit_to_square-leg" class="nodec"><img src="images/hit_to_square-leg.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="304" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Hit to square-leg. - </p> -</div> - -<p>It may be stated first of all in regard to this place, that its -importance is very considerably less in the cricket of the present -day than it was in former times. The improvement of bowling -in mere accuracy, owing to the fact that now compared with -twenty years ago five medium pace and slow bowlers exist to -one fast bowler, is the reason of this change; and even when -a long-leg is used, it is very often because a sort of back-up is -required for the wicket-keeper, and the long-leg is consequently -placed very sharp, always remembering that there is no long-stop. -The man chosen for this grand post ought to know from the way -a batsman hits at a ball whether he should stand square or sharp. -The old-fashioned long-leg hitting of George Parr is almost a -thing of the past; so that long-leg should stand too square rather<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -than too sharp, especially as the right hand will thus get most -to do. If the batsman is a weak hitter, alter the position, moving -not only nearer the wicket but sharper as well. For a weak -hitter’s most dangerous stroke will be a snick to leg, and it -is rather galling to see a snick score many runs. But a strong -square-leg hit is far more dangerous; therefore, leave ample space -to cover the ground, and trust to your speed to save two runs. -A good runner, after he plays a ball gently to long-leg, makes -all haste over the first run, and, as he turns, assumes that there is -time for the second if he sees that the long-leg is slackening in -the least, or winding up for an ornamental throw, or in any -other way wasting time. In such case jump towards the ball the -moment you see the batsman turning round to slide it in your -direction; run as if a mad bull were behind you, and picking -up the ball with one hand (as it is moving slowly enough) hurl -it at the wicket-keeper’s head—unless he is some distance off, -in which case throw so that it goes to the wicket-keeper a long-hop. -Occasionally it is useful to throw to the bowler, assuming -that he is behind the stumps and that mid-off is backing up, because -the batsmen get frightened at this manœuvre, and feel that -their second run entails too much of a risk, and this frequently -prevents them trying it again. Bear in mind that the aim -of good fielding is, not to run men out, but to prevent their -trying to run. Remember also that a catch to long-leg has a -tendency to curl towards your right hand, so do not rush too -violently towards the left directly the ball is hit.</p> - -<h3 title="">MID-OFF AND MID-ON</h3> - -<p class="noindent">have somewhat similar duties to perform, and the latter in -one way is the easiest place in the field, for there is less twist -on the ball when hit there than is the case with any other hit. -When the ground is hard, stand deeper than when it is soft, -because on a hard ground a single is easier, a four harder, to -save. Again, stand wider when the bowler is bowling your<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -side of the wicket, as he is then responsible for part of the -space between you. If the batsman is a timid runner, it is a -good plan to tempt him to run by pretending to be slow, and -the moment he calls ‘run’ dash in with unexpected vigour. -This artifice, however, can be useful only once in an innings, -and must not be attempted by any except quick and good -fields. But if by well-ascertained and true report and your own -observation you know that either or both of the batsmen are -slow or timid runners, stand further back, unless there is any -special reason to make you stand in for a catch, for by so doing -you cover more ground and can save fourers or threes. Mid-off -must back up behind the bowler when the ball is thrown in -from long-leg, short-leg, mid-on and long-stop. Mid-on backs -up the bowler when it is thrown from mid-off, cover-point, -point, and third man. Modern tactics and modern slow bowling -have invented an extra field in the shape of an extra mid-off, -who stands between cover-point and mid-off, and his duties, -when the fashion is to bowl mainly on the off side for catches, -are most onerous. Mr. G. B. Studd’s fielding here was one of -the sights of cricket. The Australians in general, and Boyle -in particular, have introduced a new position to bowlers of the -Spofforth type—you may call it either an extra short-leg or -an extra mid-on. If the wicket is soft and catchy this field -stands sometimes only five or six yards from the bat, and makes -numerous catches when batsmen are poking forward and the -ball is inclined to hang. In short, it is on the on side that which -‘silly point’—afterwards described—is on the off side. It will -only be seen when bowlers of superlative excellence are bowling, -men who can be relied upon to keep a good length, and whose -bowling is too fast to allow the batsman to run out for a drive. -If the bowler has not these qualities, but bowls a decent average -of half-volleys on the leg-stump or a little outside, there will -probably be a coroner’s inquest required. But Boyle knew that -neither Spofforth nor Palmer bowled such balls, and it cramps -the batsman unpleasantly to see a field standing there on a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -tricky wicket. Extreme vigilance is required for this post, and -the risk of injury is too great to permit it being made use of -when the wicket is fast. It was practically never seen in England -till the Australians introduced it in 1878.</p> - -<h3 title="">COVER-POINT</h3> - -<p class="noindent">shares with the three last-mentioned fields a great responsibility -connected with throwing and running fast after the ball. -A very common set of strokes are those which send the ball on -either side of cover-point, mid-off, extra mid-off or mid-on, and -realise on a hard ground three runs. Now a really good field -very seldom allows three runs, because he makes the batsmen -suppose that the ball is somehow back at the wicket almost at the -same moment that he is seen picking it up from the ground. -Those who have tried this will testify how very often a sudden turn -and throw-in just checks the third run; the batsmen feel that -they must watch such a field, and it is this very watching which -prevents them from ever pressing the running. This is a most -important matter and one generally neglected, but it is worth -insisting on, because anybody can act upon this piece of advice. -Anyone can run his fastest and throw his quickest, but the men -who field in these places seldom do their best, though the man -who does not is not a genuine cricketer, and is probably a selfish -animal. Such conscientious fielding as this gets very little recognition, -though it saves about one in every ten runs. Spectators -do not observe; the cricket reporters notice the features of -the game that are obvious to only ignorant spectators, and -they do not waste ink upon it; but any really judicious captain -estimates it very highly. No doubt a flashy field is very useful at -cover-point; he cramps all the runs on the off side, and covers -the defects of a third-rate mid-off; but very often these are -just the men who shirk the burden, heat and hard work of the -day, as we may call these repeated excursions of fifty yards or -so under a strong sun. Cover-point should learn, if possible,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -the under-hand throw practised with such success by the late -<abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> W. Law and G. J. Mordaunt. He has to back up behind -mid-off when mid-on or the deep-on fields are throwing in, and -behind point when short-leg and long-leg throw to the wicket-keeper.</p> - -<h3 title="">POINT.</h3> - -<p>Success in this place depends almost entirely on natural gifts, -and there are two distinctly different methods of first-class -fielding in this place. One is the point, who seems nearly to -have solved the problem of perpetual motion, and bounds about -everywhere, rushing in at one ball and right in front of the -wicket to the next, but whose first position is closer in than -more stationary fields at the same place. The other variety of -point stands a yard or two further from the wicket and is more -stationary, and his specialty consists in being a grabber of -every ball within his reach. The right way of standing is shown -in the <a href="#image_point" title="Go to illustration of Point">figure</a> opposite. There are plenty of good fields at point -who stand differently from this, but we are trying to teach those -who are not good fields, and we think that this figure is a good -position. The important point to observe is that you can move -quicker when one foot is drawn a little behind the other, and -Carpenter and other good fields used always to stand thus. -Some critics would say that point ought to stoop more, and no -doubt some good points do. Each must choose his own elevation -as far as this goes, but we feel sure that a great many balls -go over the point’s head when he stoops very much, and that -on the whole the figure shows the best stoop. The stationary -and the restless both have their merits and both have their -characteristics. The tall man with a long reach nearly always -adopts the stationary position, and no hit is too hard for him to -face. Of course he ought to stand ready to start quickly, but -his business consists in covering as much ground as possible -from very nearly one position, and he must have a good aptitude -for getting his hand in the right place to stop the ball.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_point" id="image_point" class="nodec"><img src="images/point.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="369" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Point. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The position of point ought to be in a line with the wicket, -and at a distance depending entirely on the pace of bowler, -style of batsman, and condition of ground. The faster the -bowler and the ground, the further off the wicket ought point -to stand, but in no case ought he to be more than eight yards -away. Some points make a great mistake in standing further -than this, for a very common catch at point is when a bumping -ball rises off the batsman’s glove and pitches about four yards -from the wicket in the direction of point—a certain catch if -point is fielding in his right place, but impossible to get at if -he stands too far from the wicket. There is no limit on certain -grounds and to certain batsmen to the closeness to the wicket<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> -which an active point will stand. The ball has been taken -literally almost off the bat. We think, on the whole, that -the fieldsman who stands nearly in the same position till the -ball is hit, who is quick in starting, and very sure and ready -to face and stop a real ‘hot-un,’ is more valuable than -the restless point who runs here and there, and rarely adopts -the same position for two consecutive balls. There is, however, -much to be said for both styles; but we feel very sure -that the restless point must first acquire a certain faculty of -more or less correctly judging where the batsman is likely to hit -the ball, or else he will be always rushing to the wrong place.</p> - -<p>There is a combination of circumstances which induces -modern captains to put their point right forward on the off -side about eight yards from the wicket. The circumstances -required include a batsman who has got a peculiar forward style, -a bowler whose balls are inclined to hang or get up straight -from the pitch, and lastly a catchy wicket where the balls are -apt to bump and hang. It is a very useful place sometimes, -but most dangerous to the field at other times. In the Australian -and England match at the Oval in 1880, Morley was -bowling, McDonnell was batting. The ball now and then -bumped up, and the English captain acceded to W. G. Grace’s -wish and allowed him to go forward point, or, as it is familiarly -called, ‘silly’ point. Now McDonnell is one of the hardest -hitters in the world, and Morley used sometimes to bowl a ball -a little over-tossed. A ball of a certain length <em>might</em> have been -bowled that McDonnell <i>might</i> not have smothered at the pitch, -and the requisite hang having taken place, W. G. Grace <em>might</em> -have triumphed. But unfortunately, before this consummation -took place, McDonnell got a ball admirably adapted to his -extremely powerful off drive. The well-known musical sound -of a bat hitting the ball plump was heard, then a second knock -higher in its musical pitch and nearly as loud, the ball was -seen about twenty yards high in the air, and McDonnell easily -scored a run. What really happened was this: McDonnell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -made a grand hit all along the ground, and long before the -burly form of W. G. Grace had unbent itself, the aforesaid -ball had struck his toe, which offered a strictly passive, because -involuntary, resistance, with such violence that the ball -ascended into the air like a rocket, and a run was the result. -W. G. walked slowly, a wiser man, to his old position on -a line with the wicket, and probably in his inmost thought -silently adopted the opinion that the position of ‘silly point’ -is only feasible when a batsman of a style directly opposite to -that of McDonnell is at the wicket. But this forward point -is very useful at times, and should be made use of when -circumstances are favourable. The late Mr. R. A. Fitzgerald, -in his well-known book ‘<cite class="plain">Jerks in from Short-leg</cite>,’ says that if -there is no good field at point in an eleven, the captain -should choose the fattest man, for nature makes it impossible -for him to get out of the way of a hard hit. In other words, -it sometimes strikes him in the most prominent part of his -person and saves four runs. Perhaps Roger Iddison, of Yorkshire -fame, who died in the year 1890, could have testified to -the truth of this remark, and perhaps Mr. Key will take to the -position in the maturity of his cricket life.</p> - -<h3 title="">SHORT-SLIP</h3> - -<p class="noindent">ought first of all to be as vigilant as if he were keeping wicket. -If he is so, and knows where to stand, he will find it the easiest -place in the field; if he is not, it will be the hardest. Wicket-keepers -ought always to be able to field short-slip, for it is a -post that has all the pleasant moments of wicket-keeping with -none of the knocks and bruises and other discomforts of that -important place. Stoop as the ball is in the air, and hold the -hands ready forward, as shown in <a href="#image_short-slip" title="Go to illustration of short-slip">figure</a> on <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 264. This position -is necessary because many more balls hiss low along the -grass than rise into the air from a snick, and if they do rise -short-slip can rise too and be in time for them; but if he has to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -stoop he will be too late. So for fast bowling stand finer than -most short-slips do, and if the ground is very hard keep a long -way off—eight yards is often not too long a distance. But the -difficulty in this respect is much greater when the bowling is -slow. A late cut adds materially to the speed of a slow ball, -though it has scarcely any effect on a fast one. But if, instead -of cutting, a batsman plays forward and snicks a slow ball, a -gentle catch comes at a medium height and drops short. Short-slip -must then regulate his position accordingly. When he sees -the batsman lean forward he must advance one step; when the -batsman hangs back and the ball is on the off side he should -hang back too and hold the hands low; for assuredly if anything -comes it will be a hard low catch. He should study the slow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -bowler’s action so as to know when his fast balls are coming, -and drop back. He should also ponder on the pace of the -ground, and never forget that <em>wet on the top of a hard ground -makes the fastest surface of any</em>: in these circumstances, therefore, -he should stand finer and deeper. When the rain soaks -in, the balls pop, and catches come slower and higher. Short-slip -should back up when balls are thrown, not from short- nor -from long-leg, but from mid-on and mid-off and cover-point, -and should run across, when there is a run to third man, -between the wicket-keeper and short-leg. This last is a tiring -and often unremunerative process, but if done through a long -innings is in the highest degree commendable. Short-slip -must also run up to the wicket and take the place of the -wicket-keeper when the latter has usurped the functions of an -ordinary fieldsman and left his post to pick up and throw in -the ball to the wicket.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_short-slip" id="image_short-slip" class="nodec"><img src="images/short-slip.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="367" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Short-slip. - </p> -</div> - -<h3 title="">THIRD MAN.</h3> - -<p>This is another most scientific post, and one in which a bad -fieldsman is very much out of place. First, there is the twist. -It is worth knowing respecting a twist from a bat, that if the -ground is hard and the cut clean, the ball will not twist till it -has lost some of its impetus. Consequently stand straight in -the line of a hard cut on a smooth ground, as the ball, though -it is <em>spinning</em> all the time, will not <em>curl</em> till it is some way past -third man. But if the turf is soft the ball bites and curls on -the second or third bound, seldom on the first unless the stroke -is a very slow one. The same holds good with regard to long-leg. -The batsman, if he were a genuine judge of a run, would -always ‘run’ to third man when the spin is likely to act at once, -since under those conditions the ball wants so much watching -that third man cannot well return it in time. But many batsmen -do not know these things.</p> - -<p>With regard to the distance of third man from the wicket, -it is important that he should judge it according as the batsmen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -are good runners or not. He should estimate this at once -from their appearance and demeanour, standing well out if they -are men of weight and dignity, and nearer in if they are active -and inclined to steal runs. After they have run one run to him -he should come a yard nearer in, feeling like a man who has -had a personal insult offered him, and is burning to avenge it. -Lastly, he has to consider the throw-in. <em>It is nearly always -best to throw to the bowler’s wicket</em> (assuming, of course, that he -is ready behind the stumps and mid-on is backing up), for this -plain reason: it is generally the non-striker who calls the run, -and consequently starts the quickest, runs quickest, as he sees -the danger before him, and gets home the quickest. Even -if he does not call the run, he is backing up, and starts unshackled -by having made a stroke. So leave him alone. The -striker, on the contrary, has made a stroke (and one that throws -him back a good deal), is not backing up, and does not see the -danger. Also, if he runs by the shortest way to the other -wicket, he will very likely be cut over. Circumstances, in -short, are against him. Above all, he seldom suspects that the -ball is coming his way, for very few third men ever throw to -the right wicket, very few bowlers are behind the stumps, and -very few mid-ons back up. Third man should stand squarer -for a strong cutter than for a weak one. He should back up -behind short-slip when the ball comes from mid-on, and arrange -with cover-point as to the throws from short-leg, himself -covering point when the throws come from in front of the -wicket, and cover-point taking that place when they come from -behind.</p> - -<h3 title="">SHORT-LEG</h3> - -<p class="noindent">is an important place for backing up and saving singles. It is -a good plan to put a left-handed man here, as he can better -command the strokes between himself and mid-on, which are -generally so prolific of runs. Having fielded one of these, he -ought not to throw to the wicket-keeper, as he is already facing -the bowler’s wicket, and the bowler’s wicket is facing him, should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> -he wish to throw it down. He should of course previously -make a league with mid-off as to the backing up. The late -Mr. R. A. Fitzgerald, in the book just mentioned, ‘<cite class="plain">Jerks in from -Short-leg</cite>,’ once urged the importance of putting the ‘witty man’ -short-leg as a convenient spot for cracking jokes. Certainly -conversation in the field is often of great service towards keeping -the men brisk. Short-leg has to back up all the returns from -the off side, dropping well back if short-slip comes across for -this purpose, and in any case leaving ten or fifteen yards between -himself and the wicket. A captain of an eleven feels himself -very often bound by an unwritten tradition to put the notoriously -worst field in his eleven short-leg. No doubt it is exceedingly -difficult to judge which is the natural position for a -bad field, but we unhesitatingly say that several matches have -been lost by bad fields at short-leg. In the days of his prime -people used to watch W. G. Grace playing ball after ball in the -direction of short-leg, especially when left-handed bowlers were -on. The late famous J. C. Shaw was not a good field in any -sense of the word; he was consequently often to be seen fielding -at short-leg, and we wonder how many times he has missed -W. G. Grace in that position? Missing Grace was, and is still, -a most expensive mistake. There are several players who are -weak in their play off their legs, and these players are continually -sending chances to short-leg, while other players are extremely -fond of playing off their legs, and score very heavily by -the stroke; and it is wonderful to see how many runs a quick -field will save when such men are batting.</p> - -<h3 title="">LONG-STOP.</h3> - -<p>In these days of slow bowling and fine turf captains of -elevens do not bother themselves with providing long-stops at -all. Wicket-keepers are so good, the bowling is so straight, that, -in the present year (1898), it is impossible to say who is the -best long-stop in England, for the simple reason that no long-stops -are wanted. But in the days of yore, every schoolboy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span> -who was fond of cricket could tell you of the prowess of -Mortlock, H. M. Marshall, and A. Diver. Mr. Powys was a -splendid bowler, and so was Mr. R. Lang. But had not -Mr. H. M. Marshall been found to stop Mr. Lang’s balls, and -Mr. F. Tobin those of Mr. Powys, neither one bowler nor the -other could have been put on at all. Such long-stops as these -stand rather on the leg side, and if the bowling is very fast, -just deep enough to take the ball as it rises after its second -pitch. This is not easy to do, and young hands feel tempted -to leave more room. But this, when the ball is very swift, -scarcely diminishes its speed at all, and the further off long-stop -stands, the more chance there is of the ball bounding awkwardly -by the time it reaches him. Long-stop, however, would be in -an awkward position if the batsmen ran every bye that is possible. -To prevent their doing so, he must throw over to the bowler, -for the old reason that the striker has the whole distance to run -and has his back to the danger. Again, a hard throw, straight -down the pitch, places both batsmen in jeopardy, the striker -especially, and that is why he so often runs with his hand to the -back of his head, of course retarding his speed by so doing. -It is a harassing run to steal; and that, combined with the fact -that it is not scored to either batsman, is doubtless the reason -why it is not oftener stolen. Long-stop should accordingly be -a strong thrower, and mid-off a conscientious backer-up. Long-stop -should back up (behind short-leg) the returns from cover-point -and mid-off.</p> - -<h3 title="" class="faux"></h3> -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Before concluding these technical remarks, let us draw attention -to one or two circumstances connected with cricket affairs -now which are different from what they were formerly. We have -said that in these days long-stopping is a lost art, or rather it is -not an art that is required in modern elevens. It would appear -miraculous to an old cricketer who had seen nothing of -the game for the last fifteen years could he watch Spofforth -bowling, and Blackham keeping wicket with no long-stop, when -the ground was hard. Such a thing would not have been dreamt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span> -of twenty years ago. Then a ball used to shoot five or six -times in an innings of 135 runs, and the occasional shooter that -occurs now always results in four byes if it escapes the bat and -the wicket. Hence one important reason why formerly a long-stop -was indispensable. Though there are or were, a very few -years since, some very fast bowlers, the average pace now-a-days -is far slower than twenty-five years ago, and that is another -reason for dispensing with long-stop. But the change of tactics -in not having a long-stop has had one effect that we regard as -pernicious, and that is, that it has spoilt one part of the skill of -wicket-keeping, and on the whole worked an enormous change -for the worse in the fielding of short-slips generally. The long-stop -is not there, both wicket-keeper and short-slip are conscious -of this, and they are aware that his place must be -filled up by themselves. If a ball goes in the least to leg, even -if it only just misses leg-stump, short-slip is usually to be seen -backing up the wicket-keeper; for four byes make an appreciable -addition to the score. But though the ball is on the leg side, -it is quite possible for the batsman to hit it on the off side, and -send it straight to short-slip’s hands, if he only could have been -in his proper place. He is abused if he does not back up the -wicket-keeper, and in any case the mere feeling that runs must -result from the wicket-keeper not handling the ball makes it -impossible for him to give his undivided attention to fielding -at short-slip proper. He is continually shifting towards his left -hand, and numerous balls that he would have fielded if only -there had been a long-stop, now result in runs. The wicket-keeper -is also in more danger of being hurt, and as his position -is necessarily one attended by extreme responsibility and considerable -pain, this further danger ought to be spared him if -possible. The risks he runs are from fast balls outside the batsman’s -legs. He cannot see the ball accurately so that he may -judge where to put his hands without moving his feet; in order, -then, to prevent the ball going to the ropes, he has to rush right -in front of it, at the risk, if the ball should bump or do anything -odd, of getting hit on the face or elsewhere. If a long-stop<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -were behind him, he would try and take the ball for the sake of -a possible catch or stump-out, but he would not expose himself -to danger by getting in front of it.</p> - -<p>Two corollaries must be drawn from what has been already -said. The first is that the bowler should be just as prepared -to receive a throw-in as the wicket-keeper. When both wickets -are menaced, the danger of a short run is doubled, and an overthrow -is oftener due to the bowler and backer-up than to the -field. But it is said ‘This is all very fine, but the bowler cannot -get behind his wicket in time.’ No assertion could be wider -of the mark. Take some genuine cricketer as an example, -and no better one could be chosen than Mr. A. W. Ridley, -some sixteen years ago. Lob-bowlers follow their own ball -further down the wicket than any other kind of bowler, and of -all lob-bowlers Mr. Ridley did this the most. But no one has -ever seen a short run got off his bowling, without, at least, at the -same moment seeing him dart behind the wicket, and be ready -to put down the hardest throw anyone might send to him. He -is always there in time, and any bowler in the country might do -the same if he were cricketer enough to see what is wanted. -The second inference to be drawn is, that it is highly important -to pursue a medium hit with all possible speed, and to throw -it in as if it burnt the fingers to retain the ball a moment. We -do not remember an eleven who neglected this less, as a whole, -than the Players eleven of the year 1887, and the number of -runs that can be saved by observance of the rule is immense.</p> - -<p>These are the two most important directions which can be -given to any young cricketer, and especially to any young captain -of a side, in order that he may select his men with a view to -these requirements of the game. The general fielding capacity -of a whole team depends on the attention devoted to such dull -points by the eleven minds, not less than on the suppleness of -the eleven backbones. No directions, it has already been said, -will make a bad field into a good one. But it is equally true -that no advice should be offered which cannot be acted upon. -Consequently only some duties of a fieldsman have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span> -described. But it is not too much to say that a careful attention -to these points would ultimately turn eleven indifferent -cricket players into a good fielding team.</p> - -<p>In a work necessarily somewhat didactic as this is, it may -be advisable to remind youngsters that the finger of scorn is -pointed even more to the very bad field than it is to the very -bad batsman or bowler. A very bad bowler will not be asked -to bowl unless the bowling is hit into a thoroughly entangled -knot—as was the case in an Australian <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> England match in -1884, when every member of the English team, including -Shrewsbury, had to bowl—and then, if he fails, he has only done -what was expected of him. But it is difficult for anybody to -explain, except on the ground of gross carelessness, how a man -who is a good bat or bowler can be so utterly useless as a field -as some have turned out to be. The cricketer who never -appears to have grasped the rudiments of the laws concerning -twist, who is lazy and will not run after the ball, and who hardly -by accident holds a catch, is an eyesore in cricket. And let us -also assure the young practitioner that an intelligent audience, -though a somewhat rough one, such as you may see at places -like Bramall Lane, Sheffield, will jeer in audible and not too -polite tones at the bad field long before it will do the like at -bad batsmen or bowlers. Every cricketer knows the different -eccentricities of indifferent fields, their wonderful varieties of -error, and the specious appearance of some that fatally delude the -most patient captain. There are some men who are fairly fast -runners, and can throw hard, and yet are fields of a character -to make angels weep. They dash in at the ball like a man -charging at football, with the result that they half stop it, or, -after they stop it, in attempting to pick it up, they kick it -eight or ten yards behind them. They never seem to be -able to judge what sort of length the ball will come into -their hands, and never under any circumstances is the ball -cleanly handled. And yet they go at it so heartily, they -move so quickly, and, at first sight, look so alert and full -of promise, that it is difficult to condemn them until you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -had two or three days’ experience of them. This sort belongs -to the class we call the specious fieldsman. Then there is -the man who might look at a batsman for two hours and yet -never discover where his favourite stroke is likely to go, who -obeys orders strictly, and when he has taken up the position -assigned to him, stands there like a tree, despite the fact that -every ball hit in his direction is a little too much on his right -or on his left hand. This individual may safely be assumed -to be a creature of a low order of intelligence, to whom -Providence has probably vouchsafed a natural instinct for -bowling, in the absence of which he would never be seen on -any cricket-ground again, except as a spectator. He is so -stupid that he never can excel in batting. Then there is -the man who is very slow and has not acquired the merit of -being what may be called an eminently safe field. His position -when endeavouring to stop the ball is that illustrated by the -<a href="#image_the_wrong_position_for_stopping_the_ball" title="Go to illustration of the wrong position for stopping the ball">figure</a> on the opposite page, which shows what is essentially the -wrong position to assume. Probably he will not touch the ball -with his hands, and it certainly cannot be stopped by his legs -or feet. He can hold a catch sometimes and stop a ball occasionally, -but he does not succeed in these two particulars often -enough to make one forget or forgive his extraordinary slowness. -Another variety is the man who fields tolerably well sometimes, -but, when he fails to stop a ball, either runs after it very slowly, -which is the sulky form, or else dashes after it and throws it -wildly and very hard anywhere, causing overthrows by the -dozen, and maiming his comrades’ fingers. This is the angry -form—an odious type; let every youngster beware of such and -develop not into it. Every cricketer ought to try to become as -good a field as he can by assiduous practice—for this reason, -if for no other: bowlers get disorganised when the fielding is -loose.</p> - -<p>A natural curiosity is always evinced where a critic shows -a tendency to name certain celebrities in any form of game. -This is the reason why we now proceed to praise famous men -and famous fielding elevens; but let us add that we do not profess<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span> -to name every good man who has ever fielded, and can -only beg for forgiveness if we omit to mention some who have -deserved recognition.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_wrong_position_for_stopping_the_ball" id="image_the_wrong_position_for_stopping_the_ball" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_wrong_position_for_stopping_the_ball.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="250" height="195" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - The wrong position for stopping the ball. - </p> -</div> - -<p>The various Australian elevens have earned great fame for -their fielding in England, and it was no doubt very good. At -the same time we think it was not so good as their batting, and -certainly not so good as their bowling. The elevens of 1882 -and 1884, which were the best, no doubt won their matches -by all-round play; but if we had to name a weak point we should -say that, as compared with the batting and bowling, it was -their fielding, although this was very good. The Australians -themselves say—at least, so we have heard—that the fielding -in Australia of the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> Ivo Bligh’s eleven was never surpassed -in the colony; and that must be high praise. Still, judging -by what we know of that team, we think that we can point -out higher standards in England. The finest fielding we have -ever seen was that of the Players in 1887 in their annual -match at Lord’s against the Gentlemen, and at the Oval -it was nearly as good. But that was only for two matches. -As is natural, University teams, from their youth and habit -of playing together, have earned great fame as fielding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> -elevens, and if we had to select four elevens whose fielding -reputation ought to be inscribed on the highest pinnacles of -fame, we should name the Cambridge representatives of 1861 -and 1862 and the Oxford of 1874 and 1875.</p> - -<p>The Cambridge celebrities of 1861 and 1862 have faded -away into distance, and the present generation know not their -names. Both those elevens had several fast bowlers in them, -and one—Mr. R. Lang—was superlatively good. It was owing -to this fact that Cambridge had to provide itself with a long-stop, -and Mr. H. M. Marshall in that capacity has earned undying -fame; for long-stopping on Lord’s Ground in 1861 -and 1862 was no laughing matter. As general out-field -Mr. Marshall also stood very high, and was a perfectly safe -catch. Contemporary cricketers of that day are nearly unanimous -in their praise of Mr. W. Bury as a fieldsman; at long-leg -he has never been excelled. There were besides these -the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> C. G. Lyttelton at point, and Mr. R. Lang at short-slip. -‘<cite class="plain">Bell’s Life</cite>’ of that date mentions as a fact that the -fielding of Cambridge in the University match of 1862 was -never equalled on Lord’s or any other ground. Those were -the days when the bowling was mainly fast, the ground rough, -and the cautious safe field who got stolidly and fixedly in a -certain position was often defeated owing to the ball making -unspeakable bounds. It required a touch of genius to be a -grand field at Lord’s in those times, and several members of -those two Cambridge elevens possessed it. The two Oxford -elevens of 1874 and 1875 had each only one fast bowler, -but they had magnificent fielding teams to support their -slow bowlers. When the bowling is generally slow, amateur -wicket-keepers can hold their own. This was the case in -1874 and 1875, and in Mr. H. G. Tylecote Oxford possessed -a wicket-keeper fully up to the mark for the work he -had to do. It used to be a bone of contention between -Messrs. W. Law and A. W. Ridley, the captains respectively -of ’74 and ’75, as to which of the two elevens was the greater -in this particular line of fielding. Mr. Law, whose early death<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> -everyone who knew him deplores, contended that his eleven in -1874 made no mistake in the Inter-University match, whereas -the 1875 eleven did. But the Cambridge batting in 1874 was -fatuous to a degree, and the Oxford eleven had nothing to -stop, whereas Cambridge in 1875 batted very well and kept -their opponents hard at it. We are willing to give equal credit -to each, and to enshrine the names of Law, Game, Ridley, -T. B. Jones, and Royle in the temple of fame.</p> - -<p>It is not easy to gauge the merits of the fieldsmen of -forty years ago. Some of them have made their names live: -Mr. T. A. Anson as wicket-keeper, Mr. R. T. King at point, -and the famous W. Pickering at cover-point, for instance. But, -though they had rougher ground to field on, still the scoring -was nothing like so large, matches were not nearly so numerous, -and the wear and tear far from being so great. The -first thing that strikes one on reading over old scores and comparing -them with those of the present day, is the enormous -number of extras that were then given. Bowlers were, no -doubt, faster, but they bowled many more wides. Taking -one year at random, 1880, we find that for the whole season -Yorkshire in all matches only bowled eight wides, five of which -were delivered by the famous Tom Emmett, who is, no doubt, -a slightly erratic bowler. In the days of Redgate and Mynn -the wides were numerous, so were the no-balls, and frequently -the extras contributed more to the total than any one batsman. -If the bowling was fast and erratic, one cannot wonder -that byes became numerous, especially when the rough ground -is also considered. In the University match of 1841 Oxford -gave Cambridge 56 extras out of a combined total of 223—a -very large average. In 1887 Cambridge only gave Oxford -14 extras in a combined total of 461, and Oxford lost but -three wickets in the second innings. In the same year -Oxford gave Cambridge only 20 extras in a grand total of -459. Though bowling is generally slower now than forty -years ago, still in former days they used to have long-stops -to bowling that even amateur wicket-keepers would now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> -stop. The long-stopping wicket-keeper—that is, the wicket-keeper -that lets nothing pass him—is a marvellous testimony to -the excellence of modern grounds, the accuracy of modern -bowling, and the skill of the men themselves. The sight of -Blackham, standing close up to the wicket, stopping Spofforth -and Palmer would have made our forefathers look on aghast. -In the well-known print of the Sussex and Kent match in -1840, old Lillywhite is bowling, and he was a slow medium-pace -bowler; yet, though Tom Box was reckoned the best -wicket-keeper of the day, he has a long-stop to Lillywhite’s -bowling.</p> - -<p>We may now try to enumerate the greater fields of cricket -history. We read of the marvellous feat of Mr. T. A. Anson -at the wicket, when he stumped a man off a leg-shooter of -Alfred Mynn, one of the fastest bowlers of the period. We -yield the place of honour to Mr. Anson for an individual -feat, but it is alleged to have taken place a long time ago, and -is it certain to be true? The greatest wicket-keepers since 1860 -in England have been Lockyer, Pooley, Pilling, Pinder, Storer, -Lilley, and D. Hunter; and we ask Plumb and Sherwin to -forgive us. It is not easy to discriminate between these; we -merely remark that to genuine slows of the pace of Southerton, -Peate, and Tyler, we reckon Pooley to have been the best that -ever lived; and to the very fast, Pinder and Storer were unequalled. -Still Pooley was relatively not so good to fast, nor -Pinder to slow; and, on the whole, they may be left on an -equality. The best wicket-keepers of old days were Mr. -Herbert Jenner, Mr. T. A. Anson, Mr. W. Ridding, and -Mr. W. Nicholson among amateurs, and E. G. Wenman and -Tom Box among professionals. The two best English amateur -wicket-keepers that ever lived, in our opinion, are Mr. Alfred -Lyttelton and Mr. McGregor, and besides them, since 1860, -there have been Mr. Leatham, Mr. Bush, Mr. Newton, Mr. -E. F. S. Tylecote, Mr. Philipson, Mr. Kemble, and Mr. Gay.</p> - -<p>Perhaps a word would not be out of place here respecting -Mr. Blackham, the celebrated Australian wicket-keeper. -When the Colonial Eleven came over in 1878, 1880, 1882, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span> -1884, practically the whole of the wicket-keeping had to be done -by Mr. Blackham. In 1880 and 1886 Mr. Jarvis assisted him. -Now wicket-keeping is essentially an amusement you can have -too much of. In old days, when there was a lot of fast bowling, -the cream of the wicket-keeping used to be seen during -the first six weeks of the season, because during that time -the hands of the wicket-keeper were more or less sound. The -famous George Pinder, at the beginning of his career, had -faster bowling to keep to consistently than any other cricketer -before or since. Freeman, Emmett, and Atkinson were three -very fast bowlers, and they all three played for Yorkshire, and -after them came Hill and Ulyett. Pinder in consequence -very frequently damaged his hands, and no wonder. Blackham, -however, during all the four years we have mentioned, -had Spofforth and either Garratt or Palmer to stop. Now -although these were not so fast as the Yorkshire lot, they -bowled a goodish pace; the Australian season consisted of two -matches a week from the beginning to the end of the cricket -year, and Blackham did not get very many days off. When his -record is examined, therefore, we think that his performances -during these four years constitute the greatest wicket-keeping -feats on record. Not unless Spofforth bowled his fastest did -he ever have a long-stop, and he held his hands closer to the -wicket than any other wicket-keeper we ever saw. If the batsman -was an inch out of his ground for a second or so, the ball -would be put down, and a stump-out resulted, for the hands -had no distance to travel, and no time was lost. Of course -the bowling he had to stop was very accurate, but when the -amount of wicket-keeping that he had to go through and the -number of wickets he got are considered, our opinion is that -Mr. Blackham was the finest wicket-keeper to bowling of all -paces that the world has ever seen.</p> - -<p>There have been numerous fieldsmen at point who have -made themselves a name, and by universal testimony, in his -day, Mr. R. T. King, of Cambridge University, was not -approached in excellence in this position. The late Mr. John -Walker, who was intimately acquainted with cricket of that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span> -period as well as with that of a later date, once told the writer -that in his opinion none of the modern points ever came quite -up to Mr. King’s level. Since 1860 Carpenter, R. C. Tinley, -E. M. Grace, and F. W. Wright have earned high reputations -in this position, but a great many excel at point, and in the -University match alone there has been some admirable fielding -here; the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> J. W. Mansfield for Cambridge, and Mr. Hildyard -for Oxford, both being very good. The place where good -fielding is most conspicuous is midway between cover-point -and mid-off, and with this post the name of Mr. G. B. Studd is -for ever identified. In later days, Briggs, Moorhouse, Gregory -the Australian, Mr. Andrews of Sussex, and Wainwright excel -in this place. Mr. Royle at cover-point has never been -excelled, and the same may be said of Gunn at third man. -The celebrated fieldsmen of old were Mr. W. Pickering at -cover-point; John Bickley and Mr. R. Lang at short-slip; -Mr. E. S. E. Hartopp, Mr. H. M. Marshall, W. Pilch, A. -Diver, W. Mortlock, and J. Thewlis at long-stop; while F. -Bell, W. Bury, John Smith, and A. Lubbock were excellent -at a distance from the wicket. There have been also, and -are, many fields who were and are good at any place; for -instance, the renowned Mr. V. E. Walker, and the still more -famous Mr. W. G. Grace. We have said before, and we say -it again, that the fielding, though probably as good as ever it -was, is not so good as it ought to be. The nuisance of the -day is the long scoring; we wonder how many innings of 100 -are played where you do not read the well-known remark, ‘the -batsman gave a chance at 24, another at 62, and a third just -before he was out, but none the less he played a fine innings.’ -The following brief epigram is undoubtedly true—‘Good fielding -makes weak bowling strong and strong batsmen weak.’ -An eleven that is really A1 in fielding very rarely has to field -out for 300 runs. When we say this we feel inclined to go -further and add that if no feasible catches are dropped this -total of 300 runs would not be of anything but the rarest occurrence. -This fact ought of itself to be sufficient to make every -true cricketer try and become, if not a brilliant field, at any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> -rate one who, when a catch is sent him, does not cause a thrill -of agonising anxiety to arise in the minds of the supporters of -the side to which he belongs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_an_anxious_moment" id="image_an_anxious_moment" class="nodec"><img src="images/an_anxious_moment.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="300" height="562" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - An anxious moment. - </p> -</div> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<ul> -<li> - <a name="Footnote_33" id="Footnote_33" href="#Anchor_33" title="Return to text.">[33]</a> We are largely indebted to an article on this subject by the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> and -<abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> E. Lyttelton, which appeared in <i>Lillywhite’s <cite>Annual</cite></i> for 1881. -</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER VII. COUNTRY CRICKET." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="7">VII.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">COUNTRY CRICKET.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By F. Gale.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">I can remember the first cricket match I ever saw as well as if -it happened yesterday; and moreover I can give the names -and description of many of the players.</p> - -<p>The <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">locus in quo</i> was the meadow opposite the Green Lion -at Rainham, in Kent, which is situated halfway between London -and Dover. The cricket field is now built over. It adjoined -the vicarage garden, in which a stand was erected for my brother -and myself, and from which we, as little boys, saw the first game -of cricket we ever witnessed, in the summer of 1830, as we -had come into Kent from a Wiltshire village where cricket was -not known.</p> - -<p>Our grand stand was immediately behind the wicket. -Farmer Miles, a fine-set-up man, was the best bowler, and he -bowled under-arm, rather a quick medium pace, and pitched a -good length and bowled very straight, his balls curling in from -the leg; for be it remembered that but two years had elapsed -since it was allowable to turn the hand, knuckles uppermost, in -delivery. I was seven years old at the time, and was perfectly -fascinated at the sight; and as the gardener, an old cricketer, -stood by me all day and explained the game, before the sun -had set I had mastered most of the main points in it. One -thing I am certain of, which is that there was an on-break from -Farmer Miles’ bowling; for I watched the balls pitch and curl.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_country_cricket" id="image_country_cricket" class="nodec"><img src="images/country_cricket.jpg" alt="Illustration: County Cricket (Mitcham)" width="400" height="175" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - MITCHAM GREEN - </p> -</div> - -<p>The dress of the cricketers was white duck trousers and -flannel jackets, and some wore tall black hats and some large<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -straw hats. A few old fogies, veterans who played, had a silk -pocket-handkerchief tied round the left knee so that they could -drop down on it without soiling their white trousers; for in -the rough out-fielding when the balls jumped about anyhow -old-fashioned fieldsmen would drop on one knee, so that if -the ball went through their hands by a false bound their body -was in the way. Josiah Taylor, the brazier, was long-stop, and -played in black leather slippers with one spike in the heel -which he claimed as his own invention, as cricket-shoes were -little known. The umpire was Ost, the barber, who appeared in -a long blue frock-coat like Logic’s, the Oxonian, in ‘<cite class="plain">Tom and -Jerry</cite>,’ and who volunteered ‘hout’ to a fieldsman who stopped -a bump-ball; and when remonstrated with by men of both -sides remarked, ‘Surel<em>y</em> first “bounce” is “hout” at cricket -and trap.’ This occasioned a change of umpire. There were -two very hard hitters, Charles Smart, a tall young fellow, son -of a rich farmer, and ‘Billy Wakley,’ a very stout tall young -farmer; there were many hits to the long-field off and on, which -were well held; and Charles Watson, a promising lad of about -sixteen, the butcher’s son, who played for the first time in a -man’s match, immortalised himself by making a long catch close -to the vicarage hedge. The batting mostly consisted of hard-hitting, -and the catching was good. The booth was made up of -rick-cloths strained over a standing skeleton woodwork frame; -and on the right of it was a round table with six or eight arm-chairs -placed on either side; a large brass square tobacco-box -out of which those who sat round the privileged table could -help themselves by putting a halfpenny into a slit which caused -the box to open (on the same principle as the chocolate and -sweet-stuff automatic pillars seen now at railway stations), kept -company with a stack of clay-pipes. The arm-chairs were for -the accommodation of the principal farmers and magnates of the -parish who subscribed to the matches and who sat in state and -smoked their pipes—as cigars were little known—and drank -their grog out of rummers—large glasses which stood on one -gouty leg each and held a shilling’s worth of brandy and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span> -water; and for the accommodation of the smokers, the ostler, -who always appeared in his Sunday best costume, which consisted -of a ‘Sam Weller’ waistcoat with black calico sleeves, -brown drab breeches, and top-boots, provided a stable horn -lanthorn, the candle in which he lit with the aid of the flint and -steel tinder box, and brimstone matches; for lucifers were not -yet invented.</p> - -<p>Another honour belonged to the knights of the round table: -as the cricket ground was bounded on the southern side by -the high road, and as coaches were passing all day, the drivers -never forgot the ‘Coachman’s Salute’ with whip and elbow and -nod of the head as they drove by, and this was always returned -by a cheery wave of the hand from the cricket ground. The -patriarchs of the village had a form to themselves on the left -hand of the booth; and old Billy Coppin, the half-pay naval -purser, who had a snug little house on the bank of the roadside, -sat outside his door waving his pipe and crying out, ‘Make -sail, my lads, make sail,’ whenever a good hit was made.</p> - -<p>When the match was over, one of the villagers, an ill-tempered -thatcher, who was always ready for a set-to, picked -a quarrel with someone from a neighbouring parish, and they -adjourned to a quiet corner close to our grand stand behind the -booth, pulled off their shirts and had a pretty stiff rough and -tumble fight, which I described, in my innocence, at supper -when I went in, and thereby got the gardener into a scrape for -allowing me to see it. A very serious relative told me that she -was ‘cock sure’ of the future fate of the two men who fought, -quoting cases out of Dr. Watts’s hymns. Let us hope that -some of the Doctor’s tips have proved wrong.</p> - -<p>‘Would you be surprised to hear,’ as Lord Coleridge was -always saying, that, with the exception that cricket has much -improved as regards grounds and some of the implements in -general use, old-fashioned village cricket in its true and pure -spirit still flourishes in many rural districts, and not very far from -London even, now? You will find this happy state of things -mostly where village greens exist in a real cricketing county;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> -and having formerly devoted much of my leisure, during very -many years, to country cricket, I can speak from actual experience, -down to present date.</p> - -<p>In the first place, every village green has a history of its -own, and the people are proud of their old traditions. On -many of these greens some of the best-known cricketers in -England have from time to time appeared during a century past, -and some come there occasionally now during every summer; so -the cricketers of all classes have always had good models to -work from. The green is common to all, and all have a common -interest in the honour of the parish. This charming home -feeling is admirably described by Miss Mitford in the ‘<cite class="plain">Tales of -our Villag</cite>e;’ and she has not exaggerated it. The consequence -is that by one consent the centre of the green is always left for -good matches, and as every village boy learns the management -of turf, you would be surprised to see what an admirable pitch -youngsters of fourteen or fifteen years of age will make for -themselves on somewhat rough ground with the aid of a five-pronged -fork, a watering-pot and a hand-roller; and you would -be surprised to see what <em>real</em> good cricket many of them play. -Of course there is always a sprinkling of sons of good cricketers -who have been well taught, and they have the opportunity of -instruction from old players.</p> - -<p>The training of village boys is very analogous to cricket -fagging at school, and anyone who takes an interest in village -cricket will do well, when he and a few friends practise, to have -any little boys of twelve or thirteen who show any proficiency -to field out for them, and to encourage them with a few coppers, -making them understand that the honorarium is dependent on -their trying to do their best. The next step is to take a lively -interest in the boys’ eleven, which consists of boys under fourteen -or fifteen, to promote their matches in every way, and to -inculcate the value of fair play. It does them a great deal of -good if an old cricketer will spare half an hour, when the boys are -practising, to criticise their play, pointing out any faults, such -as running over the crease, bowling no balls, not backing up for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span> -a run, explaining to them the principles of running, and calling -their partner (secrets which some really good batsmen never -<em>have</em> learned and never <em>will</em> learn), and so on. The grand thing -is to try and make cricket <em>real</em>, and to make youngsters understand -that playing the strict game is the secret of true enjoyment. -We all know how all pleasure depends on observance -of simple rules, and on doing in practice all things as carefully -as if we are engaged in a match, or any other friendly strife. -Even if I play at ‘beggar your neighbour’ with a child I insist -on the rigour of the game. Many of us must know as cricketers, -too, that long after we had given up playing in matches, there -was immense pleasure in having a first-rate professional, on a -real good wicket, to bowl, with sixpence on the wicket.</p> - -<p>The very mention of single wicket now is like the mention -of jalap and rhubarb and calomel and bleeding, those terrible -remedies of the past, to a modern doctor; but single wicket -with seven or eight in the field is the finest practice for training, -and we found it so on our village green, a very few years ago, -played thus. Every man’s hand was against his neighbours in -turn, and there were no sides. Of course, with six or seven in -the field, byes and hits behind wicket counted, and this fact -made the youngsters try to cover as much ground as possible. -The batsman went out if he got ten runs; and as in these games -there was, at least, one good professional bowler, it took a good -man to score ten runs. The professional and any amateur who -had any pretence of being a bowler changed about. These -games were very good for putting a youngster into; and I have -seen three or four hundred people on the green watching one -of these trials. It was also a good thing, in the event of a substitute -being wanted in a good match, to try one of them, as it -accustomed an aspirant to accept responsibility and to play -before a crowd. It is a wholesome state of things when young -cricketers are at hand anxious to fill a vacancy; it shows zeal.</p> - -<p>Anyone who has charge of village cricket falls very short -of his duty if he does not arrange at least one real practice -afternoon a day or two before a match. He must have a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span> -good wicket made, and all who are going to play in the match -must come for some part of the play. And this is a good -opportunity for letting young bowlers come and try their hand, -with sixpence on the wicket. I have much faith in that sixpence -on the wicket. It is useless to waste any trouble on a -boy who has not got cricket at heart, but it is a great deal of -use training one who has. The difficult stage is when a boy’s -strength is growing and he is old enough to be taught strict -cricket as regards defence, and in trying to steady him down -you must be sure to steer clear of the evil of cramping his hitting -power. We know from experience that sometimes matches -are lost or draws made owing to the want of a man who will go -in and hit. In my boyhood days there used generally to be -one, or perhaps two, in every eleven who could field splendidly, -and who made no pretence to scientific batting, but who, -aided by a strong nerve and quick eye and a heavy driving bat, -could sometimes make a terrible example of the bowling and -help the score. Mr. Absolom, of Cambridge, and afterwards -of the Kent eleven, was one of this class. He was worth playing -in any eleven in England for his bowling, fielding and hard -work, and if he never made his runs, his share towards -success was as great as those who made a score. The thing to -‘burn’ into a young player’s mind is, that unless he can concentrate -all his thoughts on the match in which he is playing -he will never be an English cricketer. He may, perhaps, by -long practice acquire the knack of getting a lot of runs, and -building up an average, but if that is all that he is worth, he -had much better never have been in the eleven at all. Amongst -eleven men, some are sure to get a lot of runs generally, but -the men who win matches are those who prevent the other side -getting them. Take one of the best samples of cricket in the -season of 1887, as a proof of what saving runs means. I think -that anyone who knows the game can hardly help coming to -the conclusion that Gunn, in the long field, saved more runs in -1887 than the best man made, and saved a good many more -too. The Australians put their main trust in their field, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span> -they taught us a good lesson when they came first, and it has -done us good. Gunn’s batting is often equal to his fielding, to -say nothing of his bowling.</p> - -<p>Now we come to a more serious matter—management and -finance; and, unless the world has very much changed in the -last few years, anyone who takes a new lead in country cricket -will find himself surrounded by hosts of friends (?) who are -worth nothing. They will all want to come on the committee, -and make all kind of wild suggestions about a stock of club -bats, pads and gloves, <abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr> There is only one antidote to this, -which is to stand firm on one point—that no public subscriptions -shall be asked for for any purpose other than keeping -the green in order, paying for balls for matches, match-stumps, -hire of tents, umpires, scorers, and other inevitable expenses; -the simple inducement for subscriptions being the having a -few good matches during the season, and keeping up a ground -for the use of those who cannot pay for themselves. Unless -you keep up a good parish eleven, everyone will do as he -thinks best, and the whole green will be cut to pieces and -will never be repaired.</p> - -<p>In these days you cannot get an eleven who will make a -good stand in a match without some professional training. -Many places are fortunate enough to have an old professional -or two amongst its inmates, men who have given up grand public -matches, but who are worth their weight in gold as practice -bowlers, trainers, and members of the village eleven. Men of -this class, who will play in a match for ten shillings or will come -in the evening after work for a crown or so, and who are always -on the spot, are the best aids towards keeping together a good -set of young players and forming an eleven. They know the -young players and take a pride in them, and will find out their -failings and good points; and nothing cheers a captain more -than an invitation from a local professional to come and see -Bill Smith or Tom Brown bat. When such an invitation is -given, you may be sure that the professional has found a recruit -who can play a length ball with a straight bat and confidence,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span> -and who can punish a loose ball. You will find numberless -cricketers who can get runs—if they once get set; but, like -precious stones, many get spoilt in the setting. What you want -is batsmen who, in wet or fine weather, on rough or smooth -ground, will go in with nerve to have a good try. If you want -a few runs to-day from A, and he breaks down through that -cricket malady called ‘funk,’ it is no consolation to hear from -his <i>claqueur</i> B that ‘A got seventy, not out, last week.’</p> - -<p>You must try and raise the standard of a village eleven by -letting them play when you have the chance against teams who -are stronger than themselves. A licking is good medicine -for them sometimes; and if, on the other hand, they win by -the chances of the game, a victory of this kind ‘sets their tails -up.’ The worst thing for them is playing against weak teams, -making a tremendous score, and knocking their opponents’ -wickets over for a few runs. It is astonishing how a captain, by -working steadily on, can ‘educate his party,’ as the late Lord -Beaconsfield said; and if by quiet persuasion he can influence -some of the rougher element to abandon their horse-play and -‘flowery’ language, and to assist in keeping good order—at the -same time warning them that ladies and gentlemen are kept -away from the green for fear of their ears being contaminated -by rough language—he will find that visitors who come prepared -for a noisy rude crowd will be surprised to find perfect order; -and if some one trangresses the bounds of good manners, he will -hear a cry of ‘Better language there!’ This kind of thing <em>can</em> -be and <em>has</em> been done; and the result was that, in a place where -the possibility of such a thing as a ladies’ tent on the green was -laughed at, not only was the ladies’ tent a great success, but -subscriptions flowed in in a wonderful manner. One dear old -lady—an Exeter Hall-er who took omnibuses full of people to -hear Sankey and Moody—sent ‘two guineas for the green, which -is now, I believe, a place of innocent amusement and happiness,’ -as she stated in her letter. She <em>was</em> a good Christian, as -her house stood deep long-leg, and many a time has a ‘four’ -been scored for a hit through her window—and this is fact.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span> -With the enormous number of large schools in England where -cricket is played, it will seldom happen that any cricket neighbourhood -has not some young fellows from school, or possibly -a few from either University, close by; and if they happen to -be of the right sort they are a great boon. At the same -time it should be a golden rule never to put out of the eleven -a good one, who has worked for and earned his place, for a -‘swell.’ The rule must be kept hard and fast, that the eleven -is open only to those who have proved themselves good enough, -and if that rule is observed, in the event of a real first-rate -amateur turning up, you will generally find that more than one -volunteer will offer to stand out for him.</p> - -<p>Captaining a village team is not all a bed of roses; but -if you are really a cricketer at heart, you will soon acquire -the absolute confidence of people of all classes, especially -of the humbler order. It is not an unpleasant thing, as -you walk across the green on your way to the train, to hear a -pack of little boys on their way to school, who look on you -as a kind of big dog that won’t bite, all chattering about the -match the day before. ‘Ah! Sir, I heerd my father say that -he won a pot over the match,’ says one. ‘That boy, Sir, -got the stick for playing truant yesterday morning,’ says -another. ‘Well! if I <em>did</em>,’ replies the culprit, ‘I <em>see</em> the beginning -of the match, and <em>you</em> did not—there!’ That boy may be -another Fuller Pilch some day.</p> - -<p>And if you are sitting in the tent when your side is in, -revolving many things in your mind, and you feel that the -whites of the eyes of Mr. Chummy the sweep, a good cricketer -formerly, who sits on a form just outside the tent, behind a -very short pipe, are glancing round on you, what a comfort it -is, if you turn round, to see an almost imperceptible nod of -Mr. Chummy’s head—for he never speaks during a match—which -says, ‘Going on all right—we shall win!’ That nod of the -head is only intelligible to a cricketer, just as a very ‘shy’ rise -of a trout is only perceptible to a genuine fisherman. Those, too -only who have known some celebrated cricketer from childhood,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span> -and have watched his career and promotion from the -little boys’ to the big boys’ eleven, and eventually to the parish -eleven, and have seen his cricket talent developed from year -to year until he appears in his county team, can imagine -how painful is the excitement to those who are interested in his -success. It has been my fate to go through—I had almost said -the agony of—that state of suspense many times, and I must -relate one instance. A young player, twenty years old, after -my earnest entreaty, was allotted a place in the county eleven. He -broke ground in London against Notts, and at his <i>début</i> had to -stand the fire of Alfred Shaw and J. C. Shaw. Directly I saw -him play the first ball my mind was quite at rest, as he showed -that he had not the stage sickness. He got twelve runs in an hour -and a quarter. His next public appearance in London was a -‘caution,’ as he scored 20 not out, in his first innings against -Cambridge University; and, going in first, scored 82 in his -second innings. This occurred nearly twenty years ago, when -cricketers played with their bats and not with their pads, and -boundary hits, except against the pavilion, were unknown; so -fifty runs was a grand score. I never shall forget my feelings -when the colt had made 47, within 3 of his 50; I could look -no more; when, all of a sudden, I heard a roar from the crowd -which told me that our village boy had done it. The secretary -of the club said, ‘He must have his sovereign for fifty runs,’ -and he promised me that if he made thirty more, which would -make a total of 100, including his 20 not out, he would give -him two sovereigns, if I would give him one for his first fifty. -I undertook to raise that capital; whereupon, a stranger, a very -tall, handsome, gentlemanly man, said, ‘And I will give him a -sovereign too; for’ (turning to myself) ‘your excitement, which -I found was only occasioned by interest in a village boy, and not -heavy betting as I imagined, has done me real good. I have -been for thirty years in India and am going back again in a -month, and nothing pleased me more than to find this keen -love of sport still existing.’ He would not give his name, and -I could never find out who he was; possibly he is alive and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span> -may read this, and may let us know who he was, for I am sure -he has not forgotten it. Richard Humphrey was the colt, and -I sent for him into the Pavilion, and the ‘illustrious stranger’ -shook hands with him and gave him the sovereign.</p> - -<p>The foregoing remarks about clubs apply to a country place -with some pretensions to first-rate cricket and a village green. -In a rural out-of-the-way place where the population consists -of a class which cockney writers call ‘Hodge,’ and which we call -‘chaw-bacons,’ bats and balls and stumps and all implements -must be provided by subscription. In all other cases those -who want to play cricket must pay for their own cricket things. -If a good ground is provided the cricket ought to grow of itself. -‘And this country cricket must cost a good deal of money,’ -perhaps you will remark. Of course it does; so does fishing, or -shooting, or hunting, or any other sport. There are many men -who want to skim the cream of the cricket and to play in a good -home match who will not play in an out match because ‘they -have not time,’ really because they are too stingy. If you mean -cricket you must back it everywhere with all your heart and -all your strength. Whatever you do, never forget the wind-up -match and supper at the end of the season, and get some -good cricketers from amongst your foes to join, and above all -a parson or two if possible. In these days, I need not say -‘abolish all ribald songs and drunkenness,’ as cricketers have -good manners now.</p> - -<p>As a last word, I must say something for country umpires. -When changes in the game are proposed, a lot of outsiders -who try their hardest to prevent penal laws being made intelligible, -on the ground that ‘the change will put too much on -the umpires’ shoulders—especially country umpires,’ are talking -nonsense. In the days of Caldecourt, John Bayley, Tom -Barker, and Good at Lord’s, umpires did their duty without -fear or favour, and did not let men ‘cheat’, and the same stamp -of umpires still exists in counties and on many a village green; -and if there are any umpires on public grounds who cannot -administer the law fearlessly, they had better be supplanted by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span> -those who can. If batsmen in the past had shamelessly -stopped the ball with their pads without ‘offering’ at the ball -with their bat, country umpires would have given them out -for unfair play, on the same principle as wilfully obstructing the -field. I suppose they would call it l.b.w; and the crowd would -have given the retiring batsman (?) a <em>very</em> cold reception; or -perhaps a very hot one: neither extreme of heat or cold is -pleasant. The late Chief Justice Cockburn said of county -magistrates: ‘They may sometimes administer bad law, but -generally good justice;’ and the remark applies to village-green -umpires.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER VIII. BORDER CRICKET." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII" class="nodec">CHAPTER VIII.</a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">BORDER CRICKET.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By Andrew Lang.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">Mr. Gale has been saying his very pleasant say on country -cricket in England. A Border player, in his declining age, may -be allowed to make a few remarks on the game as it used to be -played in ‘pleasant Teviotdale,’ and generally from Berwick all -along the Tweed. The first time I ever saw ball and bat must -have been about 1850. The gardener’s boy and his friends -were playing with home-made bats, made out of firwood with -the bark on, and with a gutta-percha ball. The game instantly -fascinated me, and when I once understood why the players -ran after making a hit, the essential difficulties of comprehension -were overcome. Already the border towns, Hawick, Kelso, -Selkirk, Galashiels, had their elevens. To a small boy the -spectacle of the various red and blue caps and shirts was very -delightful. The grounds were, as a rule, very rough and bad. -Generally the play was on <i>haughs</i>, level pieces of town-land -beside the rivers. Then the manufacturers would encroach -on the cricket-field, and build a mill on it, and cricket would -have to seek new settlements. This was not the case at Hawick, -where the Duke of Buccleuch gave the town a capital ground, -which is kept in very good order.</p> - -<p>In these early days, when one was only a small spectator, -ay, and in later days too, the great difficulty of cricket was -that excellent thing in itself, too much patriotism. Almost the -whole population of a town would come to the ground and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span> -take such a keen interest in the fortunes of their side, that the -other side, if it won, was in some danger of rough handling. -Probably no one was ever much hurt; indeed, the squabbles -were rather a sham fight than otherwise; but still, bad feeling -was caused by umpires’ decisions. Then relations would be -broken off between the clubs of different towns, and sometimes -this tedious hostility endured for years. The causes were the -excess of local feeling, and perhaps the too great patriotism of -umpires. ‘Not out,’ one of them said, when a member of the -Oxford eleven, playing for his town-club, was most emphatically -infringing some rule. ‘I can <em>not</em> give Maister Tom out first -ball,’ the umpire added, and his case was common enough. -Professional umpires, if they could be got, might be expected -to prove more satisfactory than excited amateurs who forgot -to look after no balls, or to count the number of balls in an -over. But even professionals, if they were attached to the club -or school, were not always the embodiment of justice.</p> - -<p>The most exciting match, I think, in which I ever took part -was for Loretto against another school. In those days we were -very weak indeed. When our last man went in, second innings, -we were still four runs behind our opponent’s first score. This -last man was extremely short-sighted, and the game seemed -over. But his partner, a very steady player, kept the bowling, -and put on some thirty-eight more. We put our adversaries -in to get this, and had lowered eight wickets for twenty-eight. -I was bowling, and appealed to the umpire of our opponents -for a palpable catch at wicket. ‘Not out!’ Next ball the -batsman was caught at long-stop, and a fielder triumphantly -shouted, ‘Well, how’s <em>that</em>?’</p> - -<p>‘Not out,’ replied the professional again, and we lost the -match by two wickets.</p> - -<p>If this had happened on the Border there would have -been trouble, and perhaps the two clubs would not have met -again for years. I have no doubt that a more equable feeling -has come in among those clubs which retained a good deal -of the sentiments of rival clans. The Borderers played too<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> -much as if we were still in the days of Scotts and Carrs, and -as if it were still our purpose</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">To tame the Unicorn’s pride,</div> - <div class="p_line_i2">Exalt the Crescent and the Star.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Sir Walter Scott encouraged this ardour at football when he -caused to be unfurled, for the first time since 1633, the ancient -banner of Buccleuch, with its broidered motto ‘Bellendaine.’ -The dalesmen, the people from the waters of Yarrow, Ettrick, -and Teviot, played against the souters of Selkirk, all across -country, the goals being Ettrick and Yarrow. The townsmen -scored the first goal, when the Galashiels folk came in as allies -of the shepherds, and helped them to win a goal. ‘Then began -a murder grim and great,’ and Scott himself was mobbed in -the evening. But he knew how to turn wrath into laughter.</p> - -<p>‘’Tis sixty years since,’ and more, but this perfervid ardour, -while it makes Border cricket very exciting, is perhaps even -now a trifle too warm. The great idea, perhaps, in all country -cricket is not so much to have a pleasant day’s sport, win or -lose, but to win merely. Men play for victory, as Dr. Johnson -talked, rather than for cricket. This has its advantages; it conduces -to earnestness. But it does not invariably promote the -friendliness of a friendly game.</p> - -<p>Border cricket is very pleasant, because it is played in such -a pleasant country. You see the angler going to Tweedside, or -Teviot, and pausing to watch the game as he strolls by the -cricket-ground. The hills lie all around, these old, unmoved, -unchangeable spectators of man’s tragedy and sport. The -broken towers of Melrose or Jedburgh or Kelso look down on -you. They used to ‘look down,’ as well they might, on very -bad wickets. Thanks to this circumstance, the present writer, -for the first and only time in his existence, once did the ‘hat -trick’ at Jedburgh, and took three wickets with three consecutive -balls. Now the grounds are better, and the scores -longer, but not too long. You seldom hear of 300 in one -innings on the Border.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span></p> - -<p>In my time the bowling was roundhand, and pretty straight -and to a length, as a general rule. Perhaps, or rather certainly, -the proudest day of my existence was when I was at home for -the holidays, and was chosen to play, and bowl, for the town -eleven against Hawick. I have the score still, and it appears -that I made havoc among Elliots, Leydens, and Drydens. But -they were too strong for our Scotts, Johnstons, and Douglasses: -it is a pleasure to write the old names of the Border clans in -connection with cricket. The batting was not nearly so good -then as it is now; professional instruction was almost unknown. -Men blocked timidly, and we had only one great hitter, Mr. -John Douglas; but how gallantly he lifted the soaring ball by the -banks of Ettrick! At that time we had a kind of family team, -composed of brothers and other boys, so small that we called -ourselves <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Les Enfants Perdus</i>. The name was appropriate -enough. I think we only once won a match, and that victory -was achieved over Melrose. But we kept the game going on -and played in all weathers, and on any kind of wickets. Very -small children would occasionally toddle up and bowl when -the elder members of the family were knocked off. Finally, -as they grew in stature, the team developed into ‘The Eccentric -Flamingoes,’ then the only wandering Border club. We wore -black and red curiously disposed, and had a good many Oxford -members. The Flamingoes, coming down from Oxford, full of -pride, had once a dreadful day on the Edinburgh Academy -Ground. We were playing the School, which made a portentous -score, and I particularly remember that Mr. T. R. -Marshall, probably the best Scotch bat who ever played, and -then a boy, hit two sixes and a five off three consecutive balls. -It is a very great pity that this Border bat is so seldom seen at -Lords’; his average for M.C.C. in 1886 was 85. The Flamingoes -lasted for some years, and played all Teviotdale and -Tweedside.</p> - -<p>In those days we heard little of Dumfries and Galloway -cricket, into which Steels, Tylecotes, and Studds have lately -infused much life. In recent years, Lord Dalkeith, Lord<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span> -George Scott, and Mr. Maxwell Scott, of Abbotsford, have -contributed very much to the growth of Border cricket. Money -has never been very plentiful north of Tweed, and when -scarcely any but artisans played, the clubs could not afford good -grounds, or much professional instruction. In these respects -there has been improvement. Perhaps the boys’ cricket was -not sufficiently watched and encouraged. Veterans used to -linger on the stage with a mythical halo round them of their -great deeds in the Sixties. Perhaps the rising generation is -now more quickly promoted, and better coached than of old. -I feel a hesitation in offering any criticism because I had only -one quality of a cricketer, enthusiasm, combined for a year or -two with some twist from leg. But, if I never was anything of -an expert, my heart hath always been with those old happy -scenes and happy days of struggling cricket. What jolly journeys -we had, driving under the triple crest of Eildon to Kelso, -or down Tweed to Galashiels, or over the windy moor to -Hawick! How keen we were, and how carried beyond ourselves -with joy in the success of a sturdy slogger, or a brilliant -field! There were sudden and astonishing developments of -genius. Does J. J. A., among his savages on the other side of -the globe, remember how he once took to witching the world -by making incredible and almost impossible catches? <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Audisne, -Amphiarae?</i> Michael Russell Wyer, I am sure, among Parsee -cricketers, has not forgotten his swashing blow. But one of -whom the poet declared that he would</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Push into Indus, into Ganges’ flood,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">While all Calcutta sings the praise of Budd,<a name="Anchor_34" id="Anchor_34" href="#Footnote_34" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 34.">[34]</a></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">will no more ‘push leg balls among the slips.’</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">No longer make a wild and wondrous score,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">And poke where never mortal poked before.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>This is the melancholy of mortal things.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span></p> - -<p>As Mr. Prowse sang</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">The game we have not strength to play</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Seems somehow better than before.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Our wickets keep falling in this life. One after the other -goes down. They are becoming few who joined in those Border -matches where there was but one lady spectator, when we made -such infrequent runs, and often dropped a catch, but never lost -heart, never lost pleasure in the game. Some of them may -read this, and remember old friends gone, old games played, -old pewters drained, old pipes smoked, old stories told, remember -the leg-hitting of Jack Grey, the bowling of Bill Dryden -and of Clement Glassford, the sturdy defence of William -Forman. And he who writes, recalling that simple delight and -good fellowship, recalling those kind faces and merry days in -the old land of Walter Scott, may make his confession, and -may say that such years were worth living for, and that neither -study, nor praise, nor any other pleasure has equalled, or can -equal, the joy of having been young and a cricketer, where</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">The oak, and the ash, and the bonny ivy tree,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">They flourish best at home in the North Countrie.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It is long since the writer has played in Border cricket, or -even seen the game in those quarters. A more modern sportsman, -and an infinitely better player, has kindly drawn up a few -observations made in recent years. On the whole, nothing, it -seems, is altered. The game is played mainly, as of old, by -the stalwart artisans. There is little patronage from the -counties, and the middle classes are sunk in golf. Money, -therefore, is scarce, and, while very fair wickets are provided, -the out-fielder is harassed by difficulties of ground in many -cases. Time also is scarce, and thus lack of wealth prevents -the Borderers from doing themselves justice. At Langholm -the family of the Duke of Buccleuch, ‘the Langholm Lordies,’ -set an example, and, at Dalbeattie in Galloway, Steels, as of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span> -old, Studds, and Tylecotes play in autumn. Mr. Maxwell of -Glenlee, now dead, and Mr. Maxwell Scott of Abbotsford were -recently patrons of the game. On the whole, however, money -and encouragement are sadly lacking.</p> - -<p>The play, I gather, has improved, and the employment -of professionals has doubtless contributed to this result. -There is a danger, however, of depending too much on the -professionals, who take part in the matches between the -clubs. The difficulties of umpiring are overcome in matches -for the Border Cup by the assistance of strangers, who truly -and indifferently minister justice. In other matches, I am told, -the umpires, being members of the rival clubs, are apt to -suffer from ‘the personal bias,’ and from accesses of local -patriotism. This defect is not absolutely confined to the Border. -Football, a game entailing less expenditure of money and -time, is naturally better rooted and more flourishing than -cricket. It is also less dependent on weather. On the whole, -improvement both in skill and in the wickets is to be noted, and -I conceive that a match is much less likely than of old to degenerate -into a Border brawl. But cricket is not the national -game of the country which gave birth to golf and can hold her -own at football.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<ul> -<li> - <a name="Footnote_34" id="Footnote_34" href="#Anchor_34" title="Return to text.">[34]</a> The maker of a formidable bat. -</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER IX. HOW TO SCORE." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="9">IX.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">HOW TO SCORE.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By W. G. Grace.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">Ask any player who has scored over a hundred in an innings -if he felt any particular influence at work on the morning of the -match, and he will probably answer in the negative; but press -him, and he will admit that he felt fit and well, and that the -feeling was owing to a good night’s rest, together with the -careful training of days and weeks. I am aware that there are -exceptions to this rule, and that players have been known to -score largely after a night of high feasting and dancing; but -in my own experience, whilst admitting that occasional freaks -of this kind have been followed by moderately large scores, I -cannot recollect many of my big innings that were not the -results of strict obedience to the rules which govern the training -for all important athletic contests. Temperance in food -and drink, regular sleep and exercise, I have laid down as the -golden rule from my earliest cricketing days. I have carefully -adhered to this rule, and to it in a great degree I attribute the -scores that stand to my name in cricket history, and the measure -of health and strength I still enjoy.</p> - -<p>Early in the season every cricketer knows the difficulty of -getting his eye in, but though he may be disappointed at the -small score attached to his name match after match, he plays -steadily on, trusting that by constant practice the coveted -hundred will come. If he hopes to score largely he must be -careful in his manner of living and moderate in all things, even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> -though nature may have blessed him with exceptional wrist -power and sight.</p> - -<p>The capacity for making long scores is not a thing of a -day’s growth, and it may be years before strength and skill -come and enable the young cricketer to bear the fatigue of -a long innings. He cannot begin too early to play carefully -and earnestly, and in all club and school practice the lad -should play as if he were engaged in an important match, and -the result depended upon his individual efforts. In my own -case, thanks to careful guidance, I was early taught to keep my -wicket up, never to hit recklessly, always to play straight or -good-length balls with force, and if possible away from the -fielders. Habits of that kind thoughtfully cultivated will not -desert you in first-class cricket. Great scores at cricket, like -great work of any kind, are, as a rule, the results of years of -careful and judicious training and not accidental occurrences.</p> - -<p>If you have occasion to travel a considerable distance to -play, make an effort to get to your destination the night before, -or at least some time before, the match begins. There is -nothing so fatiguing to the eyesight as a long railway journey, -and going straight from the railway station to the wicket is -often fatal to long scoring.</p> - -<p>I have tried hard, especially of late years, to arrange so -that I could reach the ground in good time and save everything -in the shape of hurry or bustle. There are but few -cricket grounds within a hundred miles of each other where the -light and conditions are alike, and it takes some time for eye -and mind to accommodate themselves to new surroundings. -You will find it just as trying to play in a blaze of sunshine, -after three days of smoke and leaden skies, as you will in a -change from the sunny south to the bleak, sunless north.</p> - -<p>You must also not only bear in mind the vast importance -of reaching the ground in good time, but the greater importance -of getting five or ten minutes’ batting practice before -the innings begins. Very few grounds are the same as regards -the way in which the ball rises off the pitch, even if the light<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span> -be similar to that you have been playing in for days, and it -requires nothing short of a genius for the game to change -from a fast to a slow wicket, and play with the same ease and -confidence.</p> - -<p>I shall not readily forget an experience that came to me in -1871, when I travelled from London to Brighton to play for -the Gentlemen against the Players for the benefit of John -Lillywhite. Being very much younger than I am now, I was -blessed with clearness of vision and quickness of action that -suited themselves very readily to most conditions of light and -ground. Perhaps it was the inexperience of youth that led me -to put off reaching the old Brunswick ground at Hove until -the moment of beginning my innings. This I know, I felt -as fit as ever I did in my life, walked to the wicket with confidence, -and took my guard carefully to the bowling of J. C. -Shaw. He was on at the sea-shore end, and there was a glare -on the water, delighting the artistic eye I have no doubt, but -to me shifting and dancing like a will o’ the wisp. There is -no need to deny the fact, I was all abroad to his first ball, and -knew it had beaten me before it came within two yards of -me. I tried hard to play it, but the ominous rattle told me -I had failed, and I returned to the pavilion and made the -mental note. The dazzling light, the railway journey, and -want of five minutes’ practice did it. I had no desire to repeat -the performance in the second innings, and had little -fear of doing so. I took care to have some practice, and -scored 217, my brother G. F. made 98, and we increased the -total by 240 runs in two and a half hours.</p> - -<p>There is this also to be said in favour of five or ten minutes’ -batting practice before a match, that it enables you to test pads, -gloves, and shoes. To have the fastening of a glove or pad -break off when you are well set is a disagreeable and annoying -interruption. It takes some time to put things right, and when -you return to the wicket, the confidence you felt has very -likely to a great extent deserted you. And how often have -you placed your boots in your bag, all the spikes seemingly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span> -firm, to find one or two missing after you have been batting for -a few minutes! One has gone out of the toe of your boot, and -you play forward to a ball, miss your footing and get stumped; -or one has vanished from the heel, and you are called by your -partner for a short run, sent back again, slip, and get run out. -Inattention to these apparently small points causes annoyance, -and may prevent you from getting a long score.</p> - -<p>You are now ready to go in, and if you are first on the list -you may do it leisurely; but if you follow first wicket down, or -later, impress strongly upon your mind that it is your duty to -get to the wicket within the limit of time the law allows, and as -quickly as possible, particularly if your partner has got his eye -in and looks like making a large score. You will expect a like -consideration when your turn comes to wait, and nothing upsets -a player so much as having to loiter three or four minutes -when he is warm and at home with the bowling, especially -when he knows there is no need for delay. There will be a -lack of confidence between you for some time at least, and -indifferent judging of runs.</p> - -<p>You will doubtless please yourself as to the guard to be -taken; but whether you take it to cover the middle and leg -stumps, or middle or leg only, be sure to keep your legs clear -of the wicket. A good umpire notes at the first glance if your -leg is covering any part of it, registers it against you, and -remembers it when called upon for a decision. If you stand -clear of the wicket, he realises that you are taking every precaution, -will not decide without thinking, and will give you -the benefit of every doubt.</p> - -<p>Be sure you have your right foot firmly planted behind the -popping crease, or you may play a little too far forward and be -stumped. You may as well remove any small piece of grass -or loose bit of turf that catches your eye as you look along the -wicket. After you have taken guard, and marked it clearly, -look all around and note the position of the fieldsmen. -It is something to know you may hit out to certain parts of -the ground without the risk of being caught.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span></p> - -<p>It is not very many years since, if you had asked the question -how you were to begin an innings, you would have been -told to play quietly for an over or two, and hit at nothing -straight until you got your eye in. With all my heart I say, do -not be in a hurry to hit; keep up your wicket and runs will -come; but do not think that this means that you are not to -punish a loose ball if you get one, whether it be your first or -your twentieth. I understand it to mean that you are not to -hit at a good or doubtful ball for the sake of a start, or to -shake off the nervousness that affects a great number of players -until they have scored the first run. No; begin as you mean -to go on, playing good balls carefully, hitting loose ones, and -bearing in mind that a large score is not made in half-a-dozen -hits or overs. Do not be surprised and disappointed if the -first few overs are maidens, or ruffled that the score-sheet is -still clean so far as you are concerned. Possibly your partner -has been placing balls that you could not get away, and you -grow impatient. That is foolishness, and fatal to your chance -of scoring. Remember he had been batting before you came -in, and had obtained the confidence and mastery over the -bowling that is now coming slowly but surely to you. Runs -will come if you stay in, and few bowlers can go on bowling -over after over for half an hour or more without giving you a -loose ball or two.</p> - -<p>It is bad judgment to attempt sharp runs early in your -innings. Inclination that way is sure to be encouraged by the -bowler, and when you least expect it he will in some way unknown -to you communicate with the wicket-keeper and fielders, -and the next attempt may end in you or your partner being -run out. A deal of harm has been done even if you just saved -it by an inch or two, and you will be in a most unhappy state -of mind for some time afterwards. It dawns upon you that there -was a degree of stupidity in the attempt, and it does not improve -your temper to have words of caution showered upon -you from the pavilion. The state of the game, the condition -of the score did not demand it, and you will be very lucky if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span> -you realise the fact, and recover your usual coolness and confidence -before resuming your innings.</p> - -<p>Exercise judgment when running out big hits. If you find -the fielders a little careless in throwing in, you may make a five -out of what looked like a four; but remember that to do this you -will have to make an exceptional effort that will try your wind. -And now you have the opportunity to show if your head is -of the thoughtful kind. The bowler will be delighted if he -can tempt you to play the next ball before you have got rid -of the flurry and excitement, and you will be looked upon as -very obliging and thoughtless if you do. Very likely you have -resumed your position in front of the wicket with no intention -of playing for a second or two; perhaps the bowler is aware of -the fact, but that does not prevent him from bowling at you in -the hope that you may change your mind. Do not blame him -if you play and are bowled. He was not supposed to know -that you were not ready, and you had no right to be there recovering -your breath; it will come back as freely to you a yard -or two away from the wicket as in front of it, and neither -bowler nor fielders ought to blame you for waiting for that -purpose. You are playing the game for your side as well -as your individual reputation, and ought to take all needful precautions.</p> - -<p>Be careful what you take to drink during a long innings. -If you are not accustomed to large scoring you are sure to feel -thirsty, and your mouth will become very dry before you have -made many runs. A big drink at this or any other time when -you are in is a great mistake. For the moment you feel as if -you must quench your thirst, or you cannot go on; you must, -however, refrain, for there is nothing so insidious and infectious -as indulgence in drinks of any kind. In half an hour you will -want another, and the fieldsmen generally will sympathise and -lean to your way of thinking. Then there will be five minutes’ -break, you will probably lose sight of the ball, and very likely -get out immediately after. If you must have something, call -for a little water: it will answer the purpose perfectly. Rinse<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span> -your mouth with it, swallow as little as possible, and the thirst -will quickly pass away.</p> - -<p>It is the first long innings that requires nerve and judgment. -The hopes and fears that spring up in the young player’s -breast when he has scored something between fifty and a -hundred make it a severe trial; and I daresay if you and I could -read his thoughts we should find that every run of the last ten -was made in mental fear accompanied by a thumping heart. -But when the hundred is reached, who can describe the joy -that thrills him as he hears the hand-clapping and shouting!</p> - -<p>I will not say, be modest in the hour of victory, but rather -be modest after it. It is after the victory, as we listen to outside -praise, that conceit and its enervating influence steal in. -Turn a deaf ear, and remember it was in fear and trembling -that you reached the much-desired score. Quiet confidence is -a widely different thing from conceit. The former will help -you to a run of big scores, the latter will cripple every effort to -sustain your hardly earned reputation.</p> - -<p>So far I have not touched upon the different wickets that are -met with during the season. There have been years, such as -1887, when the weather has continued dry and fine for weeks, -and the change from ground to ground was hardly perceptible; -but I have known the wicket to change in a single match from -dry, fast and true, to wet and soft, and then to have finished -sticky and unplayable. Anyone who can score heavily through -changes of that kind will be exceptionally fortunate. I venture -to think it may be of some use to young cricketers if I -tell them how they should play under these different conditions -of ground. I will begin with what is known as a fast, dry and -true wicket.</p> - -<p>This is the wicket which all good cricketers like to play on, -and, if it does not crumble before the match is finished, long -scores may be expected. Never hesitate to play forward on a -wicket of this kind, for the bowler can get little or no work on -the ball, and, what is more, the further it is pitched up and the -faster it comes along, the easier it is to play it forward and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span> -more difficult to play it back. On such a wicket as this do not -go in for lofty and ‘gallery’ hitting, or you will very likely -throw away your chance of making a long score. If the bowler -gives you a ball well up, instead of hitting very hard at it, I -should advise you to drive it along the ground; although you -may not score so many runs for it, still you do not incur the -risk of being caught out, and you will get the applause of those -who know what scientific batting means. Cuts and leg-hits -travel at a rare pace on a good fast ground, and timing and -placing are of more importance than strength. A snick to long-leg -may bring more runs than a hard hit straight, and a tap -past long-slip goes flying to the boundary with a very small -expenditure of strength. Most long scores have been made -on a wicket of this description, and you do not tire half so much -as you would if the wicket were wet and heavy.</p> - -<p>In the season 1876—one of my best years—I remember playing -in three matches following each other when the ground -was fast, dry and true. The first match was at Canterbury, for -Marylebone C.C. <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Kent. Kent made the long score of 473, -chiefly owing to the magnificent batting of Lord Harris, who -made 154. We responded with the comparatively small total -of 144. To follow on with so large a deficit was not encouraging; -but the wicket was still everything to be desired in -pace and quality, and I made up my mind to play a fast game, -knowing that the bowler could get little or no work on the ball, -and that any attempt to play carefully for a draw would be -useless. It is now a matter of history that we scored the first -100 in forty-five minutes, 217 well under the two hours, and -finished up with a total of 557 for nine wickets, converting -what appeared to be inevitable defeat into a creditable draw. It -took me a little over six hours to make my 344; but so good -and fast was the wicket that I played forward to most of the -good balls.</p> - -<p>Two days after, on a similar wicket against Notts, playing -for Gloucestershire at Clifton, I made 177, and the same week -318 not out, against Yorkshire at Cheltenham. The last wicket<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span> -was one of the very best I ever played on, and right through -the innings I could play forward without danger to nearly -every ball bowled. Remember, then, on a wicket of this kind -to play forward as much as possible.</p> - -<p>I come now to a fast, good, wet wicket. It may surprise a -great many players when I say, play almost the same way as -upon a fast dry wicket. The bowler has still as much difficulty -in getting work on the ball, as it cuts through the ground and -he cannot hold it owing to its wet and slippery state, and -you will find playing forward the better way. You will -have to be a little more watchful, for some balls will keep -low and travel at a terrific rate after they pitch, and should you -get a shooter it will come to you even faster than, on a dry -wicket. Batsmen on our perfect wickets of to-day think a -ball that keeps low is a shooter; but I wish they could come -across the shooters we used to have at Lord’s ground twenty -years ago. They seemed completely to baffle some players, -and gave them the impression that the ball, instead of travelling -all along the ground, went under it and came up again at the -bottom of the wickets.</p> - -<p>Of course you will distinguish between a fast wet wicket -and one that is not thoroughly saturated. The latter, though -perhaps quite as true, will not be so fast, nor will runs come so -quickly. A wicket of this kind was formerly considered much -in favour of the bowler; but that opinion has been upset, and -a good punishing batsman, who takes no liberties, has the -bowler pretty much at his mercy. In 1873, on a wicket of this -kind, I made 160 not out for Gloucestershire <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Surrey at -Clifton. In the early part of the innings the wicket was fast -and wet, and the ball travelled at a rare pace; but later on it -became softer, and the ball did not travel so well.</p> - -<p>A slow, good, dry wicket. You will occasionally meet with -this kind of wicket after rain, when the ground has not had -time to dry sufficiently to make it fast. The bowler can get -more break on than he can on a good fast wicket, but the ball -rises slowly off the pitch and you have plenty of time to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span> -watch it. You will rarely get a ball higher than the bails, and -you can play forward or back as the pitch admits. When -playing forward, you must not play too quickly, as the ball -sometimes hangs a bit and you may play it back to the bowler. -It was on a wicket of this kind at Clifton College ground that I -scored a hundred in each innings for Gloucestershire <i>v</i>. Kent -in 1887. The first day the wicket was perfect of its kind, -every ball coming easy and with very little break, travelling -quickly when hit, as the outside ground was much harder than -the pitch, which had been watered. I made 101 in less than -three hours. Rain stopped play for some time on the second -afternoon, Friday, but by Saturday afternoon the wicket recovered, -and I scored 103 not out in two hours and twenty -minutes. Years ago, when youth was more on my side, I preferred -a very fast dry wicket; but now I confess to a leaning -for a good, slow, and dry one.</p> - -<p>The three wickets I have described must be considered easy, -and attention to the points I touched upon at the beginning -should help the batsman to score largely. I now come to two -of a very different nature, on which, as a rule, the bowler has a -high time of it, and where special nerve, skill, judgment, and -luck on the part of the batsman are required before he can -make a large score.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_mcc_and_ground" id="image_mcc_and_ground" class="nodec"><img src="images/mcc_and_ground.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="249" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - M.C.C. AND GROUND <abbr title="VERSUS">V.</abbr> AUSTRALIANS, LORD’S, MAY 22, 1884 - </p> - <p class="caption"> - W. G. GRACE, L.B.W. BOWLED PALMER—101 - </p> -</div> - -<p>First, a bumpy wicket. By a bumpy wicket I do not mean -a fast fiery wicket where the ball only goes over the top of the -stumps and raps the knuckles occasionally, but a wicket upon -which you may get a shooter one over and a blow on the chest -the next, as a pleasing variety to those that come frequently -right over your head the first bound and straight into the hands -of the long-stop without again touching the ground. I can -assure all young players that there is a new and curious sensation -in facing balls of this kind. Skill, patience, a quick eye -and ready arm are useful for the occasion, but dogged pluck is -worth the whole of them. Do not let thoughts of hard knocks -trouble you, or your chance of scoring even a double figure -will be remote. Take your position at the wicket in your usual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span> -way, stand up to the bowling pluckily, and do not have it said -of you that you are only a good wicket player. On a ground -of this kind every run is valuable, and you may risk stealing a -sharp run or two now and then. One of your side may make -fifty or more runs, but the average score is sure to be small, -and you must face the possibility of hard knocks and play as -if you expected every ball to come true and a large score depended -upon you. I am glad to be able to say that, owing to -the general improvement that has taken place in the principal -grounds, you rarely now meet with a bumpy wicket. When -the Yorkshire County Eleven made their first appearance at -Lord’s in 1870 to play against the M.C.C. and Ground, the -wicket was as bumpy as a wicket could be, and very few players -on either side escaped knocks of some kind. It was the first -match in which the alteration in law 9 came into operation, by -which a bowler could change ends twice in the same innings -but not bowl more than two overs in succession; and Alfred -Shaw and Wootton availed themselves of it in the second -innings of Yorkshire. The M.C.C. went in first to the bowling -of Freeman and Emmett, and were all out for 73. Yorkshire -made 91, George Pinder, the well-known Yorkshire wicket-keeper, -who was playing for the first time at Lord’s, contributing -31. The prospect in our second innings was not encouraging, -and the wicket anything but good, when that accomplished -Essex sportsman, Mr. C. E. Green, joined me; but if ever a -good and sterling cricketer played pluckily under adverse -circumstances, Mr. Green did that day, and in seventy minutes -we scored 99 runs. Freeman bowled a terrific pace, and Emmett -was in his glory, his bowling bumping and kicking up as -I have never seen it since. We were hit all over the body, Mr. -Green twice painfully hard on the chest; but he was cool and -cheerful, and made 51 in his best style—and that is saying a -great deal considering the number of balls he had to dodge -with his head. Just before I was out, last man, Emmett -bowled a ball which hit me very hard on the point of the left -elbow, the ball flew into the air, and we ran a run before it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span> -came down into short-leg’s hands; but I could not hold the -bat properly afterwards, and was glad when the innings was -over. I made 66, and our total was 161. Freeman, Iddison, -Pinder and Wootton were all badly knocked about. Yorkshire -won by one wicket; thanks to the plucky hitting of Luke -Greenwood and the steady batting of Emmett.</p> - -<p>Now I come to a drying, sticky wicket. This is about the -worst you can play upon, and he who scores largely on it deserves -to be praised indeed. If the bowling be indifferent the -player who can pull or hit a long hop to leg has a decided advantage, -as the ball hangs a great deal at times and favours that -kind of play. If the bowler be on the spot, then tall scoring -is an impossibility. The work to be got on the ball is astounding; -I have seen balls break a foot or more.</p> - -<p>This kind of wicket is oftener seen at Lord’s after a good -deal of rain and a drying sun than anywhere else. We all remember -that great match when the Australians made their first -appearance there in 1878. I had a fair conception of what -might happen, and after hitting the first ball of the match -to the boundary was not surprised at being caught out from -the fourth. One ball of Spofforth’s was enough for me the -second innings. The best advice I can give is to watch every -ball on a wicket of that kind, and score when you can.</p> - -<p>In conclusion, never treat a straight ball with contempt, -however badly bowled. I have met with a ball that bounded -twice or thrice before it came to me, varying every bound and -at the finish twisting or shooting, and becoming a very difficult -ball indeed. I have made it a rule all my life to hit a straight -long hop or full-pitch with a straight or nearly straight bat, so -that when a ball of this kind was bowled to me I had the full -length of my bat to play it with, whereas if I had tried to pull -or hit across at it, I should only have had the width of my bat, -and should have been more likely to miss it.</p> - -<p>When an indifferent bowler is put on, you cannot be too -careful. He is put on to tempt you to hit, and does not mind -how many runs you score off him; but presently you will get a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span> -good ball, and if you are not careful, especially if you are -trying to bring off a favourite stroke, you will hit at it and very -likely lose your wicket.</p> - -<p>After you have made a boundary hit do not make up your -mind to hit another off the next ball.</p> - -<p>Keep your eye on the bowler, watch how he holds the ball -and runs up to the wicket before delivering it; that will help -you considerably to detect alteration in length and pace.</p> - -<p>It is a mistake to hit at the pitch of slow, round, or under-hand -bowling. The twist is sure to beat you, and if you do -not miss the ball altogether, you will most likely get caught at -cover-point. In my younger days I always ran out to under-hand -bowling and hit it before it bounded, or waited and got -it long hop. When a first-class bowler tries to bowl a slow -ball with an extra amount of break, look out for a bad ball, and -when it comes, as it will sooner or later, punish it, and you -will upset him a bit, and very likely prevent him from bowling -good balls afterwards.</p> - -<p>I think I have touched upon nearly everything that might -help a young player to a long score, and with just a word -about playing against odds I have done. Whether against -eighteen or twenty-two in the field, play the same game that -you would against an eleven. I have very often found that -the fieldsmen in the outfield are placed too deep, and a -second run can be stolen after the ball passes the men close -in. Do not hit to leg, but rather place or snick the ball; you -will get just as many runs without the risk of being caught. -It was when playing against odds that fine placing to leg was -first cultivated, and now it has to a great extent superseded leg -hitting.</p> - -<p>I need not say how delighted I am to watch the progress -of every young and rising cricketer. My heart is in the game -I love above all others, with a love that is as strong to-day as -it was when I made my first large score, and when eye, hand, -and foot were much quicker than they are now. I do not -believe that there are no days like the good old days of cricket,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span> -but I do strongly believe that the prospects of the game are as -bright and hopeful to-day as they have been at any time in -its history, and that in future years as great if not greater things -will be done with both bat and ball. I ask every young -cricketer to study the points I have submitted, and it will be -sufficient reward to me if they in some way help him to make -a big score.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER X. THE AUSTRALIANS." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="10">X.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">THE AUSTRALIANS.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By A. G. Steel.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">Not until Monday, May 27, 1878, did the English public take -any real interest in Australian cricket, though in 1877 in their -own country the Australians had defeated Lillywhite’s eleven -on even terms. Prior to this date four English teams had -visited Australia, but their doings, though recorded in the -press, did not interest the cricket community at home. The -Australian players met with in the Colonies were no doubt -learning from the English teams they had seen and played -against, but the idea that they were up to the standard of -English first-class cricket seemed absurd; and to a certain -extent this estimate was justified by the records of the English -visitors. In 1862 H. H. Stephenson, Surrey player and huntsman, -took out twelve professional players to the Colonies -under the auspices of Messrs. Spiers and Pond. They -played twelve matches against eighteens and twenty-twos, -won six, lost two, and drew four. In 1864, two years later, -George Parr took out a team, which played sixteen matches -against twenty-twos, and was not beaten at all. In 1873 Mr. -W. G. Grace visited the antipodes at the request of the -Melbourne Cricket Club; his eleven played fifteen matches, -all against odds, won ten, lost three, and drew two. In 1876 -James Lillywhite followed, and it was during this tour that the -Australians first won a match on equal terms. Lillywhite’s team -played Australia on March 15, 16 and 17, 1877, with the result -that Australia won by 45 runs. This match was noteworthy -for another reason. C. Bannerman made 165 for Australia,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span> -and was the first amongst Australian batsmen to score a hundred -against English bowlers. Now, though English cricketers -had been beaten on even terms as recently as 1877, the fact -seemed to have been lost sight of at home in 1878, and when -the first Australian eleven that ever visited England arrived -early in the latter year, it never occurred to anyone that it -could have any chance of actually storming the citadel of -English cricket with success. On May 27, 1878, English -cricket and its lovers received a serious shock, as on that day, -in the extraordinarily short space of four and a half hours, a very -fair team of the M.C.C. were beaten by nine wickets. The -famous English club was certainly well represented, seeing that -W. G. Grace, A. W. Ridley, A. J. Webbe, A. N. Hornby, Shaw, -and Morley did battle for it. Gregory’s team, as the Australians -were called, had a very successful season, beating, in addition -to M.C.C., Yorkshire, Surrey, Middlesex, Leicestershire, Sussex, -Gloucestershire, and a bad eleven of the ‘Players,’ and being -beaten by Nottingham, the Gentlemen of England, Yorkshire, -and Cambridge, the latter the most decisive defeat of all.</p> - -<p>The British public were surprised at these results, especially -as it had expected so little from the visitors. Many of -the lower classes were so ignorant of Australia itself, to say -nothing of the cricket capabilities of its inhabitants, that they -fully expected to find the members of Gregory’s team black as -the Aborigines. We remember the late <abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> Arthur Ward -‘putting his foot into it’ on this subject before some of the -Australians. One day in the pavilion at Lord’s, the writer, -who had been chosen to represent the Gentlemen of England -against the visitors in a forthcoming match, was sitting -beside Spofforth watching a game, in which neither was taking -part. Mr. Ward coming up, accosted the writer, ‘Well, Mr. -Steel, so I hear you are going to play against the niggers on -Monday?’ His face was a picture when Spofforth was introduced -to him as the ‘demon nigger bowler.’ Gregory’s team, -in the writer’s opinion, contained four really good bowlers: -Spofforth, Boyle, Allan, and Garrett, and two fair changes in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span> -Midwinter and Horan, but as batsmen they were poor when -compared with England’s best.</p> - -<p>Charles Bannerman was a most dashing player, his off-driving -being magnificent, and Horan and Murdoch were -fairish batsmen. Murdoch then was very different to the -Murdoch of 1882 and 1884; but the rest were rough and -untutored, more like country cricketers than correct players. -Had this team come to England in a dry instead of a wet season, -it would probably have had a very different record at the end of -its visit. Spofforth, Boyle and Garrett were most deadly to the -best batsmen on the soft, caked wickets they so often had to assist -them; and the Australian batsmen, with the rough crossbat style -which distinguished the majority, were just as likely to knock up -fifteen to twenty runs on a bad wicket as on a good one. Nothing -brings good and bad batsmen so close together as bad wet -seasons. When Cambridge University met them the match -was played on a hard true wicket, the Australian bowling was -thoroughly collared, and none of the eleven, except Murdoch, -C. Bannerman, and perhaps Horan, showed any signs of being -able to play correct cricket on a hard ground.</p> - -<p>Gregory’s team, however, had a wonderfully stimulating -effect on English cricket. Their record taught us that the -Australians could produce men to beat most of the counties, -and who <em>might</em>, after a year or two of experience, play a very -good game with a picked team of England.</p> - -<p>In 1880 W. L. Murdoch brought over a Colonial team to -England. The close of the season showed that in the eleven-a-side -matches, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and a -good eleven of the Players of England had been beaten, while -only two matches had been lost: Nottingham succeeded in -winning by one wicket, and England by five wickets. This -latter match was the first in which a picked team of England did -battle against the Australians, and the excitement was intense. -It was most interesting, and will be ever memorable for the -splendid innings of W. G. Grace and W. L. Murdoch, who -made 152 and 153 respectively, the latter being not out.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span> -England’s first innings was 420, Australia’s 149; the latter -followed on, and when the last man, W. H. Moule, came in -there were still wanting 32 runs to save the innings defeat. -Moule played a stubborn game with his captain, and put on 88 -for the last wicket. How England lost five wickets on a -goodish wicket in getting 57 runs will never be forgotten. The -writer had taken off his cricket clothes at the end of the Australians’ -second innings, thinking all would soon be over; but -cricket is a strange game, and he soon had to put them on again. -The result of the first pitched battle between England and Australia, -though a win of five wickets for the former, was a marvellous -performance on the part of the Australians; indeed, seeing -how far they were left behind on the first innings, it was one of -the best things ever done at cricket to get so near the victors -at the finish, especially as the wicket on the last innings was -not to be found fault with. It should also be mentioned in fairness -to the Australians that their best bowler, Spofforth, was -prevented by an accident from taking part in this match.</p> - -<p>The next team that visited England was in 1882, and was -again under the captaincy of W. L. Murdoch. On this occasion -G. Giffen, S. P. Jones, and H. H. Massie were introduced -to the British public for the first time. As this eleven succeeded -in defeating England, and was perhaps the best that -ever represented the Colonies, we record the names:—A. C. -Bannerman, J. M. Blackham, G. J. Bonnor, H. F. Boyle, -P. S. McDonnell, W. L. Murdoch, G. E. Palmer, F. R. Spofforth, -T. W. Garrett, T. Horan, and the three new players above -mentioned. The result at the end of the season was: -Matches played, 38: won, 23; lost, 4; drawn, 11; Nottingham -beaten once, Lancashire once, Yorkshire three times, -the Gentlemen of England once, and Oxford University -once. The four defeats were by Cambridge University, the -Players of England, Cambridge Past and Present, and the -North of England. This team played the second pitched -battle between Australia and England on Monday, August -28, and after the close finish and creditable display made in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span> -1880 against England by worse players, the match created the -most intense excitement. The Australians went first to the -wickets, which were very sticky, and were all disposed of for -63. England topped this by 38. Prior to the beginning of -Australia’s second innings, a heavy shower deluged the ground. -Going in on the wet cutting-through wicket, Massie hit the -incapacitated bowlers all over the field, and when the first -wicket fell for 66 had scored 55 out of that number. With the -exception of Murdoch and Bannerman, nobody else troubled -the English bowlers, and the ground rapidly drying and caking, -the whole side were disposed of for 122. The Englishmen -wanted 85 to win, and when the score was at 51 for one wicket, -it seemed as if the game were over. Spofforth, however, was -bowling splendidly, and the wicket had become most difficult. -He was bowling over medium pace, coming back many inches, -and often getting up to an uncomfortable height. The English -batsmen could do nothing with him, and, after the keenest -excitement, the game ended in a well-won victory for the -Australians by 7 runs. Though this defeat was a great blow to -the English representatives, there were none who grudged -Australia her success, which was obtained by sound and sterling -cricket. We think there is no doubt that the 1882 team was -better than the next one in 1884. In 1882 they had as bowlers -Boyle, Spofforth, Palmer, Garrett, and Giffen; in 1884 they -had Spofforth, Palmer, Boyle, Giffen, and Midwinter, but they -had lost Garrett. The ’82 team contained two excellent batsmen -in Horan and Massie, whose absence was not sufficiently -compensated for by Scott and Midwinter. Murdoch, Horan, -Giffen, Blackham, were all likely to make runs, while Massie, -Bonnor, and McDonnell often succeeded on the worst wicket -in making mincemeat of any bowling.</p> - -<p>In 1884 W. L. Murdoch again brought over an Australian -team to England, and played thirty-two matches, winning eight -and losing seven. This time it was decided by the English -authorities not to allow the fame of English cricket to depend -on the result of one match only, but on the best of three, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span> -accordingly three matches were arranged to be played between -England and Australia, one at Manchester, the second at -Lord’s, and the third at the Oval. The first, at Manchester, was -seriously interfered with by the weather. Rain prevented any -play on the first day. England began to bat on a sodden -wicket and made 95, and Murdoch’s team responded with 182. -England had now a difficult task to prevent being beaten, but -at the end of the match were 92 runs on, and one wicket to -fall. This was doubtless a draw in favour of the Australians, -but still a hundred runs on a bad wicket against the flower of -English bowling take a lot of getting, and it must be remembered -that a month before the Australian team were all disposed -of for 60 on a sticky wicket by Peate and Emmett. The second -match was at Lord’s, and was the only one of the three that -was finished. England won easily by an innings and 5 runs. -The earlier teams of the Australians never appeared to advantage -at Lord’s. The later ones, however, have done better -on that ground. The third match, at the Oval, was a memorable -one. The Australians won the toss, went in on a perfect -wicket, and made the terrific score of 551: McDonnell 103, -Murdoch 211, Scott 102. This was a truly great performance, -and it was remarkable that every member of the English team -tried his hand with the ball, by far the most successful having -been the Honourable A. Lyttelton with the analysis of four -wickets for 19 runs. England made 346 first innings, in which -was a magnificent display from W. W. Read of 117. In the -second innings England made 85 for two wickets, and thus required -120 runs on a true wicket with seven good batsmen to -save the single innings defeat.</p> - -<p>The next team that visited England was in 1886, H. J. H. -Scott being the captain. This is memorable as the first -Australian team in England that did not contain W. L. Murdoch. -Several unknown men now made their appearance, W. Bruce, -E. Evans, J. McIlwraith, and J. W. Trumble, but this was undoubtedly -less successful than any of the previous teams. -Their season’s record showed: Matches played, 38; won, 9;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span> -lost, 7; drawn, 22. Here again, as in 1884, England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> -Australia was to be played at Manchester, Lord’s, and the -Oval; but it is unnecessary to give an account of these -three matches. It will suffice to say that at Manchester -England won by four wickets, at Lord’s by an innings and 106 -runs, and at the Oval by an innings and 217 runs.</p> - -<p>The sixth Australian team visited us in 1888, and as W. L. -Murdoch had at that time practically retired from first-class -cricket, the captaincy devolved upon that sterling hitter, P. S. -McDonnell. This team, though including some excellent players -at all branches of the game, cannot be considered equal in -merit to that of 1882. Three representative matches were again -arranged, as in 1886. The first was played at Lord’s upon a -wicket deluged with rain, and the Australians won in a small-scoring -match by 61 runs. They won on their merits as the -game was played, and the English batsmen on that occasion -deserved to lose. On a most difficult wicket, and against -C. T. B. Turner and J. J. Ferris’s bowling, they poked and -scraped about, and seemed utterly unable to realise what each -Australian batsman had done, viz. that to make runs under -such circumstances the bat must be used vigorously. Though -the Australians here scored their second success since 1878 in -England in a representative match, the supporters of England -were in nowise satisfied that the Australians had the better -side. Two really good bowlers their opponents had in Turner -and Ferris, but no one else on their side had any pretensions -to being called first-class in this department of the game. Their -batting, taken as a whole, was weak—McDonnell, of course, was -a fine player, but the rest could not be compared to our best -English batsmen. Then their fielding was hardly up to the -standard of previous colonial teams. Altogether the English side -did not fear the result of the next two matches if played under -ordinary conditions of weather and luck. The second match, -at the Oval, resulted in a win for England by an innings and -137 runs, and the third, played at Manchester, in another win -for the same side by an innings and 21 runs. The feature of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span> -the season’s cricket played by this side was the bowling of -C. T. B. Turner and J. J. Ferris. Turner’s analysis was -remarkable—314 wickets for 3,492 runs, giving the excellent -average of 11·38. This bowler is undoubtedly entitled to take -rank amongst the really great bowlers of this generation of -cricketers. J. J. Ferris, though he met with wonderful success -this season (1888), was never in the same class as C. T. B. -Turner.</p> - -<p>The next Australian team that came to England was in -1890, and W. L. Murdoch, after five years’ absence from first-class -cricket, consented to once again act as captain. The -result of this trip was anything but a success from a cricket -point of view, and indeed the team was not competent to cope -with England’s best. Six of this team made their first visit to -England, viz. Messrs. Charlton, Gregory, Walters, Barrett, -H. Trumble, and Burn. The batting of this team was distinctly -indifferent, though Murdoch showed on occasions he had not -altogether lost his skill; he was not, however, the Murdoch of -1882. Messrs. Turner and Ferris again bore the brunt of the -attack; they each took the same number of wickets during the -tour, viz. 215. The former’s average was slightly the better of -the two; how, in view of Ferris’s performances since 1890 in -England, he managed to run Turner so close for the highest -bowling honours will always remain a mystery. The first of -the three representative matches England won by seven wickets -at Lord’s. The feature of this match was that, though the -Australians made 132 and 176 and the English team 173 and -137 for 3 wickets, there was not one bye scored to either side -in the match. This is a wonderful testimonial to J. M. Blackham -and G. McGregor, the respective wicket-keepers for -Australia and England. The second match England <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> -Australia was played at the Oval, and a good game resulted in -the defeat of the latter by two wickets; it was a close finish, and -the Australians deserved great credit for so nearly defeating -such a powerful side as represented England on that occasion. -The third match, arranged to be played at Manchester, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span> -never even begun owing to the incessant rain which deluged -the ground on all three days.</p> - -<p>In 1893 the eighth Australian eleven came over, and -carried with it great hopes of their own countrymen. It had -some good batsmen—Trott, Lyons, Bannerman, Giffen, Bruce, -Graham, and Gregory, but none of them except Giffen could -then compare with the best English bats, and Giffen, for some -reason, has never done himself justice as a batsman in any of -these trips. The bowlers were Turner, H. Trumble, Giffen, -R. McLeod, Trott, and Bruce. Giffen at times bowled very -finely, and Turner bowled well, but not so successfully as of -yore. H. Trumble also proved himself to be an excellent -bowler, but the combination was not strong enough, especially -in a fine season, to win the rubber against England. -Unfortunately only one of the three matches was finished, -and this resulted in a win for England by an innings and -43 runs.</p> - -<p>In 1896 the ninth eleven that visited England, under the -leadership of Trott, proved a good side, far the best that had -been over since 1884, and from this date the efficiency of -Australian cricket began to rise, until at the time of writing -(April 1898) it stands as high as it ever did. Before discussing -this eleven it will be well briefly to review the result of five -remarkable test matches played in Australia in the winter of -1895 and 1896 between Stoddart’s eleven and the Australians. -Stoddart’s eleven was very good, but nobody could say that at -that time it was the best that England could have sent. Grace, -Jackson, Gunn, Storer, and Abel might with advantage have -taken the places of Humphreys, Brockwell, Philipson, Briggs, -and Lockwood; but still it was a good team, and it won three -out of the five test matches.</p> - -<p>Under any circumstances this must always remain a great -feat, for each side possess a great advantage when playing -in their own country, but on looking carefully into these -five matches as a whole, it must be confessed that Stoddart -must have been greatly helped by the selection and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span> -captaincy of the Colonists. Giffen’s view of his duties of -captain was the very erroneous one that it was essential -that he should be bowling at one end nearly the whole time. -In the first match he bowled 118 overs, while Turner and -Jones were only allowed to bowl 117 overs between them. -In the second match he magnanimously did not go on in the -first innings on a wet wicket, but made up for it by bowling -23 more overs than anyone else in the second innings, and -in the last match he bowled while 236 runs were scored off -him, and H. Trumble, who was on all wickets the best bowler -in Australia, was only selected to play in one of the matches. -Stoddart’s side, however, batted finely, and Richardson proved -himself at that time to be far the best bowler in the world.</p> - -<p>When they came to England in 1896 they brought Giffen, -but wisely made Trott captain, and Hill and Darling showed -symptoms of developing into the very high position they now -hold, and the whole eleven proved themselves a difficult side -to get out. Gregory, Darling, Hill, Iredale, Trott, Giffen, and -Donnan all scored a thousand runs in the season, and Trumble, -Jones, McKibbin, and Giffen each secured over a hundred -wickets, and H. Trumble on all wickets was not excelled by -any bowler in the two countries. The eleven played a safe -game; there was no McDonnell or Lyons in the side, but they -took a lot of getting out, though, as might be supposed in the -case of a side where there was no hitter, they were weak on soft -wickets.</p> - -<p>Such was the situation when the last disastrous visit of -Stoddart’s eleven took place in 1897 and 1898, and though -the result of this tour is very recent history, it is so important and -raises such misgivings for the future that it is well to consider -it at some length.</p> - -<p>In the first place no eleven has ever left England with so -much of their countrymen’s confidence as this eleven of -Stoddart’s. A great many thought that it was absolutely the -best selection that could have been made. It is easy to be -wise after the event, but even now it is not at all certain that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span> -the bowling could be improved, and this was the notorious -weak spot of the eleven. In another part of this work is -given a possible first eleven of England, but this selection is -given, as far as the bowlers are concerned, with no great confidence, -and the truth must sadly be confessed that unless we -mend our bowling ways we shall very likely be defeated in our -own country by the Australians in 1899. Up to the end of -the first test match Stoddart’s eleven had a blaze of triumph in -spite of the abnormal heat which knocked up more than one -of our eleven. Stoddart had no doubt the worst of the luck in -losing the toss three times in the first four test matches, but, -unluckily, what many of us dreaded occurred in the last match—he -won the toss and lost the match. MacLaren and Ranjitsinhji -batted grandly, Storer, Hayward, and Druce passably, -but the rest proved more or less a failure, while on Australian -wickets against weak English bowling the batting of Darling -and Hill was superb, and that of C. McLeod, Gregory, -Iredale, Trumble, and Trott very good. But our team as a -whole were not strong enough in batting to make up for our -bowling weakness, and in a word the Australians thoroughly -outbowled us.</p> - -<p>The Australians in the first test match played the bowlers -who had performed so well in England in 1896, with the -addition of C. McLeod, but in subsequent matches they -played Noble and Howell, and these two bowlers have the -knack of variety in their bowling, and this, combined with the -pace of Jones and the admirable steadiness and break of -Trumble, made a combination of bowlers that on good hard -wickets has never been surpassed. It is the future that -troubles us; where are our bowlers? In old days we could -get one first-class bowler a year out of Nottingham alone, but -the supply seems to have come to an end; but from somewhere -must come some bowlers of variety of pace, break, and head, -or the old country must be content to take the lower room. -But if 1899 should turn out to be a wet year a very different -tale may have to be told.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span></p> - -<p>Taking both countries, and excluding the Manchester -match in 1890, abandoned on account of weather, fifty-one test -matches have now been played, of which England has won -twenty-six, fourteen in Australia and twelve at home, Australia -nineteen, of which all but three were in Australia, and six have -been drawn.</p> - -<p>The leading averages in batting in all the series, in both -countries, of test matches from 1880 to 1898 inclusive may -prove of interest at this stage, but of course we exclude the -players who only played in comparatively few matches, and we -limit the number of innings to a minimum of twelve. The -averages are as follows:—</p> - -<table class="averages" summary="Batting averages"> -<tr> - <th class="name">Batsmen</th> - <th>No. of Innings</th> - <th>Times not out</th> - <th>Total runs</th> - <th>Average</th> -</tr> -<tr class="first"> - <td class="name">K. S. Ranjitsinhji</td> - <td class="mid">12</td> -<td class="mid">2</td> - <td class="ri">692</td> - <td class="le">57·8</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">F. A. Iredale</td> - <td class="mid">18</td> - <td class="mid">0</td> - <td class="ri">705</td> - <td class="le">39·3</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">C. Hill</td> - <td class="mid">12</td> - <td class="mid">0</td> - <td class="ri">467</td> - <td class="le">38·11</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. Shrewsbury</td> - <td class="mid">36</td> - <td class="mid">4</td> - <td class="ri">1,277</td> - <td class="le">35·17</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. E. Stoddart</td> - <td class="mid">28</td> - <td class="mid">2</td> - <td class="ri">996</td> - <td class="le">35·16</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. C. MacLaren</td> - <td class="mid">22</td> - <td class="mid">2</td> - <td class="ri">769</td> - <td class="le">34·16</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. G. Steel</td> - <td class="mid">17</td> - <td class="mid">3</td> - <td class="ri">586</td> - <td class="le">34·8</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">W. G. Grace</td> - <td class="mid">32</td> - <td class="mid">4</td> - <td class="ri">1,079</td> - <td class="le">33·23</td> -</tr> -<tr class="last"> - <td class="name">W. L. Murdoch</td> - <td class="mid">27</td> - <td class="mid">3</td> - <td class="ri">885</td> - <td class="le">32·21</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>Like all tables of averages the above is misleading. Players -like Grace, Murdoch, and Shrewsbury played in the days when -runs were not so easily got, and their performances may rank -on a par with those of MacLaren, Ranjitsinhji, and Hill, and, of -course, there have been many innings played against equally -good bowling, but not in matches of England <i>v</i> Australia. -No innings of greater merit has, however, been played than -Murdoch’s innings of 153 not out against England at the Oval -in 1880.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_critics" id="image_the_critics" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_critics.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="255" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - THE CRITICS - </p> -</div> - -<p>With regard to the merits of the English and Australian -bowlers, we think there are few English cricketers who would -deny that Spofforth is the best bowler ever seen on English<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span> -grounds, at any rate in modern times, and yet the statistics -show that he is not at the head of the average list.</p> - -<p>The following is the list of the first twelve bowlers:—</p> - -<table class="averages" summary="Batting averages"> -<tr> - <th class="name"> </th> - <th>Balls</th> - <th>Runs</th> - <th>Wickets</th> - <th>Average</th> -</tr> -<tr class="first"> - <td class="name">Lohmann</td> - <td class="le">2,861</td> - <td class="ri">875</td> - <td class="ri">61</td> - <td class="mid">14</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Peel</td> - <td class="le">4,891</td> - <td class="ri">1,715</td> - <td class="ri">101</td> - <td class="mid">16</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Turner</td> - <td class="le">4,423</td> - <td class="ri">1,510</td> - <td class="ri">84</td> - <td class="mid">17</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Spofforth</td> - <td class="le">4,137</td> - <td class="ri">1,714</td> - <td class="ri">93</td> - <td class="mid">18</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Boyle</td> - <td class="le">1,620</td> - <td class="ri">598</td> - <td class="ri">30</td> - <td class="mid">19</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Briggs</td> - <td class="le">3,403</td> - <td class="ri">1,569</td> - <td class="ri">76</td> - <td class="mid">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Hearne</td> - <td class="le">1,732</td> - <td class="ri">761</td> - <td class="ri">35</td> - <td class="mid">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Palmer</td> - <td class="le">4,463</td> - <td class="ri">1,678</td> - <td class="ri">78</td> - <td class="mid">21</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Richardson</td> - <td class="le">4,017</td> - <td class="ri">2,221</td> - <td class="ri">88</td> - <td class="mid">25</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Giffen</td> - <td class="le">5,962</td> - <td class="ri">2,793</td> - <td class="ri">103</td> - <td class="mid">26</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">Trumble</td> - <td class="le">2,723</td> - <td class="ri">1,213</td> - <td class="ri">47</td> - <td class="mid">26</td> -</tr> -<tr class="last"> - <td class="name">Jones</td> - <td class="le">1,537</td> - <td class="ri">850</td> - <td class="ri">29</td> - <td class="mid">29</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>Spofforth, although fourth only in the above table, was on -the whole the greatest bowler, for many of his great feats were -performed in other almost as important matches, and it must -also be remembered that he never bowled for maidens; but -the figures of Peel, who in test matches has bowled more balls -than anybody, come up remarkably well, and considering the -number of balls he bowled his record is an extraordinary one.</p> - -<p>In addition to Spofforth, the Australians have had a wonderfully -good lot of bowlers: Palmer, Garrett, Boyle, Allan, Evans, -G. Giffen, and since 1886—when this chapter was first written—Turner, -Ferris, and H. Trumble, and, as far as can be -gathered from the disastrous tour of Mr. Stoddart’s eleven in -1897–8, Noble, Howell, and Jones. Although the previous -remarks about Spofforth were written before Turner made -such a wonderful record on our English grounds, we still think -Spofforth the best of all the bowlers. It appears extraordinary -at first sight that a country whose whole population does not -exceed that of London should in the course of a few years -have been able to develop such exceptional talent. We believe, -however, that Australia will always possess excellent bowlers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span> -for the following reason. In Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, -the chief nurseries of Australian cricket, the grounds are so -excellent, and usually so hard and fast, that no bowler can -possibly expect the slightest amount of success unless he -possesses some peculiarity of style or action, pace or power, -over the ball; mere pace and accuracy are of no avail. On -the hardest and best wickets it must be laid down as an axiom -that bowlers with change of pace and turn must form the -bowling backbone of the future best eleven, and these qualities -the young Australian cultivates with greater success than the -English. In England the conditions are different, as, by -reason of our variable climate, naturally weak bowling often -becomes most effective. Young Australian bowlers have also -ample opportunity for gaining experience and developing their -skill, as there is in the colonies a very great dearth of the -professional element. Members of the same club have to rely -for their batting practice on the bowling of one another, and -their bowlers come to acquire some of the peculiarities above -mentioned that will strike terror into the hearts of their opponents -in the next tie of the cup contests. These cup contests -in Australia are an excellent institution, as professionalism is -barred. They produce the greatest interest and excitement, -and each club does its utmost to secure the much-coveted -distinction of being premier club for the season. The Australian -climate is a great aid to bowling and fielding. Its warmth and -mildness prevent the rheumatic affections that so often attack -the arms and shoulders of our players, and the Australians consequently -retain their suppleness of limb and activity of youth -longer than their English cousins. Nothing illustrates this -better than the prevalence of good throwing amongst Australian -fieldsmen. The every-day sight on our own grounds of a man -who has thrown his arm out and can do nothing but jerk is -almost unknown in Australia; even colonials who have passed -their cricket prime and have reached the age of thirty-eight or -forty can still throw with much the same dash as of old. In -our county teams we find a woeful deficiency in this essential<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span> -to good fielding; the cold and damp of our northern climate -having penetrated into the bones and created a chronic and -incurable stiffness.</p> - -<p>One occasionally hears a really good cricket story in Australia. -The following was vouched for as a fact by several leading -members of Australian cricket, and was told me as illustrative -of the skill and dash of some great fieldsman whom I have -never had the good fortune to meet. This man was standing -coverpoint one day—his usual place in the field. He was marvellously -quick, sometimes indeed his returns were so smart -that none could tell whether he had used his right or left arm. -He was, however, apt at times to be sleepy and inattentive to -the game. On one occasion he was in this state, and just -as the bowler started to bowl he noticed his sleepy coverpoint -standing looking on the ground with his back to the -wickets. ‘Hulloa, there, wake up!’ shouted he. Quick as -lightning turned the coverpoint, and seeing something dark -dashing past him made a dart, and caught, not the ball as -he had thought, but a swallow. Talk of Royle or Briggs after -that!</p> - -<p>Writing at the close of Mr. Stoddart’s disastrous tour, it -must be said that if the Australians bring over a representative -team in 1899 it will be looked forward to with the keenest -interest. The 1896 lot did very well, and it remains to be seen -whether in 1899, in matches limited to three days and on English -wickets, our visitors can pull off the rubber in the three test -matches. If they do they will receive the hearty congratulations -of every true English cricketer; and at the present time -of writing it looks as if they had a great chance of so doing, -but if they are wise they will try and unearth another batsman -of the stamp of McDonnell or Lyons.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER XI. THE UNIVERSITY CRICKET MATCH." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="11">XI.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">THE UNIVERSITY CRICKET MATCH.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">If to play drawn matches be a constant reproach against certain -elevens, neither University eleven can be blamed on this score. -Sixty-three matches have been begun between these old rivals, -and no fewer than sixty have been finished. Of the three -drawn matches, one, the first ever played, was confined to one -day only; the second was so long ago as 1844, and that was -confined to two days; whilst the third, in 1888, was played in -such unfavourable weather that not even four days sufficed to -finish the match. All the rest have been fought out to the -end, and of the sixty completed matches Cambridge has won -thirty-two times and Oxford twenty-eight; thus Cambridge -has a proud balance of four in its favour. All the matches except -five have been played at Lord’s; the remaining five were -played at Oxford, three on the Magdalen ground, one on Cowley -Marsh, and one on Bullingdon Green. The dark blues appear -to have been slightly favoured in this respect—for presumably -they knew their way about Oxford grounds better than their -rivals—and out of the five matches played at Oxford, Cambridge -only succeeded in winning one. The rules of qualification to -play in this match are now strict only in one particular, and that -is that nobody is allowed to play more than four times. Several -players have played five matches, and their names are: C. H. -Ridding, A. Ridding, C. D. Marsham, and R. D. Walker, all -Oxford men. The fact that some players play on a side for five -years may constitute a slight reason for causing the side they -assist to lose matches and not win them; but during the last -three years that Mr. R. D. Walker helped his University he also<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span> -helped the Gentlemen of England in their annual matches -against the Players both at Lord’s and at the Oval; and C. D. -Marsham was certainly not excelled by any gentleman bowler -for accuracy and general efficiency during all the years he played -for Oxford. Oxford were strong all the five years he played, -and won four out of the five matches; the other match resulted -in a victory for Cambridge, mainly owing to the performances, -both in batting and bowling, of the famous Mr. J. Makinson. -Not since 1865, however, when Mr. R. D. Walker last played -for Oxford, has any cricketer played more than four times, -and since that time the rule has been well established, limiting -the period to four years. But there is considerable elasticity -allowed in permitting players to represent their University within -those four years. A residence for a week is apparently sufficient, -provided that the man’s name is kept on the books of -some College or Hall. Mr. O’Brien, who represented Oxford -in 1884 and 1885, resided for one summer at New Inn Hall -and never went near his University again, but if he had chosen -and had been selected he might have played for the full term -of four years. Mr. Leslie, after residing at Oxford for one year, -went into business in London, but played three years for Oxford, -and till his last year performed yeoman’s service. In 1856, -Makinson’s year, Mr. T. W. Wills, with the concurrence and -sanction of Oxford, played for Cambridge without ever having -resided at Cambridge for one single day, though his name was -entered on the College books. However, his part in the match -consisted of getting five runs in one innings and bowling nine -overs for one wicket. It appears very clear, then, that Oxford -have profited by having five matches played on their own ground -and making use, for five years, of Mr. C. D. Marsham, the best -bowler they ever possessed, to say nothing of Mr. R. D. Walker.</p> - -<p>Of course the characteristics of University cricket have -changed very much, following the example of cricket generally. -About the first match of all the late Bishop of St. Andrews -(Bishop Wordsworth), who played in it, very kindly wrote the -following note:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[330]</a></span></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The First Inter-University Cricket Match.—1827.</span></p> - -<p>In the newly published Life of my younger brother Christopher, -the late Bishop of Lincoln, the following words are to be found, -quoted from his private journal:—‘Friday’ (no date—but early -in June, 1826). ‘Heard from Charles. He wishes that Oxford -and Cambridge should play a match at cricket’ (<abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 46). And as -I have been asked to put upon paper what I can remember concerning -the first Inter-University Cricket Match, with a view to -its insertion in the present volume, I venture to take those words -for my text. Yes; I was then in my Freshman’s year at Christ -Church, and both my brother and I—he at Winchester, and I at -Harrow—had been in our respective school elevens. But more -than this, as captain of the Harrow Eleven I had enjoyed what -was then a novel experience in carrying on correspondence with -brother captains at other public schools—Eton, Winchester, Rugby -and even Charter House; and I well remember how the last amused -us at Harrow, by the pompous and, as we presumed to think, bumptious -style of his letter, proposing ‘to determine the superiority at -cricket which has been so long undecided.’ Having played against -Eton for four years, from the first match in 1822 to 1825, and in the -first match against Winchester in the last-named year, I had a large -acquaintance among cricketers who had gone off from those schools -and from Harrow to both Universities. My brother, as I have said, -was one of these, but though successful in the Wykehamist Eleven -at Lord’s in 1825 (when he got 35 runs in his second innings, and -‘caught’ our friend Henry Manning—the future cardinal—of which -he was wont to boast in after years), he did not keep up his cricket -at Cambridge, whereas I continued to keep up mine at Oxford and -was in the University Eleven during the whole time of my undergraduate -course. Nothing came of my ‘wish’ to bring about a -match between the Universities in 1826. But in 1827 the proposal -was carried into effect. Though an Oxford man, my home was at -Cambridge, my father being Master of Trinity; and this gave me -opportunities for communicating with men of that University, many -of whom remained up for the vacations, or for part of the vacations, -especially at Easter. I remember calling upon Barnard of King’s, -who had been captain of an Eton Eleven against whom I had -played, and who was now one of the foremost Cambridge cricketers, -and he gave me reason to fear that no King’s man would be able to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[331]</a></span> -play at the time proposed (early in June), though that time would -be within the Cambridge vacation and not within ours, because -their men, at King’s, were kept up longer than at the other Colleges. -And this, I believe, proved actually the case; and if so, some -allowance should be made for it. But the fact is, there were similar -difficulties on both sides, and I am not sure they were not as great -or greater upon ours. In those ante-railway days it was necessary -to get permission from the College authorities to go up to London -in term time, and the permission was not readily granted. To take -my own case:—My conscience still rather smites me when I remember -that in order to gain my end, I had to present myself to -the Dean and tell him that I wished to be allowed to go to London—not -to play a game of cricket (that would not have been listened -to)—but to consult a dentist; a piece of Jesuitry which was -<em>understood</em>, I believe, equally well on both sides; at all events my -tutor, Longley—afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury—was privy -to it.</p> - -<p>Thus, though not without difficulties, the match came on, but -unhappily, the weather presenting a fresh difficulty, it did not fully -go off. We could only play a single innings; with the result -which the score shows. The precise day in June on which it was -played has been disputed. One report gives the 4th; another -states that ‘the match did not take place on the 4th as intended, -but was deferred for a few days.’ I can only say that I do not remember -any postponement, as I think I should do had such been -the case; and what is more, ‘a few days’ later would have brought -it within our vacation, and so would have rendered my piece of -Jesuitism unnecessary. The players on the Cambridge side were -mostly Etonians, though there was, I think, no King’s man among -them; and on the Oxford side, mostly Wykehamists. We scored -258 runs to our opponents’ 92, but it cannot be said we were a strong -eleven. The bowling was divided between Bayley and me; and the -state of the ground being in my favour, I was singularly successful -with my left-hand twist from the off, bringing down no less than -seven wickets in the one innings for only 25 runs. Jenner, famous as -a wicket-keeper, and well known afterwards as Sir Herbert Jenner -Fust, was the only batsman who made any stand against it. He had -learnt by painful experience how to deal with it. We had been -antagonists in the Eton and Harrow match of 1822; and I can well -remember even now, though it is 66 years ago, his look of ineffable -disgust and dismay when I had pitched a ball some four or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span> -five inches wide to the off, and he had shouldered his bat meaning to -punish it as it rose by a smart cut to point, the tortuous creature -shot in obliquely and took his middle stump, when he had only got -two runs. Precisely the same happened again in his second -innings, only then he got no runs at all. Again in Eton <abbr title="versus">v.</abbr> Harrow -1823 I had bowled him at 7. And yet he was considered the best -bat on the Eton side next to Barnard. He now made 47 runs, -while no one else on the Cambridge side scored more than 8. He -was also successful as a bowler, taking five wickets, mine included -(against which he had a very strong claim), though I do not remember -that he had much reputation in that line; and certainly -upon the whole the Cambridge bowling must have been very indifferent -to allow some of our men to run up the scores which stand -to their names.</p> - -<p>Though often successful as a bowler (left-handed, under-hand), -batting (right-handed) was, if I may be bold to say so, my <em>forte</em>. -In 1828, the next year after this match, my average, upwards of -40, was higher than that of any other in the Oxford eleven. I -mention this with the less compunction because in the second -Inter-University match my name appears without a run in either -innings, and I wish to state how the failure is to be accounted for. -In that year, 1829, the first Inter-University boatrace took place -at Henley, and I was one of the eight. As boating and cricket -were then carried on in the same (summer) term, and the race and -the match were both to come off in the same week, I wished to -resign my place in the eleven. But this was not allowed. I had -therefore no alternative but to make my appearance and do my -best, though I had not played once before during the season, and -though I was suffering from the effects of my rowing in a way -which made it almost impossible for me to hold a bat. However, -though I got no runs, I was so far of use that I bowled two, and -caught two of our opponents; and we won the match, not quite so -triumphantly as in 1827 (if a ‘drawn’ match can be so described), -but quite easily enough, as we had won the boatrace quite ‘easily’ -two days before, Wednesday, June 10th.</p> - -<p>Of the players in the two elevens, who contended at Lord’s -more than 60 years ago, five—if not six—I believe, are still living. -Who shall say how much the lengthening of their days beyond the -ordinary span of our existence here is to be attributed to ‘Cricket’s -manly toil’?</p> - -<p>I have now done the best I could to comply with the request -made to me as an old cricketer, and if I have been garrulous, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span> -if I have been egotistical, I can fairly plead, that this is no more -than was to be expected when an ultra-octogenarian was applied -to for his reminiscences.</p> - -<p class="signed"><span class="smcap">Charles Wordsworth.</span></p> -<p class="place_date"><span class="smcap">St. Andrews</span>: <i>May 16, 1888</i>.</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>In the match of 1827, Oxford, strange to relate, got a -total of 258 runs, and exactly realised 200 runs in the third -match in 1836, while Cambridge got 287 runs in the fifth match -in 1839; but from 1839 to 1851, when Cambridge scored 266 -runs, there was no innings played by either side which resulted -in 200 runs, and this notwithstanding the gigantic number of -extras that were sometimes given. Cambridge in 1841 won -by 8 runs, but scored in the two innings 56 by extras. In -1842 Cambridge again won by 162 runs, and scored 81 by -extras; while Oxford in 1843 gained 65 by extras, losing the -match, however, by 54 runs. After 1851 scores of 200 runs -and over became more frequent, and still extras formed -a formidable item in the various totals. Cambridge gave -34 extras out of a total of 273 in 1852, or 1 run in every 8; -and Oxford in the same year gave Cambridge 40 extras out -of a total of 196, or an average of a little under 1 in every -5. We have made a careful comparison showing the different -totals and the percentage of extras, and have found the -following remarkable fact: in the first twenty-six matches the -total of runs scored came to 11,192, the number of extras -amounted to 1,767, making the percentage of extras to runs -amount to a little over 1 to 6. In the thirty-four succeeding -matches 21,364 runs were scored and 1351 extras, reducing -the proportion to 1 to 15. In other words, for the first twenty-six -matches extras constituted 16 per cent. of the total amount -scored, while during the thirty succeeding years they only -amount to 6 per cent.</p> - -<p>As might be expected, the weak point in University cricket -is the bowling, and the tendency of modern Inter-University -matches is an undue largeness of scores, though when the -improved condition of the wickets is taken into account, there -exists some ground for hoping that University bowling is -better than it was ten years ago. But when the fact is considered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[334]</a></span> -that young amateurs in the prime of life play every -year on frequently perfect wickets, it is rather surprising that -the scoring is not even larger. That it is not so is chiefly -owing to nerve, that grand disturbing element in all cricket -calculations. It is far the most important contest of the -year for all the players concerned, and if you were to ask any -University cricketer which match or matches he felt most was -hoped of him he would certainly quote the Inter-University -matches he took part in. It is a match, therefore, famous for -wrecking the reputation of batsmen. Still one may be allowed -to hope that amateur bowling may improve, as amateur wicket-keeping -has done. Since 1880 Cambridge has had as real good -bowlers Messrs. Steel, Studd, Rock, Woods, Jackson, and for one -year Mr. Wells, while Oxford, in our judgment, has during the -same period turned out only three really good bowlers, Messrs. -Evans, Berkeley, and Cunliffe, and for one year Bardswell.</p> - -<p>These ten good bowlers may be compared with the greatest -in former days—Messrs. C. D. Marsham, Traill, Maitland, -Fellowes, Kenney, and Butler of Oxford, and Lang, Salter, -Plowden, Pelham, and Powys of Cambridge, who were all fast -except Maitland, Pelham, and Plowden; while only three of -the later lot of ten, Messrs. Woods, Evans, and Jackson, were -fast, the other seven being slow or medium.</p> - -<p>No fewer than eighty-three men have played four matches; -and it is curious to notice that out of these eighty-three there -are only one Oxford man and three Cambridge men who have -played in four winning elevens. The three Cambridge men are -Messrs. T. A. Anson, W. Mills, and W. de St. Croix; and the -one Oxford man is Mr. S. C. Voules. Mr. Voules played in -the four winning elevens of 1863, ’64, ’65, and ’66, Messrs. -T. A. Anson and W. de St. Croix played in the four winning -elevens of 1839, ’40, ’41, and ’42, and Mr. W. Mills played -in 1840, ’41, ’42, and ’43. Two unfortunate Cambridge men -had the bad luck to play four losing matches—namely, Messrs. -R. D. Balfour and G. H. Tuck, in the years 1863, ’64, ’65, and ’66. -So far no Oxford man has had this fate. Cambridge once won<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[335]</a></span> -five consecutive matches, and on two occasions they have won -four, while Oxford has twice won four consecutive matches. -As may be expected, the runs scored by the more recent batsmen -altogether exceed the earlier players’ efforts. Up to 1870, -when Mr. Yardley made the first hundred, Mr. Bullock’s 78 -for Oxford, obtained in 1858, was the highest individual score, -and the highest individual aggregates in any one match are 92 -in 1849 by Mr. R. T. King, 95 by Mr. Makinson in 1856, 90 by -Mr. Mitchell in 1862, 92 by the same gentleman in 1865, and -103 by Mr. C. E. Green in 1868. One of Mr. King’s innings -was not completed. So Mr. Yardley in 1870 beat the record of -any two aggregates by his one innings, except Mr. Green’s -innings in 1868. Since 1870 the individual scores of 100 have -come fast and furious, and altogether twenty hundreds have -been played, nine by Cambridge to eleven by Oxford. Mr. -Yardley is still in the proud position of being the only batsman -who has twice got into three figures, and nobody who saw -either of his great performances will ever forget it. Unless, -however, there is a change for the better in bowling or an -alteration in the laws, it is certain that hundreds will come -with comparative frequency, and we cannot help pining for a -return to the old state of things when 200 was reckoned a very -large total. The highest aggregate in any one match is Mr. -Jardine’s 179 in 1892, and the highest individual score is -Mr. Key’s 143 in 1886. No performances are, however, entitled -to more credit than Mr. Makinson’s aggregate of 95 in -1856, and Mr. Mitchell’s 90 in 1862, and the fewer long scores -made in former days made a far larger proportion of the total -runs obtained by the whole side. Mr. Makinson’s runs in 1855 -were obtained against perhaps the best bowling eleven that -Oxford ever possessed, containing Messrs. C. D. Marsham, A. -Payne, W. Fellowes, and W. Fiennes, while Mr. Mitchell’s score -in 1862 was not much less than half of the total score of his -side. Against him are to be found the names of Plowden, -Lang, Salter, and Lyttelton, and never in any match, except in -the previous year when they had the same quartet, has Cambridge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[336]</a></span> -been so strong in bowling as they were in 1862. The -highest average has been secured by Mr. Key of Oxford, and -this amounts to no less than 49. Close behind him comes Mr. -Wright of Cambridge, with an average of 48·4; then Mr. -Mitchell with 42·4, and Mr. Yardley with 39·5. Mr. Mitchell’s -average is remarkable, as his highest score was 57, though he -was once not out. Mr. Wright was twice not out, Mr. Key and -Mr. Mitchell once each; Mr. Yardley, however, was always got -out in the end. In estimating these averages we are only -reckoning the players who represented their University for four -years.</p> - -<p>The earlier bowlers, as far as wickets are a guide, carry all -before them. Not until the twentieth match, played in 1854—Mr. -C. D. Marsham’s first year—was any analysis kept. To -judge, however, by the standard of wickets, Mr. G. E. Yonge -of Oxford, who in four years obtained thirty-nine wickets, Mr. -E. W. Blore and Mr. Sayres, both of Cambridge, who in the -same time got thirty-two, are entitled to the highest place.</p> - -<p>Naturally enough, as Mr. Marsham played five years and -was also the best bowler on the whole that Oxford ever turned -out, most wickets fell to his share. He got forty wickets at -a cost of 361 runs—that is to say, of only 9 runs a wicket—a -great performance under any circumstances. Two wides only -were scored against Mr. Marsham, and there is no record of a -‘no ball.’ He bowled a strictly orthodox round-arm of fast -medium pace, and generally round the wicket.</p> - -<p>Mr. E. M. Kenney was a very fast and dangerous left-hand -bowler, most terrifying to a nervous batsman, for he delivered -that unpleasant sort of ball which pursues the batsman, and -is apt, to adopt a pugilistic metaphor, to get in heavily on -the ribs. During the three years that Mr. Makinson played for -Cambridge he took twenty-one wickets at a cost of 194 runs, -or just 9 runs a wicket; and when it is remembered that he -was also distinctly the best bat in the two elevens each of the -three years he played, it may be safely assumed that, as an all-round -man, he has never had a superior, with the exception of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span> -Mr. A. G. Steel. At the same time it must be admitted that -in bowling he was quite as successful against Oxford as his -merits justified.</p> - -<p>The famous Cambridge fast bowler, Mr. R. Lang, played -three years, and got fifteen wickets at a cost of only 84 runs, or -a fraction over 5 runs per wicket—an analysis that has never -been surpassed, and deserves to be quoted as an example -for young players to emulate. In 1860 he bowled in the two -innings twenty-one overs for 19 runs and six wickets. In 1861 -he lost his pace owing to an injured arm and was unsuccessful, -bowling twenty-six overs for 30 runs and no wicket. In -1862, in the two innings, he bowled twenty-nine overs for -35 runs and nine wickets; and, to take the first innings alone, -we find he bowled only thirty-four balls for 4 runs and five -wickets all clean bowled. Considering his pace he was very -straight, and only bowled 6 wides in all three matches. H. W. -Salter of Cambridge played two years, and obtained fourteen -wickets for 74 runs, or a fraction over 5 runs a wicket, another -extraordinary performance. Mr. H. M Plowden, who played -four years from 1860, lowered nineteen wickets for 153 runs, -or an average of 8 runs a wicket. In no previous or subsequent -years has either University been so amply provided with bowling -strength as was Cambridge during these three years, as, besides -Salter, Lang, and Plowden, in 1860 she had Messrs. E. B. -Fawcett and D. R. Onslow, and in 1861 and ’62 the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> -C. G. Lyttelton, who bowled for the Gentlemen.</p> - -<p>The greatest bowling feat in the whole history of University -cricket belongs to Mr. S. E. Butler, of Eton and Oxford renown, -and took place in 1871. Cambridge had some good -bats in her eleven—Messrs. Money, Tobin, Fryer, Scott, -Yardley and Thornton, a rough and ready hitter in the person -of Mr. Cobden, and a fair batsman in Mr. Stedman. But -Mr. Butler found an old-fashioned Lord’s wicket, and he -bowled a terrific pace and got on a spot which shot and made -his balls break considerably down the hill. He got the whole -ten wickets in one innings, and in the match he lowered fifteen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[338]</a></span> -wickets for 95 runs. His bowling was unplayable on the first -day; eight of the ten wickets in the first innings were clean -bowled, and twelve out of the whole fifteen.</p> - -<p>Mr. Woods, who played for Cambridge for the four years -ending 1891, bowled 184 overs for 318 runs and thirty-six -wickets, an average of five wickets per innings at 8 runs per -wicket, a great record for these days—a feat great enough to -entitle him to an honorary degree in the opinion of the Master -of Peterhouse.</p> - -<p>Mr. Berkeley had during his four years an uphill task, as he -was in three losing elevens, and that means a heavy handicap, -as every cricketer knows. But considering that he was the -only real bowler on his side during all the four years he played, -his record of 196 overs for 341 runs and twenty-seven wickets, -and 12 runs per wicket, is very good, and such a bowler -deserved a better fate than to play in three defeats out of four -matches.</p> - -<p>It will interest and comfort young cricketers to remind -them how many great batsmen have failed in these matches. -We feel sure that these latter will excuse us for pointing out -their shortcomings; for they will know that we do so only to -sustain their weaker brethren and illustrate the glorious uncertainty -of the game. The late Mr. John Walker, who for several -years represented the Gentlemen, got 19 runs in six innings, or -a proud average of 3. His younger brother, Mr. R. D. Walker, -the silver-haired veteran of five Inter-University contests, gallantly -led off with an innings of 42; but the result of his five -years’ batting against Cambridge was 84 runs in ten innings, his -first innings in fact amounting to one-half of the total runs he -scored in five years. Yet he played for the Gentlemen in 1863, -1864, and 1865, and these were the last three years he played -for Oxford. M. A. W. Ridley played for four years, and his -runs for seven innings came to a total of 61, or an average of -10 runs per innings, as once he carried his bat. The present -Lord Cobham, who played for the Gentlemen of England his -first year at Cambridge, batted exactly on a par with Mr. Ridley,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[339]</a></span> -as he also made 61 runs in six innings, and was once not -out. Cambridge men of his date will tell you that on Fenner’s -nobody was ever more dangerous, and his scores for those -days were enormous. Mr. C. G. Lane—of whom the poet -wrote:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">You may join with me in wishing that the Oval once again</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">May resound with hearty plaudits to the praise of Mr. Lane—</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">played seven innings for a total of 35 runs. Take courage, -then, young cricketer, and know that if you fail, you fail in -good company.</p> - -<p>Most extraordinary have been the vicissitudes of fortune in -several of these matches. Oxford in 1871 had a fine eleven, -which easily defeated Cambridge by eight wickets; and in -1872 they played no fewer than eight of their old eleven. -Cambridge played seven, and the four new men were the -famous pair of young Etonians, Messrs. Longman and Tabor, -the Harrovian, Mr. Baily, and the Wykehamist, Mr. Raynor. -The odds on Oxford at the start were about 2 to 1. Yet -Cambridge on winning the toss put together the largest total -yet realised by either side in any one innings, namely 388 runs. -The two Etonian freshmen were on the whole entitled to -the chief honours on this occasion, as for the first time they -made over 100 runs before the fall of a wicket. Mr. Longman -was badly run out by Mr. Yardley after batting for about -two and a half hours, or else another 100 runs might have been -put on. When the Oxford eleven went in to bat, not one of -them could look at Mr. Powys, the fastest bowler of the day, -except Messrs. Ottaway and Tylecote, who both played remarkably -well in the second innings. Mr. Powys secured thirteen -wickets at a cost of 75 runs, or a trifle under 6 runs a wicket.</p> - -<p>Everybody has heard of the 2-run success of Cambridge in -1870, and the 6-run victory of Oxford in 1875. The difference -between the two matches consisted in the fact that in 1870 not -till the last wicket was actually bowled down did it appear -possible for Oxford to lose; in 1875 the issue was quite doubtful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[340]</a></span> -till Mr. A. F. Smith made that fatal stroke to a plain lob. -Cambridge in 1870 were on the whole the favourites; not -that there was much to choose between the two elevens, but -because they had won the three previous years. In batting, -Cambridge had Messrs. Dale, Money, and Yardley; and -Oxford, Messrs. Ottaway, Pauncefote, and Tylecote—quite a -case of six of one and half a dozen of the other, though Yardley -was far the most dangerous man. In bowling Oxford were -handicapped by Mr. Butler’s strained arm, which prevented him -from bowling more than a few overs; but they possessed Messrs. -Belcher and Francis, two good fast bowlers. Cambridge had -Cobden for a fast bowler, Harrison Ward for a medium pace, -and Bourne for slow round. So while Mr. Francis was some -way the best fast bowler of the two elevens, Oxford were deficient -in variety, while Cambridge possessed all paces and -also Mr. Money’s lobs. Cambridge won the toss and put together -147 runs, the good bats all failing, and only Mr. Scott -doing credit to himself by an innings of 45. Oxford scored -more equally, though neither Ottaway nor Pauncefote contributed -more than modest double figures; the total, nevertheless, -came to 175, or a majority of 28. The next hour’s play apparently -saw Cambridge utterly routed. Mr. Dale stopped all -that time, but nobody stopped with him. The total at the fall of -the fifth wicket was 40, or only 12 on. ‘We are going to win -a match at last!’ said one of the Oxonians to another who had -been educated at Rugby. ‘Wait a bit,’ said the Rugbeian, who -turned his head and saw Yardley advancing to the wicket; ‘I -have seen this man get 100 before now.’ The companion of -the last speaker possibly had not seen Yardley perform this -feat, but he had not long to wait. There are several batsmen -whose play baffles criticism, and Yardley was one of them. -He certainly played some balls in a manner that purists found -fault with, but good judges of the game could see that there -was genius in his method; and genius, as we all know, rises -above canons and criticism. If Mr. Yardley had not touched -a bat for six months, still he might walk to the wickets and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[341]</a></span> -play a magnificent innings; for genius requires little or no -practice. Those familiar with his play knew that they might -look out for squalls if he was allowed to get set. Mr. -Dale was at the other end, playing every ball with a -perfectly straight bat and in the most correct style. In the -minds of both of them it was a crisis; for each knew that -unless they put on a lot of runs the match was lost, as -five of their side were out. One mistake and Cambridge -would have to retire beaten. But no mistake was made. -Yardley got set; the bowling was fast and so was the ground, -and the former was hit into a complete knot. There seemed -to be no prospect of getting either of them out, when Mr. -Yardley sent a ball hard back to the bowler, who made a fine -catch off a fine hit, and the Cambridge man retired with the first -Inter-University 100. Mr. Dale made a leg hit, and was splendidly -caught by Mr. Ottaway with one hand over the ropes.</p> - -<p>In a short time the innings was over, and Oxford had to -face a total of 179 to win the match. In these days on a hard -wicket this is regarded as a comparatively easy feat; but runs -were not so easy to accumulate eighteen years ago, and the -betting was now even, Cambridge for choice. One Oxford -wicket was soon got, and then a long stand was made by -Messrs. Fortescue and Ottaway, both of whom played excellent -cricket. The total was brought up to 72 for only one wicket, -the betting veered round to 2 to 1 on Oxford, and Mr. Ward -was put on to bowl. This change was the turning point -of the game. Mr. Fortescue was soon bowled, so was Mr. -Pauncefote, and with the total at 86 the betting was again -evens, Oxford for choice. Mr. Ward had found his spot and -was bowling with deadly precision when Mr. Tylecote came -in. Both Ottaway and Tylecote now batted cautiously and -well, and Mr. Ward went off for a time. Mr. Tylecote was -a very good bat, but compared to Ottaway only mortal; how -on earth Ottaway was to be got out was a problem that seemed -well-nigh insoluble. The total went up to 153, or only 26 runs -to win and seven wickets to go down; the betting 6 to 1 on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[342]</a></span> -Oxford. A yell was heard, and Mr. Tylecote was bowled by -Mr. Ward, and Mr. Townshend came in.</p> - -<p>Mr. Ward, from the pavilion end, was at this stage bowling -to Ottaway, who made a characteristic hit, low and not hard, to -short-leg. Mr. Fryer was not a good field, and Cambridge -generally were fielding badly, but he rose to the occasion and -made a good catch close to the ground, so close that Ottaway -appealed, but in vain, and the score stood at 160 for 5 wickets -down—19 runs wanted to win. Mr. Hill now came in, and -began to play a free, confident game at once. A bye was run -and a sharp run was made by Townshend by a hit to third -man, but Townshend was then caught off Ward, and Francis -came in, and after making a single was l.b.w. to the same -bowler. During Hill’s partnership with Townshend and -Francis he knocked up 11 runs by good bustling play, and he -now stood at the nursery end to receive the last ball of an over -from Ward, 5 runs being wanted to win, and Butler in the other -end. Hill hit the ball fairly hard to sharp short-leg, and -Bourne measured his length on the ground, stopped the ball, -and converted the hit from a fourer to a single. Hill got to the -other end, an over was called and the ball tossed to Cobden, who -was faced by Hill, 4 runs being wanted to win and 3 to tie.</p> - -<p>We say with confidence that never can one over bowled by -any bowler at any future time surpass the over that Cobden was -about to deliver then, and it deserves a minute description. -Cobden took a long run and bowled very fast, and was for his -pace a straight bowler. But he bowled with little or no break, -had not got a puzzling delivery, and though effective against -inferior bats, would never have succeeded in bowling out a -man like Mr. Ottaway if he had sent a thousand balls to him. -However, on the present occasion Ottaway was out, those he -had to bowl to were not first-rate batsmen, and Cobden could -bowl a good yorker.</p> - -<p>You might almost have heard a pin drop as Cobden -began his run and the ball whizzed from his hand. Mr. -Hill played the ball slowly to cover-point, and rather a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[343]</a></span> -sharp run was made. As the match stood, Oxford wanted -2 to tie and 3 to win, and three wickets to go down: Mr. -Butler to receive the ball. The second ball that Cobden -bowled was very similar to the first, straight and well up -on the off stump. Mr. Butler did what anybody else except -Louis Hall or Shrewsbury would have done, namely, let drive -vigorously. Unfortunately he did not keep the ball down, and -it went straight and hard a catch to Mr. Bourne, to whom -everlasting credit is due, for he held it, and away went Mr. -Butler—amidst Cambridge shouts this time. The position -was getting serious, for neither Mr. Stewart nor Mr. Belcher -was renowned as a batsman. Rather pale, but with a jaunty -air that cricketers are well aware frequently conceals a sickly -feeling of nervousness, Mr. Belcher walked to the wicket and -took his guard. He felt that if only he could stop one ball -and be bowled out the next, still Mr. Hill would get another -chance of a knock and the match would probably be won. -Cobden had bowled two balls, and two more wickets had to be -got; if therefore a wicket was got each ball the match would -be won by Cambridge, and Mr. Hill would have no further -opportunity of distinguishing himself. In a dead silence -Cobden again took the ball and bowled a fast ball well up on -the batsman’s legs. A vision of the winning hit flashed across -Mr. Belcher’s brain, and he raised his bat preparatory to performing -great things, hit at the ball and missed it, and he was -bowled off his legs. There was still one more ball wanted to -complete the over, and Mr. Belcher, a sad man, walked away -amid an uproarious storm of cheers.</p> - -<p>Matters were becoming distinctly grave, and very irritating -must it have been to Mr. Hill, who was like a billiard-player -watching his rival in the middle of a big break; he could say a -good deal and think a lot, but he could do nothing. Mr. Stewart, -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">spes ultima</i> of Oxford, with feelings that are utterly impossible -to describe, padded and gloved, nervously took off his coat -in the pavilion. If ever a man deserved pity, Mr. Stewart deserved -it on that occasion. He did not profess to be a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[344]</a></span> -bat, and his friends did not claim so much for him; he was an -excellent wicket-keeper, but he had to go in at a crisis that the -best bat in England would not like to face. Mr. Pauncefote, -the Oxford captain, was seen addressing a few words of earnest -exhortation to him, and with a rather sick feeling Mr. Stewart -went to the wicket. Mr. Hill looked at him cheerfully, but -very earnestly did Mr. Stewart wish the next ball well over. -He took his guard and held his hands low on the bat handle, -which was fixed fast as a tree on the block-hole; for Mr. -Pauncefote had earnestly entreated Mr. Stewart to put the bat -straight in the block-hole and keep it there without moving it. -This was not by any means bad advice, for the bat covers a -great deal of the wicket, and though it is a piece of counsel -not likely to be offered to W. G. Grace or Stoddart, it -might not have been inexpedient to offer it to Mr. Stewart. -Here, then, was the situation—Mr. Stewart standing manfully -up to the wicket, Mr. Cobden beginning his run, and -a perfectly dead silence in the crowd. Whiz went the ball; -but alas!—as many other people, cricketers and politicians -alike, have done—the good advice is neglected, and Stewart, -instead of following his captain’s exhortation to keep his -bat still and upright in the block-hole, just lifted it: fly -went the bails, and Cambridge had won the match by two -runs! The situation was bewildering. Nobody could quite -realise what had happened for a second or so, but then—— Up -went Mr. Absalom’s hat, down the pavilion steps with -miraculous rapidity flew the <abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> A. R. Ward, and smash -went Mr. Charles Marsham’s umbrella against the pavilion -brickwork.<a name="Anchor_35" id="Anchor_35" href="#Footnote_35" class="fnanchor" title="Go to footnote 35.">[35]</a></p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[345]</a></span></p> -<p>One word more about this never-to-be-forgotten match. -The unique performance of Cobden has unduly cast in the -shade Mr. Ward’s performance in the second innings. It was -a good wicket, and Oxford had certainly on the whole a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[346]</a></span> -batting eleven. Yet Mr. Ward bowled thirty-two overs for -29 runs and got six wickets, and of those six wickets five -were certainly the best batsmen on the side. He clean -bowled Messrs. Fortescue, Pauncefote, and Tylecote, and -got out in other ways Messrs. Ottaway, Townshend, and -Francis. It is hardly too much to say that in this innings -Mr. Ward got the six best wickets and Mr. Cobden the four -worst. In the whole match Mr. Ward got nine wickets for 62 -runs, and this again, let it be said, on an excellent ground. -Comparisons are odious, however, and the four Cambridge -men, Yardley, Dale, Ward, and Cobden, have no reason to be -jealous of each other, and every reason to be satisfied with -themselves.</p> - -<p>Oxford have got a victory to set off against this Cambridge -triumph in 1870. It took place five years later, and though -Mr. Ridley’s bowling at the finish was not condensed into one -sensational over like Cobden’s, still the greatest credit is due -to him for putting himself on at the right moment, fully realising -an undoubted truth, that lobs are most terrifying to very -nervous players at a crisis.</p> - -<p>Comparing the two elevens, on paper it would appear that -Oxford were the better bowling eleven, and were considerably -superior in fielding. In 1870 Cambridge deserved to have -lost the match on account of their bad fielding; in 1875 they -succeeded in doing so. Messrs. Webbe and Lang started by -making 86 for the first wicket, and Mr. Webbe was twice badly -missed at short-slip. Mr. Lang ought to have been easily -stumped. In Oxford’s second innings four Oxford wickets, -including Ridley and Webbe, were down for 34. Mr. Briggs -came in and was badly missed at short-slip directly, and disaster -was averted for some time; and Mr. Game, who scored 22, -was missed shortly after he went to the wicket. The Oxford -fielding was very fine all through, though one member missed -two easy catches. The bowling was more evenly divided; -Oxford had more bowlers than Cambridge, though Messrs. -Sharpe and Patterson were as good as, or better than, Messrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[347]</a></span> -Lang and Buckland. But besides these two Oxford had -Mr. Royle and Mr. Ridley and Mr. Kelcey, while the two -Cambridge bowlers had to do most of the work.</p> - -<p>In batting the position was somewhat similar. Ridley and -Webbe were superior to Longman and the second best Cantab, -but on the other hand Cambridge were stronger all through. -On the whole the sides were very even.</p> - -<p>Oxford made a good start, thanks to the politeness of the -Cambridge field, though both Webbe and Lang played well, -and fair scores were made by Ridley, Pulman and Buckland, -but at no time during the match did Mr. Ridley appear at -home to Mr. Patterson’s bowling. The total reached 200, and -there were 20 extras, of which 15 were byes; and the Cambridge -wicket-keeping was not up to the mark. Cambridge -batted on the whole disappointingly in the first innings; the -captain, Mr. G. H. Longman, played a very good innings of -40, but the other scores were below what was expected, and -again did extras prove of great value, for Cambridge realised 17 -thereby. But, on the whole, the Oxford fielding was very fine, -and both Messrs. Longman and Blacker, who played good -steady cricket, found great difficulty in getting the ball away.</p> - -<p>At the close of the Cambridge innings Oxford had a valuable -balance of 37 in their favour, and most thoroughly did they -deserve this advantage on account of their very superior fielding. -It is always consoling to an eleven who are beginning their -second innings to feel that every hit adds to the total that -the other side must get before they can win, and that their -energy is not to be applied towards wiping off a deficit. Oxford -had this balance of 37 in their favour, and very sorely was it -needed, for their wickets fell with depressing rapidity. Both -Sharpe and Patterson bowled admirably; the former had both -Lang and Campbell with the score at 5 only. Ridley again fell -to Patterson, with the total at 16, and at 34 Webbe was out to -a good running catch from short-slip to short-leg.</p> - -<p>The match now looked well for Cambridge, as Ridley and -Webbe were far superior to their comrades. Mr. Webbe had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[348]</a></span> -scored most consistently all through the year; this second -innings of 21 contained no mistake, and nobody ever could -have looked more firmly set for a large score. Four wickets -for 34 was a very bad start, but again did the Cambridge -eleven show great politeness to their opponents; for directly -Mr. Briggs came in he was badly missed at short-slip off -Mr. Sharpe, and Messrs. Briggs and Pulman raised the score -to 64, when the former was clean bowled by a lob. Mr. -Pulman stayed till the total reached 74, when he was stumped -off Mr. Sharpe for an admirable innings of 30. He had played -very well in his first innings, but his second stopped an undeniable -rot, was quite chanceless, and no innings under the -circumstances could have been more useful. Mr. Game then -came in, and again did Cambridge rise to the occasion and -miss him off an easy chance when he had made 3 only; and he -showed his gratitude by hitting up 22 before he was well caught, -the total being 109. Mr. Buckland was clean bowled by -Mr. Patterson first ball, and nine runs later Mr. Royle was -stumped, having played a most useful innings of 21. Both -Messrs. Tylecote and Kelcey smacked up small double figures, -and the total of the innings was 137—a very much better score -than at one time seemed probable. If the chances had been -taken the total might not have reached 100, and if a list could -be made of the matches lost by bad catching, angels would -weep.</p> - -<p>Oxford’s second innings was not over till a quarter to seven, -but Mr. Ridley rightly insisted on the letter of the law being -kept, and five minutes before the drawing of the stumps -Oxford were in the field and two nervous Cambridge batsmen -in a fading light were walking slowly to the wickets. Only one -over was bowled, and a leg-hit for four was the only result.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_the_interval" id="image_the_interval" class="nodec"><img src="images/the_interval.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="629" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - THE INTERVAL - </p> -</div> - -<p>We have said that the Oxford captain rightly insisted on -Cambridge going in, and we contend that Mr. Ridley acted -wisely and not unfairly in so doing. He had the law on his -side, and if the law is not to be enforced in the University -match, when is it ever likely to be? Mr. Ridley also probably<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[349]</a></span> -anticipated the fact that the Cambridge captain would be unwilling -to run the chance of sacrificing one of his good wickets, -and that the order of going in would be altered. This may be -a considerable disadvantage to the side; it is not certain that -it was in the present case; but Mr. Macan, who went in fifth -wicket down in the first innings, had to go in considerably -later in the second innings, and thus a good batsman was -wasted.</p> - -<p>Messrs. Sharpe and Hamilton went in first; at the beginning -of the third day Cambridge wanted 171 runs to win, and -had all their wickets standing. Both Sharpe and Hamilton -played well at the start, and brought the score up to 21, when -the latter put his leg in front and departed. Mr. Lucas came -in, but was clean bowled for 5 runs: two wickets for 26. -Mr. Longman, the captain, came in, and played steadily and -well, and the bowling for the first time in the innings seemed -to be collared; Lang went off, Ridley bowled three overs for -11 runs, and Mr. Royle took the ball. Mr. Royle’s bowling -proved the turning point of the game. He was not by any -means an accurate bowler, but at times his balls broke fast -and were most difficult to play. He bowled three maidens, -and with the fifteenth ball clean bowled Mr. Sharpe, who had -played an excellent innings of 29. He had stepped into the -breach overnight and gone in when twilight was coming on; -having passed through that ordeal safely, he completed a most -useful innings next day. Messrs. Longman and Sharpe had -brought the score from 26 to 65, but Royle made Blacker -play a ball on at 67, and clean bowled Longman at 76 for -a second very good innings. The ball that bowled Mr. Longman -was a dead shooter of the old sort, which came back also -considerably. Messrs. Greenfield and Lyttelton were now in -together, and the score again steadily rose, though Mr. -Lyttelton was manifestly uneasy with Royle’s bowling. However, -the total came to 97 when Lyttelton was badly missed, -and a snick put 100 on the board; but at 101 Greenfield -made a bad hit and was caught at mid-off, and in walked Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[350]</a></span> -Sims. Sims this year was a powerful and dangerous bat—in -fact, he was the most determined hitter in the two elevens, and -on the present occasion he made a great bid for victory. He -possessed a bulldog courage in whatever he undertook, and his -contemporaries at Cambridge could scarcely believe that so -strong a man could have caught a chill and died so quickly as -he did some few years later while in full work as an energetic -clergyman in the North of England. Shortly after Sims had -gone in, Lyttelton was a second time missed, though fortunately -for Oxford the mistake mattered little, for from a fine leg-hit -he was grandly caught by Webbe close to the ropes while -running at full speed. It was not a high hit, but it would have -hit a spectator on the nose if the fieldsman had not caught it. -There was no finer bit of fielding in the match than this, and -it was hard to be got out in such a way, though the batsman -was lucky to have made 20 runs. The score was 114 when -Lyttelton was out, or 60 to win and 3 wickets to go down, and -the betting 7 to 4 on Oxford. Messrs. Sims and Patterson -played well, and brought the score to 128, or 46 to win, when -down came the rain and play was stopped for an hour and a -half. It rained hard for a time, and Oxford had to turn out to -bowl with a wet ball and field on slippery ground. Mr. Patterson -played well, and Sims shut his teeth and went to work -with savage determination. The runs came fast; in 20 minutes -the score had been raised from 128 to 161, when Ridley -went on to bowl and with his first ball clean bowled Patterson. -Macan then came in and made a single (13 to win), and -a mighty whack did one of Ridley’s balls then get from -Sims, who sent the ball over the bowler’s head to the ropes -like a cannon shot, and Lang took the ball from Royle, 9 -runs being wanted to win the match for Cambridge. A leg-bye -was got from Lang’s first ball and a no ball followed, -making 7 to win. It appeared good odds on Cambridge, for -Sims did not look like getting out, and his hits had a way of -going to the boundary. Be it remembered that the ball was -wet and heavy, and forgetfulness of this fact on the part of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[351]</a></span> -Sims at this stage cost him his wicket and Cambridge the -match. Mr. Game was fielding deep square-leg close to the -ropes by the tennis court, and Pulman was on the on side close -to the left-hand corner of the enclosure that stands on the -left facing the pavilion. There was a considerable space -between these two fields, and off the full pitch on his legs -which Sims now received from Lang the ball might have -been swept safely under the ropes anywhere between the two -men. But Sims no doubt felt as strong and as lusty as an -eagle, and forgetting that the ball was wet and heavy, got -under it and tried to lift it over the ropes. The sodden ball -refused to go so far, and Pulman, running some distance, made -what with the ball dry and of a normal weight would have -been an ordinary country catch. With the ball wet and heavy, -however, his success was the more commendable, and back -to the pavilion, crestfallen and sad, went Sims. Returning -for a moment to the 2-run match, the two men for whom -sympathy may be felt because the game did not result in -favour of their side were Ottaway in 1870 and Sims in 1875. -Ottaway got out when his side wanted 18 runs to win and -had four wickets to go down, and Sims when only 7 runs -were wanted and there were two wickets to fall. Both are -now dead, but as long as any matches in England are remembered -these two innings will be borne in the memory of those -who witnessed them.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith had to face a crisis he had long been dreading, -and he walked apprehensively to the wicket. Mr. Macan, -who was in, had only received two or three balls, so both had -to feel their way cautiously. It is, perhaps, true to say that -at the extreme moments of nervousness climatic surroundings -have no effect on the constitution; be this as it may, the air -was chilly, the ground was wet, and the sun invisible. Probably -Mr. Smith felt as cold as if he had been in a damp cellar. A -well-known Harrovian told the writer at this stage that he had -seen Mr. Smith get over 25 runs against the famous George -Freeman’s bowling. What did that matter if he was unable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[352]</a></span> -to get six runs against Ridley’s lobs? He somehow or other -stopped two balls in a doubtful sort of style, and played slowly -forward to the third, thinking that after the manner of lobs it -would twist. The wet ground prevented this; it went on and -hit the middle stump, and Oxford won the match by six runs.</p> - -<p>We regard this match as a model of what a cricket match -should be; the runs were not too numerous, the interest was -kept up to the very end. It would have been hard lines perhaps -for Oxford to have lost the match, for the rain that fell -in Cambridge’s last innings was unlucky for the dark blue; -it is impossible to bowl or field well with a wet ball, and it happened -that Sims was just the man to take advantage of this -state of things. The bowling was managed with great skill by -Mr. Ridley, and, as we have said before, he realised an undoubted -truth, that lobs are often fatal to a batsman who is -paralysed by nervousness.</p> - -<p>It is not easy to say with any certainty that the bowling at -the Universities is better or worse than it was. We are inclined -to think that, writing in 1898, there are signs that it is better -than it was between the years 1872 and 1888, but not equal to -the days of C. D. Marsham, R. Lang, Plowden, and Kenney, -but in those days it was quite possible for a side to have weak -bowling, and yet get out their opponents with the help of the -more difficult wickets. This was the case in 1864. Oxford -were led by the famous Mr. Mitchell, and were a strong batting -eleven. Cambridge were fairly strong in batting, but they -deliberately chose to meet Oxford with only two bowlers, -Messrs. Curteis and Pelham. So well did these two gentlemen -perform that almost to the very end the result was doubtful. -Messrs. Fowler and Booth each succeeded in getting a wicket -in the first innings, and Mr. Booth one in the second innings, -but between them they only bowled twenty-two overs in the -whole match, while Mr. Curteis bowled seventy-five overs for -eight wickets, and Mr. Pelham fifty-six overs for five wickets. -This was a fine match, won at the finish by a grand innings of -Mr. Mitchell’s. No man ever went in at a more critical time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[353]</a></span> -than he did this second innings, neither did anybody ever bat -with better nerve. Out of 125 required to win the match, no -fewer than 55 (not out) fell to his share, and Oxford won by -four 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.</p> - -<p>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 1861 to 1897 inclusive, and, as is -perhaps natural, Eton comes first, having had during that -period fifty-nine of her alumni representing one or other of the -Universities. We are not reckoning the number of years that -each played, but fifty-nine different Etonians have in the last -thirty-three years played in the University match: thirty-four -for Cambridge, twenty-five for Oxford. Harrow is represented -by forty-six players: twenty-four at Oxford, and twenty-two at -Cambridge. Rugby comes next with twenty-nine: nineteen -for Oxford and ten 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 two only have -played. Mr. Leslie and Mr. Warner were the last good -cricketers Rugby sent out, and her prowess seems much -diminished as compared with the days of Pauncefote, Yardley,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[354]</a></span> -Francis, Kenney, and Case. Winchester has been represented -by twenty-three, of whom all but three have played for Oxford, -while out of eighteen Marlborough men twelve have played for -Oxford; but Cambridge men will ever gratefully tender their -thanks to Marlborough for the services of Mr. A. G. Steel, by -far the greatest player ever turned out by that school, and perhaps -the best all-round cricketer that has yet played for either -University. Seventeen Cliftonians have played for Oxford, and -two for Cambridge; but eleven out of fourteen Uppingham -boys have represented Cambridge. Repton has contributed -nine players, five representing Cambridge and four Oxford. -Charterhouse has had nine University players, Tonbridge six, -Cheltenham and Westminster have had five, and on the whole -the proportion between Oxford and Cambridge has been about -equal.</p> - -<p>Of all-round players both Universities have had their full -share in numbers. Cambridge has been helped by Makinson, -A. G. Steel, C. T. Studd, and F. S. Jackson, and Oxford by -Messrs. Maitland, R. D. Walker, and S. C. Voules. The great -strength of Oxford in the years 1863–4–5 arose not only from -the fact that in Mr. Mitchell it possessed one of the five -greatest bats in England, but also that it had four such wonderful -all-round men as Messrs. Voules, Walker, Evans, and Inge -in 1863; and the same quartette, with the substitution of Mr. -Maitland for Mr. Inge, in 1864 and 1865. But not one of the -five was quite equal to any one of the Cambridge quartette, and -when we say this we take as our basis the performances of the -four in the University matches; and we do not consider the -men who played before 1854, for it is difficult to make fair comparisons -over so long a distance of time. The above-mentioned -four will be found in the first half-dozen of batsmen and in the -first half-dozen of bowlers. Messrs. Makinson, Yardley, Lucas, -A. Lyttelton, A. G. Steel, C. T. Studd, F. S. Jackson, and -N. F. Druce are the best batsmen from Cambridge, and -Messrs. Mitchell, Maitland, Ottaway, Pauncefote, E. F. S. -Tylecote, Key, Rashleigh, and Palairet the best from Oxford.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[355]</a></span> -In bowling, the champions from Oxford are Messrs. Marsham, -Traill, Kenney, S. E. Butler, and Berkeley; from Cambridge, -Messrs. Plowden, Pelham, Lang, Woods, and A. G. Steel. -This is an opinion only, and would have to be considerably -altered if we were to take another basis than the Inter-University -match to draw our conclusions from. Mr. Kenney -never played for the Gentlemen against the Players, and -neither he nor Mr. Plowden could be compared as a bowler to -Mr. Kempson, whose performance against the Players is -historical. But he failed against Oxford. In the same way -Lord Cobham, Mr. Ridley, and Mr. Lane were each as good -as Mr. Pauncefote, but they failed in the Inter-University -match, and consequently are out of our list.</p> - -<p>The two following tables will show the best batting and -bowling averages of those who have played for four years, and -in the case of Mr. C. D. Marsham for five years, in the -University match. The minimum batting average being 30, -and the minimum bowling average being 12:—</p> - -<table class="averages uni" summary="Batting averages"> -<tr> - <th class="name">Name</th> - <th>Innings</th> - <th>Runs</th> - <th>Not out</th> - <th>Average</th> -</tr> -<tr class="first"> - <td class="name">K. J. Key</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">294</td> - <td class="mid">1</td> - <td class="le">49</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">C. W. Wright</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">291</td> - <td class="mid">1</td> - <td class="le">48·3</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">R. A. H. Mitchell</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">254</td> - <td class="mid">1</td> - <td class="le">42·2</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">W. Yardley</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">278</td> - <td class="mid">0</td> - <td class="le">39·5</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. P. Lucas</td> - <td class="mid">8</td> - <td class="mid">254</td> - <td class="mid">1</td> - <td class="le">36·2</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name"><abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> A. Lyttelton</td> - <td class="mid">8</td> - <td class="mid">234</td> - <td class="mid">1</td> - <td class="le">33·3</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">G. B. Studd</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">225</td> - <td class="mid">0</td> - <td class="le">32·1</td> -</tr> -<tr class="last"> - <td class="name">A. G. Steel</td> - <td class="mid">7</td> - <td class="mid">184</td> - <td class="mid">0</td> - <td class="le">30·4</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<table class="averages uni" summary="Bowling averages"> -<tr> - <th class="name">Name</th> - <th>Innings</th> - <th>Wickets</th> - <th>Average</th> -</tr> -<tr class="first"> - <td class="name">S. M. J. Woods</td> - <td class="mid">36</td> - <td class="mid">318</td> - <td class="ri">8·30</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">C. D. Marsham</td> - <td class="mid">40</td> - <td class="mid">362</td> - <td class="ri">9·1<span class="hide">0</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">H. M. Plowden</td> - <td class="mid">19</td> - <td class="mid">188</td> - <td class="ri">9·17</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">A. G. Steel</td> - <td class="mid">38</td> - <td class="mid">342</td> - <td class="ri">9·31</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">W. F. Maitland</td> - <td class="mid">21</td> - <td class="mid">213</td> - <td class="ri">10·3<span class="hide">0</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name"><abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> F. G. Pelham</td> - <td class="mid">26</td> - <td class="mid">292</td> - <td class="ri">11·8<span class="hide">0</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="name">S. E. Butler</td> - <td class="mid">25</td> - <td class="mid">312</td> - <td class="ri">12·12</td> -</tr> -<tr class="last"> - <td class="name">G. F. H. Berkeley</td> - <td class="mid">27</td> - <td class="mid">341</td> - <td class="ri">12·17</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<div class="footnotes"> -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<ul> -<li> - <p class="noindent"><a name="Footnote_35" id="Footnote_35" href="#Anchor_35" title="Return to text.">[35]</a> The difficulty of getting accurate facts about this unique over has been -immense. The author has before him the written statement of Mr. Hill, a -copy of the <cite>Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News</cite> containing a letter of -Mr. Yardley, who was keeping wicket and was therefore in a position to -judge, and a letter from Mr. Cobden and Mr. Belcher. In the first edition of -this book Mr. Stewart is said to have been bowled off his legs; this is -inaccurate, and the author apologizes for the blunder. Mr. Cobden complains -of the account generally, and says that all three balls were of a good -length, and that he never bowled better balls in all his life. The author in the -above has written what he believes to be accurate, relying chiefly on the -written evidence of Messrs. Hill, Yardley, and Belcher, and in a less degree -from what he has heard from some spectators. It was not Stewart that was -bowled off his legs, but Belcher; and in order that the public may form their -own judgment, the written statements of Messrs. Hill, Yardley, and Belcher -are here inserted. Mr. Hill writes:—‘Belcher was bowled with a yorker -(half-volley?) and Stewart with a half-volley, but whether off his leg or not I -do not remember.’ Mr. Hill also writes that on meeting Cobden some years -later, Cobden repeated that they were three of the best balls he ever bowled, -to which Mr. Hill replied that they were all half-volleys, and that he believed -that if he had had any one of them he could have won the match with a -fourer. Now Mr. Yardley, in allusion to the author’s statement that the ball -that Butler was caught off was straight and well up on the off stump, writes: -‘As a matter of fact the ball in question was a very long hop, extremely wide -on the off, so much so that I have no hesitation in stating that if Mr. Butler -had made no attempt to strike at it the umpire would have called a wide. -The batsman, however, was possessed of an exceptionally long reach, and just -managed to strike the ball with the extreme end of his bat to cover-point, -where it was beautifully caught by Mr. Bourne.’ -</p> -<p> -Now as to Belcher’s ball, Mr. Yardley says: ‘The ball in question was the -most delicious half-volley on the legs, which Mr. Belcher did his utmost to hit -out of Lord’s ground. Fortunately for Cambridge his deeds were not so good -as his intentions, for he hit too hard at the ball, which he missed, and which, -striking him on the left leg, cannoned on to his right leg, and from thence on -to his wicket.’ -</p> -<p> -On the point of Mr. Stewart’s ball Mr. Yardley writes: ‘This fourth -and last ball was the only straight one of that celebrated over. It was -an exceedingly long hop, scarcely pitching half-way, and coming along -surprisingly slow off the pitch. Had it not been for that circumstance Mr. -Stewart would probably have not lost his wicket as he did, for it was only at -the very last moment that he neglected his captain’s instructions and removed -his bat from the block-hole, thereby allowing the ball to strike his off stump -about three-quarters of the way up.’ Mr Yardley also writes that the scene -appears to him as vivid after a lapse of twenty years as it did then. -</p> -<p> -Mr. Belcher writes: ‘I am <em>quite certain</em> that I was bowled off my legs; -the ball to the best of my recollection hit me just below the knee of the right -leg and went into the wicket. At any rate I am quite clear as to my leg being -hit, and my impression is that it was a very good-length ball, and not a half-volley. -I don’t think I hit at it all. Of course at such a distance of time my -recollections are somewhat vague, <em>but the one point I am quite sure of is that -I was bowled off my leg</em>.’ -</p> -<p> -With these extracts before them, the matter is now left to posterity.</p> - -</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[356]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER XII. GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="12">XII.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p class="noindent">At first sight it appears impossible that amateurs—men who -play when they chance to find it convenient—should be able -to hold their own against professional cricketers who make -the game the business of their lives. Cricket, however, is the -one game where the two classes contend more or less on an -equality, unless football be also an exception. Many amateur -cricketers are not bound to work for their daily bread, and they -can consequently find time to play as much as a ‘professional,’ -if the accepted slang in which the adjective is employed as a -substantive be permissible. Such was the state of things a few -years ago when the Walkers, the Graces, Mr. Buchanan, and -others could always be depended on to take part in the annual -matches against the Players.</p> - -<p>But there are other reasons besides; and here we tread on -rather delicate ground. Suffice it to say that at one time, -and that was when the Gentlemen used heavily to defeat the -Players, there was such a very thin border-line between the -status of the amateur and professional, that a definition of -‘amateur’ was often asked for and never obtained. The position -was getting acute when finally the Marylebone Club, which -is not in the habit of moving except when very strong pressure -is exerted, was obliged to discuss and legislate on the matter. -Broadly speaking, the rule stands that amateurs may take expenses, -and a difficult and delicate point is now set at rest.</p> - -<p>It is a striking illustration of the great popularity of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[357]</a></span> -game that a large and increasing number of men annually -give themselves up to the profession of cricket, and it is only -in cricket that amateurs and professionals regularly compete -against each other. We have heard that from the county of -Nottingham alone several hundred professional bowlers emerge -every year, and go to fulfil cricket engagements in various -parts of the kingdom. The limits of cricket seem likely to be -extended, and we know of several English professionals who -have accepted offers from America and elsewhere. So long -ago as 1864 the famous <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Caffyn was engaged in Australia; -later on, Jesse Hide, of Sussex, was in South Australia, and -several other players have been in America. All professionals, -or nearly all, first come into notice as bowlers. A club with -a ground wants a man who can bowl to its members for an -evening’s practice, and he has to be there to attend on any -member who may happen to come. As a rule also, he is required -to play for the club in the Saturday matches, and he -may earn by way of fixed salary, together with what he makes by -bowling at a shilling for half an hour, 3<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> or 4<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> per week.</p> - -<p>If the club is situated in a county which possesses a county -club, the professional may have inducements held out to him -to take up a permanent residence and become a naturalised -resident. The county of Nottingham, for instance, has only one -county eleven, but she has hundreds of professionals. These -men get engagements in all directions, and if they are good -enough to be asked to play for their adopted county, it would -be hard to deprive them of a livelihood; though no doubt it -is provoking to Nottingham to see the success of Lancashire -largely owing to the play of Briggs, a Notts man of whose -virtues Lancashire became aware before his own county. -Nor is Briggs a solitary specimen, for Walter Wright, Lockwood, -Bean, Brown, and Wheeler play respectively for Kent, Surrey, -Sussex, Cheshire, and Leicestershire.</p> - -<p>The congestion of professional ability in certain favoured -districts is hard to explain. Every cricketer has heard of -Lascelles Hall, the famous village near Huddersfield, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[358]</a></span> -which Bates, the Lockwoods, the Thewlises and Allan Hill -belong. There are several villages and small towns near Nottingham -where cricketers appear indigenous to the soil, just -as primroses are in certain localities. There have always been -cricketers in these parts, and so sure is this constant supply -that some scientific society ought really to go down and inspect -the spot, make a theory to explain the phenomenon, and read -a paper about it. Nottingham itself raised and reared Daft, -Shrewsbury, Gunn, Scotton, and Selby; the famous Sutton-in-Ashfield -nursed Morley, J. C. Shaw, Barnes and Briggs in their -infancy. There are several large towns in Yorkshire, such as -Sheffield, Leeds, and other manufacturing centres, where the -traditions of the place are in favour of cricket; but it is curious -to observe that, though it was not so in the days of Noah -Mann, David Harris, and the Hambledon Club, the modern -professional now springs mainly from populous centres. The -only reason we can give for this is that for young players between -the ages of eight and eighteen practice is everything, and -of this youngsters can generally make sure in populous places. -In a rural district the same chances may seldom occur. In -Nottingham and the West Riding towns, hundreds of boys -may be seen playing almost at the mouth of coal-pits, and -the practice they get enables them to become professional -players.</p> - -<p>Amateurs are not by any means in the same situation. -Apart from the natural qualifications any lad may chance -to possess, he is largely benefited or the reverse by the -atmosphere of the schools to which he is sent. About the age -of thirteen he is sent to a large public school, where cricket -is regularly taught, and he has a great deal of experience if -he can manage to get into his school eleven. After that he -may go to Oxford or Cambridge, and if he is fond of the game, -he may play an unlimited quantity of cricket. Many amateurs -after they leave the university disappear for ever from first-class -cricket, as their time then ceases to be their own.</p> - -<p>When we examine the M.C.C. cricket <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[359]</a></span>‘Scores and Biographies,’ -we find the same story over and over again: ‘This -year the Gentlemen had to regret the absence of Messrs. Hankey -and Kempson.’ ‘Mr. Felix did not play for the Gentlemen, -they as usual losing one of their best men.’ In a footnote -attached to the score of the 1847 match at Lord’s, the editor -gives a list of no fewer than sixteen gentlemen who had to -abandon the game when in their prime. It was in consequence -of this that in 1862 a match was tried between Gentlemen and -Players all under thirty, but with no better success for the -Gentlemen.</p> - -<p>The first Gentlemen and Players’ match took place in 1806 -on the old Lord’s ground, so the contest between these teams is -not so old by one year as the Eton and Harrow. It is true that -in ‘<cite class="plain">The Cricket Field</cite>’ Mr. Pycroft says that Lord F. Beauclerk -and the Hons. H. and T. Tufton had previously made an attempt -to get a Gentlemen and Players’ match, and the Players -won, giving the services of T. Walker, Beldham, and Hammond. -These three men were nearly the best in England, and to call -the Players a representative eleven without them was absurd. -The same objection may be mentioned in discussing the next -match in 1806, when the Gentlemen were helped by two of the -foremost players: this made a more equal match, but apparently -rather too much was given, for the amateurs beat the Players in -an innings and 14 runs. Beldham and Lambert were the two -given men, and at that time Lambert was unquestionably the -finest player of the day. A second match was played a fortnight -later, when the amateurs were a second time victorious, -and in this case Lambert alone was given. After this match -there was a considerable hiatus, for the rival teams did not -meet again till 1819, when a match was played on even terms, -the Players winning by six wickets. Mr. Budd scored 56 for -the Gentlemen, and Tom Beagley 75 for the Players—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i10"><span class="spread_out">...</span>Worthy Beagley,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Who is quite at the top;</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">With the bat he’s first rate, a brick wall at long-stop.</div> - </div> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[360]</a></span></p> -<p class="noindent">Mr. Budd in this match stumped six of the Players, and only -one bye was recorded against him and the long-stop. In 1820 -T. C. Howard, who had bowled for the Players, was transferred -to the Gentlemen, and they won by 70 runs. In 1821 the -Gentlemen scored 60 and the Players 278 for six wickets, at -which stage the Gentlemen succumbed and gave up the match. -Beagley, who appeared to be partial to amateur bowling, made -113 not out, and began the long list of hundreds that have -since been obtained in this match. In 1822 Lord F. Beauclerk -bowled finely, Mr. Vigne stumped four and caught two -at the wicket, Mr. Budd made 69 runs, and the Gentlemen -won by six wickets. Elated by this victory, in 1823 the -amateurs again threw down the gauntlet on even terms and -were defeated heavily by 345 runs.</p> - -<p>This knock-down blow must have cowed the Gentlemen, for -in the next four matches they played fourteen, sixteen with -Mathews, and seventeen in the two matches of 1827; and -each side won two. In 1828 there was no match, and in 1829 -and 1830 they stole two players to help them. This was a -period when the superiority of the professionals was very marked, -for in 1831, ’32, and ’33 odds were given on each occasion, -but still victory refused to crown the efforts of the amateurs. -In 1832 the Gentlemen defended smaller wickets than those -of their opponents, but the game was admitted to be a failure. -The extraordinary result of all the matches between 1824 and -1833 in which the Gentlemen had odds, was that out of eight -matches the Players won six. The bowling of W. Lillywhite, -Cobbett, and others was far too good for the amateurs, and the -records of the Players were wonderful.</p> - -<p>In 1833, however, for the first time the famous Alfred Mynn -appeared on the scene. This crack amateur was the idol of -Kent and the terror of his opponents. Very tall in stature and -heavy in weight, he was at that time and for many years subsequently -one of the fastest bowlers in England. His physique -was enormous, and he could bowl a great number of balls -without any sacrifice of pace or precision. When asked how<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[361]</a></span> -many balls he should like the over to consist of, he said as far -as he was concerned he should like a hundred. He was a hard -hitter, fond of driving the ball in front of the wicket, and was -probably the champion at the then frequently played single-wicket -matches. It must have been a fine sight to see Alfred -Mynn advance and deliver the ball; he took a short run and -held himself up to nearly his full height as the ball left his -hand. He was of unfailing good humour, and is immortalised in -by far the best cricket poem yet published, which may be found -in the ‘Scores and Biographies,’ <abbr title="volume 2">vol. ii</abbr>. <abbr title="page">p.</abbr> 200. Altogether he -was one of the leading players of his day, and his arrival gave a -strength to the amateurs that was sorely needed,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Proudly, sadly we will name him—to forget him were a sin;</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Lightly lie the turf upon thee, kind and manly Alfred Mynn.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>In 1834 the match was played on even terms, but again -the result was disastrous to the amateurs, for they were beaten -in an innings and 21 runs; nor did the assistance of Cobbett -and Redgate, two of the crack bowlers of the day, save them -from defeat in 1835, though Alfred Mynn scored 53 and bowled -down four wickets. In 1836 eighteen Gentlemen won by 35 -runs, and again was Alfred Mynn to the fore, for he scored 29 -and 30 and got eight wickets. In the following year was played -a match, when the Gentlemen defended three wickets, 27 inches -by 8, and the Players four, 36 inches by 12. The match was -the famous ‘Barn Door Match,’ or ‘Ward’s Folly,’ but again -the impotence of the amateurs’ batting caused them to be defeated -in one innings and 10 runs. Thirteen was the highest -amateur score and the only double figure, and Lillywhite and -Redgate apparently did what they liked in the way of bowling. -In 1838 Alfred Mynn was away, so the amateurs helped themselves -to Pilch, Cobbett, and Wenman, three good men from -the professional ranks; they lost the match, however, by 40 runs. -This was the last match in which odds have been given. A -drawn game was played in 1839, and twice the Players were -victorious in 1840 and 1841. In 1842 and 1843 the Gentlemen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[362]</a></span> -gained two victories, the match in 1842 being their first -win on even terms since 1822. Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst got -all the wickets for the Gentlemen; the former scored 21 and 46, -and Mr. Felix played a fine innings of 88, having been missed -badly at short-slip before he scored. In 1843 the Gentlemen -actually won in one innings on even terms, for the first time on -record. Again Alfred Mynn did excellent service, for he made -47 runs and lowered eight wickets. Mr. C. G. Taylor scored 89 -runs and then his hat fell on the wicket, or rather it was knocked -off, which showed that Lord’s had a way of testing the bravery -as well as the skill of batsmen. In 1844 the Gentlemen lost the -services of Mr. Felix, perhaps their best bat, and Sir F. Bathurst, -their second best bowler, and were defeated by 38 runs. The -famous William Lillywhite, who ‘handled the ball as he would -do a brick,’ and Hillyer were the crack professional bowlers -at this time, and sad havoc they made of amateur wickets. -Lillywhite was fifty-two years old in 1844, two years older -than W. G. Grace, who in the year 1898 is <i>par excellence</i> -the veteran cricketer. The era of Alfred Mynn and Sir F. -Bathurst was the golden age of amateur bowling, for Mynn -was at the top of the tree in this department of the game for a -far longer period than any amateur has been since. He played -twenty matches for the Gentlemen against the Players, and -though he was generally on the losing side, did great things -both with bat and ball, especially with the latter. In 1845 the -Players again won, old Lillywhite, aged fifty-three, taking twelve -wickets for 96 runs—a remarkable performance.</p> - -<p>The match for the year 1846 is an historical one for one -or two reasons. It was the first time that George Parr, aged -20, and William Clarke, aged 47, represented the Players. -Both were Nottingham men; the younger was very nearly the -best bat in England, and the elder, if not the best bowler all -round, certainly by far the most successful bowler of lobs that -has ever appeared. Clarke had played for thirty seasons before -he was chosen to represent the Players. He died in 1856 at -the age of 57, played cricket during the last year of his life, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[363]</a></span> -took a wicket with the last ball he ever bowled. He was head -and captain of the ‘All England Eleven’ which used to tour -about the country. Very amusing work it must have been for -old Clarke, bowling on rough provincial grounds to provincial -batsmen; and who can wonder that he, with several other bowling -captains, had a great dislike to taking himself off? He was -one-eyed, having lost his right eye while indulging in the manly -game of fives. He certainly got a lot of wickets in the best of -matches, but there is nothing to guide speculation as to how -Clarke and Lillywhite would have fared if they had bowled -to W. G. Grace and McLaren. Round old Clarke’s head, as -round the heads of Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, and William -Lillywhite, an aureole has gathered; they are the great lights -of that epoch of cricket, and during his career old Clarke must -have been one of those few bowlers who generally made fools -of batsmen.</p> - -<p>To return to this year of 1846, as it was Parr and Clarke’s -first Gentlemen and Players, so it was C. G. Taylor’s last. This -great player at all games was an Eton and Cambridge man; -and, like many old cricketers, formed the theme of poets. -‘Taylor the most graceful of all,’ one writes, and again he is -represented as being</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Unlike our common sons, whose gradual ray</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Expands from twilight into purer day,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">His blaze broke forth at once in full meridian sway.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">Mr. C. G. Taylor was evidently born with an eye; he often ran -out to bowling to drive, could field splendidly either at point, -coverpoint, or mid-wicket, and bowled slow round-arm, we are -told, both well and gracefully. We suspect that, as may be -inferred from the description of his style of play, there was a -weak place in his defence, and he used to have long bouts of -small scores. But so graceful and altogether fascinating was -his style, that all his great innings were indelibly stamped on -the memory of those who witnessed them. In this his last -Gentlemen and Players match he got 23 and 44. It was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[364]</a></span> -great match, won by the Gentlemen by one wicket, and the -credit was due to Messrs. R. P. Long and Taylor for batting, -and to Alfred Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst for bowling.</p> - -<p>In the following year, 1847, the Players again won, but at -this period the sides were far more even than they had been -before for any long time together. The redoubtable bowlers -Mynn and Bathurst were helped by Harvey Fellows, the -celebrated Etonian, and George Yonge the Oxonian; and we -doubt if the Gentlemen have ever been so strong in this line -since. These two bowled out the Players in 1848 for 79 and -77 runs, Mynn getting eight wickets in the second innings and -hitting up 66 runs. In this year, in fact, it is a question if the -amateurs were not stronger in bowling than batting.</p> - -<p>In the next year, 1849, further triumph awaited the -amateurs, for winning the toss they scored 192 runs, compelled -the Players to follow on, and won the match in one innings -and 40 runs. Alfred Mynn did not get a wicket, but Harvey -Fellows bowled his fastest, first hurt his opponents, and then -got them out. Old <abbr title="William">Wm.</abbr> Lillywhite played his last Gentlemen -and Players match this year, and we read that he refused to -bat in his second innings because he was hurt by Mr. Fellows. -He was 57 years old, so may be excused if he felt a little nervous -on old Lord’s ground at standing up to one who used to -make the ball hum like a to<abbr title="page">p.</abbr></p> - -<p>The famous ‘Nonpareil bowler,’ as old Lillywhite was -called, was the king of bowlers in the days when he flourished. -Mr. Robert Grimston, who remembered him well, said that -though a slow bowler he was quicker off the ground than -Alfred Shaw. He lived in the days when wides were common, -but it is recorded that during his whole career he did not -deliver half a dozen. He was born in Sussex in 1792, and -played as a given man for the Gentlemen in 1829 and 1830; -after that began his long career as principal bowler for the -Players. He was, therefore, no less than 39 years of age -when he played his first match for the Players. If to other -cricketers may be given the credit of inventing round-arm<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[365]</a></span> -bowling, still to Lillywhite and Broadbridge all honour is due -for having been the first really good round-arm bowlers. Lillywhite -bowled in seventeen matches against the Gentlemen and -got 132 wickets, or close upon eight wickets per match. He was -occasionally useful as a bat, and though he refused to go in, as -just recorded, he had plenty of pluck when younger, for in -a single wicket match he stood up for 278 balls to George -Brown, to whose bowling Little Dench of Brighton used to -long-stop with a sack stuffed full of straw to protect his chest. -Batting gloves were not used in those days, and Lillywhite had -his fingers broken three times before they were invented. Fuller -Pilch played his last Gentlemen and Players match this year, -which is famous for witnessing the farewell of such great -cricketers as himself and William Lillywhite. Pilch was born -in 1803, and was therefore 46 years old in 1849.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Another young tailor, as fine a young man</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">As e’er hit a ball and then afterwards ran.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Pilch was undoubtedly the champion of his day, and his -mantle fell on George Parr. He was the originator of what -we call in modern times ‘forward play,’ and his object was the -sound one of smothering the ball at the pitch. He was the -worst enemy of William Clarke, for he left his ground to balls -that were well up and ran him down with a straight bat. He -was one of the dauntless five that carried Kent into a unique -position among cricket counties.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">And with five such mighty cricketers ’twas but natural to win,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">As Felix, Wenman, Hillyer, Fuller Pilch, and Alfred Mynn.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>In 1850 the famous Johnny Wisden came to the front and -the Players grew stronger, and George Parr made 65 runs not -out. Wisden and Clarke bowled unchanged, and got rid of their -rivals for 42 and 58, winning the match in one innings and -48 runs in 1850, and in 1851 they also won in a single innings. -Wisden, Grundy, and Caffyn were three fine all-round men, -and Joe Guy of Nottingham was apparently quite at home<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[366]</a></span> -to amateur bowling. Both Mynn and Fellows had lost their -devil, or perhaps it might be more correct to say that the latter -had lost his straightness and accuracy. In 1852 the Players -won by five wickets, and the great Alfred Mynn retires from -the scene as far as this match is concerned.</p> - -<p>In 1853 fine bowling won the Gentlemen a match by 60 runs. -Both Sir F. Bathurst and Mr. Kempson bowled unchanged all -through the two innings of the Players, and got rid of them for -42 and 69. Martingell got seven wickets for 19 runs in the -second innings of the Gentlemen, so this was essentially a -bowlers’ match; and though it is an historical fact that it was -the first time the Gentlemen never had to change their bowling, -in 1846 Mynn and Sir F. Bathurst got all the wickets, -and Mr. Taylor was only on for a few overs. Sir F. Bathurst -might therefore have bowled one end all the time if Mr. Taylor -had relieved Mynn. At any rate, to Sir F. Bathurst is due the -credit of being one of the main causes of two defeats of the -Players. He was a fast bowler with a low delivery, but very -straight.</p> - -<p>In 1854 both sides played weak, four Players refusing to -come forward because of a dispute between Clarke and the -M.C.C., and the Gentlemen losing Messrs. Hankey and Kempson. -An uneventful match was the result, and the Players -again won. From 1853 to 1865 the match was played on even -terms, but the Players had a run of victory, and not once -during that time did the Gentlemen prove successful. There -is no doubt that the batting strength of the Players during these -years was very considerable, and, though George Parr, Hayward, -and Carpenter did not score their hundreds as the men of modern -times so often have done, they made their fifties and sixties -with nearly the same consistency. Parr was a most regular -scorer during the decade between 1853 and 1863, and his -average for the whole series of these matches must have been -very high.</p> - -<p>In 1855 the Players won easily by seven wickets, though the -Gentlemen began well; but in their second innings Dean and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[369]</a></span> -John Lillywhite got them out for 43, five consecutive wickets -falling without a run. In 1857 the Gentlemen lost several of -their best men, but the famous Oxonians, Messrs. Marsham and -Payne, bowled finely, and though the Players had only 70 to -get to win, they only pulled through by two wickets. Willsher -played this year for the first time, and he and Wisden were too -much for the Gentlemen. The year 1857 was an historical one -for two reasons. In the first place at Lord’s was played one of -the closest matches of the series, a game also famous for one -of those great batting feats the recollection of which lingers -long; and in the second place because a second match was -played for the first time at the Oval. The historical innings was -that of Mr. Reginald Hankey, whom George Parr considers -the finest bat he ever saw. This is the proverbial effort quoted -by all who saw it as the masterpiece of its day, and Mr. Grace -himself has never played an innings that made more sensation. -Mr. Hankey got 70 runs in an hour and three-quarters, and hit -the fast bowling of Willsher, Wisden, Jackson, and Stephenson -all over the ground. Messrs. Hankey, Haygarth, Drake and -Lane amassed 224 runs, the other seven only 58 between them, -and in the end the players won by 13 runs. Mr. Drake played -his hardest to win, making a score of 58 out of 114.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_kennington_oval_1854" id="image_kennington_oval_1854" class="nodec"><img src="images/kennington_oval_1854.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="175" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - Kennington Oval, 1854. - </p> -</div> - -<p>At the Oval the Players won easily by ten wickets, and on -this ground the Gentlemen lost every match till 1866. In -those days the Oval was what we should call a better ground -than Lord’s—that is to say, it was more in favour of the batsmen -and long scores; and consequently the weak amateur bowling -was at a considerable discount. In 1858 at the Oval the -Players won by three wickets, and R. Daft played for the Gentlemen -for the first and only time. At Lord’s in the same year -the Gentlemen collapsed in batting and lost by 285 runs, the -bowling of Jackson being at this period an object of dread -among the amateurs. In 1859 the Players won both matches -easily, and the famous Robert Carpenter made his first appearance, -scoring 44 runs at the Oval.</p> - -<p>In 1860, at the Oval, the Players won by eight wickets;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[370]</a></span> -Mr. T. E. Bagge made two scores of 62 and 60, and the scoring -altogether was very large for those days. Carpenter made 119 -in his one innings. At Lord’s the other great Cambridgeshire -player, Tom Hayward, came on the scene with a vengeance, -scoring 132 runs, and the Players won in one innings and 181 -runs, though George Parr could not play. At this time the -tremendous bowling of Jackson and Willsher was at its best, -and Hayward, Carpenter, Parr, and Daft were too good for -amateur bowling. In 1861 the Players won in one innings and -60 runs at Lord’s, and in one innings and 68 runs at the Oval; -Carpenter for the second time making a hundred.</p> - -<p>In 1862 a famous drawn match was played at the Oval. -Over 200 runs were made in each innings, and there was curious -equality of scoring, the highest figures on each side being 108, -made by Mr. John Walker for the Gentlemen, and by Hayward -for the Players. The match was drawn, the Players having lost -eight wickets and still wanting 33 runs. Mr. Walker was bowling -lobs a good deal in this match, and whilst Anderson and -Stephenson were batting just before stumps were drawn at the -end of the day, each having made 33, the famous Tom Lockyer, -who could not endure lobs, was continually to be seen -nervously looking at the clock; to go in against these dreaded -balls was a privilege he did not covet. Willsher, Parr, and -Daft could not play for the Players, nor Messrs. Makinson and -Mitchell for the Gentlemen. At Lord’s a match was played -between the elevens, all the engaged being under thirty, and -the Players won by 157 runs. Mr. C. D. Marsham, the steadiest -of all Gentlemen bowlers, played his last Gentlemen and -Players match this year. He had taken part in ten matches, -but never had the good luck to be on the winning side.</p> - -<p>In 1863 the great Hayward made 112 runs in his only -innings, and nobody else except Mr. Walker got 30 runs in the -match, which the Players won by eight wickets, Jackson and -Tarrant being quite unplayable on the rough Lord’s wicket. -Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell played for the first time, and, with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[371]</a></span> -exception of Mr. Grace, no greater batsman has appeared for -the Gentlemen, though he did not play for many years. At the -Oval in the same year Mr. Mitchell scored 76 and 6; but the -Gentlemen were weak in bowling, and the Players won by nine -wickets. At Lord’s in 1864 Tarrant and Willsher bowled unchanged -during the match, and the Gentlemen scored 119 in -the two innings; but at the Oval there were a lot of runs made, -Stephenson putting together 117, and Messrs. C. G. Lyttelton -and Makinson playing two fine innings for the Gentlemen.</p> - -<p>In 1865 began what brought about a revolution in cricket, -for W. G. Grace played his first match, and at once began -to score. Originally more famous as a bowler, he has since -made runs in a manner and to an extent altogether unparalleled -in the history of cricket, and soon after his appearance the -almost dull monotony of professional victory was changed for -the almost equally dull monotony of professional defeat. When -he first began to play there was a schism in the professional -ranks which lasted several years; between 1863 and 1871, -many of the crack Northern players refused to play at the Oval, -and soon afterwards at Lord’s also. It is a curious fact that at -Lord’s in 1865 the amateurs won by eight wickets, scoring -a victory for the first time since 1853, after losing nineteen -matches in succession. This was W. G. Grace’s first match and -George Parr’s last, the latter having scored sixty runs in his -actual last innings. Grace was sixteen years old, and Parr, -who first played in 1846, was 39. Parr’s average for these -matches was no less than twenty-eight, and his was altogether -one of the best and longest careers ever seen.</p> - -<p>Up to 1886 Mr. Grace had played 78 innings in these -matches, and averaged 45 runs an innings. From that date to -the present he has averaged 26 runs an innings; and it is not -easy to say that anybody is his superior now in 1893. The -cricket schism weakened the Players very much for several -years at the beginning of his career, and the matches were -in consequence not so interesting. At the Oval, in 1866, the -Gentlemen followed their innings, but won the match by 98 -runs, and this was the first time they were successful at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[372]</a></span> -Kennington ground; but no Northern players appeared except -Grundy, Wootton, Luke Greenwood and Alfred Shaw. It was -the same story in 1867 and in every match till 1872; the amateurs -were generally successful. Since that period, however, it -has always been considered a special honour to be asked to -represent either eleven, and the Committees at both Lord’s and -the Oval now offer higher terms to the professionals for this than -for any other match. For some reason which we are totally -unable to explain, between the years 1867 and 1877 there was a -blight on the Players. Their batting fell off to an extraordinary -extent, nor was their fast bowling at all up to the level of what it -used to be. Of course W. G. Grace was the main cause of the -apparent weakness of the bowling, but this could not account -for the great batting deterioration. The Players won at the -Oval in 1865 and did not win again till 1880, though one -match was drawn considerably in their favour. Up to 1874, -including the Oval matches and omitting three unfinished, the -Players lost twelve matches in succession, mainly owing to Mr. -Grace.</p> - -<p>If we take the best of the innings of 100 played in these -matches to the year 1893, we find that there have been 41 -individual innings of over 100 runs played, and Mr. Grace has -played eleven himself, or nearly a third of the whole; and when -we remember that he has had a great deal of bowling to do as -well, it may be said with confidence that no such performances -for so many years have ever been seen in the history of cricket. -In 1873 he got 163 runs at Lord’s, and 158 at the Oval, and -in the latter match scored seven wickets in the Players’ second -innings. In 1874 the Gentlemen won by seven wickets, having -to go in for 226 runs to win. Mr. Grace had got 77 runs in -his first innings, went in first in the second innings, stayed in -till 152 runs were scored, and was then out for 112. The -match was won by seven wickets.</p> - -<p>The most exciting match that has occurred was in the -year 1877. The Players made 192, and the Gentlemen 198 -in the first innings, and the players 148 in the second. Consequently, -to win the match 143 runs were wanted by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[373]</a></span> -Gentlemen. The wicket was not quite a first-rate one, and -good judges anticipated a close finish. Grace made 41, and -Alfred Lyttelton 20; but Watson, Ulyett, and Morley bowled -well, and the Gentlemen wanted 46 runs to win when nine -wickets had fallen. Mr. W. S. Patterson and G. F. Grace were -in, and gradually, by excellent play, the runs were secured. In -1888 there was another most exciting match at Lord’s, when -both sides were the strongest that could have been chosen, -except that Shrewsbury did not assist the Players. The wicket -was very difficult from start to finish, and the Players only -required 78 runs to win. It was Mr. Woods’ first year of first-class -cricket, and he obtained ten wickets for 76 runs. His -bowling, together with that of Mr. Smith and Mr. Steel, got the -Players out for 72, and the Gentlemen won the match by 5 runs.</p> - -<p>In 1883 a tie match was played at the Oval, for the first -and only time. The wicket was difficult on the third day, and -the Gentlemen, who lost the services of Mr. W. G. Grace for -the first time since 1867, were 31 runs ahead on the first innings. -Bates did well for the Players in the second innings and scored -76 runs, making his last 30 runs in eight hits. Rain fell in the -night, and Flowers found a spot. Mr. Lucas, who scored 47 -not out, was really caught at point when he had got 8, but the -catch was a low one, and neither umpire would give a decision -when appealed to. So he continued his innings, which was -hard for the Players. Fourteen were wanted when Mr. Rotherham -joined Mr. Lucas, and when 8 runs were wanted Bates -badly missed Rotherham. When the match was a tie, Peate -was put on, and clean bowled Rotherham with his second ball. -The Players had rather hard lines in Lucas’s case, but they -lost the match through the bad miss of Bates.</p> - -<p>In 1879, following the good example set by Sir F. Bathurst -and Kempson, the Gentlemen won the Oval match without -once having to change their bowlers. Messrs. Steel and Evans -were the heroes; Evans got ten wickets, and Steel nine. The -wicket was difficult, but the batting was feeble, and only realised -totals of 73 and 48.</p> - -<p>For the last few years the Players have gradually recovered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[374]</a></span> -their lost prestige, and reached the high-water mark of excellence -in 1887, when, for the first time since 1861, they won both -matches in one innings each. At the date of writing (1898) -the two sides present very much the same features as have -distinguished them hitherto. The amateurs are as strong, and -perhaps a little stronger in batting, the professionals much -stronger in bowling, though not perhaps so much so as at most -previous epochs; but there is one remarkable difference, and -that is in wicket-keeping. In old days the professionals were -vastly superior to the amateurs; now there is practically nothing -between them, and this fact is probably because of the greater -accuracy of modern amateur bowling, which makes it easier to -take, and does not knock the wicket-keeper about so much.</p> - -<p>A survey of the whole series of matches points to the fact -that, as is natural, the Gentlemen have been, and probably will -be, beaten as a general rule. Every cricketer knows what it is -to play in an eleven with a comrade, either a batsman or -bowler, of commanding superiority. Such a man makes an -eleven. He does this by giving confidence to the other ten -members of the team. They feel that the match does not -depend on them, that if they fail he will pull them through, -and consequently they go in boldly and score. The two notable -instances of one man making an eleven are W. G. Grace and -Spofforth. Of course there were good players amongst the -Australians and amongst the Gentlemen, but the presence of -Grace and Spofforth was an incalculable benefit. The -Australians began a match feeling sure that, even if they did -not run up large scores, Spofforth would get rid of their -opponents for less.</p> - -<p>In conclusion, let us express a hope that the Gentlemen -and Players match will never fall through: for, having been -played off and on since 1806, it has a notable history, and it -ought to be the summit of ambition in every cricketer, be -he amateur or professional, to appear in these great classic -contests.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[375]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER XIII. THE ART OF TRAINING YOUNG CRICKETERS." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="13">XIII.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">THE ART OF TRAINING YOUNG CRICKETERS.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By R. A. H. Mitchell.</span>)</span></h2> - -<div class="idropcap_footprint"> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="400" height="313" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="260" height="40" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="250" height="12" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><img src="images/spacer.gif" width="240" height="12" alt="" /></div> - <div class="spacer"><p class="idropcap_caption" id="training_caption"> - A six-year old. - </p> - </div> -</div> - -<div class="idropcap_handheld"> - <a name="image_a_six-year_old" id="image_a_six-year_old" class="nodec"><img src="images/a_six-year_old.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="389" /></a> - <p class="idropcap_caption"> - A six-year old. - </p> -</div> - -<div class="wrapped_text" id="training"> - -<p class="idrop-cap_1st_text" id="training_top"><span class="uppercase">If</span> you want to play cricket -you must begin as a -boy, is a true, if not -an original, remark. -We remember asking a -member of a well-known -cricketing fraternity what promise a younger brother gave -of future excellence, and his reply was, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[376]</a></span>‘He’s no good—but -then he hasn’t had a chance, for he was so delicate he couldn’t -begin till he was six years old.’ We do not ourselves presume -to say that the game must necessarily be learnt whilst a child -is under his nurse’s care; but nevertheless we know of no -instance, unless Mr. A. E. Stoddart forms an exception to the -rule, of anyone attaining to the first rank who has not received -his early lessons in the noble game while still a boy. If this be -so, it is of interest to all cricketers to consider what training a -boy ought to have. Is he to be left merely to the light of -nature and his own powers of observation, or is he to be systematically -coached, and taught daily how each stroke is to be -made and each ball bowled? Many think that a training of -this kind can hardly be begun too soon or carried out with -too great care and rigour. This may be so; but we are by no -means inclined to agree with such a Spartan discipline. We -believe that in games, as in life, if a thing is worth doing at all, -it is worth doing well; but, although we claim to be second to -none in our keenness to see good boy cricketers, we differ in the -method we advocate from those who support so severe a system -of coaching young boys.</p> - -<p>Let us give some reasons in support of our view. In -the first place, success in cricket, and not in cricket alone, -depends on the enjoyment and interest taken in the game, and -we believe that there is great danger of destroying this enjoyment -and interest by incessant coaching and teaching at too -early an age. In the second place, all coaching has a tendency -at first to eradicate individual peculiarities and to cramp a -natural style. Mr. W. G. Grace, Mr. A. G. Steel, Shrewsbury, -and many other well-known batsmen have peculiarities of -their own, which could not have been taught in early boyhood, -but which might very easily have been cramped, and perhaps -entirely obliterated, much to their detriment, in the hands of -even a skilful coach. We do not deprecate all advice even -to very young boys, but we dislike anything that tends to -interfere with the powers of nature; and although we shall -be told that a good teacher merely directs them in the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[377]</a></span> -possible way, we do not think that the advantage likely to be -gained will at all compensate for a cramped style or loss of enjoyment. -What should be taught, and when, we will endeavour -to suggest as we proceed.</p> - -</div> <!-- end of possible wrapping --> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_our_national_game" id="image_our_national_game" class="nodec"><img src="images/our_national_game.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="251" /></a> - <p class="caption"> - OUR NATIONAL GAME - </p> -</div> - -<p>First, however, one word to anxious parents and teachers of -the art. It is quite hopeless to expect that every boy can be -made into a cricketer. Countless are the excuses we hear to -cover the feebleness and incapacity of would-be players, made -sometimes by their parents, sometimes by themselves. They -have never been coached, or they have been badly coached; -they have been made to play too much, or they can’t play often -enough; the ground they play on is so rough, or it is so easy -that they can’t play on more difficult ground. They used to -bowl very well; but they were overbowled, or they were never -put on; or they are always put on at the wrong end, or the -catches are always missed off their bowling. These and many -other excuses are urged on their behalf; but those who have -watched cricket for but a few years will soon learn to take such -futile pleas for what they are worth. No boy can become a -good cricketer who has not a natural capacity for the game. -The batsman must have a good eye and is all the better for -a good nerve; the fieldsman must be active; the bowler—ah! -what must he have? <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Nascitur non fit</i>; we will not commit -ourselves at present to his requirements.</p> - -<p>In saying this do not let it be supposed that we wish those -only to play cricket who are likely to become good cricketers—far -from it; but we are concerned with the game as an art and not -as an exercise, and do not wish to raise vain hopes of success -where success is impossible.</p> - -<p>Now let us consider the three great departments of the game -in detail; for, although they are necessarily and closely connected, -we cannot treat of batting, bowling, and fielding in the same -paragraph.</p> - -<p>The batsman then first demands our attention, not because -he is more useful to his side than the bowler, but because it is -here that more may be taught than in any other department of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[378]</a></span> -the game. Take a boy ten years old—we start with double -figures, let it be an omen for his future!—what can we tell -him? Very little, we think, but certainly this: never to move -his right foot, but to plant it firmly just inside the crease, with -the toe barely clear of the leg-stum<abbr title="page">p.</abbr></p> - -<p>The left foot should also be placed in the same line, but it -must be moved into the position which is found to be the easiest -for playing or hitting any given ball. The batsman must learn -to stand perfectly still with his eye fixed on the bowler’s hand, -and he must try to think of the ball, and the ball alone; any -fidgeting about is apt to interfere with an accurate habit of -sight. A boy should also be told to drive the ball in front of -the wicket and along the ground. We do not approve of the -cut for young boys; it is the batsman’s most finished stroke, but -it is absolutely fatal when attempted at an unsuitable ball. This -is all we think it necessary to teach our juvenile batsman, though -occasional hints beyond this may sometimes be useful. Do not, -however, cramp a boy who is disposed to hit, but tell him to hit -straight; it is easier at a later age to stop hitting than to teach -it. For this reason single-wicket matches among small boys -are not without their use, as they naturally encourage hard hitting -in front of the wicket.</p> - -<p>A danger which is not sufficiently guarded against at some -private schools is the habit of allowing young boys to play -to fast bowling; masters and others take part in the games -and the practice, and bowl at a pace which would be called -medium in a man’s match, but which is very fast for boys under -fourteen years of age. The result of this is that boys learn to -be afraid of the ball; and if they once show fear they will never -become good players. It seems all but impossible to restore -confidence even at a much later age, and we know of many -instances—we will not be so unkind as to mention names—in -which boys with great natural powers have never overcome their -fear of the ball, which they had acquired before coming to a -public school. For the same reason the growing custom of small -boys playing in men’s matches is to be strongly deprecated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[379]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <a name="image_drawing_away_from_the_wicket" id="image_drawing_away_from_the_wicket" class="nodec"><img src="images/drawing_away_from_the_wicket.jpg" alt="Illustration" width="400" height="699" /></a> - <p class="caption" id="drawing_away_caption"> - Drawing away from the wicket. - </p> -</div> - -<p>Boys’ -matches we -strongly approve -of, but boys -of fourteen and under -ought not to -play in matches with -full-grown men. If -a boy with a natural -gift for cricket has -learnt by the time -he enters a public -school to stand -firmly and play the -ball in front of the -wicket, he has learnt -all that is necessary -to turn him out a -good batsman later<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[380]</a></span> -on; but if fast bowling has taught him to fear the ball, we -have but little hope of ever seeing him attain to the first class.</p> - -<p>A few years have elapsed, and our young batsman at the -age of thirteen or fourteen is passing into the larger sphere of -a public school. What ought to be his training there?</p> - -<p>It cannot be expected that he will receive the same attention -that will be given at a later age, when he is a candidate for -his school eleven, nor do we think that he need be subjected -to any rigorous system of coaching. On the other hand, he -ought to have some one of experience to give him occasional -hints and instil into him the true principles of the game. -Above everything else, he should have good ground to play -upon, so that, if his confidence has not been previously shaken, -he will not now learn to shrink from the ball. The question -of ground must always be a great difficulty; for, although it -may be easy to get an extent sufficient to satisfy the requirements -of a large public school, it is no easy matter to keep it -in proper order and provide good match and practice wickets -throughout the summer for a large number of boys, especially -as the ground is generally required for football or other purposes -during the winter. However, the better the ground the better -the batsmen; and if this be true, a good ground is one of the -most important requirements in the training of our cricketers.</p> - -<p>As a boy grows in years he will require, and will probably -get, more instruction, and if he meets with a coach of good -judgment and experience he will soon learn all that can be -taught. His success will depend on his own natural powers, -his temper, and his perseverance. We do not propose to deal -in detail with all the duties of a coach, but perhaps a few hints -may not be altogether out of place.</p> - -<p>First of all, then, we would say, do not coach a boy too -often. Once a week is all that is either necessary or desirable. -A boy who is anxious to learn will lay to heart the hints and -instructions he has received, and he will find it easier to carry -them out when he is practising with his schoolfellows than -when he is actually receiving instruction from a coach. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[381]</a></span> -new attitude or a new stroke always presents great difficulty, -easy as it may seem in itself; and a boy who is trying something -new will not at first play better, and will become nervous -and disheartened if he is being too constantly pressed by an -ardent teacher.</p> - -<p>Do not let a boy practise for more than half an hour at a -time, or he will become careless and lose interest. During that -time he should play to both fast and slow bowling, but never -to more than two bowlers; and it would be well if he -could play for a quarter of an hour to two slow bowlers, and -another quarter to two fast. It is confusing to some boys to -receive fast and slow balls alternately, particularly when they -are trying to alter or improve some point of style under the -direction of a coach.</p> - -<p>Do not allow boys to play to fast bowling on bad wickets: -slow bowling on a bad wicket is a good lesson occasionally, as -it necessitates careful watching of the ball and accurate timing; -but fast bowling on bumpy ground can only do harm. Never -allow throwing instead of bowling,—it does infinite mischief.</p> - -<p>A coach will naturally have to give instruction on numerous -points, and try to get his pupil to carry out what he teaches; -but there is one warning which must be impressed on the lad -more strongly than anything else. It is this: when you go to -the wicket in a match don’t be thinking of this or that position, -or this or that stroke, but fix your eye on the bowler’s hand as -he comes up to bowl. Think of and watch the ball only; if -you learn correct habits in practice, your instinct will throw you -into the right position and enable you to make the right stroke, -provided that your eye does not fail you with the ball.</p> - -<p>We do not purpose to describe how each stroke should be -made or to enumerate all the instructions that should be given -to the youthful batsman; for such details would be long and -wearisome, and entirely unnecessary for the guidance of anyone -who understands the true principles of the game; and certainly -no one ought to try and teach until he has (at all events theoretically) -mastered these, though it is by no means necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[382]</a></span> -for a good coach to be himself a first-rate exponent of the -batsman’s art. We would point out, however, that, apart from -natural gifts, over which the coach has no control, the most -important point to teach the batsman is first to watch the ball; -secondly, to throw himself at the right moment into the right -position—if he can do this, it is an easy matter to hit or play -almost any given ball; thirdly, to meet the ball either in playing -back or forward, and not to play in front of the left foot when -playing forward or behind the right when playing back.</p> - -<p>And now what are we to say of the bowler’s art? How are -we to teach our boys the most unteachable department of the -game? This part of our subject we approach with many misgivings, -and though we wish to limit our advice to what is -strictly practical, we feel that this very limit will make many -think that our hints are but meagre and uninteresting.</p> - -<p>We must again ‘put back the clock’ (oh that some of us -decrepit cricketers could do so in reality!) to the age of ten. -Again we ask for some natural power of propelling a ball with -ease, strength proportioned to age, perseverance, and a real -love of the game. Given these materials to work upon, how -are we to begin? First of all, let the distance be short, certainly -not more than eighteen yards at the age of ten; let the -ball be smaller and lighter than the regulation size, and let a boy -be taught at first to aim only at one length; as he becomes -fairly master of straightness and pitch, let him try to vary the -length a little, but not too often, or he may sacrifice regularity -and injure his delivery. Change of pace can hardly be looked -for at this age; but great care should be taken to prevent a boy -from bowling fast, and he should not bowl for long together. -In practice it is a good plan to take alternate overs with another -boy, as it is easier to bowl four or five balls well and then rest -than to go on bowling a greater number. A boy should be -taught to measure the distance he runs before delivering the -ball, and he should learn to bowl on both sides of the -wicket. Great care should be taken to prevent a boy from -bowling too much; and if his bowling seems to be getting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[383]</a></span> -worse rather than better, let him leave off for some days. We -offer no advice on the more abstruse arts of bowling, as the subject -has been exhaustively treated in a previous chapter.</p> - -<p>Supposing that our boy bowler has by the age of fourteen -acquired straightness and pitch, with some power of variation, -will he have a fair chance of improving his bowling and -distinguishing himself when at a public school? We fear -that this will be a trying time—indeed must be so, even if he -is taken in hand by some one who understands and takes an -interest in the game. In the first place, batting is more attractive -to most boys; in the second, the young bowler will probably -have a very indifferent field, and the missing of catches -tempts the youthful player to abandon the slower pace for the -faster, with disastrous results to himself. Almost all young -boys wish to bowl as fast as they can, and this ends frequently -in ruining a good action and a good arm which had at one -time threatened the fall of many a good wicket.</p> - -<p>At this point, then, in a bowler’s career, public schools, we -think, have something to answer for; but we do not agree with -those who say that subsequently, when a boy is old enough to -be a candidate for his school eleven, there is any great lack of -system or careful training. Rather, if a short digression may -be pardoned, we think that the Universities, or the laziness of -University men, may chiefly be blamed for the dearth of gentlemen -bowlers. Our argument shortly stated is this. If we compare -gentlemen bowlers of the age of nineteen with professionals -of the same age, we shall find that the former have nothing to -fear from the comparison. But pass on for five or six years, -and the gentlemen are seen to be behind in the race for pre-eminence. -Can this be the fault of public schools? Is it not -rather that after leaving school few, scarcely any, systematically -practise bowling, although they are just at the right age to -improve, having stronger muscles and more experience, to say -nothing of leisure hours and increased opportunities? If -University men would practise their bowling both at nets and -in matches with the same assiduity that boys do at a public<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[384]</a></span> -school, we think that it would approach more nearly to the professional -standard than it now does.</p> - -<p>We do not propose to offer our readers any special advice as -to the method of attack, which will naturally vary with different -batsmen. Experience and observation will suggest what may -be done, if we can only teach our young bowler to bowl straight, -to vary his length, and as he gets older his pace, and if nature -has given him strength, and a happy genius enables him to make -the ball turn more or less at will. Let us leave the bowler -himself, and see if we can offer any hints on providing him -with a good field.</p> - -<p>It is a common fallacy to suppose that anyone can field -well if he takes the trouble to do so. With this we cannot -agree; but we feel strongly that most cricketers might improve -themselves very much in this department if they took the same -pains they do to improve their batting.</p> - -<p>But we must return to our small boys. First of all, let us -teach them to catch by throwing the ball from one to another, -and let the ball be small, proportioned to the size of their hands. -Teach them to take the catch opposite the upper part of the -chest, when they can get to it in that position, and to draw -their hands back as the ball comes into them. Do not keep -them too long at this, or they will find it irksome. Vary with a -little ground fielding, but do not let them throw too often or -too far, or their arms will soon go, and you will ruin your bowlers -and your throwers as well. It is not, however, at this early age -that the most special attention ought to be given to fielding. -It is rather at our public schools that we here look for improvement; -this is the time at which we think most may be done. As a -boy gains strength and activity he gains two of the qualities most -necessary for a good fieldsman, and if nature has given him a good -big pair of hands and the power of throwing, it will be owing to -his laziness if he does not become a valuable aid to any bowler. -We might dwell on the necessity of keenness, watchfulness in -the field, position for starting, and many other essentials, but we -have said enough for practical purposes; all else will be easily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[385]</a></span> -learnt by a boy who has the energy and determination to train -himself into a good field.</p> - -<p>It will be noticed that in our suggestions to the batsman we -have not advised him to make that use of his legs in defending -his wicket which now finds such favour with our leading -players. We confess to regarding this as an ignoble art; but we -admit that if the l.b.w. rule is to continue as at present, the art, -ignoble as it is, must be taught in self-defence, or our pupils -will necessarily be handicapped in being expected to stop balls -which break and turn with their bat instead of with their legs. -Fortunately age will relieve us personally of teaching how this -may best be done. It is for the rising generation either to -alter the law or to learn the art of getting in front of the wicket -when the ball does not pitch straight.</p> - -<p>It is in vain to lament over long scores and unfinished -matches, over dearth of bowlers and slackness in the field, -whilst all the time we are doing everything we can to make -matters easier and easier for the batsman, giving him perfect -wickets, on which he can score 100 runs without getting out of -breath, devoting his legs to the new purpose of systematically -intercepting the more difficult balls. How different this from -having honestly to run out every hit, and from being compelled -to play a real ‘snorter’ before the breath is fairly recovered after -the effort of running several fourers in succession!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[386]</a></span></p> - -<h2 title="CHAPTER XIV. SINGLE WICKET." class="chapter_head"><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV" class="nodec">CHAPTER <abbr title="14">XIV.</abbr></a><br /> - -<span class="sub_head">SINGLE WICKET.<br /> - -(<span class="smcap">By the <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> R. H. Lyttelton.</span>)</span></h2> - -<p>It is necessary in any work which professes to treat of cricket -generally, that the laws and regulations of single wicket should -be discussed, though the subject is not of much importance -in these days; for, as far as first-class cricket is concerned, the -game played with only one wicket has vanished altogether. -Some few years ago, if an ordinary three-day match were over -early, a scratch single-wicket match was sometimes improvised; -but the effect was generally depressing.</p> - -<p>Few people now take the trouble to read through the rules -which govern single-wicket matches, and the almost total -disappearance of such games may be mainly attributed to -two circumstances: (1) The great increase in the number of -three-day matches; (2) the diminution in the number of fast -bowlers.</p> - -<p>In the days of Alfred Mynn and Fuller Pilch matches -practically never took more than two days, and first-class contests -were in number about one-half what they are at present. -A professional of the front rank, such as Lohmann or Barnes, -now has to play two matches a week, and if a match is over on -the second day, he is only too glad to have a rest before -beginning again elsewhere, it may be more than a hundred -miles away. The public also have the opportunity of seeing -such a quantity of first-class play, that there is no demand -for single-wicket matches.</p> - -<p>In the second place, the rules of single-wicket cricket make it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[387]</a></span> -essential that driving in front of the wicket must be the staple -stroke of the batsman, and for this reason, because the second -rule provides that, to entitle the striker to a run, the ball must -be hit before the bounds. Now the bounds are placed twenty-two -yards each in a line from the off and leg stump, and there -must be bounds unless there are more than four players on -each side. The third rule compels the striker at the moment -of hitting the ball to have one of his feet behind the popping -crease and on the ground. These two laws contain the essence -of the game of cricket as played with a single wicket. It is -not sound cricket to play any bowling that may be called slow in -the widest sense of the term with your right foot absolutely -fixed. In the chapter on Batting the young player is advised to -go out of his ground to slow bowling of a certain length and -drive. But at single wicket the batsman may not move even -an inch in front of the popping crease, to get a lob, for instance, -on the full pitch. So the effect of bowling slows in a single-wicket -match is that a batsman must abandon what may be -called the orthodox and correct method of play, and merely -wait till he gets a ball far enough up for him to drive it without -getting out of his ground.</p> - -<p>No correct player can ever drive slows, unless they are right -up, without going out of his ground, and a great many would -be so cramped that they would be at a disadvantage altogether, -and obliged to play an ugly pokey game. If a slow bowler with -perhaps two or three fields were bowling to Mr. Webbe, who -plays slows as well as anybody in England, that gentleman -would find himself obliged to abandon his natural game, stand -still, watch the ball carefully, and play it gently, till he got a -real half-volley or outrageous long-hop, off which he could -score. But if certain skilful bowlers were on, the batsman -would very likely have to wait the best part of an hour before -such a ball came; and it would be sadly dull to watch such a -game.</p> - -<p>If five play on a side bounds are abolished, the slow -bowling may get hit behind the wicket, and so the game becomes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[388]</a></span> -considerably livelier. The run consists of touching the -bowler’s stump with the bat and getting back to the popping -crease. Thus one run at single wicket is exactly equivalent to -two at double wicket. To get three runs in one hit if there -are two fields is almost an impossibility, though it has been -done. There is no wicket-keeper, and nothing can be scored -by byes, leg-byes, or overthrows. To run a man out, it is -necessary that the bowler run to the wicket and put it down, -unless of course it is thrown down. The fieldsman must return -the ball so that it shall cross the ground between the wicket -and the bowling stump, or between the bowling stump and the -bounds; and three are scored for a lost ball.</p> - -<p>In very ancient times five players a side used often to contend -at single wicket, and in this sort of match there are no -bounds, though the batsman must have his right or left foot on -the ground behind the popping crease when the ball is hit.</p> - -<p>Single-wicket matches were once very common. Indeed, -during the last century they were played nearly as often as -double-wicket games, and we will briefly notice some of the -most famous.</p> - -<p>In the year 1772 five of Kent with Minshull beat five of -the famous Hambledon Club by one wicket, but in 1773 the -same five men of Hambledon vanquished five men of England. -Happy village of Hambledon that could thus defeat All -England, a deed that at double wicket no county could accomplish -now! With the redoubtable Lumpy given, the same -village in 1781 beat England by 78 runs, five players on a side. -In the following year six of Hambledon beat six of Kent, -and the Duke of Dorset, Privy Councillor, Knight of the -Garter, and Lord Steward of the King’s Household, played for -the village against his own county, for what reason history -telleth not. John Nyren says that this nobleman ‘had the -peculiar habit, when unemployed, of standing with his head on -one side.’ He is also celebrated in verse:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Equalled by few he plays with glee,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Nor peevish seeks for victory.</div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[389]</a></span> - <div class="p_line_i0">His Grace for bowling cannot yield</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">To none but Lumpy in the field.</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">And far unlike the modern way</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Of blocking every ball at play,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">He firmly stands with bat upright</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">And strikes with his athletic might,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">Sends forth the ball across the mead,</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">And scores six notches for the deed.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The Duke must have been the first who conceived the idea -of international cricket; for while ambassador in France he -wrote to Golden, of Chertsey, to form an eleven to play at Paris. -Unfortunately, when they had got as far as Dover, they met -his Grace, who had to flee the faithless Frenchmen in consequence -of a revolution, and the match was abandoned.</p> - -<p>Six of Hambledon again beat six of England in 1783, but -six of Kent defeated the village in 1786. This was a famous -match, though seeing T. Walker batting for nearly five hours -for 26 runs must have been a trifle monotonous. A Kent -player named Ring went in when 59 runs were wanted to win -and two more wickets to go down. He made 15 overnight, and -Sir Horace Mann promised him a pension if he carried out his -bat, and, we presume, won the match. He failed to do so, but -got out when 2 runs were wanted. Aylward then went in and -played 94 balls before he made the winning hit. We hope -Sir Horace Mann gave the pension to Ring, for he must have -deserved it.</p> - -<p>Six of Hampshire twice beat England in 1788, and in 1789 -a drawn match was played between six of Kent and six of -Hants. In this match betting at the start was 5 to 4 on Hants, -but David Harris was seized with the gout, and the betting, -therefore, stood at 5 to 4 on Kent. David Harris used sometimes -to walk to the ground on crutches, but bowled splendidly, -we are told, when he got warm.</p> - -<p>In 1806, three of Surrey—William Lambert, Robinson, and -William Beldham—beat three of England—Bennett, Fennex, -and Lord F. Beauclerk—by 20 runs. This was the famous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[390]</a></span> -match when Beldham, father of thirty-nine children—none, so -far as we know, cricketers—took a lump of wet dirt and sawdust, -and stuck it on to the ball, which developed an extraordinary -twist and bowled Lord Frederick out. His lordship -was of an irritable disposition, and must have been very angry -at this, for he had made 30 runs and was well set.</p> - -<p>In 1814, Osbaldeston, Budd, and Lord F. Beauclerk beat -three of England—Sherman, T. C. Howard, and Lambert. The -famous Squire Osbaldeston clean bowled all his rivals in -each innings for 19 runs only. The Squire, whose reputation -as an all-round sportsman still survives, was the fastest bowler -of his day. In 1818, so great was his fame and that of Lambert, -that they challenged Budd, Humewood, T. C. Howard, and -George Brown; but the four won in one innings, which so provoked -the Squire that he withdrew from the M.C.C.—another -irritable man.</p> - -<p>The celebrated William Lambert alone beat two accomplished -cricketers, Lord F. Beauclerk and Howard, by 15 runs. -The Squire was too ill to play, so Lambert played them both, -and drew the stakes, 100<i><abbr title="pounds">l.</abbr></i> Up to 1827, wides counted for -nothing, and Lambert bowled wides on purpose to Lord F. -Beauclerk to put him out of temper. They were a choleric -race in those days. The fame of Lambert is tarnished for selling -a match at Nottingham, and he was warned off the ground at -Lord’s for ever.</p> - -<p>Mr. Budd in 1820 played a fast bowler called Brand, the -match ending most disastrously for the latter. Mr. Budd went -in first, got 70 runs, knocked his wicket down on purpose, -and bowled his opponent out for 0. Budd then got 31, again -knocked his wicket down, and again bowled his rival out for -nothing. Mr. Brand ended his days in a lunatic asylum; we -hope the malady was not brought on by this match, which was -got up by Mr. Ward, who backed Mr. Brand.</p> - -<p>The two brothers Broadbridge, one of whom was called -‘our Jem,’ beat George Brown and Tom Marsden of Sheffield -in 1827, but were beaten in the return match. In 1832 Alfred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[391]</a></span> -Mynn played his first important single-wicket match against -Thomas Hills, Mynn winning with his wicket standing. Hills -said that Mynn bowled at least 50 wides, which seems to prove -that the chief bowlers of that day must have been slightly -deficient in accuracy. Why in this match the wides were not -reckoned is not clear, the rule scoring against the bowler -having been put in force some few years before. A return -match was played, and Mynn again won, this time in one -innings, and Hills retired, satisfied, we suppose, that in Mynn -he had found his master.</p> - -<p>In 1833 Mynn and Pilch were perhaps the two greatest all-round -players, and Marsden of Sheffield in this year challenged -the immortal Pilch, who won in one innings and 70 runs. -Pilch was not a great bowler, neither was he fast, but Marsden’s -style was fast underhand, and Pilch’s bat was too straight -for such bowling. In the return Pilch got 78 runs in the first -innings and 100 in the second, and won the match by 127 -runs. The supremacy of Pilch over Marsden was fully asserted -by these two matches, and Marsden must have returned to -Sheffield somewhat crestfallen.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="p_line_i0">Next Marsden may come, though it here must be stated</div> - <div class="p_line_i0">That his skill down at Sheffield is oft overrated.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>But the Yorkshiremen, we know, are always proud of their -countrymen. Pilch was a great batsman, and we do not feel -surprised that he scored so largely against fast underhand -bowling.</p> - -<p>The ground ought to have been now cleared for a match -between Mynn and Pilch, and great would have been the -interest if such a game had been played—Voltigeur and The -Flying Dutchman would have been nothing to it. The two -men belonged to the same county, so probably there was wanting -a sufficient motive; but together they would probably have -beaten any three other cricketers.</p> - -<p>Mr. Mynn next heavily defeated James Dearman of Sheffield -twice, in the first match by 112 runs, and again in one innings<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[392]</a></span> -and 36 runs. Mynn scored 46 in the last innings off 46 hits, -which sounds strange, but then, as is recorded naïvely in the -‘Scores and Biographies,’ Mynn was always a great punisher.</p> - -<p>Mr. Felix next challenged Mr. Mynn, and he must have -been of a sanguine temperament to have done so; for, though -perhaps a better bat than Mynn, he was a left-handed lob -bowler, a delivery not suited for single-wicket matches. The -first game Mynn won in one innings and 1 run, only 9 runs -being made in the whole match. In Felix’s second innings -Mynn bowled 247 balls for 3 runs. Single-wicket matches -had already begun to get out of favour; this was the most important -that had taken place for some time, and Squire Osbaldeston -was a spectator. In the return Mynn won by one wicket, -and this was a small scoring match. Mynn now was left unchallenged, -having won all the single-wicket matches in which -he was engaged alone. In 1847 Wisden beat Sherman twice. -Thomas Hunt of Chesterfield was a great single-wicket match-player, -and beat Chatterton, Dakin, Charley Brown, and R. C. -Tinley.</p> - -<p>Single-wicket playing has been practically dead since 1850, -though Hayward, Carpenter, and Tarrant played two matches -about the year 1862. The subject possesses only an historical -interest now, but in old times it created enormous excitement, -and no doubt the pride of the men of Kent in Alfred Mynn -was largely owing to his single-wicket prowess. If such -matches were played on the smooth wickets of modern times, -the fortunate man who won the toss might never be got out -all day, and the game would become a burlesque on cricket. -Eleven fieldsmen, and not one bowler merely, are now required -to get out Mr. Grace and Shrewsbury, and but few -wickets are bowled down as compared with the days of fast -bowling and rough grounds. When the All England elevens -used to tour about the country under the management first of -William Clarke and then of George Parr, some of the best -bowlers in England were to be found in their ranks. Jackson, -Willsher, Furley, Tarrant, and others used often to play, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[393]</a></span> -occasionally when the regular match was over, one of them -would earn a cheap sort of notoriety by challenging eleven of -the natives at single wicket. Eleven straight balls were sometimes -found sufficient to get the eleven out, and one run by -the England player gave him the victory. Such matches are -absurd, and it is not a matter of regret that they are played -no longer.</p> - -<p>However, it seems right that a notice of the famous contests -of old should have been written, on account of the interest they -formerly excited, and on village greens, where eccentricities of -ground are to be met with, they may still perhaps be played. -But they are a relic of the past.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[395]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="INDEX" id="INDEX" class="nodec">INDEX</a></h2> - -<ul><li class="ifrst"><span class="smcap">Amateur</span>, M. C. C. definition of an, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Australians, the, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a>, <a href="#Page_259" title="Go to page 259.">259</a>, <a href="#Page_273" title="Go to page 273.">273</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">first matches with English teams in Australia, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">first match in England, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">character of Gregory’s eleven, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">stimulating effect of rivalry on English cricket, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">doings, of Murdoch’s teams in 1880, 1882, and 1884, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315–318</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">visit of Scott’s eleven in 1886, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">McDonnell’s 1888 team, <a href="#Page_319" title="Go to page 319.">319</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Murdoch again captain in 1890, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the eighth team (1893), <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Trott’s eleven (1896), <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Giffen, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">leading batting and bowling averages in test matches with England, - <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Spofforth, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">reasons for excellence of their bowling, <a href="#Page_326" title="Go to page 326.">326</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">cup contests, <a href="#Page_326" title="Go to page 326.">326</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Authorities and literature cited:—</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Ancient Cities of the New World</cite> (De Charnay’s), <a href="#Page_2" title="Go to page 2.">2</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">A Pleasant Grove of New Fancies</cite>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Bell’s Life</cite>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Bentley’s <cite class="plain">Cricket Scores</cite>, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Brand’s <cite class="plain">Popular Antiquities</cite>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Byron, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Chapman’s <cite class="plain">Odyssey</cite>, <a href="#Page_2" title="Go to page 2.">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Chesterfield, Lord, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Clarke, Charles Cowden, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Constitution Book of Guildford</cite>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a>, <a href="#Page_7" title="Go to page 7.">7</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Contes du Roi Gambrinus</cite>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Cotgrave’s <cite class="plain">French and English Dictionary</cite>, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Cowper, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Durfey’s <cite class="plain">Pills to purge Melancholy</cite>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">English Game of Cricket</cite> (Box’s), <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Evans, Arthur, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Florio’s <cite class="plain">Italian Dictionary</cite>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Gentleman’s Magazine</cite>, <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Gray, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Grimston, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> Robert, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Herrick’s <cite class="plain">Hesperides</cite>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">History of Guildford</cite>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Huddesford’s <cite class="plain">Salmagundi</cite>, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Huddesford’s <cite class="plain">Wiccamical Chaplet</cite>, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Jamieson’s <cite class="plain">Scotch Dictionary</cite>, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Jerks in from Short-leg</cite> (Fitzgerald’s), <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>, <a href="#Page_267" title="Go to page 267.">267</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Johnson, Dr., <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Juvenile Sports</cite>, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Knight, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Life of the Scotch Rogue</cite>, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite’s <cite class="plain">Annual</cite>, <a href="#Page_245" title="Go to page 245.">245</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite’s <cite class="plain">Scores and Biographies</cite>, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lincoln, Bishop of, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Longman’s Magazine</cite>, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Love’s <cite class="plain">Cricket</cite>, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> E., <a href="#Page_245" title="Go to page 245.">245</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Mitford’s <cite class="plain">Our Village</cite>, <a href="#Page_283" title="Go to page 283.">283</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Murray’s <cite class="plain">English Dictionary</cite>, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Nyren’s <cite class="plain">Cricketer’s Guide</cite>, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>, <a href="#Page_16" title="Go to page 16.">16</a>, <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19</a>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Pinder, George, <a href="#Page_252" title="Go to page 252.">252</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Piozzi, Mrs., <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Pope, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Proctor, R. A., <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Prowse, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Punch, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Pycroft’s <cite class="plain">Cricket Field</cite>, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_155" title="Go to page 155.">155</a>, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[396]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Rambler, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">St. Andrews, Bishop of, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Scott, Sir Walter, <a href="#Page_294" title="Go to page 294.">294</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Skeat’s <cite class="plain">Etymological Dictionary</cite>, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Sketches of the Players</cite> (Denison’s), <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the <cite class="plain">Sporting Magazine</cite>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Strutt’s <cite class="plain">Sports and Pastimes</cite>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3–5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Teonge, Henry, <a href="#Page_8" title="Go to page 8.">8</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Todd’s <cite class="plain">Johnson</cite>, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2"><cite class="plain">Tom and Jerry</cite>, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, John, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Walpole, Horace, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, <abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> Arthur, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Zola’s <cite class="plain">Germinal</cite>, <a href="#Page_6" title="Go to page 6.">6</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst">Balls, <a href="#Page_195" title="Go to page 195.">195</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Barre, tennis-player, <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Base-ball, <a href="#Page_2" title="Go to page 2.">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bats, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_41" title="Go to page 41.">41</a>, <a href="#Page_42" title="Go to page 42.">42</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><a name="batsmen" id="batsmen" class="nodec">Batsmen</a>, past and present, amateur and professional:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Abel, <a href="#Page_69" title="Go to page 69.">69</a>, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Absalom, C. A., <a href="#Page_91" title="Go to page 91.">91</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Aislabie, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Almond, H. H., <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Anderson, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ash, E. P., <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Aylward, <a href="#Page_16" title="Go to page 16.">16</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bagge, T. E., <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Baldwin, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Balfour, Leslie, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bannerman, A. C., <a href="#Page_145" title="Go to page 145.">145</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bannerman, C., <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a>, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barlow, R. G., <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barnes, <a href="#Page_68" title="Go to page 68.">68</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bates, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Beagley, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Beauclerk, Lord F., <a href="#Page_20" title="Go to page 20.">20</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Beldham, William, <a href="#Page_20" title="Go to page 20.">20</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23–25</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bennett, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bentley, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bligh, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> Ivo, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a>, <a href="#Page_241" title="Go to page 241.">241</a>, <a href="#Page_273" title="Go to page 273.">273</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Board, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bonnor, G. J., <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_77" title="Go to page 77.">77</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Briggs, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Broadbridge, James, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brockwell, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brown, Charley, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brown, G., <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bruce, W., <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bryan, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Buchanan, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Budd, <a href="#Page_20" title="Go to page 20.">20</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Buller, C. F., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_49" title="Go to page 49.">49</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Burbidge, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Burgoyne, <a href="#Page_68" title="Go to page 68.">68</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Burn, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cæsar, Julius, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Caffyn, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Carpenter, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Chalmers, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Champain, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Charlton, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Chatterton, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cheyne, Arthur, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cobham, Lord, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cooper, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Daft, Richard, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_67" title="Go to page 67.">67</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dakin, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dalkeith, Lord, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Darling, <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dearman, James, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dickens, Major, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Donnan, <a href="#Page_69" title="Go to page 69.">69</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Douglas, John, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Drake, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Druce, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Emmett, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Evans, A. H., <a href="#Page_240" title="Go to page 240.">240</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Evans, E., <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Felix, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fennex, William, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Flowers, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ford, F. G. J., <a href="#Page_53" title="Go to page 53.">53</a>, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a>, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Forman, William, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Freemantle, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fryer, F. E. R., <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fuller Pilch, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_49" title="Go to page 49.">49</a>, <a href="#Page_79" title="Go to page 79.">79</a>, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Giffen, G., <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Golden, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, E. M., <a href="#Page_51" title="Go to page 51.">51</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[397]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, G. F., <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, W. G., <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_44" title="Go to page 44.">44</a>, <a href="#Page_52" title="Go to page 52.">52</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a>, <a href="#Page_58" title="Go to page 58.">58</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64–66</a>, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, - <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98</a>, <a href="#Page_117" title="Go to page 117.">117</a>, <a href="#Page_130" title="Go to page 130.">130</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_183" title="Go to page 183.">183</a>, <a href="#Page_196" title="Go to page 196.">196</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_214" title="Go to page 214.">214</a>, - <a href="#Page_216" title="Go to page 216.">216</a>, <a href="#Page_254" title="Go to page 254.">254</a>, <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>, <a href="#Page_267" title="Go to page 267.">267</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a>, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313–315</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>, - <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371–374</a>, <a href="#Page_376" title="Go to page 376.">376</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Graham, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Green, C. E., <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Greenwood, Luke, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Gregory, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320–323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grey, Jack, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Griffith, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grundy, <a href="#Page_67" title="Go to page 67.">67</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Gunn, <a href="#Page_60" title="Go to page 60.">60</a>, <a href="#Page_62" title="Go to page 62.">62</a>, <a href="#Page_63" title="Go to page 63.">63</a>, <a href="#Page_93" title="Go to page 93.">93</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_286" title="Go to page 286.">286</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Guy, Joseph, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hall, Louis, <a href="#Page_83" title="Go to page 83.">83</a>, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a>, <a href="#Page_145" title="Go to page 145.">145</a>, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hankey, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Harris, Lord, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_306" title="Go to page 306.">306</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hay Brown, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Haygarth, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hayward, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hearne, George, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hearne, Tom, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_67" title="Go to page 67.">67</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Henderson, E., <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hewett, H. T., <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hill, Clement, <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322–324</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hills, Thomas, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hooker, W., <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Horan, <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315–317</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hornby, A. N., <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_183" title="Go to page 183.">183</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Howard, T. C., <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Humewood, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Humphrey, Richard, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Humphrey, Tom, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hunt, Thomas, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Iddison, Roger, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Iredale, F. A., <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jackson, F. S., <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a>, <a href="#Page_214" title="Go to page 214.">214</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jessop, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jones, George, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jones, T. B., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jones, S. P., <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jupp, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kempson, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Key, K. J., <a href="#Page_61" title="Go to page 61.">61</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_254" title="Go to page 254.">254</a>, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a></li> -<li class="isub2">King, R. T., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lambert, W., <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lane, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lane, C. G., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Law, W., <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lear, George, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Leslie, C. F. H., <a href="#Page_239" title="Go to page 239.">239</a>, <a href="#Page_240" title="Go to page 240.">240</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite, James, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite, W., <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lockwood, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lockyer, Tom, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Long, R. P., <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lubbock, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lucas, A. P., <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a>, <a href="#Page_196" title="Go to page 196.">196</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lucas, F. M., <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyons, <a href="#Page_77" title="Go to page 77.">77</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> A., <a href="#Page_92" title="Go to page 92.">92</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> C. G. (now Lord), <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> E., <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McDonnell, P. S., <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317–319</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McIlwraith, J., <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mackenzie, Jack, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McLaren, <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Maitland, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Makinson, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marsden, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marshall, R. T., <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marshall, Tom, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Massie, H. H., <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Maul, H. C., <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mitchell, R. A. H., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_62" title="Go to page 62.">62</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mortlock, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Moses, <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Moule, W. H., <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Murdoch, W. L., <a href="#Page_158" title="Go to page 158.">158</a>, <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a>, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315–320</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mynn, A., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Newland, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Nichols, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Norman, F. H., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">O’Brien, <a href="#Page_61" title="Go to page 61.">61</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Osbaldeston, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Painter, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Palairet, L. C. H., <a href="#Page_72" title="Go to page 72.">72</a>, <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Palmer, G. E., <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[398]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Parr, George, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_62" title="Go to page 62.">62</a>, <a href="#Page_63" title="Go to page 63.">63</a>, <a href="#Page_65" title="Go to page 65.">65</a>, <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a>, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a>, <a href="#Page_256" title="Go to page 256.">256</a>, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>, - <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365–371</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Patterson, <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pauncefote, B., <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Peel, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Penn, Frank, <a href="#Page_46" title="Go to page 46.">46</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Philipson, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pilling, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pinder, George, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Quaife, W., <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Quaife, W. G., <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ranjitsinhji, K. S., <a href="#Page_47" title="Go to page 47.">47</a>, <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Read, W. W., <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_117" title="Go to page 117.">117</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_214" title="Go to page 214.">214</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridley, A. W., <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Robinson, Tom, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rotherham, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rumney, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Saunders, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Scott, H. J. H., <a href="#Page_163" title="Go to page 163.">163</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Scott, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> J. M., <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_296" title="Go to page 296.">296</a>, <a href="#Page_298" title="Go to page 298.">298</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Scott, Lord George, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_296" title="Go to page 296.">296</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Scotton, W., <a href="#Page_179" title="Go to page 179.">179</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Searle, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Selby, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sherman, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shrewsbury, Arthur, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a>, <a href="#Page_60" title="Go to page 60.">60</a>, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77" title="Go to page 77.">77</a>, <a href="#Page_78" title="Go to page 78.">78</a>, <a href="#Page_83" title="Go to page 83.">83</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_196" title="Go to page 196.">196</a>, - <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a>, <a href="#Page_376" title="Go to page 376.">376</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Small, John, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smart, Charles, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smith, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Steel, A. G., <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a>, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_78" title="Go to page 78.">78</a>, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_376" title="Go to page 376.">376</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Steel, D. Q., <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stephenson, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stoddart, A. E., <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_53" title="Go to page 53.">53</a>, <a href="#Page_196" title="Go to page 196.">196</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321–325</a>, <a href="#Page_327" title="Go to page 327.">327</a>, <a href="#Page_376" title="Go to page 376.">376</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Storer, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_333" title="Go to page 333.">333</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sueter, Tom, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sugg, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tarrant, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Taylor, C. G., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362–364</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Thornton, C. I., <a href="#Page_77" title="Go to page 77.">77</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tinley, R. C., <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Townsend, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Trott, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Trumble, J. W., <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tufton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> H., <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tufton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> T., <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tunnicliffe, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ulyett, G., <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wakley, Billy, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, J., <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, T., <a href="#Page_20" title="Go to page 20.">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_47" title="Go to page 47.">47</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, V. E., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walters, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, A., <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, W., <a href="#Page_16" title="Go to page 16.">16</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Watson, Charles, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Webbe, A. J., <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_387" title="Go to page 387.">387</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wenman, E. G., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wisden, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wootton, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a>, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a>, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wyer, Michael Russell, <a href="#Page_296" title="Go to page 296.">296</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Yardley, W., <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a></li> -<li class="isub2">(<i>See also under</i> <a href="#university_cricketers" title="Go to University cricketers">University Cricketers</a>)</li> - -<li class="indx"><a name="batting" id="batting" class="nodec">Batting</a>, art of, <a href="#Page_34" title="Go to page 34.">34</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">shape of bat, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">choice of bat, <a href="#Page_41" title="Go to page 41.">41</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules for the guidance of batsmen, <a href="#Page_41" title="Go to page 41.">41</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">position at wicket, <a href="#Page_42" title="Go to page 42.">42–46</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Fuller Pilch as a model batsman, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">W. G. Grace’s attitude, <a href="#Page_44" title="Go to page 44.">44</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">manner of holding the bat, <a href="#Page_45" title="Go to page 45.">45</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing fast bowling, <a href="#Page_46" title="Go to page 46.">46</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">position of right foot, <a href="#Page_46" title="Go to page 46.">46</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_65" title="Go to page 65.">65</a>, <a href="#Page_302" title="Go to page 302.">302</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">pulling a straight fast ball to leg, <a href="#Page_47" title="Go to page 47.">47</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">correct pose of left shoulder and elbow, <a href="#Page_48" title="Go to page 48.">48</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_71" title="Go to page 71.">71</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">what to do when the ball is well outside off stump, <a href="#Page_48" title="Go to page 48.">48</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">forward play, <a href="#Page_48" title="Go to page 48.">48</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">how to meet shooters, <a href="#Page_50" title="Go to page 50.">50</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">tactics when playing and unable to smother the ball at the pitch, - <a href="#Page_51" title="Go to page 51.">51</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">half-cock stroke, <a href="#Page_51" title="Go to page 51.">51</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">back play, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_53" title="Go to page 53.">53</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with a very short ball, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">easy wickets, <a href="#Page_56" title="Go to page 56.">56</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the hanging ball, <a href="#Page_57" title="Go to page 57.">57</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the yorker, <a href="#Page_57" title="Go to page 57.">57</a>, <a href="#Page_129" title="Go to page 129.">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130" title="Go to page 130.">130</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">offensive tactics, <a href="#Page_58" title="Go to page 58.">58</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the cut, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_42" title="Go to page 42.">42</a>, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">weak-wristed players’ cutting, <a href="#Page_61" title="Go to page 61.">61</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the leg-hit, <a href="#Page_62" title="Go to page 62.">62</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">hit to square-leg, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>,</li> -<li class="isub2">pushing, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[399]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">the glide, <a href="#Page_65" title="Go to page 65.">65</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing a ball on the legs that is not short enough to play back to, - <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the ‘draw,’ <a href="#Page_67" title="Go to page 67.">67</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">snicking a ball off leg-stump, <a href="#Page_67" title="Go to page 67.">67</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">forcing stroke off the legs, <a href="#Page_68" title="Go to page 68.">68</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">off-drive to coverpoint and right hand of point, <a href="#Page_68" title="Go to page 68.">68</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">off balls, <a href="#Page_69" title="Go to page 69.">69</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">half-volley on off side, <a href="#Page_71" title="Go to page 71.">71</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the hard drive, <a href="#Page_72" title="Go to page 72.">72</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">half-volley on on side, <a href="#Page_72" title="Go to page 72.">72</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">play to fast bowling on soft tricky wickets, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">hitting on difficult wickets, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">play to slow bowling, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">running out to drive, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with balls that are well outside the off stump, <a href="#Page_78" title="Go to page 78.">78</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing lobs, <a href="#Page_78" title="Go to page 78.">78</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the pat, <a href="#Page_79" title="Go to page 79.">79</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">how to meet fast or medium-pace balls on soft wickets, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">running, <a href="#Page_83" title="Go to page 83.">83</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">imitation of great players, <a href="#Page_85" title="Go to page 85.">85</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">temperament, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">nervousness, <a href="#Page_87" title="Go to page 87.">87</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules of health, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">sleep, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">over-eating, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">superstitions of players, <a href="#Page_89" title="Go to page 89.">89</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">number of ways of getting out, <a href="#Page_89" title="Go to page 89.">89</a>, <a href="#Page_91" title="Go to page 91.">91</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">hitting twice, <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">picking up the ball while in ‘play,’ <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">obstructing the field, <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rule for playing off breaks of all paces, <a href="#Page_117" title="Go to page 117.">117</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">timidity with balls on off side, <a href="#Page_132" title="Go to page 132.">132</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">pokey batsman dealing with high-dropping full-pitch ball, <a href="#Page_139" title="Go to page 139.">139</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">when wicket softened by overnight rainfall, <a href="#Page_142" title="Go to page 142.">142</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">mistakes made about the state of the wicket, <a href="#Page_146" title="Go to page 146.">146</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with left-handed bowlers, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">left-handed batsmen, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">W. G. Grace’s counsel on how to score, <a href="#Page_299" title="Go to page 299.">299–312</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">(<i>See also under</i> <a href="#bowling" title="Go to Bowling">Bowling</a>)</li> - -<li class="indx">Betting, <a href="#Page_102" title="Go to page 102.">102</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Border cricket, <a href="#Page_292" title="Go to page 292.">292</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">character of wicket, <a href="#Page_292" title="Go to page 292.">292</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">trop de zèle, <a href="#Page_294" title="Go to page 294.">294</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">patriotic partiality of umpires, <a href="#Page_293" title="Go to page 293.">293</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing for victory rather than cricket, <a href="#Page_294" title="Go to page 294.">294</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">surroundings of grounds,<a href="#Page_294" title="Go to page 294.">294</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">batting and bowling, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">‘Les Enfants Perdus,’ <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">‘Eccentric Flamingoes,’ <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">T. R. Marshall, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">pleasant reminiscences, <a href="#Page_296" title="Go to page 296.">296</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">at the present day, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">umpiring, <a href="#Page_298" title="Go to page 298.">298</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Border Cup, <a href="#Page_298" title="Go to page 298.">298</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><a name="bowlers" id="bowlers" class="nodec">Bowlers</a>, past and present, amateur and professional:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Absolom, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Allan, <a href="#Page_152" title="Go to page 152.">152</a>, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Appleby, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Atkinson, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Attewell, <a href="#Page_48" title="Go to page 48.">48</a>, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barclay, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barker, Tom, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barnes, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a>, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barrett, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bates, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bathurst, Sir F., <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bean, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Beauclerk, Lord F., <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Beldham, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bennett, George, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bland, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bonnor, <a href="#Page_172" title="Go to page 172.">172</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bowley, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Box, Tom, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Boyle, Cecil, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Boyle, H. F., <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brand, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brett, Thomas, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Briggs, <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152" title="Go to page 152.">152</a>, <a href="#Page_169" title="Go to page 169.">169</a>, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, - <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Broadbridge, James, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brown, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Brown, George, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Browne, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bruce, W., <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Buchanan, David, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_132" title="Go to page 132.">132</a>, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Budd, E. H., <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bull, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bunch, <a href="#Page_181" title="Go to page 181.">181</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Butler, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Caffyn, W., <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[400]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Carpenter, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Christopherson, S., <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Clarke, William, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_79" title="Go to page 79.">79</a>, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154–157</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cobbett, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a>, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cooper, W. H., <a href="#Page_108" title="Go to page 108.">108</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Crossland, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cunliffe, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cuttell, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Davidson, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dean, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dryden, Billy, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Emmett, Tom, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a>, <a href="#Page_134" title="Go to page 134.">134</a>, <a href="#Page_166" title="Go to page 166.">166</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Evans, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_135" title="Go to page 135.">135</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Felix, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fellows, Harvey, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ferris, J. J., <a href="#Page_319" title="Go to page 319.">319</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Flowers, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Forbes, <a href="#Page_172" title="Go to page 172.">172</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ford, A. F. J., <a href="#Page_239" title="Go to page 239.">239</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Francis, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Freeman, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a>, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fuller Pilch, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Furley, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Game, <a href="#Page_172" title="Go to page 172.">172</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Garrett, T. W., <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314–317</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Giffen, G., <a href="#Page_73" title="Go to page 73.">73</a>, <a href="#Page_167" title="Go to page 167.">167</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Glassford, Clement, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, W. G., <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_169" title="Go to page 169.">169</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grant, Hope, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Greenwood, Luke, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hall, Harry, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hammond, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Harris, D., <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19–21</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Harrison, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hartley, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hearne, A., <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>, <a href="#Page_116" title="Go to page 116.">116</a>, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hearne, J. T., <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hide, J., <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hill, Allan, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hillyer, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hirst, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hodgson, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hodswell, <a href="#Page_16" title="Go to page 16.">16</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Horan, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Howard, T. C., <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Howell, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Humphreys, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a>, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jackson, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jephson, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jessop, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jones, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kempson, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kendall, Tom, <a href="#Page_152" title="Go to page 152.">152</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Knight, G., <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kortright, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lambert, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>, <a href="#Page_18" title="Go to page 18.">18</a>, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lang, R., <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Leslie, C. F. H., <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite, James, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite, John, <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lillywhite, W., <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360–365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lockwood, <a href="#Page_116" title="Go to page 116.">116</a>, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lohmann, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lumpy (Stevens), <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>, <a href="#Page_18" title="Go to page 18.">18</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> A., <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mann, Noah, <a href="#Page_18" title="Go to page 18.">18</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marcon, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marsden T., <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marsham, C. D., <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Martingell, <a href="#Page_63" title="Go to page 63.">63</a>, <a href="#Page_112" title="Go to page 112.">112</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mathews, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McDonnell, P. S., <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McIntyre, Martin, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McKibbin, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McLeod, R., <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Midwinter, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Miles, Farmer, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Minshull, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mold, <a href="#Page_116" title="Go to page 116.">116</a>, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Morley, Fred., <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_82" title="Go to page 82.">82</a>, <a href="#Page_166" title="Go to page 166.">166</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_205" title="Go to page 205.">205</a>, <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Morton, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mynn, Alfred, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22–24</a>, <a href="#Page_26" title="Go to page 26.">26</a>, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a>, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, - <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386</a>, <a href="#Page_391" title="Go to page 391.">391</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Noble, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Nyren, Richard, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[401]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Osbaldeston, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_390" title="Go to page 390.">390</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Palmer, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_105" title="Go to page 105.">105</a>, <a href="#Page_121" title="Go to page 121.">121</a>, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Payne, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Peate, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Peel, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Powys, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rawlin, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Redgate, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Richardson, <a href="#Page_39" title="Go to page 39.">39</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_116" title="Go to page 116.">116</a>, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridley, A. W., <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a>, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_270" title="Go to page 270.">270</a>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rotherham, A., <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rotherham, H., <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Saunders, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Searle, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shaw, Alfred, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_82" title="Go to page 82.">82</a>, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_115" title="Go to page 115.">115</a>, <a href="#Page_121" title="Go to page 121.">121</a>, <a href="#Page_131" title="Go to page 131.">131</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_205" title="Go to page 205.">205</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, - <a href="#Page_289" title="Go to page 289.">289</a>, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shaw, J. C., <a href="#Page_152" title="Go to page 152.">152</a>, <a href="#Page_289" title="Go to page 289.">289</a>, <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shrewsbury, <a href="#Page_271" title="Go to page 271.">271</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Silcock, <a href="#Page_112" title="Go to page 112.">112</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sinclair, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Slinn, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smith, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Southerton, <a href="#Page_81" title="Go to page 81.">81</a>, <a href="#Page_115" title="Go to page 115.">115</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Spofforth, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98</a>, <a href="#Page_120" title="Go to page 120.">120</a>, <a href="#Page_121" title="Go to page 121.">121</a>, <a href="#Page_133" title="Go to page 133.">133</a>, <a href="#Page_134" title="Go to page 134.">134</a>, <a href="#Page_148" title="Go to page 148.">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>, <a href="#Page_162" title="Go to page 162.">162</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_167" title="Go to page 167.">167</a>, <a href="#Page_172" title="Go to page 172.">172</a>, - <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_185" title="Go to page 185.">185</a>, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_241" title="Go to page 241.">241</a>, <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a>, <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314–317</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_374" title="Go to page 374.">374</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Steel, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stephenson, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stratford, <a href="#Page_108" title="Go to page 108.">108</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Streatfeild, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Studd, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tarrant, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_370" title="Go to page 370.">370</a>, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Taylor, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Thewlis, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Thornton, C. I., <a href="#Page_181" title="Go to page 181.">181</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tinley, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Toppin, C., <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Trott, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_323" title="Go to page 323.">323</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Trumble, H., <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320–323</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Turner, C. T. B., <a href="#Page_120" title="Go to page 120.">120</a>, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>, <a href="#Page_319" title="Go to page 319.">319</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320–322</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_326" title="Go to page 326.">326</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tylecote, <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tyler, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ulyett, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Vigne, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wainwright, <a href="#Page_59" title="Go to page 59.">59</a>, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, T., <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_35" title="Go to page 35.">35</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, V. E., <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, A., <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Watson, <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wells, C. M., <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wenman, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wheeler, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Whitby, <a href="#Page_160" title="Go to page 160.">160</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Willes, <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19</a>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>, <a href="#Page_96" title="Go to page 96.">96</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Willsher, <a href="#Page_23" title="Go to page 23.">23</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369–371</a>, <a href="#Page_392" title="Go to page 392.">392</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wilson, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wisden, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wood, J. B., <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Woods, S. M. J., <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_161" title="Go to page 161.">161</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wootton, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wright, W., <a href="#Page_100" title="Go to page 100.">100</a>, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a>, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Yonge, George, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a></li> -<li class="isub2">(<i>See also under</i> <a href="#university_cricketers" title="Go to University cricketers">University Cricketers</a>)</li> - -<li class="indx"><a name="bowling" id="bowling" class="nodec">Bowling</a>, art of, <a href="#Page_94" title="Go to page 94.">94</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">present contrasted with past, <a href="#Page_95" title="Go to page 95.">95</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">falling off in amateur, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">at the public schools, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the professional bowler, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98–102</a>, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">object of the bowler, <a href="#Page_102" title="Go to page 102.">102</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the four motions of the ball and their intention, <a href="#Page_103" title="Go to page 103.">103</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the spin from right to left, or leg-break, <a href="#Page_104" title="Go to page 104.">104–113</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">placing fieldsmen for leg-break balls, <a href="#Page_107" title="Go to page 107.">107</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rotary motion of ball from left to right, or off break, <a href="#Page_113" title="Go to page 113.">113</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">what becomes of likely balls if not well played, <a href="#Page_114" title="Go to page 114.">114</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">break-back, <a href="#Page_115" title="Go to page 115.">115</a>, <a href="#Page_117" title="Go to page 117.">117</a>, <a href="#Page_138" title="Go to page 138.">138</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">fast off break, <a href="#Page_116" title="Go to page 116.">116</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing off breaks, <a href="#Page_117" title="Go to page 117.">117</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">upward vertical spin, <a href="#Page_118" title="Go to page 118.">118</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">downward vertical spin, <a href="#Page_118" title="Go to page 118.">118</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">combinations of spin, <a href="#Page_119" title="Go to page 119.">119</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">change of pace, <a href="#Page_119" title="Go to page 119.">119–121</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">high delivery,<a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">advantages of slow delivery, <a href="#Page_122" title="Go to page 122.">122–127</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[402]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">two exceptions to putting on slows, <a href="#Page_124" title="Go to page 124.">124</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">yorkers, <a href="#Page_128" title="Go to page 128.">128</a>, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">leg half-volleys, <a href="#Page_131" title="Go to page 131.">131</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">good-length ball outside off stump, <a href="#Page_131" title="Go to page 131.">131</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bowling player off his legs, <a href="#Page_133" title="Go to page 133.">133</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">from different distances, <a href="#Page_134" title="Go to page 134.">134</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">choice of ends, by the slow bowler, <a href="#Page_135" title="Go to page 135.">135</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">taking advantage of peculiarities of time and ground, <a href="#Page_136" title="Go to page 136.">136</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">avoidance of singularity of dress or manner, <a href="#Page_137" title="Go to page 137.">137</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">changing from over to round the wicket, <a href="#Page_137" title="Go to page 137.">137</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">varieties of full-pitch, <a href="#Page_138" title="Go to page 138.">138</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">high-dropping full-pitch, <a href="#Page_138" title="Go to page 138.">138</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">ordinary slow full-pitch, <a href="#Page_140" title="Go to page 140.">140</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">medium-paced full-pitch, <a href="#Page_140" title="Go to page 140.">140</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">how to turn different states of the ground to advantage, <a href="#Page_142" title="Go to page 142.">142</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">long-hops, <a href="#Page_145" title="Go to page 145.">145</a>, <a href="#Page_146" title="Go to page 146.">146</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">sodden wickets, <a href="#Page_145" title="Go to page 145.">145</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the ‘cutting through’ state, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the drying state, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">hard and crumbled wicket, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">left-handed bowlers, <a href="#Page_149" title="Go to page 149.">149–153</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">balls curling or twisting in the air, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">under-hand slows, <a href="#Page_154" title="Go to page 154.">154</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">lobs, <a href="#Page_156" title="Go to page 156.">156</a>, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">fast bowling, <a href="#Page_158" title="Go to page 158.">158–167</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the off break, <a href="#Page_162" title="Go to page 162.">162</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">long run up to wicket before delivery, <a href="#Page_162" title="Go to page 162.">162</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">practising before beginning, <a href="#Page_163" title="Go to page 163.">163</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">straight delivery, <a href="#Page_163" title="Go to page 163.">163</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">value of long stops, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">leg-stump bowling, <a href="#Page_165" title="Go to page 165.">165</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bowling over and round the wicket, <a href="#Page_165" title="Go to page 165.">165</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">getting leg bias on a ball, <a href="#Page_166" title="Go to page 166.">166</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">attitude in delivery, <a href="#Page_166" title="Go to page 166.">166–168</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">‘every cricketer should bowl,’ <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">throwing, <a href="#Page_171" title="Go to page 171.">171–175</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">position of field for fast bowling, <a href="#Page_175" title="Go to page 175.">175</a>, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with left-handed bats, <a href="#Page_178" title="Go to page 178.">178</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">shooters, <a href="#Page_180" title="Go to page 180.">180</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">fast under-arm bowling, <a href="#Page_181" title="Go to page 181.">181</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">sneaks, <a href="#Page_181" title="Go to page 181.">181</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules for bowlers in the field, <a href="#Page_182" title="Go to page 182.">182–186</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">obedience to captain, <a href="#Page_182" title="Go to page 182.">182</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">quick return of bowler to wicket, <a href="#Page_183" title="Go to page 183.">183</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">appeals to umpires, <a href="#Page_184" title="Go to page 184.">184</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">shoes, <a href="#Page_184" title="Go to page 184.">184</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">cutting up the wicket, <a href="#Page_184" title="Go to page 184.">184</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules for beginners, <a href="#Page_185" title="Go to page 185.">185</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">training young cricketers, <a href="#Page_382" title="Go to page 382.">382</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">(<i>See also under</i> <a href="#batting" title="Go to Batting">Batting</a>)</li> - -<li class="indx">Buccleuch, Duke of, <a href="#Page_292" title="Go to page 292.">292</a>, <a href="#Page_297" title="Go to page 297.">297</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Bunyan, John, playing at cat, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Captains, <a href="#Page_191" title="Go to page 191.">191</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">few good, and those amateurs, <a href="#Page_187" title="Go to page 187.">187</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">difficulties of professional, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">captaincy of the Australians, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">qualifications for, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">nervous order, <a href="#Page_190" title="Go to page 190.">190</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">apathetic kind, <a href="#Page_190" title="Go to page 190.">190</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bowling enthusiasts, <a href="#Page_190" title="Go to page 190.">190</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">duties of, <a href="#Page_191" title="Go to page 191.">191</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">choice of team, <a href="#Page_191" title="Go to page 191.">191</a>, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">putting the other side in first, <a href="#Page_191" title="Go to page 191.">191</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">order of sending men in, <a href="#Page_195" title="Go to page 195.">195–197</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">counsel and encouragement to players, <a href="#Page_198" title="Go to page 198.">198</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">right of captains to order men to get out or to bowl wides to cause - or prevent a follow on, <a href="#Page_198" title="Go to page 198.">198–203</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">economising time, <a href="#Page_203" title="Go to page 203.">203</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">educational hints to men, <a href="#Page_203" title="Go to page 203.">203</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">correcting slovenly dress, <a href="#Page_204" title="Go to page 204.">204</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">duties in field, <a href="#Page_204" title="Go to page 204.">204</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">management of the bowling, <a href="#Page_204" title="Go to page 204.">204</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">placing field, <a href="#Page_206" title="Go to page 206.">206</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">duties of captains of University and Public Schools teams, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">management of school elevens, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">enforcing practice, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">what to drink, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">selection of teams, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211–216</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">cheerfulness and watchfulness, <a href="#Page_216" title="Go to page 216.">216</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cat-and-dog, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a>, <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Clubs:—</li> -<li class="isub2">All England Eleven, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Drumpellier, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Eccentric Flamingoes, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Free Foresters, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Hambledon, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>, <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19</a>, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">I. Z., <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Melbourne, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Old Grange, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Richmond, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Vine (Sevenoaks), <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">West of Scotland, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">White Conduit, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Country cricket, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a rustic match in 1830, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dress of period, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">paraphernalia of the time, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[403]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">a common warlike wind-up of the match, <a href="#Page_282" title="Go to page 282.">282</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">modern village cricket, <a href="#Page_282" title="Go to page 282.">282</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">training of village lads, <a href="#Page_283" title="Go to page 283.">283</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">single wicket, <a href="#Page_284" title="Go to page 284.">284</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">practice before a match, <a href="#Page_284" title="Go to page 284.">284</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">sixpence on the wicket, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the thing to ‘burn’ into a young player’s mind, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">getting and saving runs, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">management and finance, <a href="#Page_286" title="Go to page 286.">286</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">subscriptions, <a href="#Page_286" title="Go to page 286.">286</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">professional trainers, <a href="#Page_284" title="Go to page 284.">284</a>, <a href="#Page_286" title="Go to page 286.">286</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing against strong in preference to weak teams, <a href="#Page_287" title="Go to page 287.">287</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">educating the rougher element, <a href="#Page_287" title="Go to page 287.">287</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">introduction of the school element, <a href="#Page_288" title="Go to page 288.">288</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a captain’s reward, <a href="#Page_288" title="Go to page 288.">288</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">début of Richard Humphrey, <a href="#Page_289" title="Go to page 289.">289</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">expenses, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">country umpires, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cricket, history of, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">archæology of the game, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Strutt on stool-ball, <a href="#Page_3" title="Go to page 3.">3</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">cat-and-dog, <a href="#Page_4" title="Go to page 4.">4</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">derivation of the word ‘cricket,’ <a href="#Page_5" title="Go to page 5.">5</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">‘Miss Wicket,’ <a href="#Page_7" title="Go to page 7.">7</a>, <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">in Queen Elizabeth’s time, <a href="#Page_7" title="Go to page 7.">7</a>, <a href="#Page_8" title="Go to page 8.">8</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">costume of cricketers in 1791, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the ball in 1770, <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">curved bats, <a href="#Page_11" title="Go to page 11.">11</a>, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">earliest laws, <a href="#Page_12" title="Go to page 12.">12</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Mr. Love’s poetical effusion, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a ghost at a cricket match, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a>, <i>note</i>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Hambledon the centre of cricket, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Nyren’s Cricketer’s Guide, <a href="#Page_16" title="Go to page 16.">16</a>, <i>et seq.</i>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lumpy and Noah Mann, <a href="#Page_18" title="Go to page 18.">18</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">David Harris, <a href="#Page_19" title="Go to page 19.">19</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">William Lillywhite, <a href="#Page_21" title="Go to page 21.">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22" title="Go to page 22.">22</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Beldham, <a href="#Page_25" title="Go to page 25.">25</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rise of the Marylebone C.C., <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">M.C.C. laws, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">origin of Lord’s, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a>, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">epochs in the history of the game, <a href="#Page_31" title="Go to page 31.">31</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Scotch cricket, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the whole art of batting, <a href="#Page_34" title="Go to page 34.">34–93</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Fuller Pilch, <a href="#Page_36" title="Go to page 36.">36</a>, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">W. G. Grace as a batsman, <a href="#Page_37" title="Go to page 37.">37</a>, <a href="#Page_44" title="Go to page 44.">44</a>, <i>et seq.</i>;</li> -<li class="isub2">C. G. Lyttelton, Humphrey, and Ash, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Robert Carpenter, <a href="#Page_54" title="Go to page 54.">54</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">superstitions among cricketers, <a href="#Page_89" title="Go to page 89.">89</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">scientific bowling, <a href="#Page_94" title="Go to page 94.">94–186</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Willes’ introduction of round-arm bowling, <a href="#Page_96" title="Go to page 96.">96</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">concerning professionals, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98–102</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">danger of game drifting into a mere monetary speculation, <a href="#Page_102" title="Go to page 102.">102</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Spofforth, <a href="#Page_120" title="Go to page 120.">120</a>, <a href="#Page_133" title="Go to page 133.">133</a>, <a href="#Page_324" title="Go to page 324.">324</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>, <a href="#Page_374" title="Go to page 374.">374</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">A. Shaw, <a href="#Page_121" title="Go to page 121.">121</a>; Tom Emmett, <a href="#Page_134" title="Go to page 134.">134</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Peate, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">David Buchanan, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Briggs, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Mr. R. A. Proctor on bowling, <a href="#Page_153" title="Go to page 153.">153</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">W. G. Grace as a bowler, <a href="#Page_169" title="Go to page 169.">169</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">anecdote respecting W. G. Grace and Briggs, <a href="#Page_169" title="Go to page 169.">169</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bowling in Australia, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the genius who had discovered how to bowl shooters, <a href="#Page_181" title="Go to page 181.">181</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">captains and their functions, <a href="#Page_187" title="Go to page 187.">187–216</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">‘Pavilion’ criticism, <a href="#Page_198" title="Go to page 198.">198</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">M.C.C. legislation as to following on and declaring innings at an - end, <a href="#Page_202" title="Go to page 202.">202</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Morley’s geographical attainments, <a href="#Page_205" title="Go to page 205.">205</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">selecting representative elevens, <a href="#Page_211" title="Go to page 211.">211–216</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">umpires and their duties, <a href="#Page_217" title="Go to page 217.">217–244</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a primitive match in Hampshire, <a href="#Page_228" title="Go to page 228.">228</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the umpire who ‘dussn’t give him out,’ <a href="#Page_231" title="Go to page 231.">231</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the art of fielding, <a href="#Page_245" title="Go to page 245.">245–279</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">country cricket, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280–291</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">description of a rustic match in 1830, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280–282</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">reminiscences of Border cricket, <a href="#Page_292" title="Go to page 292.">292–298</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">W. G. Grace on ‘How to score,’ <a href="#Page_299" title="Go to page 299.">299–312</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the Australians and their doings, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313–327</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">matches of English with Australian teams, <a href="#Page_313" title="Go to page 313.">313–325</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">reason alleged for excellence of Australian bowling, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">anecdote of a famous fieldsman, <a href="#Page_327" title="Go to page 327.">327</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the University cricket match, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328–355</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Bishop Wordsworth’s account of the first Inter-University match, - <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330–333</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the famous two-run success of Cambridge University in 1870, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the celebrated six-run victory of Oxford in 1875, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the University bowlers, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[404]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">encounters of the Gentleman and Players, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356–374</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Alfred Mynn, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">training young cricketers, <a href="#Page_375" title="Go to page 375.">375–385</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">single wicket, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386–393</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Cricket-grounds, Australian, <a href="#Page_326" title="Go to page 326.">326</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Dex, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dorset, Duke of, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Dress, <a href="#Page_204" title="Go to page 204.">204</a>, <a href="#Page_387" title="Go to page 387.">387</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Drink, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Fielding, <a href="#Page_245" title="Go to page 245.">245</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a safe field, <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">directions for, <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">backing up, <a href="#Page_247" title="Go to page 247.">247</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">throwing, <a href="#Page_248" title="Go to page 248.">248</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">deep field, or country catching, <a href="#Page_250" title="Go to page 250.">250</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">wicket-keeping, <a href="#Page_251" title="Go to page 251.">251</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">long-leg, <a href="#Page_256" title="Go to page 256.">256</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">mid-off and mid-on, <a href="#Page_257" title="Go to page 257.">257</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">cover-point, <a href="#Page_259" title="Go to page 259.">259</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">point, <a href="#Page_260" title="Go to page 260.">260–262</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">short-slip, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">third man, <a href="#Page_265" title="Go to page 265.">265</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">short-leg, <a href="#Page_266" title="Go to page 266.">266</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">long-stop, <a href="#Page_267" title="Go to page 267.">267–270</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bad, indifferent, and specious fielding, <a href="#Page_271" title="Go to page 271.">271</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">famous fielders, <a href="#Page_272" title="Go to page 272.">272–276</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">celebrated wicket-keepers, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">young cricketers, <a href="#Page_384" title="Go to page 384.">384</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Fieldsmen:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Andrews, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barlow, <a href="#Page_170" title="Go to page 170.">170</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bell, F., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bickley, John, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Boyle, H. F., <a href="#Page_206" title="Go to page 206.">206</a>, <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Briggs, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a>, <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Burnup, <a href="#Page_247" title="Go to page 247.">247</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bury, W., <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Carpenter, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a>, <a href="#Page_260" title="Go to page 260.">260</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dench, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Diver, A., <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Douglas, J., <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Game, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Giffen, G., <a href="#Page_325" title="Go to page 325.">325</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, Dr. E. M., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Grace, W. G., <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_263" title="Go to page 263.">263</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Gregory, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Gunn, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a>, <a href="#Page_285" title="Go to page 285.">285</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hartopp, E. S. E., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hildyard, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jones, T. B., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">King, R. T., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lang, R., <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Law, W., <a href="#Page_260" title="Go to page 260.">260</a>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lubbock, A., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> C. G., <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mansfield, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> J. W., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marshall, H. M., <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Moorhouse, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mordaunt, G. J., <a href="#Page_260" title="Go to page 260.">260</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mortlock, W., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Palairet, <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pickering, W., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pilch, W., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Read, W. W., <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridley, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Royle, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a>, <a href="#Page_326" title="Go to page 326.">326</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shaw, J. C., <a href="#Page_267" title="Go to page 267.">267</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Shrewsbury, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smith, John, <a href="#Page_62" title="Go to page 62.">62</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Studd, G. B., <a href="#Page_258" title="Go to page 258.">258</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sugg, <a href="#Page_246" title="Go to page 246.">246</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Taylor, Josiah, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Thewlis, J., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tinley, R. C., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tobin, F., <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wainwright, <a href="#Page_247" title="Go to page 247.">247</a>, <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, J., <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, V. E., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wright, F. W., <a href="#Page_278" title="Go to page 278.">278</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Gentlemen and Players, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">definition of amateur and professional, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Mr. W. G. Grace’s share in the matches, <a href="#Page_371" title="Go to page 371.">371</a>, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">supremacy of professionals as bowlers, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">congestion of professional skill in certain districts, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">amateurs, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the first match, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">details of matches played, <a href="#Page_360" title="Go to page 360.">360–373</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Alfred Mynn, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the Barn Door Match or Ward’s Folly, <a href="#Page_361" title="Go to page 361.">361</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">William Lillywhite, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>, <a href="#Page_364" title="Go to page 364.">364</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">William Clarke, <a href="#Page_362" title="Go to page 362.">362</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the year 1846, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">C. G. Taylor, <a href="#Page_363" title="Go to page 363.">363</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Fuller Pilch, <a href="#Page_365" title="Go to page 365.">365</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">victories of the Players from 1853 to 1865, <a href="#Page_366" title="Go to page 366.">366</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">in 1857, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">victories of the Gentlemen, 1866–1879, <a href="#Page_372" title="Go to page 372.">372</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a tie, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the future, <a href="#Page_374" title="Go to page 374.">374</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Gregory’s Australian team, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[405]</a></span></li> - -<li class="indx">Grounds:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Bramall Lane, Sheffield, <a href="#Page_271" title="Go to page 271.">271</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Brunswick, Hove, Brighton, <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Bullingdon Green, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Clifton College, <a href="#Page_308" title="Go to page 308.">308</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Cowley Marsh, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Fenner’s, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lascelles Hall, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Lord’s, <a href="#Page_24" title="Go to page 24.">24</a>, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a>, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_53" title="Go to page 53.">53</a>, <a href="#Page_66" title="Go to page 66.">66</a>, <a href="#Page_75" title="Go to page 75.">75</a>, <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>, <a href="#Page_92" title="Go to page 92.">92</a>, <a href="#Page_147" title="Go to page 147.">147</a>, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_189" title="Go to page 189.">189</a>, <a href="#Page_193" title="Go to page 193.">193</a>, - <a href="#Page_208" title="Go to page 208.">208</a>, <a href="#Page_218" title="Go to page 218.">218</a>, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a>, <a href="#Page_235" title="Go to page 235.">235</a>, <a href="#Page_273" title="Go to page 273.">273</a>, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a>, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a>, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318–320</a>, - <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328–330</a>, <a href="#Page_359" title="Go to page 359.">359</a>, <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369–373</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Magdalen, Oxford, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Oval, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>, <a href="#Page_64" title="Go to page 64.">64</a>, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_218" title="Go to page 218.">218</a>, <a href="#Page_227" title="Go to page 227.">227</a>, <a href="#Page_235" title="Go to page 235.">235</a>, <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_273" title="Go to page 273.">273</a>, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318–320</a>, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, - <a href="#Page_369" title="Go to page 369.">369–373</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Hambledon, the home of cricket, <a href="#Page_17" title="Go to page 17.">17</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hawick, cricket at, <a href="#Page_292" title="Go to page 292.">292</a>, <a href="#Page_295" title="Go to page 295.">295</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Health, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Hockey, <a href="#Page_2" title="Go to page 2.">2</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Kent, cricketing in, in 1830, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> ‘Laws of Cricket’ revised at the ‘Star and Garter’ by a committee of</li> -<li class="isub2">noblemen and gentlemen, <abbr title="et cetera"><abbr title="et cetera">&c.</abbr></abbr>, <a href="#Page_218" title="Go to page 218.">218</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Lord, Thomas, founder of Lord’s cricket-ground, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> McDonnell’s Australian team, <a href="#Page_319" title="Go to page 319.">319</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Mann, Sir Horace, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Marylebone Cricket Club, the parliament of cricket, <a href="#Page_27" title="Go to page 27.">27</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">presidents and secretaries, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">abolition of rule forbidding ground to be rolled except before each - innings, <a href="#Page_142" title="Go to page 142.">142</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">on throwing, <a href="#Page_172" title="Go to page 172.">172</a>, <a href="#Page_174" title="Go to page 174.">174</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">on follow-on and declaring innings at end, <a href="#Page_202" title="Go to page 202.">202</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">on definition of amateur, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Matches:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Australians <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Cambridge University, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Derbyshire, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> England, <a href="#Page_169" title="Go to page 169.">169</a>, <a href="#Page_194" title="Go to page 194.">194</a>, <a href="#Page_262" title="Go to page 262.">262</a>, <a href="#Page_271" title="Go to page 271.">271</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315–322</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Gentlemen of England, <a href="#Page_168" title="Go to page 168.">168</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Gloucestershire, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Lancashire, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Leicestershire, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> M.C.C., <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Middlesex, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Nottingham, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Oxford University, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Players, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Surrey, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Sussex, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Yorkshire, <a href="#Page_74" title="Go to page 74.">74</a>, <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314–317</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">Cambridge <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Oxford, <a href="#Page_135" title="Go to page 135.">135</a>, <a href="#Page_194" title="Go to page 194.">194</a>, <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328–353</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Eton <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Harrow, <a href="#Page_332" title="Go to page 332.">332</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Gentlemen <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Players, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a>, <a href="#Page_87" title="Go to page 87.">87</a>, <a href="#Page_188" title="Go to page 188.">188</a>, <a href="#Page_273" title="Go to page 273.">273</a>, <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356–374</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">Gloucestershire <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Kent, <a href="#Page_308" title="Go to page 308.">308</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Notts, <a href="#Page_306" title="Go to page 306.">306</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Surrey, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_307" title="Go to page 307.">307</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Yorkshire, <a href="#Page_306" title="Go to page 306.">306</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">Hambledon <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> England, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Hampshire <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> England, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Kent <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> All England, <a href="#Page_15" title="Go to page 15.">15</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Hambledon, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388</a>, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Hants, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Sussex, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">M.C.C. <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Cambridge University, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a>, <a href="#Page_92" title="Go to page 92.">92</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Hertfordshire, <a href="#Page_28" title="Go to page 28.">28</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Kent, <a href="#Page_306" title="Go to page 306.">306</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Oxford University, <a href="#Page_87" title="Go to page 87.">87</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Yorkshire, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">North <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> South, <a href="#Page_38" title="Go to page 38.">38</a>, <a href="#Page_90" title="Go to page 90.">90</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">Notts <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Yorkshire, <a href="#Page_63" title="Go to page 63.">63</a>.</li> -<li class="isub2">Surrey <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Cambridge University, <a href="#Page_91" title="Go to page 91.">91</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> England, <a href="#Page_389" title="Go to page 389.">389</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Kent, <a href="#Page_43" title="Go to page 43.">43</a>; - <i><abbr title="versus">v.</abbr></i> Notts, <a href="#Page_289" title="Go to page 289.">289</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Maxwell, Mr., <a href="#Page_298" title="Go to page 298.">298</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Murdoch’s teams of Australian cricketers, <a href="#Page_315" title="Go to page 315.">315–318</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Nervousness, <a href="#Page_87" title="Go to page 87.">87</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Nottinghamshire bowlers, <a href="#Page_357" title="Go to page 357.">357</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Pallamajo, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Professionals as a class, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98</a>, <a href="#Page_101" title="Go to page 101.">101</a>, <a href="#Page_102" title="Go to page 102.">102</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">prospects of, in their career, <a href="#Page_99" title="Go to page 99.">99–101</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">definition of, <a href="#Page_356" title="Go to page 356.">356</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Public schools and colleges, bowling at the, <a href="#Page_95" title="Go to page 95.">95</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>, <a href="#Page_98" title="Go to page 98.">98</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">captains, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">elevens, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Charterhouse, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Cheltenham, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Clifton, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Eton, <a href="#Page_9" title="Go to page 9.">9</a>, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_332" title="Go to page 332.">332</a>, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Harrow, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Marlborough, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Repton, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Rugby, <a href="#Page_151" title="Go to page 151.">151</a>, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Shrewsbury, <a href="#Page_10" title="Go to page 10.">10</a>;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[406]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Tonbridge, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Uppingham, <a href="#Page_164" title="Go to page 164.">164</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Westminster, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Winchester, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Wykeham, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_331" title="Go to page 331.">331</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Regimen, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rounders, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a>, <a href="#Page_2" title="Go to page 2.">2</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Rustic match, a, in 1830, <a href="#Page_280" title="Go to page 280.">280</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Scores, how to make good, <a href="#Page_299" title="Go to page 299.">299</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">diet, sleep, and exercise, <a href="#Page_299" title="Go to page 299.">299</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">early training, <a href="#Page_300" title="Go to page 300.">300</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">practice on ground previous to match, <a href="#Page_300" title="Go to page 300.">300</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">testing pads, gloves, and shoes, <a href="#Page_301" title="Go to page 301.">301</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">punctuality at wicket, <a href="#Page_302" title="Go to page 302.">302</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">taking guard, <a href="#Page_302" title="Go to page 302.">302</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">observation of position of field, <a href="#Page_302" title="Go to page 302.">302</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">beginning of innings, <a href="#Page_303" title="Go to page 303.">303</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">avoidance of sharp runs, <a href="#Page_303" title="Go to page 303.">303</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">running out big hits, <a href="#Page_304" title="Go to page 304.">304</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing balls too quickly, <a href="#Page_304" title="Go to page 304.">304</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with thirst, <a href="#Page_304" title="Go to page 304.">304</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">modesty in the hour of victory, <a href="#Page_305" title="Go to page 305.">305</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">differing orders of wickets, <a href="#Page_305" title="Go to page 305.">305</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a fast, dry, and true wicket, <a href="#Page_305" title="Go to page 305.">305</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a fast, good, wet wicket, <a href="#Page_307" title="Go to page 307.">307</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a slow, good, dry wicket, <a href="#Page_307" title="Go to page 307.">307</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a bumpy wicket, <a href="#Page_308" title="Go to page 308.">308</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">a drying, sticky wicket, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">dealing with straight balls, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">valuable hints, <a href="#Page_310" title="Go to page 310.">310</a>, <a href="#Page_311" title="Go to page 311.">311</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">playing against odds, <a href="#Page_311" title="Go to page 311.">311</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Scotch cricket, <a href="#Page_32" title="Go to page 32.">32</a>, <a href="#Page_194" title="Go to page 194.">194</a>, <a href="#Page_230" title="Go to page 230.">230</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Scott’s Australian eleven, <a href="#Page_318" title="Go to page 318.">318</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Shoes, <a href="#Page_184" title="Go to page 184.">184</a>, <a href="#Page_241" title="Go to page 241.">241</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Single wicket, <a href="#Page_284" title="Go to page 284.">284</a>, <a href="#Page_386" title="Go to page 386.">386</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules, <a href="#Page_387" title="Go to page 387.">387</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">annals, <a href="#Page_388" title="Go to page 388.">388–392</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sleep, <a href="#Page_88" title="Go to page 88.">88</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Smoking, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Snob-cricket, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Spikes, <a href="#Page_184" title="Go to page 184.">184</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stoddart’s English team in Australia, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322–323</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stool-ball, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1–4</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Stump-cricket, <a href="#Page_1" title="Go to page 1.">1</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Superstition among players, <a href="#Page_89" title="Go to page 89.">89</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Sutton-in-Ashfield, the nursery of bowlers, <a href="#Page_358" title="Go to page 358.">358</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Temperament, <a href="#Page_86" title="Go to page 86.">86</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Throwing, <a href="#Page_171" title="Go to page 171.">171</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Training young cricketers, art of, <a href="#Page_375" title="Go to page 375.">375</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">beginning early, <a href="#Page_375" title="Go to page 375.">375</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">evils of over-coaching, <a href="#Page_376" title="Go to page 376.">376</a>, <a href="#Page_380" title="Go to page 380.">380</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">learning to bat, <a href="#Page_377" title="Go to page 377.">377–382</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">duties of the coach, <a href="#Page_380" title="Go to page 380.">380</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">teaching to bowl, <a href="#Page_382" title="Go to page 382.">382–384</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">fielding, <a href="#Page_384" title="Go to page 384.">384</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Trott’s Australian team, <a href="#Page_321" title="Go to page 321.">321</a>, <a href="#Page_322" title="Go to page 322.">322</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Umpires, <a href="#Page_217" title="Go to page 217.">217</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">none in early days of cricket, <a href="#Page_217" title="Go to page 217.">217</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">scoring by the ‘notcher,’ <a href="#Page_217" title="Go to page 217.">217</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules for, in the ‘Laws of Cricket,’ <a href="#Page_218" title="Go to page 218.">218</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">former custom of each side providing its own, <a href="#Page_218" title="Go to page 218.">218</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">present mode of nominating, <a href="#Page_219" title="Go to page 219.">219</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">source from whence drawn, <a href="#Page_219" title="Go to page 219.">219</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">difficulties of, <a href="#Page_219" title="Go to page 219.">219</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">deciding on question of bat or hand touching ball, <a href="#Page_219" title="Go to page 219.">219</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">finality of decisions, <a href="#Page_221" title="Go to page 221.">221</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">in cases of l.b.w., <a href="#Page_223" title="Go to page 223.">223</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">mutinous bowlers, <a href="#Page_225" title="Go to page 225.">225</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">club cricket disputes, <a href="#Page_226" title="Go to page 226.">226</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">at rustic matches, <a href="#Page_226" title="Go to page 226.">226–231</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">folly of giving reasons for decisions, <a href="#Page_231" title="Go to page 231.">231</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">qualifications for, <a href="#Page_232" title="Go to page 232.">232</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">quickness in deciding, <a href="#Page_233" title="Go to page 233.">233</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">powers of concentration, <a href="#Page_233" title="Go to page 233.">233</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">duties of, <a href="#Page_234" title="Go to page 234.">234</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">ground-measuring and placing of stumps, <a href="#Page_234" title="Go to page 234.">234</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">settlement of boundaries, <a href="#Page_235" title="Go to page 235.">235</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">punctuality, <a href="#Page_235" title="Go to page 235.">235</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">position at wicket, <a href="#Page_235" title="Go to page 235.">235</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">crying ‘no ball,’ <a href="#Page_236" title="Go to page 236.">236</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">wide ball, <a href="#Page_237" title="Go to page 237.">237</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">precedence of appeal to, at bowler’s end, <a href="#Page_238" title="Go to page 238.">238</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">bump balls, <a href="#Page_239" title="Go to page 239.">239</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">stumping, <a href="#Page_240" title="Go to page 240.">240</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">fair and unfair play, <a href="#Page_241" title="Go to page 241.">241</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">at striker’s end, <a href="#Page_241" title="Go to page 241.">241</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">use of common sense, <a href="#Page_244" title="Go to page 244.">244</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">country specimens, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">in Border cricket, <a href="#Page_298" title="Go to page 298.">298</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Umpires:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Barker, Tom, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Bayley, J., <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Caldecourt, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Good, <a href="#Page_290" title="Go to page 290.">290</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Ost, <a href="#Page_281" title="Go to page 281.">281</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Universities, bowling at the, <a href="#Page_95" title="Go to page 95.">95</a>, <a href="#Page_97" title="Go to page 97.">97</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">captains, <a href="#Page_207" title="Go to page 207.">207</a>, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>, <a href="#Page_210" title="Go to page 210.">210</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">teams, <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a></li> - -<li class="indx"><a name="university_cricketers" id="university_cricketers" class="nodec">University cricketers</a> (<i>see also under</i> <a href="#batsmen" title="Go to Batsmen">Batsmen</a> <i>and</i> <a href="#bowlers" title="Go to Bowlers">Bowlers</a>):<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[407]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Absalom, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Anson, T. A., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ash, E. P., <a href="#Page_40" title="Go to page 40.">40</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Baily, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Balfour, R. D., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bardswell, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Barnard, <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a>, <a href="#Page_332" title="Go to page 332.">332</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bayley, <a href="#Page_331" title="Go to page 331.">331</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Belcher, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343–345</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Berkeley, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Blacker, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Blore, E. W., <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Booth, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bourne, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a>, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343</a>, <a href="#Page_345" title="Go to page 345.">345</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Briggs, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Buckland, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bullock, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Butler, S. E., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a>, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343</a>, <a href="#Page_345" title="Go to page 345.">345</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Campbell, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Case, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cobden, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342–346</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Cunliffe, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Curteis, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Dale, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_341" title="Go to page 341.">341</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Druce, F. N., <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Evans, A. H., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fawcett, E. B., <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fellowes, E. L., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fellowes, W., <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fiennes, W., <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fortescue, <a href="#Page_341" title="Go to page 341.">341</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fowler, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Francis, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Freeman, George, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Fryer, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Game, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a>, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Green, C. E., <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Greenfield, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hamilton, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hill, F. H., <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342–345</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Inge, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jackson, F. S., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jardine, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jenner, Herbert, <a href="#Page_331" title="Go to page 331.">331</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kelcey, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kempson, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kenney, E. M., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Key, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">King, R. T., <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lane, C. G., <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lang, R., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a>, <a href="#Page_350" title="Go to page 350.">350</a>, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Leslie, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Longman, G. H., <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lucas, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349</a>, <a href="#Page_350" title="Go to page 350.">350</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> A., <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> C. G. (now Lord), <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Macan, <a href="#Page_349" title="Go to page 349.">349–351</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Maitland, W. F., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Makinson, J., <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Manning, Henry (Cardinal), <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Marsham, C. D., <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334–336</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mills, W., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mitchell, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Money, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a></li> -<li class="isub2">O’Brien, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Onslow, D. R., <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ottaway, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339–342</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Palairet, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Patterson, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346–348</a>, <a href="#Page_350" title="Go to page 350.">350</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pauncefote, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a>, <a href="#Page_341" title="Go to page 341.">341</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Payne, A., <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pelham, <abbr title="Honourable">Hon.</abbr> F. G., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Plowden, H. M., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Powys, W. N., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pulman, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a>, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rashleigh, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Raynor, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridding, A., <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridding, C. H., <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridley, A. W., <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346–350</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Rock, C. W., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Royle, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347–350</a></li> -<li class="isub2">St. Croix, W. de, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Salter, H. W., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sayres, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Scott, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[408]</a></span></li> -<li class="isub2">Sharpe, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346–349</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sims, <a href="#Page_350" title="Go to page 350.">350–352</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smith, <a href="#Page_351" title="Go to page 351.">351</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Smith, A. F., <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stedman, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Steel, A. G., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Stewart, <a href="#Page_343" title="Go to page 343.">343</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a>, <a href="#Page_345" title="Go to page 345.">345</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Studd, C. T., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tabor, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Thornton, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tobin, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Townshend, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Traill, W. F., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tuck, G. H., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tylecote, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339–342</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_348" title="Go to page 348.">348</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Voules, S. C., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, J., <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Walker, R. D., <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>, <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, <a href="#Page_341" title="Go to page 341.">341</a>, <a href="#Page_342" title="Go to page 342.">342</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, <abbr title="Reverend">Rev.</abbr> A. R., <a href="#Page_314" title="Go to page 314.">314</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344–347</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ward, Harrison, <a href="#Page_340" title="Go to page 340.">340</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Warner, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Webbe, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_347" title="Go to page 347.">347</a>, <a href="#Page_350" title="Go to page 350.">350</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wells, <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wills, T. W., <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Woods, S. M. J., <a href="#Page_334" title="Go to page 334.">334</a>, <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a>, <a href="#Page_373" title="Go to page 373.">373</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wordsworth (late Bishop of St. Andrews), <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329–333</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wright, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Yardley, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335–337</a>, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339–341</a>, <a href="#Page_344" title="Go to page 344.">344</a>, <a href="#Page_345" title="Go to page 345.">345</a>, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346</a>, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355" title="Go to page 355.">355</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Yonge, G. E., <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a></li> - -<li class="indx">University cricket-match, the, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">rules of qualification to play in, <a href="#Page_328" title="Go to page 328.">328</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">advantage of playing on own ground, <a href="#Page_329" title="Go to page 329.">329</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Bishop Wordsworth’s account of the first Inter-University match, - <a href="#Page_330" title="Go to page 330.">330–333</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">results of matches, <a href="#Page_333" title="Go to page 333.">333</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">quality of the bowling, <a href="#Page_333" title="Go to page 333.">333</a>, <a href="#Page_352" title="Go to page 352.">352</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">individual scores, <a href="#Page_335" title="Go to page 335.">335</a>, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">celebrated bowlers, <a href="#Page_336" title="Go to page 336.">336</a>, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">Mr. S. E. Butler’s great bowling feat, <a href="#Page_337" title="Go to page 337.">337</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">batting failures, <a href="#Page_338" title="Go to page 338.">338</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">vicissitudes of the contests, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the two-run success of Cambridge, <a href="#Page_339" title="Go to page 339.">339–346</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">the six-run victory of Oxford, <a href="#Page_346" title="Go to page 346.">346–352</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">public schools and the University elevens, <a href="#Page_353" title="Go to page 353.">353</a>;</li> -<li class="isub2">all-round players, <a href="#Page_354" title="Go to page 354.">354</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Wicket-keeper, duties of, <a href="#Page_209" title="Go to page 209.">209</a>, <a href="#Page_219" title="Go to page 219.">219</a>, <a href="#Page_220" title="Go to page 220.">220</a>, <a href="#Page_251" title="Go to page 251.">251–255</a></li> - -<li class="indx">Wicket-keepers:—</li> -<li class="isub2">Anson, T. A., <a href="#Page_275" title="Go to page 275.">275</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Blackham, J. M., <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_316" title="Go to page 316.">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317" title="Go to page 317.">317</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Box, Tom, <a href="#Page_76" title="Go to page 76.">76</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Bush, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Gay, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Hunter, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jarvis, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Jenner, Herbert, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Kemble, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Leatham, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lilley, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lockyer, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Lyttelton, Alfred, <a href="#Page_240" title="Go to page 240.">240</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">McGregor, G., <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213" title="Go to page 213.">213</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_320" title="Go to page 320.">320</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Mortlock, <a href="#Page_268" title="Go to page 268.">268</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Newton, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Nicholson, W., <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Philipson, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pilling, <a href="#Page_212" title="Go to page 212.">212</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pinder, George, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a>, <a href="#Page_277" title="Go to page 277.">277</a>, <a href="#Page_309" title="Go to page 309.">309</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Plumb, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Pooley, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Ridding, W., <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Sherwin, <a href="#Page_252" title="Go to page 252.">252</a>, <a href="#Page_253" title="Go to page 253.">253</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Storer, <a href="#Page_215" title="Go to page 215.">215</a>, <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tylecote, E. F. S., <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Tylecote, H. G., <a href="#Page_274" title="Go to page 274.">274</a></li> -<li class="isub2">Wenman, E. G., <a href="#Page_276" title="Go to page 276.">276</a></li> - -<li class="ifrst"> Yorkers, <a href="#Page_58" title="Go to page 58.">58</a>, <a href="#Page_128" title="Go to page 128.">128</a>, <a href="#Page_129" title="Go to page 129.">129</a></li></ul> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="printed_by"><i>Spottiswoode & Co. Printers, New-street Square, London.</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -</div> - -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 title=""><a name="End_Transcribers_Note" id="End_Transcribers_Note" class="nodec">Transcriber’s Note</a></h2> -<p class="noindent">On <a href="#Page_269" title="Go to page 269.">page 269</a>:</p> - -<p class="noindent">But though the ball is on the leg side, it is quite possible for the -batsman to hit it on the on side, and send it straight to short-slip’s -hands, if he only could have been in his proper place.</p> - -<p class="noindent">has been changed to:</p> - -<p class="noindent">But though the ball is on the leg side, it is quite possible for the -batsman to hit it on the off side, and send it straight to short-slip’s -hands, if he only could have been in his proper place.</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cricket, by -Allan Gibson Steel and Robert Henry Lyttelton - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET *** - -***** This file should be named 52684-h.htm or 52684-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/6/8/52684/ - -Produced by MWS, Fay Dunn and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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