Cricket 1883

440 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. itov. 20 , isss. in tlie opinion of the Committee, proved a failure. I wonder whether the proposal to give to the side losing the toss in the first match the choice of innings in the return will find favour with the Counties. At least I hope it will be brought forward. I h a v e been asked to give publicity to the following resolution of the Com­ mittee of the Marylebone Club, passed on Tuesday week, relative to the general infringement of Law 2 :— The attention of the Committee of the M.O.C. having been called to the fact that the bats now generally in use are larger thanLaw 2 authorises, it was resolved that steps be taken for a strict compliance with that law in future, and that this resolution be notified to the public and the bat makers. I happened to be present at an informal inspection of bats not many days ago, in the pavilion of a popular cricket ground less than a hundred miles from London. I am almost tempted to publish the result for the benefit of the authorities, but I shall be merciful. I should not, in fact, like to say how much some of the blades were over the regulation size. G lou cestersh ire has arranged to play Sussex again next year, home and home. J. JC. RAWLiN,who played for Yorkshire in 1882, last season took 106 wickets for the Lincoln Club at a cost of 598 runs, average 5'68. T he officers of the Oxford University for 1884 are—Captain,M. C. Kemp (Hertford); Treasurer, T. Case (B. N. C .); Hon. Sec., T. B. Hine-Hay- cock (New). T h e matches of the Orleans Club will next season be played on the ground of the Banelagh Club, at Putney. The cricket will be conducted on the same lines as at Twickenham. Hampshire County C lub. —At the recent meeting of the club Mr. W . W. Beach, M.P., was elected President for the next season, Major Fellowes, R.E., and Mr. B. Bencraft, lion, secs. The different districts of the county were represented on the Committee thus: North­ east, Mr. Maturin and Mr. Mildmay; for the south-east, the Bev. . G. Crowdy and Mr. Lips­ comb ; for the south-west, Mr. Howard and Mr. Hargreaves: and for the Islte of Wight, Mr. Prothero, the Committee being asked to fill up the north-west district. Major Fellowes re­ ported that he had been trying to ascertain whether it was not possible for the County Club to get a ground of its own, where they could maintain a ground bowler, whose services would be of great use for the purpose of practice. He had been in communication with the solicitors to the Bannister’s estate as to the practicability of obtaining on reasonable terms some of the Park on a lease of 10, 14, or 21 years, and he found that it was practicable, though it was suggested that something more than agricultural value would have to be paid for the land. It was resolved to refer the matter to the consider­ ation of a committee, consisting of Major Fellowes, MrWilliam Perkins, Mr. F. J. Blundell and Mr. Bencraft. It was decided that the whole of the county matches be played at Southampton. T H E D R A F T C O D E O F R U L E S . (From the Australasian.) G la n cin g down the list, I pause at rule N o . 2 , which says that a run is scored and shall be duly recorded, “ so often as the batsmen after a hit, or at any time while the ball is in play, shall have crossed and made good their ground from end to end.” Now, speaking by the card —or, in other words, to be absolutely true in definition—there is something imperfect in the above rule, for in the case of a catch no run is scored, whether the batsmen make good their ground or not. Law 6 , too, seems to clash with 41. The former provides that the wickets shall not be changed during a match 1 ‘ unless the ground between them become unfit for play, and then only by consent of both sides.” The latter says that the umpires are the “ sole judges” of the “ fitness of the ground.” The manifest incongruity existing between these two laws ought clearly to be obviated, and this may easily be done by a reconstruction of the wording. Law 9 contains a very sensible alteration, namely, that which gives permission to have the pitch swept and rolled before the commencement of each day’s play as well as before the commencement of each innings. So many matches had been robbed of all interest because of the absence of the provision now made, that in recent years scarcely a first-class match has been played without this very necessary arrangement having been made by the captains prior to the starting of a matcli. Often a team noted for its batting strength would start an innings, say, twenty minutes before the drawing of the stumps, and no matter how unfavourably the elements might have affected the ground during the night, the inn­ ings would have to be resumed next day on a rough, unrolled pitch on which the bowlers could do anything they liked with the ball, and have the batsmen completely at their mersy. The alteration alluded to will tend to remedy this, and so in some measure to reduce the advantage resulting from winning the toss; and as we all know what a very important gain it is to win the toss, we cannot but appreciate any change calculated to bring matters more on a state of equality, and in this way diminish the element of luck wtich enters so largely into the game. Law 10 is as clear and concise as words can make it, yet it has given more trouble than all the rest of the laws put together. It reads, “ The ball must be bowled ; if thrown or jerked the umpire shall call ‘ no ball.’ ” Of course the difficulty is patent at a glance, namely to dis­ tinguish bowling from throwing, and to get the umpire to “ no-ball ” the thrower when the distinction has been fully established. Happily, herein Australia we have now no “ throwers,” nor even “ chuckers,” for our umpires years ago took such a firm stand on this point that these very undesirable trespassers on the domain of cricket were sent about their business long before they had an opportunity of doing any material damage. Unfortunately, in the old country this is not the case. There throwing is almost as common as bowling; and it is very much to be regretted that at the inception of this pernicious practice steps were not taken by the home authorities and umpires to put it down with a strong hand. It appears that all lovers of cricket in the old country are now very desirous to put a stop to this vile habit of throwing, but owing to its unchecked growth for years it has now gained such an ascendancy that the evil is by no means easy to grapple with and overcome. Lord Harris’ notice of proposed amendment of the law in question will certainly not have the desired effect. The rule is, as I have said, perfectly clear, and wants no amendment. It simply wants to be properly carried out, and this can only be done by well- concerted action on the part of the Marylebone Club and the leading counties. Let it be made clear to the various umpires, by positive in­ struction issued from the proper influential iquarter, that they must do their duty without fear or favour, and let it be known that those umpires who fearlessly and honestly administer the law shall have prior claim to first-class engagements, and I venture to assert that before long throwing will die the death in England it long ago died in Australia. Law 37 furnishes matter for ample discussion, and deserves to be quoted in full :— In case any substitute shall be allowed to run between wickets, the striker may be run out, if either he or his substitute be out of the ground. If the striker be out of his ground while the ball is in play that wicket which he has left may be put down and the striker given out, although the other batsman may have made good his ground at tho end, and the striker and his substitute at the other end. To my mind the latter portion of this rule is not characterised by a spirit of fairness. It is bad enough to put the ‘ 1 striker ” out should he thoughtlessly start for a run and half-way down the pitch be brought to a sudden stop by the pain of an injured limb, but it seems altogether too severe to send him to the pavilion should he manage before either wicket be put down to limp into the crease already gained by liis sub­ stitute. He duly completes the run, and ought equitably to be credited with it. Doubtless, it will be said that the “ striker ” must accept the responsibility; but, though this sounds very well, it does not alter my view, that the rule as at present constructed deals harshly with the “ striker,” and therefore needs modification. .But, apart from this, there is an anomaly on the rule as it stands. To explain this let us sup­ pose that the wicket which the “ striker ” has just left is put down after the latter has left it and before the “ other batsman ” who is running towards it, can gain the crease. Who is out ? the “ striker ” or the “ other batsman ?” Ac­ cording to law 29 “ He that runs for the wicket which is put down is out.” Therefore the “ other batsman” is out. According to law 37, “ the striker ” is out, for he has left his ground. Therefore they are both out, which is impossible. M e. G. B. B a h e in o to n , who played for Derby­ shire in 1881, made 1,026 runs for the Friars Club last season. He had twenty-four innings, was four times not out, and his highest score was 220 not out against Derby School. E x ce lle n t Photographs, either of Yorkshire or Surrey County Elevens of 1883, forwarded, carefully packed, carriage free, on receipt of postal orders for 5s., by W . B. Wright, Manager of C ricket, 17, Paternoster Square, London, E.C. Wisden’s Almanack for 1884, just ready, sent post free for One Shilling. O n Dec. 10, Mr. Frederick Gale will give his lecture entitled “ Cricket from 1743 till To-day,” at the Hawkstone Hall, Westminster Bridge Boad. The lecture will contain anecdotes, &c., of all the best men, from personal knowledge of them, from Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, &o., to Dr. Grace. Illustrated by Water-colour Car­ toons. A Match played in 1743. Cricket Bats, fac-similes, real size, taken from the Bats them­ selves, of all kinds since 1740, &c. The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton will take the chair at 8.30 p.m. The lecture is one of the tenth course of weekly Monday evening entertainments for the people.