Cricket 1884

APBIL 24, 1884. CEICKET; A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 67 of whom he had not a very high opinion, he believed they would never prove successful in first-class matches. It was impossible for them to possess sufficient experience. He had seen a good deal of amateur umpires in Australian matches, and, without impugning their integrity, he would say he should be sorry to find umpires acting in England with so little experience and knowledge of the game. Even were he to procure the support of the meeting on this occasion, he feared the amendment wouldnot be efficacious, for the reason that umpires did not possess the courage of their opinions; but if the amend­ ment became law, it would stand as a record that the M.C.C. recognised the fact that umpires had failed to do their duty, and that they were cognisant that in the year 1884 there was going on throughout the oountry a systematic breaking of the law. Mr. W. E. Denison seconded the amend­ ment, and agreed with the mover, that even the proposed alteration would be unlikely to put a stop to “ throwing.” The obnoxious practice could be prevented by umpires, as had been shown by matches in Aus­ tralia. He approved of the tenour of the amendments, and thought the lan­ guage was not too strong, as mild words had taken no effeet. Mr. C. Marsham thought the amendment still left room for doubting on the part of umpires. He feared cricket would be com­ pletely spoiled if questions of important hearing on the result of a match were left to the mere whim of an umpire. There was no difficulty in distinguishing a “ throw” or a jerk from fair bowling; and bowlers did not, he thought, generally bowl un­ fairly. The amendment was ostensibly meant to meet the case of those who did not bowl fairly. County clubs could refuse to play with teams who included “ unfair ” bowlers, as Nottinghamshire had done towards Lancashire. Mr. F. Lee said the bowlera who were doubtful were the cause of dissatisfaction, and let them suffer. The Chairman, speaking on behalf of the committee, said they had always been anxious to put down all unfair action, but they felt when revising the code that no words could be more precise or more forcible than those contained in the present Law 10. If that rule had not been carried out, then umpires were to blame. The Chairman then put the amendments of Lord Harris, which were carried, 41 voting for and only 11 against them. Mr. Walker now brought forward his motion to substitute for the existing Law 2 of the two new laws relating to one-day matches the following:—“ The match, when not played out, shall be decided by the first innings ” There was a general agree­ ment in favour of the passing of this amend­ ment, which, it was pointed out, really only applied to M.C.C. matches, for it was general throughout the country to decide one-day matches on the first innings when they were not played out. Lord Harris pointed out that by the wording of Mr. Walker’s notice of motion the second section of the rule as it originally stood in the draft code (viz., that the over may consist of five or six balls) would fall were his proposition carried. A lengthy discussion ensued on the question, but Mr. Walker pressed his proposal, and it was carried by a large majority. The amendments having been thus dis­ posed of, the Chairman put to the meeting the entire new code as revised and amended, and it was approved of unanimously. The Chairman said he desired to thank numerous cricketers who had forwarded their valuable suggestions to the sub-com­ mittee touching.the re-arrangement of the laws. The meeting then terminated with votes of thanks to the chairman and the revision committee. A second general meeting of the M.C.C. is to be held ill a month’s time, when the formal permission of the club will be given to five or six balls being howled per over in one-day matches. T H E L A W S OF C R IC K E T . P a ssed b y t h e M a b ile b o n e C b ic e e t C lu b , Arp.iL 21, 1884. 1. A match is played between two sides of eleven players each, unless otherwise agreed to ; each side has two innings, taken alternately, except in the case provided for in Law 53. The choice of innings shall be decided by tossing. 2. The score shall be reckoned by runs. A run is scored —1st, 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. 2nd, For penalties under Laws 16, 34, 41, and allowances under 44. Any run or runs so scored shall be duly recorded by scorers appointed for the purpose. The side which soores the greatest number of runs wins the match. No match is won unless played out or given up, except in the case provided for in Law 45. 3. Before the commencement of the match two umpires shall be appointed, one for each end. 4. The ball shall weigh not less than 5Joz., nor more than 5foz. It shall measure not less than 9in. nor more than 9Jin. in circumference. At the be­ ginning of each innings either side may demand a new ball. 5. The bat shall not exceed 4Jin. in the widest part ; it shall not be more than 38in. in length. 6. The wickets shall be pitched oppo­ site and parallel to each other, at a dis­ tance of 22 yards. Each wicket shall be 8in. in width and consist of three stumcs, with two bails upon the top. The stumps shall be of equal and sufficient size to prevent the ball from passing through, 27in. out of the ground. The hails shall be each 4in. in length, and when in position, on the top of the stumps, shall not project more than Jin. above them. The wicket shall not be changed during amatch, unless the ground between them become unfit for play, and then Only by consent of both sides. 7. The bowling crease shall be in a line with the stumps ; 6ft. 8in-. in length; the stumps in the centre, with a return crease at each end, at right angles behind the wicket. 8. The popping crease shall be marked 4ft. from the wicket, parallel to it, and be deemed unlimited in length. 9. The ground shall not be rolled, watered, covered, mown or beaten during a match, except before tho commence­ ment of each innings and of each day’s play when, unless the in-side object, the ground shall be swept and rolled for not more than ten minutes. This shall not prevent the batsman from beating the ground with his bat, nor the batsman nor bowler from using sawdust in order to obtain a proper foothold. 10. The ball must be bowled ; if thrown or jerked, the umpire shall call “ Noball.” 11. 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 catl “ No- Ball.” 12. If the bowler shall bowl the ball so high over or so wide of the wicket that in the opinion of the umpire it is not within reach of the striker, the umpire shall call “ Wide ball.” 13. The ball shall be bowled in overs of four balls from each wicket alter- nately. When four balls have been bowled, and the ball is finally settled in the bowler’s or wicket-keeper’s hands, the umpire shall call “ Over.” Neither a “ No-ball” nor a “ Wide ball” shall bereckoned as on© of the “ Over.” 14. The bowler may not change ends more than twice in the same innings nor bowl more than two overs in succession. 15. The bowler may require the bats­ man at the wicket from which he is bowling to stand on that side of it which he may direct. 16. The striker may hit a “ no-ball,” and whatever runs result shall be added to his score; butheshallnotbeoutfroma “ no-ball,” unless he be run out or break laws 26,27,29,30. All runs made from a “ no-ball, ” otherwise than from the bat, shall be scored “ no-balls,” and if no run be made one run shall be added to that score. From a “ wide ball ” as many runs as are run shall be added to the score as “ wide balls,” and if no run .be otherwise obtained one run shall be so added. 17. If the ball, not having been called “ w ide” or “ no-ball,” pass the striker, without touching his bat, or person, and any runs be obtained, the umpire shall call “ b y e b u t if the ball touch any part of the striker’s person (hand excepted) and any run be obtained, the umpire shall call “ leg- bye,” such runs to be scored “ byes” and 1 ‘ leg byes ” respectively. 18. At the beginning of the match, and of each innings, the umpire at the bowler’s wicket shall call “ Play ” ; and from that time no trial ball shall be allowed to any bowler on the ground between the wickets, and when one of the batsmen is out the use of the bat shall not be allowed to any person until the next batsman, shall come in, 19. A batsman shall be held to be “ out of his ground ” unless his bat in hand or some part of his person be grounded within the line of the popping crease. 20. The wicket shall be held to be “ down ” when either of the bails is struck off, or, if both bails be off, when a stump is struck out of the ground. The striker is out. 21. If the wicket be bowled down, even if the ball first touch the striker’s bat or pe rson —“ Bowled.” 22. Or if the ball, from a stroke of the bat or hand, but not the wrist, be held before it touch the ground, although it be hugged to the body of the catcher:— “ Caught.” 23. Or, if in playing at the ball, provided it be not touched by the bat or hand, the striker he out of his ground, and the wicket be put down by the wicket-keeper with the ball or with the hand or arm, with ball in h a n d “ Stumped,” 24. Or, if with any part of his person he stop the ball, which in the opinion of the umpire at the bowler’s wicket shall have been pitched in a straight line from it to the striker’s wicket and would have hit i t :— “ Leg before Wicket.”