Cricket 1894

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— B y r o n , Beistered for Tranandaaion?broad THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1894. FRICE 2d. CRICKET_NOTCHES. B y the R ev . R. S. H olmes . A correspondent, hailing from Spilsby, has sent a solution of the sbort-run problem which I stated a fortnight ago— both bats­ men ran two runs in a three-hit. “ Cannot the question be solved by view­ ing the short lun in a different way? One batsman running short surely vitiates the run, and tbe run being once spoiled cannot be twice spoiled. This being so, in the three-hit case each of ihe first two runs is spoiled by whichever batsman first offends, and so the third run is properly scored. ‘ One- short’ means one deducted, and in my humble opinion this ought not to be deducted twice for the sameiun, becaus) both batsmen happen to offend. It is true that if a batsman iuns one short, he runs two short: but both by equity and cu-tom ii is surely right to allow the twenty yards less a fraction <f ihe first short run to make up fjrthe deficit of the second." But liow, on the reasoning of t iis last statement, can one batsman run two-short in a hit for three ? This solution does not satisfy me. But the writer gofs on to mention an in­ teresting incident in his own experience, ‘ ‘ Playing some years ago in a country match, I had started for a second run when the umpire prematurely called ‘ one short ;' as there was plenty of time I turned round, completed my first run, and then ran the second. I thould like your ruling in the following case : two young­ sters were batting, a ball was played towards cover - point, aud the batsmen crossed at about a third the distance from one wicket. The ball was fielded, both batsmen lost their heads and stopped, the ball was thrown to the wicket which the batsman were nearest; the one who had left that wicket turned and went back. The other also got safely back to his original end. Did they run two runs, ! ‘ one short’ ? You will probably say that this case proves jour point as to the meaning of ‘ one short,’ but this is, of course, a most exceptional case, and laws are not made for exceptional cases.” Well, to be brief, my ruling is, no run could be scored because no run was completed. Law No. 2 states that “ a run is scored so often as the batsmen after a h it ...................... shall have crossed aud made good their ground from end to end.’’ Nothing can be clearer than lhi3. If a batsman likes to run 25 yards for the first run, and only 19 for the second, he cannot demand that the excess in 1run No. 1 should go to make up for the de­ ficiency in run No. 2. But I must get away from these tempting puzzles. In a local match las' wf ek my verdict was solicited, though nearly all my neighbours— the younger end cspecia ly— know so much about the game that outside opinion i3 scarcely ever asked for. One bail was off— how, unknown— say, the wind shifted it; batsmen ran for a bye, ball was returned quickly, and batsman at the bail-less end did not get home before stumper had knocktd off the other biil. Was he out ? Much unseemly wrangling ensued, umpire of course coming in for most euphat’c abuse. “ What was tli3 umpire’s ver­ dict ?’’ I replied in answer to question. Did both umpires a?ree ? If so, there is nothing more to be said. Pressed fur­ ther, I said that batsman was out, for hy Law 20 it’s only w'hen both bails are off that a stump mu-t bj pulled up ; if one bail be on, the wicket in intact, although the rem >val ( f on y one bail is suftici nt to make a batsman out. A n o th e r correspondent — f oil C o don— wishe* the York-hire and Kent mitch, that was abandone I, to be played. By all means, if a mutual y cor - venijntdate cm be found. As he w*lt savs, “ it scorns to on t) le a gre it hardsh p, botja to the counties themsdves anl also to the rest of thi f rst- cla'8 c mntir-s; in the present year it might very po3-ibly put Yorkshire first, or ev^n second or third on the list, if the struggle continues as keen as at present.” I am thank­ ful to have my memory jogged, having made a note of this when the match was abandoned. Will the M C.C. kindly ord^r this match to be played, and fx the date at once. Cricket is different from football, but I have often wishe I ihat all drawn matches could be finished later on. This is impossible; but there is no reason why a match, that was cot begun, should not be p’ayed subse­ quently ; nay, there i3 every reason why it should be. It was dfsperately hard on Yorkshire at the time when they were going so strong that they should be deprived of the chance of an extra win. 1 should not have felt at liberty to notice the special meeting of the M.C.C. announced for July 10th, had not a public advert’ssment directed our attention tj it. Besides, tbe alteration of any law concerns all cr cketers. MR. T. N. PERKINS (O p t h e C a m b r id g e E l e v e n ) . From a photo by Hawkins , Brighton.