Cricket 1894

36 CRICKET g A WEEKLY RECORD OF tfcifi GAME. MAB. 22, 1894 CRICKET NOTCHES. By the R ev . R. S. H olmes . THE LAWS OF CRICKET. A REVISED DRAFT. I beg to submit the accompanying draft to the thoughtful notice of all followers of the game of cricket. It is tbe result of many years’ careful study of the Laws ; and,though putting forth no claims to completeness or finality, does profess to contain sundry corrections and additions which, it is hoped, will bring the Laws more thoroughly into touch with the present requirements and conditions of the game. My method has been as follows— Sharing with most cricketers strong conservative instincts, no change has been made simply for the sake of change. The prejudice which maintains that “what has sufficed for the last fifty years ought to suffice still,” has been sympathetically respected. At the same time he would be bold indeed who would affirm that the present laws leave nothing to be desired ; a further revision has been demanded for at least a year or two. For at best the laws of to-day are simply modifications of those previously in opera­ tion, and for this reason they bear the marks of several hands, rather than the impress of any supreme individual authority. In my judgment, they hold sundry faults— such as want of order, laxity, and indefiniteness of expression; and one can point to serious omissions here and there which require to be filled up, My task resolved itself into these divisions: 1.—A careful re arrangement through­ out ; in order to bring into closest place relationship all laws bearing on cognate points. 2.— Small details, which seemed out of place, have been either incorporated into other and more important laws, or else have been expanded into fresh and distinct laws. 3.— All superfluous matter has been cut out; what remained has been expressed in such terms as are least likely to be mis. understood and to give rise to unseemly dispute. 4 .—Many laws have been made more stringent: individual “ option ” may be tolerated in politics, but should find no place in sports. 5.— Certain current abuses have been dealt with, but in such a way as in no case to violate the spirit — if the letter—of the present code. There is still room for improvement, but I am not without hope that this task will not be pronounced a signal failure. I wish for the freest and fullest criticism of this draft, and to further it, I have drawn up three columns. The first con­ tains the present laws, the second my revision, and the third occasional brief ex­ planatory notes. In this place it seems fitting to acknow­ ledge with hearty appreciation the assistance given me by a gentleman, personally unknown to me, who has taken a profound interest in my examination of the Laws in the November and December issues of this journal. This draft owes much to the able services of Mr. Henry M. Burnside, a member of the Pallings wick Cricket Club, East Acton, London. T H E L A W S OF CR I CKET . THE IAWS OP CRICKET, A m en d ed b y t h e M a r y le b o n e C lu b , 1884 an d 1889. 1 A m atch is pla yed between two sides of eleven players each unless otherw ise agreed t o ; each side has tw o innings, taken alternately, except in the case provided fo r in Law 53. I h e ch o ice o f innings shall be decid ed by tosping. DRAFT OF REVISED CODE. REVISED LAWS. T h e G a m e . 1. A match is p’ayed between two tides of eleven players each, unless otherwise agreed. Hach side shall have two ionn gs, t-.ken alternately. 2. The choice of inn'ngs shall be decided by tossing; but when a second, or return, match is played tbe choice shall re-it with ihe side thit lost t .e tuss in the fii st match. Where more tban two match* s are p!aj ed in one and the same year, ihe same course st.all be adopted as in the first and second matches. EXPLANATORY REMARKS. This Law I have split up into two parts “ Except in . . . . Law 53 ” omitted, as the follow-on is to be done away with. As to choice of innings, see Law 2. Th's puts both s:des on an equality, so far as choicj of innings is concerned, and thus prevents an abnormal run of good or bad fortune in the matter of the toss. It is a compromise between the present and tbe original la w ; the latter gave the choice of innings to the visiting side. That would demand a fresh law for all matches played on neutral ^rounds. Cricketers would not be willing to forego all the excitement involved in tossing, but they should be ready to admit that no such advantage as winning the toss yields ought to fall to the lot of the same side in both matches. Winning the toss frequently means winning the game. As to any abuses of this law in the return match, as, for instance, doctoring of the wickets, or slackness on the part of the side that had to take the field, public opinion ought to be strong enough to prevent this. The poss;ble lack of interest on the part of the followers of the competing sides in the return match would be balanced by the satisfaction felt tbat justice had been impartially dealt all round. 2 . The score shall be reckoned by 3 . The score shall be reckoned by runs (Laws 51, 52, Definition of a run removed to section rUI 1 l 8 t. § 00 ften^s^he batsmen after be duly recorded by scorers h faded “ Definitions.” A schoolmaster’s a hit, or at any time while the appointed for the purpose. The side which scores the correction in second clause. Third clau e ball is in play, thall have crossed givater number of iut:s wins the match. A match re-arranged, from endlo erid ground nejthtr played out nor givenup (Law 39) sh^ll be 2nrt. For penalties under Laws 16, declared drawn. 31, 41, and allowances under 44. Any run or runs so scored shall be duly recorded by scorers appointed for the* purpose. The side which scores the greatest number of runs wins the match. No match is won unless played out or given up. except in the case * provided in Law 46.