Cricket 1895

A p k il 18, 1895. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. C7 cricket league decided that the umpires in their matches should first of all be examined. I have not the remotest idea how that is done by them. But how conduct such an examination? asks another. Who shall set the ques­ tions? Shall it be by writing or viva voce ? I answer: The questions would have to be different each year. I fancy I could, without much difficulty, draw up at least five sets of papers, containing some fifteen or twenty questions apiece. I would conduct the examination by word of mouth; and for this reason. Not simply because some persons, who are not accustomed to write, freeze when they take pen in hand, and some also have spoiled their handwriting by devo­ tion to cricket; hut such an examination must be viva voce because decisions on the cricket field must be given promptly; there is no time to think them carefully out. Let us see if we cannot draft a short examination paper. The candidates are admitted one at a time, and each is pledged to secrecy- Bach candidate is requested to speak up, to speak promptly, to speak to the point; and he is expected to quote—in his own words if he cannot rectll the ipsissima verba of the code— the law confirming every answer he returns. So many points will be de­ ducted if he do not return immediate answers. Refreshments provided before or after, at will of candidate. But, as in a match, smoking is not allowed during the examination. Well then, here’s my S a m p l e E x a m in a t io n P a p e r . 1-—How many laws are there? In one- day matches are the law's altered in any way ? State how. 2.—State the dimensions of bat, hall and wicket; also the lengths of the creases that have to be marked. 3.—What are the special duties of an umpire ? Do these duties vary according to the wicket the umpire is standing nearest to ? Should a player appeal to both umpires, and their decisions do not agree, which umpire is to be obeyed ? 4.—How would you decide whether the hall was bowled or thrown by the howler? Where must the howler’s feet he relative to the howling crease whilst he is delivering the ball? When is a ball dead? Supposing a decision given in a batsman’s favor, could he fee given out on a second appeal from one and the saaie stroke? 6_.—Mention as many cases as possible in which the striker is out. Suppose the non- striker to obstruct the field from a ball struck fey his partner, which batsman is out. Could feoth batsmen be given out at the same time through any infringement of the laws ? —Are your decisions to be given with or without appeal ? Particularize instances. . —Name the moment when the ball comes into play. A batsman hits ball straight up, ball tails exactly where he is standing; to enable «atch to be made, he must shift his position, -it he does not move, has he incurred any penalty? J®' If when a batsman is out, one of the holders asks you to bowl him a ball, he taking at m hand, would you he justified in doing as he wished? U .—If a batsman should hit his wicket j before ball has left howler’s hand, what penalty has he incurred ? 12.—In fielding a ball, the fielder’s hat or cap falls on it, and stops i t ; what penalty would you give the batsman ? 10.—In a two-hit, if a batsman runs a short run, evidently the second run must be short also. Yet umpires only call one short. Are they right or wrong ? 14.—There is a tree within the playing en­ closure : ball strikes it, and then is caught by fielder underneath. Is batsman out ? Suppose the ball struck umpire and then was caught before it touched the ground, what then ? 15.—Bowler bowls very slow ball on a very dead wicket. Ball gets, say, only half way between the wickets. Batsman runs out of ground to hit it; before he reached it the bowler or other fielder picks it up and knocks his wicket down, before he can get back into his crease. An appeal is made to umpire; what would you decide ? 16.—If a ball should be thrown in with sufficient force to hit hat which was at the time grounded within the crease, and should then strike the wicket before batsman could again set his bat down. Would you give him in? 17.—If the ball lodge in any part of bats­ man’s person, and be removed by a fielder, is batsman out ? 18.—Explain Law 3 9 :—“ 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 his 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 the ground at that end, and the striker and his substitute at the other end.” 19.—Is there any law defining the duties of a wicket keeper ? Are there instances when striker cannot be put out by him? If the striker be any way incommoded, or baulked by any other fielder, can he be out ? 20.—How are wides and no-balls scored? What runs are reckoned if a no-ball be hit ? Suppose there is but one run required to win, and bowler bowls a wide or a no-ball, which the batsman does not hear called, and the batsmen run, and one of them is run out. How would the match be decided, as a win or a draw ? The batsmen at the wickets are the tenth and eleventh men. There, that will do for one paper; I will set another when the summer is over. I should be very pleased if somebody else would also undertake this duty. Papers must not be set to trip umpires, but to test their knowledge of the game in all its details. P.S.—The Yorkshire County Cricket Club book for 1895 has just made its third appearance. A capital little volume, edited by the secretary, and in the smartest of cloth covers. It contains not only full scores and the like, but also a summary of all Yorkshire matches since the club was formed, along with an alphabetical list of all who have played for the County with the dates of their birth and first appearance for the White Rose. The membership is growing, but there is room for an improvement. Still a balance of £1,281 in so rainy a season as 1894, when one match was abandoned, and Peel got the proceeds of the August bank holiday match, proves that the efforts of the committee are fully appreciated by the sporting public. Wainwright started the season on Saturday with an innings of 50, and tojk two wickets. LANCASHIRE. May 16. Lord’s, v. M.C.C. and Ground. May 20. Manchester, v. Sussex. May 30. Manchester, v. Leicestershire. June 3. Sheffield, v. Yorkshire. June 3. (2nd team) Manchester, v. 15 Colts and Captain. June 6. Manchester, v. Kent. June 13. Manchester, v. Surrey. June 13. (2nd team) Oval, v. Surrey (2nd team). June 17. Nottingham, v. Notts. June 20. Maidstone, v. Kent. June 27. Manchester, v. Middlesex. July 4. Liverpool, v. Warwickshire. July 11. Bristol, v. Gloucestershire. July 15. Taunton, v. Somersetshire. July 22. Manchester, v. Gloucestershire. July 25. Manchester, v. Somersetshire. July 29. Birmingham, v. Warwickshire. August 1. Manchester, v. Derbyshire, August 5. Manchester, v. Yorkshire. August 12. Brighton, v. Sussex, August 15. Oval, v. Surrey. August 16. (2nd team) Manchester, v. Surrey (2nd team). August 19. Derby, v. Derbyshire. August 22. Manchester, v. Notts. August 26. Lord’s, v. Middlesex. August 29. Leicester, v. Leicestershire. A ll three days matches, except that on June 3rd, which is two days. GLOUCESTERSHIRE. April 15. Bristol, v. Colts. May 16. Bristol, v. Somersetshire. May 23. Gravesend, v. Kent. May 30. Lord’s, v. Middlesex. June 3. Brighton, v. Sussex. June 6. Oval, v. Surrey. June 17. Birmingham, v. Warwickshire. July 11. Bristol, v. Lancashire. July 22. Manchester, v. Lancashire, July 25. Nottingham, v. Nottinghamshire. July 29. Bradford, v. Yorkshire. August 1. Gloucester, v. Warwickshire. August 5. Bristol, v. Sussex. August 8. Clifton College, v. Middlesex. August 12. Bristol, v. Kent. August 19. Cheltenham College, v. Nottinghamshire. August 22. Cheltenham College, v. Yorkshire. August 26. Clifton College, v. Surrey. August 29. Taunton, v. Somersetshire. All three days matches, except first, which is two days. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. April 15. Trent Bridge, Notts Colts Match. M ay 1. Lords, v. M.C.C. May 16. Nottingham, v. Sussex. May 20. Sheffield, Colts, v. Yorkshire Colts. May 20. Leicester, v. Leicestershire. May 23. Nottingham, v. Yorkshire. June 3. Nottingham, v. Surrey. June 10. Nottingham, v. Leicestershire. June 17. Nottingham, v. Lancashire (Flowers’ Benefit). June 24. Sheffield, v. Yorkshire. July 1. Derby, v. Derbyshire. July 11. Nottingham, v. Derbyshire. July 15. Maidstone, v. Kent. July 18. Lords, v. Middlesex. July 22. Brighton, v. Sussex. July 25. Nottingham, v. Gloucestershire. August 5. Oval, v. Surrey. August 15. Nottingham, v. Middlesex. August 19. Cheltenham, v. Gloucestershire. August 22. Manchester, v. Lancashire. August 26. Nottingham, v. Kent. SOMERSETSHIRE. May 9. Taunton, Colts Match. May 13. Cambridge, v. Cambridge University. May 16. Bristol, v. Gloucestershne. May 20. Oxford, v. Oxford University. May 20. Taunton, v. Hants. June 3. Lords, v. Middlesex. June 6. Brighton, v. Sussex. June 10. Oval, v. Surrey. June 13. Leyton, v. Essex. July 1. Southampton, v. Hants. July 11. Taunton, v. Essex (Nichols’ Benefit). July 15. Taunton, v. Lancashire. July 22. Leeds, v. Yorkshire. July 25. Manchester, v. Lancashire. July 29. Blackheath, v. Kent. August 5. Taunton, v. Middlesex. August 8. Taunton, v. Sussex. August 15. Taunton, v. Kent. August 22. Taunton, v. Surrey. August 26. Taunton, v. Yorkshire. August 30. Taunton, v. Gloucestershire. ( 'olts match is two days, all the rest three days.