Cricket 1901

22 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. F eb . 28, 1901. on to the wicket, which removed the hail during their descent. 26.— Or, if under pretence of running, or otherwise, either of the batsmen w il­ fully prevent a ball from being ca u g h t:— “ Obstructing the field.” The first mention of a batsman infringing this law does not occur until 1864. It is very seldom that a batsman is dismissed for obstructing the field, though not long since a first-class player so far forgot himself as to prevent the hall being caught by a fieldsman. 27.— Or, if the ball be struck, or be stopped by any part of his parson, and he wilfully strike it again, except it be done for the purpose o f guarding his wicket, which he may do with his bat or with any p ir t of his person, except his hands :— “ H it the ball tw ice.” This is an old canon, and one that has undergone no alteration. As far as can be traced Old Tom Sueter was the first to dis­ obey this law. That was in 1786, and it does not occur again until 1839. In 1857 R. H. Bushell was dismissed in this manner, but the credit of capturing his wicket was attributed to the bowler, V. E. Walker, and he is recorded as “ bowled.” Either B a t s m a n is o u t — 28.— If in running, or at any other time, when the ball is in play, he be out of his ground, and his wicket be struck down by the ball after touching any fieldsmen, or b y the hand or arm, with the ball in hand, of any fieldsmen :— ‘ Run out.” The first mention of a batsman being run out occurs in 1773. In the Sussex v. M.C.C. match of 1860, and the Hambledon v. England match of 1787, no fewer than seven men paid the penalty of mis-j udgment in running, it is recorded that on one occasion George Ulyett was bowling for an English team against eighteen of Ballarat, when the two batsmen started to run and met near the bowler’s end. The hall was quickly returned to Ulyett, who put the wicket down; and when the second batsman bolted for his own wicket at the other end, Ulyett raced after him and succeeded in upsetting his bails as well. Caffyn performed an even more re­ markable feat in September, 1853, for, when at an angle of 45 degrees from the stumps, he threw in the ball, which, after passing through the wicket aimed at, travelled to the opposite wicket, and dislodged the bails. Certainly a most miraculous throw, but both batsmen being within their ground neither was out. 29.— Or, if he touch with his hands or take up the ball while in play, unless at the request of the opposite s id e :— “ Handled the ball.” The term “ handled tlte ball” does not occur until 1825, but in the year 1822 we read that Kinsholt “ picked up the hall,” for which fault he was compelled to retire. 30.— Or, if he w ilfully obstruct any fieldsman :— “ Obstructing the field.” See note affixed to Law 26. There are nine legitimate ways of disposing a batsman, though poor George Ulyett used to contend that there was a tenth mode of dismissal. When questioned as to the fact, he curtly remarked, “ Umpired out.” We, however, occasionally hear of batsmen being dismissed in a manner for which the rules donot provide, such as “ thrown out,” “ nipt out,” “ played out,” “ walked out,” “ given out,” etc. The recent addition to Law 46 is very acceptable. 31.— I f the batsmen have crossed each other, he that runs for the wicket which is put down is o u t; if they have not crossed, he that has left the wicket which is put down is out. See Law 28. 32.—The striker being caught no runs shall be scored. A batsman being run out, that run which was being attempted shall not be scored. One of the golden rules of cricket is to run, whether you imagine that the ball will be caught or not. On one occasion Mr. S. M. J. Woods actually completed three runs before he was caught out. 3 3 a — A bitsm an being out from any Ciuse the b ill shall b 3 “ dead.” 33 b .— If the ball, whether struck with the bat or not, lodges in a batsman’s clothing, the ball shall become “ dead.” The tail end of this law was added in 1899. Prior to that year if the ball lodged in the top of the batsman’s leg-guard, as it occa­ sionally did, much amusement occurred ; for it goes without saying that for the batsman to remove the hall he infringed Law 29, while, on the other hand, if a fieldsman secured it he was naturally caught out. It seems unaccountable that such an important point was not introduced before. 34.— I f a ball in play cannot be found or recovered any fieldsman may call “ lost ball,” when the ball shall be “ dead ; ” six runs shall be added to the score; but if more than six runs shall have been run before “ lost b a ll” has been called, as many runs as have been run shall be scared. In first-class cricket this law has become a thing of the past owing to the boundary limit. The addition of the words “ or recovered” has done away with many disputes. At one time a ball was not lost if it was in sight. “ Scores and Biographies ” record that during the progress of a match in Australia a batsman hit a ball into a three­ pronged branch of a tall Jarrah tree. The umpire ruled that a ball could not be lost if it was in sight, and no fewer than 286 runs were obtained before the leather was even­ tually shot down with a gun, and secured. 35.— After the ball shall have been finally settle! in the wicket-keeper’s or bowler’s hand, it shall be “ dead; ” but when the bowler is about to deliver the ball, if the batsman at his wicket be out of his ground before actual delivery, the said bowler may run him o u t; but if the bowler throw at that wicket and any run result, it shall be scored “ no ball.” 36.—-A batsman shall not retire from his wicket and return to it to complete his innings after another has been in, without the consent of the opposite side. From 1798 till 1844 it was not necessary for a batsman to appeal to the opposite side, provided that he had been incapacitated. 37.— A substitute shall be allowed to field or run between wickets for any player who may during the match be in­ capacitated from illness or injury, but for no other reason, except with the consent of the other side. No mention is made with regard to sub­ stitutes in the old laws, but the privilege of allowing a man to field in place of one com­ pelled to retire was generally granted. On several occasions, too, their place has been filled at the wickets, though in contradiction to the laws of the game. Until May 15th, 1845, this law read: “ No substitute in the field shall be allowed to bowl, keep wicket, stand at point, cover point, or stop behind (long-stop) in any case.” 38.— In all cases where a substitute shall be allowed, the consent o f the opposite side shall be obtained as to the person to act as substitute, and the place in the field which he shall take. 39.— 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. I f 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. 40.—A batsman is liable to be out for any infringement of the laws b y his substitute. 41.—The fieldsman may stop the ball with any part of his person, but if he wilfully stop it otherwise, the ball shall be “ dead” and five runs added to the score; whatever runs may have been made, five only shall be added. Prior to 1884 a fieldsman could stay the progress of the hall however he chose, pro­ vided only that he did not bring his hat into requisition. In that year, however, the words “ hat or any other article ’ ’ were added. The present wording was shortly afterwards introduced. 42.—The w icket-keeper shall stand behind the wicket. I f he shall take the b ill for the purpose of stumping before it has passed the wicket, or, if he shall incommode the striker by any noise, or motion, or if any part of his person be over or before the wicket, the striker shall not be out, excepting under Laws 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. See note affixed to Law 23. The intro­ duction of leg-guards and gloves has made wicket-keeping far more easy than it origi­ nally was. We read that George Brown’s delivery was so terrific that at times the wicket-keeper was dispensed with altogether, while the long-stop used padding to protect himself. The first wicket-keeper in England to dispense with the long-stop was Harrv Phillips. 43.—The umpires are the sole ju dge3 of fair or unfair play, of the fitness o f the ground, the weather, and the ligh t for pla y; all disputes shall be determined by them, and if they disagree the actual state of things shall continue. At a meeting of the M.C.C. on January 7th, 1901, it was decided that in future the captains of each side should decide on the fitness of ground and light for play, but as the exact wording of this rule has not yet been advertised, it is here left in its old form. The “ Instructions to Umpires ” were drawn up by the Committee of the M.C.C. on June 20th, 1892. See note appended to Law 3. 44.—They shall pitch fair wickets, arrange fair boundaries where necessary, and the allowances to be made for them, and change ends after each side has had one innings. Lord Charles Russell was responsible for