Canadian Cricket Field Volume 1 1882

AJOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CRICKET INCANADA. JULY 12, 1882. No. 8 t ganahian rithd Šdh. Will be published twice inMay, twice in September, and weekly during the In. tervening months. Correspondents are requested to send in conitributionsî by tiheirst mail on: Monday to le in lime for Vednesdays issue. Subscrption price, $z.5° per annwn, in advance. Advertising rates on application. Al communications to be addressed, THE C.4N.ADIAN CRICKET FIELD, Box 347, Toronto, Ont. TORONTO, JULY 12TH, 1882. UMPIRES. As it is a well known fact that, in the words of a certain authority, "without professional umpires you can never feel sure of your decisions," and as in the majority of Canadian clubs it is next to impossible to find any one capable of satisfactorily filling this most important position, and as many gentlemen (especially in small clubs which play few matches) vill be glad of a little assistance in the performance of the onerous duties which they so kindly undertake, we make these leading obser- vations on the subject. As the basis of our remarks, we take the "hints" which forn part of the late John Lilly- white's "Cricketer's Companion," repeated for several years but discontinued of late. First in counting the "overs," as we generally take five balls, the fingers of the hand are convenient. Next the umpire must reinember that in every case he is bound to give every doubt in favour of the batsnian. Though he be rnorally certain that the batsman is out, if not absolutely certain of the fact, he ust give him "not out,"-such is the law. Again, as to the vexed question of 1. b. w. The words of the laware, " The striker is out 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 it." The words "a straight line from wicket to wicket," clearly demonstrate the parallelogram formed by joining the opposite wickets from their opposing stumps. The word- ing of the rule is unfortunate but its intention is evident, and we repeat a previous observation made in this journal, that "from vicket to wicket" means " within the parallelogran between the wickets." Of course a case of 1. b. w. can sldom happen with bowling " round tlhe wicket," but it cau happen, and, if only mince iii one hundred times, it is the umpire who nust decide the point. Of course, as we have no professinal unpires, comn- plaints are frequent, and both batsmen and bowlers have their grievances. In a recent match a bowler bowling round the wicket, taking advantage of the inexperience of the umpire, appealed almiost every tinie the ball (on a bad vicket) struck the batsnan. He had publicly to acknowledge having appealed when the ball (on very bumpy ground) struck the batsnan hi lw'u the sheddles. Comment is unnecessarv, but we ctnnot help thinking that a teue cricketer will never appeal to an uncertain umpire without being perfectly sure of the justice of his appeal. " No ball " should be called the moment the foot is on or over the line (ball delivered) or the batsman lusu, the chance of a hit. Reniember also that it is impossilble for a bowler to lift his hindermost foot before delivering the ball. Before connencing a match the umopire sbould agree to signal byes by raising his stick or bat, lecg-byes by striking his leg, and wides and no balls by calling. A " wide " depends entirely upon the ijudgment of the umpire, and here he may surely give the benefit of the doubt to the bowler. What would be wide to a short man (Jupp) would not be so to a tall nan (W. G. Grace). Canadian r'mpires are unnecessarily severe on this point, and ought to consider what a man's reach is. We know a player - ho stands but 5 ft. 8, and can cover easily 4. feet to ' ecg," and nearly the sane to the "off." It is most abs rd to see " wides " called tine after tiei when the ball les than three feet fromi the wicket -any cricketer , i cover at least 3å feet to - log EDITORIA L NOTES. It is thouglit that . 7.aw' s Eleven will mreet the Australians in September. The following is taken froin Lillywlite's remarks on Oscott College for 1881. The Mr. Daly referred to has lately joincd the Toronto Club: "A. Daly (average 22), captain of th e eleven, improved very much in batting this season, niade several very high scores, lias good style, and scores quickly when set; a good out-field, and bowls well-fast round-arm." VOL. I.