The Ladies' Guide to Cricket

11 * Mus C hester : “ Of course 1 mnkc allowances for your modesty, but wlmt has your not. being much of n bat. got to do with your going in after the eighth wicket 1ms fallen ?” L o v e r : “ The best batsman arc put in early in the innings, so that they may have time to distinguish themselves, and not have to leave the wickets for want of a partner; for when ten out of the eleven arc put out, the eleventh is left like the last rose of summer, blooming alone, and is not allowed to pine in solitude, but must come out ; but I think you will learn something by st udying these diagrams of the fieldsmen's positions, especially if you try to identify the num­ bers with the players themselves. The sketches of course only give the positions approximately, and are not drawn to scale. Again, the captain often places his men differently, according to the style of bowling, or the peculiarities of individual bats­ men. To show all these variations would demand quite a number of diagrams. However, you will at any rate learn the place, names of the fieldsmen, and, also, by comparing the two diagrams, notice the effect of the changes after over has been called.” Miss L iston : “ How do they manage to get in their places so quickly. They never seem to hurry ?” L over : “ To save crossing over every time, the fielders at long distances usually exchange places. For instance, Long-leg (No. 11) and Long-slip (No. 5) in Diagram I. move up a bit and become respectively Mid-off (No. 8) and Mid-on (No. 9) in Diagram II., while 8 and 9 in Diagram I. move back and become Long-leg (No. 11) and Long-slip (No. 5) as you see them in Diagram II. I should also say that each bowler, after completing an over, usually takes Short-slip (No. 4) while liis colleague delivers the next over.” Miss L iston : “ Why, Mr. Lover, you surely do not expect us to grasp all that? It is almost as bad as Euclid.” L over : “ Please do not think that. Surely to the intelli­ gence which can master an intricate pattern in the Queen or the < Journal desDemoiselles, my diagrams must be ridiculously pie. Only take an occasional look at them, and I assure yo that oil difficulties will melt away and vanish like snow­ flakes falling into a brook.” M rs . L ir 'JO : “ Aery poetically expressed Mr. Lover, but I s-e they have put up 110 on the telegraph.” J j ' j VEH: “ i es ! while we have been talking Stanley and < j have been scoring. And there is another run ! a Dye.” MT*. 1 ukb 'JEH: “ Ah! yes, 1 remember Mr. Stanley ex* plained tha a bye was a run made through the long-stop inii ring he ball, although the batsman hud not touched it.” 1-o r.ii ; “ Hullo! there goes Cooke’s wicket, clean bowled a magnificent baiter 1“