The Ladies' Guide to Cricket

r. U tj . I ' '/ u I '/ s in rourso Jof Inking t,lu> innings nltqrnaka ‘ follow-on,” from the side wlticli li^wrfg ' l l s u e ^Ijlmt U oallcd a ssivo innings, and if the score tlftyi ^niwifl*^^dMqtP to that ready mode in the first innings, is loan Huiri il/s opponent’s first and only innings, the latter are said to have won in one ce iTO all innings. M rs .C hester : “ 1 sec! If tlio Paragons, when they go in, make 00 runs less than the Shooting Stars, the former will hare to follow their innings at once ? ” S tanley : “ Yes; because this is only a one-day match; but in a match which is to last two days, the difference between the scores of the first two innings must be at least SO, and in a three days’ match 100 runs to necessi­ tate a ‘ follow-on.’ A match is said to be won by so many runs, or by . so many wickets. The first case is when both sides have had complete innings, and the total in runs of the one exceeds the total of the other side. But it sometimes happens that the side which goes in last manages to make the runs required to win without losing all the 10 wickets. Then the match is won by as many wickets as there are batsmen, whose wickets have not fallen. However, we are now batting, and that is why I am here and not engaged in the game.” M rs . C hester : “ Then while your side is in you have nothing to do ? ” S tanley : “ Exactly ; until my turn to bat arrives, because only two of the in side bat at a time, and as they are put out, their places are filled from the eleven one by one, until all the in side have batted, and the last man remains without a partner.” •* Miss L iston : “ But I see four men with bats.” S tanley : “ Yes ; but two of those are the umpires, who ought to (but do not always) carry bats as insignia of office. You will generally know the umpires by their dress, and by not using their bats, save to knock in a loose stump occa­ sionally when the bails won’ t keep on.” M rs . C hester : “ Stump, 1 suppose, means wicket; but what are the bails ? ” S tanley : “ The bails are two small bits of wood fitting in a groove at the top of the stumps, but loosely, so that a slight knock will displace them.” M rs . C hester : “ Of what use are the bails ? ” S tanley : “ They assist the umpires in deciding whether the ball has hit the wicket or not. But you will find all these W del ails tedious, 1 fear, until you understand wlmt the eleven Puragons out in the field and the two Shooting Stars at the wickets are trying to do. Briefly, the object of the two Shooting Star batsmen is to make runs without being put out ; and the object of the eleven Paragons is lo prevent the bats-