The Ladies' Guide to Cricket

8 before commencing tlm match. Formerly six balls was the customary number, but. when fast, round-arm bowling became the fashion, it was .found very trying to deliver six successive balls, without n rest . Tim number wns consequently reduced to four, but this entails another inconvenience, the ‘ overs’ coming to on end too quickly, and causing a great waste of time while the fieldsmen are changing their positions. As a compromise the number now usually agreed upon is five balls in th e ‘ over.’ ” M rs . C hester : “ You told us just now that the man with the big gloves is the wicket keeper, but why should he and no one else, wear them ?” S tanley : “ Because it is his duty to catcli or stop every ball that passes the striker. Did lie not wear padded gloves his hands could not endure the constant wear and tear of stopping, not only those balls which pass the striker like greased lightning, but also all that the fieldsmen throw in. ITe must also carefully watch the batsman, and be ready to whip off the bails with the ball the instant both the batsman’ s feet are outside the popping crease. About fifteen yards behind the wicket keeper is another hard-worked individual, called the long stop, who is so jfiaced in order to stop all balls that pass both striker and wicket keeper. For even if the batsman does not hit the ball, or if it bounds off his leg or body, a run may be attempted if long1, stop misses or fumbles the ball. M rs . C hester .* “ Why I always thought that the batsmen could not run if the ball was not hit.” S tanley : “ They can, as I have described, but runs so made are called byes or leg byes. Byes, when they have not touched any part of the striker’s person ; leg byes when they have. They help to swell the total score, but not being hits off the bat, are marked in separate columns, and not credited to the batsman’s individual score. All runs not made “ off the bat” are called extras . But see ! Johnson is out—stumped by the wicket keeper. That cunning Tom Trundler bowled a high dropping ball, called a tice, on purpose to entice Johnson out of ground to hit at it. Ho missed it, however, and, though it passed the wicket, the wicket keeper caught it and knocked off the bails before Johnson could get back. That is what we call being stumped out, and, as I have told you what the vrtu.se (\i. 6) is, you will, 1 think, ho able to appreciate these facetious lines “ Fair ladies ut a cricket match Your gentle presence hliss is; For even though we a catch, W a yet may catch a Wlnl, t in your *umiy smile* we husk, Ou rform got;* ull to pieces: Y O'-i draw u ««(, theu we* tly usk, Wh»u; me thy popping ci W uhc V'