And he looked as if he would fain have leaped over the fence to join the players.

"I regret I know so little of it," said Mr. Singleton, "beyond seeing a match played now and then at Lord's ground; we poor Londoners have no notion of the game: and even then, I've had two or three of the noted fine players pointed out to me; but as to understanding the merits and peculiar beauties of each, or the feats they were accomplishing, I felt as ignorant as an Esquimaux."

"Of all the out-of-door games," said Mr. Warden, “I think none can compare with that of cricket, for the display of manly grace, skill, and activity, combined with coolness and self-possession. A person subject to be flurried, and thrown off his guard, will never be a good cricketer; for instance, he will be liable to vary in his bowling—that is, in pitching his balls the proper length before the batter, so that he may have the greatest difficulty in striking them. A nervous man is still more unfit for a wicket-keeper, whose duty consists in standing at the opposite wicket to the bowler, and behind the batter, in order that he may stop the ball, if the batter miss it, or catch him out, if the ball have touched his bat in its passage. And most of all, the batter should be cool and collected because it is requisite that he should decide in an instant what to do with the ball when it has left the hand of the bowler; whether to strike it right out into the field, or, to finesse with it, by allowing it to glance at an angle from his wicket by partially turning his bat; or, by stopping it altogether if he find that he cannot strike it away with advantage: or, lastly, to decide whether he shall leave it altogether. All these requisites depend upon quickness of sight; and a man who has not an eye like a hawk, will never be a proficient in this game; for un

certainty of sight will make him nervous; and (what is worse) he will be liable to serious accidents. I would dissuade every one who is slow-and still more, shortsighted, from having anything to do with the game of cricket; most especially as it is now played, with the sharp style of delivering the balls. Lillywhite's bowling can never be trifled with, and a man had need make his will, before he stand against the terrific delivery of Mr. Alfred Mynn."

"Does the batter always lose his game if the ball be caught when he has struck it?" asked Mr. Singleton.

66

66

"Yes," answered Alfred Newton, unless the bowler have not delivered the ball according to the laws of the game; and the principal law, as regards the bowler, is, that when the ball leaves his hand he shall have one foot on each side of the bowling-crease; which is a line extending a yard in length on each side of the stumps. If the bowler do not deliver the ball within this limit, the umpire, who stands behind the wicket, calls out, 'no ball,' and then the batter is not considered out,' even though his ball may have been caught."

6

"The bowling-crease has also what is called the returncrease, after this fashion," observed Mr. Warden, drawing

Bowling crease

Return crease

with his stick on the ground; "and within these limits the bowler is confined to deliver his ball."

"Why did the wicket-keeper knock down that batter's stumps then?" said Mr. Singleton.

"Because," said Alfred Newton, "he was (as the term is used) 'out of his ground.' That is, he was not within

THE PLAYERS IN CRICKET.

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the popping-crease, which is a line drawn parallel with the wicket and the bowling-crease, and at four feet distance from it. The batter may at any time, while the play is proceeding, be put out (that is, have his wicket knocked down with the ball), if he have not one foot or his bat within the popping-crease. The bowler, the batter, and the wicket-keeper are the three principal persons in the game; and, indeed, the game could be played by those only; but, of course, not so well, because of the time that would be wasted in running after the ball when it is struck out."

"But how many are required to make a complete game asked Mr. Singleton.

"Twenty-two," answered Mr. Warden; "that is, eleven men on each side, who are distributed about the field in

such positions as experience has shown will enable them to put out their opponents, the batters. These consist," continued he, marking with his stick, "of the following

denominations:-1, the bowler: 2, the wicket-player; 3, the point of the bat; 4, the long field straight off; 5, the long field straight on; 6, the long field to the hip; 7, the long stop; 8, the short slip; 9, the long slip; 10, the middle-wicket; 11, the long field, to cover the middlewicket and point of the bat."

"But why are so many more of the seekers-out placed on the one side of the batter than on the other?" enquired Mr. Singleton.

"Because," said Mr. Warden, "the good bowler always aims at pitching his balls towards the batter's off-stump. By which direction the batter is the more liable to put the ball into the hands of one of the seekers-out; and still more, because he cannot strike a ball to such a distance from his right, as he can from his left hip. The position of the players in the field is always varied according to the character of the bowling; and this arrangement is ordered by the wicket-keeper, who is director of the field for the time being. If the bowling be slow, the seekers draw more closely to the batter; if it be very fast, they draw off to a considerable distance. With such bowling as Mr. Alfred Mynn's, for instance, the long slip (No. 9) is always prepared to back the long stop (No. 7); for in very swift bowling the ball will sometimes pass both wicketkeeper and long stop; in which case the batters may steal But one of the chief duties in the fieldsmen is, to be constantly on the watch to 'back up,' as it is called; that is, to cover the seeker towards whom a ball is struck; so that, in case he should fail in stopping it, the backer will be prepared to receive it."

a run.

"What did the umpire mean 'over?'" asked Mr. Singleton. seekers are moving," added he.

just now, by calling "I see that all the

THE WICKET-KEEPER.

233

"That is," replied Alfred Newton, "because the bowler has delivered his four balls (the number allotted to each); the man who was just now the wicket-keeper will take his turn in bowling; and as the position of the game is changed, the seekers-out take their opposite places in the field, to watch the batter who is at the wicket where the last bowler

was.

"Which of the players, should you say, holds the most important place in the field, Papa ?" asked William.

"Beyond all question, I should say, the wicket-keeper," answered Mr. Warden. "In the first place, he commands the whole of the field, and should therefore possess a complete knowledge of all points of the game, and be competent to judge also the most available places in which to move the fields-men. He does all in silence, with a motion of his hand, that the batter (behind whom he stands) may not be aware of his intention. For instance, if a man at the point of the bat, or in the middle-wicket, be either too far out, or too close to the batter, the wicket-keeper, judging by the character of the bowling, will motion these men closer or farther; and, by so doing, will frequently prevent the batter from obtaining a run that he had calculated upon. For this reason, all the fieldsmen, in taking up their positions, keep their eyes on the wicket-keeper to know whether he approve or object to them. Moreover, the wicketkeeper must be incessantly on the watch, and be as active with his limbs as with his eyes to stop all balls that have passed by the batter, or to catch them, if they have glanced from him; for if the ball touch any portion of the bat, or even the hand or wrist of the batter, he is out if the ball be caught. In swift bowling, therefore, his position is one of extraordinary difficulty. Again, the wicket-keeper is required to be on the watch to put down the batter's wicket,