OUT-OF-DOOR RECREATIONS. 



be done is to ' pitch ' the wickets. This is done 

 by the umpires, of whom there are two, one 

 appointed by either side, and who have absolute 

 power to settle disputes arising in course of the 

 game. Wickets consist of six wooden stumps, 27 

 inches high above the ground, and placed in 

 the ground in sets of three, at a distance of 22 

 yards apart, directly opposite each other. On the 

 top of each set of stumps are placed two small 

 pieces of wood, called bails, usually 8 inches in 

 length. At the distance of 4 feet in front of each 

 wicket, and parallel to it, is a line drawn on the 

 ground called the popping-crease. In a straight 

 line with each wicket is a score on the ground 

 called the bowling-crease. The bowling-crease 

 should be 6 feet 8 inches in length (the stumps 

 in the centre), and have a return crease at 

 each end towards the bowler at right angles. 

 The length of the popping-crease is unlimited, 

 but it must not be shorter than the bowling-crease. 

 Two scorers are chosen, one by each side, to 

 mark the game. The rival sides next toss for first 

 * innings,' and the director of the side that is to go 

 in first, places two of his men at the wickets as 

 batsmen ; while a bowler, wicket-keeper, long-stop, 

 and fielders are placed in their several positions 

 by the director of the opposite side. When these 

 arrangements are satisfactorily made, and the 

 markers or scorers are at their post, the umpires 

 take their places, one at each wicket, and the 

 game begins. 



A bowler commences bowling. He bowls four 

 successive balls, his object being to strike 

 down the wicket ; if he succeed, the batsman 

 retires from the game, and another of his party 

 takes his place. If, however, the ball is well 

 struck by the batsman, he and his partner keep 

 running to each other's wicket, and back again, 

 until their opponents obtain possession of the 

 ball ; and one run is scored towards their game 

 every time they change wickets. Should the ball 

 be thrown up by any of their opponents, and 

 one of the wickets put down before the batsman 

 running for that wicket has reached the popping- 

 crease, or, as it is usually termed, his ' ground,' he 

 is out ; or if, after the ball is struck, any of the 

 opposite party catches it before it reaches the 

 ground, the striker of the ball is out. The bats- 

 man may leave his ground to strike, and score 

 any runs so obtained ; but he is out, provided the 

 wicket-keeper succeeds in touching his wickets 

 with the ball before he regains his ground. 

 When the player who commenced bowling has 

 bowled four balls, the umpire at his wicket calls 

 'Over,' and the fieldsmen, wicket-keeper, and long- 

 stop reverse their positions by crossing over to the 

 opposite side of the ground. The same number 

 of balls are then delivered from the other wicket, 

 and so on alternately. When all the players 

 belonging to the in-party are out, they change 

 places with their opponents, and bowl and field 

 to them until their innings are over. In single- 

 day matches the largest score in the first innings 

 decides the game ; but in two or three day matches 

 the largest aggregate number of runs in two inn- 

 ings gives the victory. The players who go in 

 second, follow their innings if they have obtained 

 80 runs less in their first than their antagonists, 

 or if they have obtained 60 runs less in the case 

 of matches limited to one day's play. These are 

 the principal features of the game. 



As the decisions of each umpire are final at his 

 own wicket, two persons should be selected who 

 are distinguished for impartial judgment and 

 knowledge of the laws of the game. The umpire 

 at the striker's wicket should stand rather behind 

 it, at the on-side, so as not to be in the way of the 

 players ; his duty is chiefly to decide whether the 

 batsman is fairly stumped out or not. The umpire 

 at the bowler's wicket should place himself in a 

 direct line behind it, to see that the bowler 

 delivers the ball fairly, and that the batsman does 

 not stop it when delivered straight, with any part 

 of his dress or person before the wicket. He is 

 likewise to be first appealed to in all other doubt- 

 ful points during the continuance of the game. 

 The scorers should be placed in a line with 

 cover-point, at some distance out in the field, 

 so as not to be in the way of the players. 

 Each party's score is to be kept distinct Every 

 striker's runs are to be marked separately to his 

 name each innings ; and when he is put out, the 

 mode of putting out must be described as bowled, 

 caught, &c. All overthrows and lost balls are to 

 be scored to the striker, a lost ball reckoning six ; 

 and the wide balls, no balls, and byes that occur 

 during an innings, are each to be placed in a 

 separate line, and cast up with the runs of the 

 strikers when the innings is finished. 



Skill in the bowler is of the utmost importance. 

 He should not be too systematic, but vary his balls 

 faster or slower, to take advantage of the pecu- 

 liarities of the striker. Round-hand bowling, the 

 style now almost universally adopted by 'swift' 

 bowlers, is accomplished by delivering the ball 

 with a turn of the wrist, so as to make it, as it 

 were, twist from the hand to the wicket The 

 ball must be bowled, not thrown or jerked. The 

 bowler must deliver it with one foot on the ground 

 behind the bowling-crease, and within the return- 

 crease. The batsman should stand with the right 



Fig. 10. 



foot sufficiently behind the popping-crease to be 

 on his ground, and as near to the block-hole as 



661 



