CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



possible, without being himself before his wicket. 

 The left foot should be placed lightly on the 

 ground, and as much towards the bowler as an un- 

 constrained attitude will permit. Before the ball 

 is delivered, the bat should be placed in ' block ' 

 exactly opposite the middle stump ; it should be 

 grasped by the middle of the handle, with the 

 hands almost close to each other ; this method of 

 holding it gives the player greater command, and 

 renders his hitting considerably stronger than when 

 one hand is placed at the point and the other at 

 the shoulder. By keeping the left shoulder a little 

 forward, in the direction of the bowler, and the 

 left elbow well up, the batsman will avoid striking 

 into the air. The bat may be gradually raised as 

 the ball is delivered ; the eye, at the same time, 

 marking where it pitches. Runs for balls driven 

 before wicket should depend upon the will of the 

 striker, and those driven behind wicket upon the 

 decision of his partner. This arrangement will 

 frequently prevent either being run out. The 

 bat should be kept on the outside of the opposite 

 partner, and care taken not to run against him. 

 The batsman, on commencing play, should ascer- 

 tain of the bowler from which side of the wickets 

 he intends to deliver the ball. 



Each man on the side which is not batting, as 

 well as the bowler, has a peculiar duty assigned 

 to him. First, there is the wicket-keeper, upon 

 whom much depends. He should not suffer the 

 batsman to move from his ground without touch- 

 ing or striking his wicket with the ball, which is 

 called ' stumping.' He should likewise see that 

 the fieldsmen are in their proper places. He 

 should stand with his left foot forward, and his 

 hands should be ever ready for action. He may 

 place himself at a distance of from half a yard 

 to two yards behind the stumps, according to the 

 strength of the bowling. In returning the ball to 

 the bowler, he should deliver it so that the bowler 

 may either catch it at once, or receive it at the 

 first rebound. The short-slip should stand so as 

 to reach within about two or three yards of the 

 wicket-keeper ; if the latter should go from the 

 wicket after the ball, the short-slip should take his 

 place until either the ball is thrown back or he 

 returns. Point should place himself in a line 

 with the popping-crease, from five to fifteen yards 

 off the bat, according to the play. He ought 

 to be a good catcher. Mid-wicket should stand 

 on the off-side, about seven yards from the 

 bowler's wicket. He should throw in the ball, 

 about the height of the bails. If the bowler leaves 

 his place, mid-wicket should take it till he returns ; 

 and when the ball is hit sharply and straight to 

 the bowler, he should 'back up,' to prevent a run, 

 sometimes made before the long-field reaches 

 the ball. Cover-points place is between the point 

 and mid-wicket, but further out in the field, so 

 that if the ball should be hit to them and missed, 

 he will be in readiness to receive it. His position 

 varies with the peculiarities of the bowler and 

 batsman. Leg should stand rather behind the 

 striker, in a diagonal line, about twelve or sixteen 

 yards from the wicket Long-stop should place 

 himself behind the wicket-keeper, at a distance 

 which must be varied according to the swiftness 

 of the bowling. He should be able to throw in 

 well, as it is 'not only the balls that pass the 

 wicket-keeper, but such as are just tipped with 

 the edge of the bat, that he will have to look to. 



662 



He must also be attentive in backing-up. Long- 

 slip must stand about the same distance from the 

 wicket as the long-stop, in a diagonal line with 

 the striker, between the point and the short-slip r 

 to cover both. Long field-off should be placed 

 on the off-side, between the mid-wicket man 

 and the bowler, at a considerable distance in the 

 field, so as to cover ^hem. There remains the 

 long field-on, whose place is at some distance wide 

 of the bowler's wicket. It should be said that 

 the positions of the fieldsmen must be varied 

 according to the method of bowling adopted, and 

 according to the peculiarities of the batsman, to 

 meet whose play for example, when he is a left- 

 handed player special arrangements often have 

 to be made. Good fielding is so important in a 

 match, that it should occupy the attention of the 

 cricketer not less than batting or bowling. It 

 may be of use to add the following diagram^ 

 representing the field during a cricket-match, with 

 the proper position of the parties playing, also the 

 technical names of these parties : 



O 8 



OFF-SIDE. 

 7 



10 



ON-SIDE. 

 t t 



II 



Names of parties indicated by the figures : **, Batsmen ; i, Bowler ; 

 2, Wicket-keeper ; j, Long-stop ; 4, Short-slip ; 5, Long-slip ; 6, 

 Point; 7, Cover-point; 8, Mid-wicket; 9, Long Field-off; io> 

 Long Field-on; n, Leg; OO, Umpires; tti Scorers. This is 

 the usual placing of the field-men, but bowlers make such alter- 

 ations as they deem best to oppose the batsmen. 



The part of the batsman, however, is the most 

 interesting part of the game. His task consists in 

 stopping or blocking some balls and hitting others, 

 and it is the proper discrimination of which to do- 

 that marks the practised player. 



The laws of cricket in general use are those of 

 the Marylebone Club of London. Some of them 

 have already been indicated. We subjoin the 

 most important of the others. 



If the bowler jerks or throws the ball, the umpire shall 

 call ' No ball.' If the bowler toss the ball over the striker's 

 head, or bowl it so wide that in the opinion of the 

 umpire it shall not be fairly within the reach of the 

 batsman, he shall adjudge one run to the party receiv- 

 ing the innings, either with or without an appeal, which; 

 shall be put down to the score of wide balls ; such ball 

 shall not be reckoned as one of the four balls ; but if 

 the batsman shall by any means bring himself within 

 reach of the ball, the run shall not be adjudged. If the 

 bowler deliver a 'no ball' or a 'wide ball,' the striker 

 shall be allowed as many runs as he can get, and he 

 shall not be put out except by running out. In the 



