ch. xxxiv CRICKET, FOOTBALL, ETC. 337 



However steady, the ordinary medium pace bowler 

 who relies on his length and an off-break is quite 

 innocuous to batsmen of any real class. His break is 

 diminished and the ball comes along off the matting at 

 such a uniform pace that everything but a real long 

 hop can be played forward to. The most successful 

 bowlers are the really fast, the googly and those who 

 are for ever varying their pace, length, and break. 

 Something, probably the beautiful climate, tends to 

 increase a player's powers, and as in South Africa many 

 returning home after two or three years' absence do so 

 as vastly improved players. The standard of cricket is 

 fairly high, and probably a team selected from the 

 following would be more than a match for most, if not 

 all, second-class counties : 



Messrs. Lushington, Pelham Burn, Thomas, 

 A. Lambert, F. O. B. Wilson, H. D. Stanning, 

 Pickwood, Pickering, Kemp, Stone, Long Innes, 

 Jackson, R. Smith, Gower. 



All the above are good class bats, with perhaps the 

 first six and Mr. Gower the pick, and Mr. Stone is a 

 most capable wicket-keeper, while Messrs. Thomas, 

 Pickwood, Wilson, Pickering, Jackson, and Lambert 

 would provide an attack of ample variety if somewhat 

 lacking in steadiness. 



The Protectorate is one of the few corners of the 

 Empire which has not as yet been visited by any 

 touring team. It would appear that the time has 

 almost come when this omission might be remedied. 

 Although the most popular season for the game is July 

 to October, the months of January, February, and 

 March are almost equally pleasant ; this season would 

 naturally commend itself in preference to the visitors. 

 Possibly the cricket played would be deemed hardly 



