294 SPORTING STORIES 



Mr Roupell, of Trinity Hall, in a match at Parker's Piece 

 hit a 7> a 9) and a lo in one and the same innings, and ran 

 them all out. I have seen many a boundary hit at Lord's 

 and the Oval which would have kept rolling along the vast 

 expanse of Parker's Piece till eight or ten runs had been 

 scored, for it would have taken three men to throw the 

 ball up. 



The mention of throwing leads me to express my satis- 

 faction at the proposed restoration of throwing the cricket- 

 ball to its old place in the 'Varsity Sports. It was both 

 an attractive and a useful feature in these games. But if it 

 is restored, I hope strict provision will be made that the 

 throws be straight, I write feelingly on this point ; for I 

 was a cricket-ball thrower myself, and I can recall my 

 disgust when, after a fair and straight throw of just over 

 lOO yards, I was placed second to a man who, though he 

 could sling the leather a great distance, could not, to save 

 his life, have shot a ball in from long-leg within 20 yards 

 either side of the wicket-keeper. Two stumps should be 

 placed at a distance of, say, 6 yards from one another, and 

 90 or 100 yards from the thrower ; and unless the ball is 

 thrown betzveen them it should not count. 



I wonder how far the present generation could throw. 

 W. H, Game, sometime Captain of the Oxford Eleven, was 

 one of the best throwers I ever saw. I believe he threw 

 over 120 yards. W. G. Grace, at an athletic sports 

 meeting at the Oval made three consecutive throws of no, 

 117, 118 yards. Bonnor, the Australian giant, whose 

 magnificent proportions elicited the admiration of Mr 

 Ruskin, is credited with 136 yards; but how far that 

 record is authentic I cannot say. A good story, by the 

 way, is told of Spofforth, the " demon bowler." When he 

 was in the West Country in 1878 or 1880 a Plymouth man 

 was backed to throw the cricket-ball against another for ^5 

 a side. The backer of the winner, who threw well over 100 

 yards, a burly gentleman farmer, turned to Spofforth as the 

 winning throw was measured, and said, " What d'ye think of 

 that for a throw ? " " It's not a bad throw," replied Spofforth 

 carelessly. " Not bad ! " exclaimed the other indignantly ; 

 " I should think not, indeed." " No," said Spofforth 



