"LEG BEFORE" RULE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 31 March 1913, Page 5

"LEG BEFORE" RULE.

CONSULTING AUSTRALIA. (Received 8.20 a.m.) LONDON, March 30. The "Globe -, says that Australia has always loyally recognised the authority of the M.C.C., but it would be a graceful act if that club informally ascertained how the proposed alteration of the legbefore rule is likely to affect Australian cricket. It would be unpleasant to find that Australians felt compelled to ignore the decision.

\t a meeting of the Marylebone Cricket I Club in I'JOl ;i proposal was made to j amend the leg-before rule, ami was defeated. The proposed alteration was moved by the Hon. Alfred . Lyttelton, M.P.. and seconded by Mr John Khuter. Mr VV. K. Denison lnovrd Che direct negative, which was seconded by Mr A. G. Steel. In the subsequent- discussion, Mr H. A. H. Mitchell. .Mr Harvey Fellows, and Mr (". ('. Clarke supported the proposition, and Mr P. F. Warner opposed it. On a ballot vote beinff taken the numbers were: For the alteration 25!), afjainst it 18S. The proposal was thus carried by the substantial majority of 71, but inasmuch as no change in the laws of cricket can be effected by less than a | two-thirds majority, the alteration could not be made. Various prominent cricket enthusiasts in Adelaide expressed their opinions the | other day on the leb-beforc-wieket pro- ' posal. "I have always held." said Mr (i. M. Evan (chairman of the South Australian Cricket Association, and a 1 member of the Board of Control), ''that a batsman should be out if. in the opinion of the umpire, the ball would have hit the wicket had it not been stopped by the batsman's pads. 1 agree with Mr Steel. Why should a hrcak-bov.ier br penalised? " Vow will find the howlers favourable to the proposal, but the hats-1 I men will be aftainst it." 1 Mr firm Hill Look an opposite view. He saw no reason why the existing rule should be amended. The proposal, he mid, would give umpirra too much scope. i"I can see. it would suit a left-arm bowler, and also a bowler on a sticky j M "Absurd !" =ai<l Mr i- X- Crawford. i -ThVv" tried it in Kngland six or seven ! vearr' ago. but they soon dropped it. Only i two nuTtclii's v.-prp played under tliat I arrangement, and each side in the. contest ! mn de only 70 or 80 runs. A largo, pro--1 portion of the batsmen were out lotri !."'"n-" •vicVf*-.."