CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 187, 23 July 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

CRICKET

IN BYGONE DAYS RULES AND CUSTOMS. INTERESTING RECORDSPlayers and followers of the game of cricket will find matters of interest to them in the information, relating to old-time rules and customs, given in the correspondence columns of the “London Times.” The custom practised by umpires of carrying bats is of much older date than the year—lBo9—referred to by Mr Charles V. Simon .writes G. N. Carter, of Manchester. Vol. 2 of “The Sporting Magazine,” 793, contains “The Laws of Cricket, as revised by the Cricket Club St. Mary-le-bone,” and also an engraving of a “Grand Cricket Match, played in Lord’s Ground, Mary-le-bone, on June 20th. Following day between the Earls of Winchilsea and Darnley for 1000 Guineas.” The match was between the County of Kent (Earl of Darnley playing) and eight gentlemen of the Maryle-bone Club and three of the Hambledon Club (Earl of Winchilsea playing). The latter won by 10 wickets, the respective total of notches being:—Kent, 148; Mary-le-bone Club, 149. In the engraving the umpire at the striker’s end has a bat in his left hand. It must be remembered that in olden times, with a few exceptions, most clubs played a large majority of gentlemen (now called “amateurs”). Facilities for getting about were not so good as they are to-day, and members travelled great distances in order to play, frequently on horseback or on foot. It is recorded that John Smith walked from Ramsbury Manor to Purton, Wiltshire, and back —18 miles each way —in the day He scored for Purton 50 in the first, and 49 in the second innings, and would have scored 50 had his partner not run one short. Writing of Purton, it is singular that Air Arthur Haygarth, in Lillywhite’s “Scores and Biographies,” gave this village as in Gloucestershire instead of in Wiltshire. It often happened that members arrived late, and in consequence those already on the spot sometimes would play either for or against their own side until more members arrived; this, of course, was a matter of arrangement.

As already pointed out by some of your correspondents, the umpire was often a batsman, but acted as umpire until his turn to strike or to bat, and he would, of course, have a bat. The carrying of the bat also helped those playing to distinguish him, and the bat was always handy in case the striker or batsman damaged his bat. Umpires frequently had a spare ball in their pockets, and also bails; these I have seen produced. Sometimes the scorer was also one of the players, and scores are to be seen in as many as three or six different handwritings. In such cases tho name of the next batsman generally disclosed the name of the last scorer.

Regarding Mr Simon’s inquiry as to the date of the abolition of the rule that the visiting side had always got the choice of innings and of the pitch, I cannot but think that there is some error in the date referred to by Mr Alan Hutchinson in your issue of tho 6th inst. The foundation rules which he quotes were in existence before the meeting at the Star and Garter, Pall Mall, on February 25, 1774. At that meeting the rules were revised to read as follows:-—“The Party which goes from Home shall have the choice of the innings and the pitching of the wickets, which shall be pitched within 30 yards of a centre fixed by the adversaries. When the parties meet at a third place, the bowlers shall toss up for the pitching of the first wicket, and the choice of going in.” The rules were apparently again revised about 1775, 1781, 1788, 1793, and 1798; in the last of which years the wording of this rule is practically the same as in 1774. In 1816, however, this rule was altered to read:—“The Umpires in all matches to pitch fair wickets, and the parties to toss for the choice of innings.” The footnote in Lillywhite’s “Scores and Biographies” reads as follows:— “It has been a custom, when two matches are played by the same parties that the one that goes from home should have the choice of innings and pitching the first wickets, which must be within 30 yards of the centre fixed on by the adversaries, but this must be agreed on at the time of making the match; but, if only one match is played, or two on the same ground, the Umpires must pitch the wickets.”

So that unless further discoveries have been made, ISI6 is the year of the abolition of the rule referred to by Mr Simon.

I should like to take this opportunity of mentioning that for some time I have been trying to ascertain on what dates the terms “hands” and “matches” were last used in the actual score books of clubs throughout the country. I have score hooks with both terms but should much like to know what dates others interested in the subject have found. I should also be very grateful for any references in old manuscripts, etc., as to the terms “Handyn and Handoute” and also “hands in” or “hands out ”