A word now on behalf of the unhappy bowlers. The wondrous excellence of modern grounds has driven the bowler to adopt all sorts of devices to get wickets, and the great increase in the number of curling and breaking bowlers is owing to this. To acquire a curl or a break back is most difficult, and the highest amount of credit is due to bowlers who have gained this skill.
Heavily handicapped as the bowler is by the smooth wicket, is he not entitled to a little consideration when all his efforts to bowl a man by a breaking ball are neutralised by the leg and not the bat? It may be reckoned a certainty that neither Dark nor Caldecourt could have foreseen the prevalence of modern leg play; if Dark had done so he would have supported Caldecourt. Now surely it is no small reason why the law should be altered if a state of things has arisen, altogether unsportsmanlike and utterly unforeseen, in consequence of the interpretation of a certain rule which in old times was by certain umpires treated differently? We can only hope that the force of public opinion will cause the Marylebone Club to reconsider their judgment. Before we leave this subject we cannot help expressing an opinion that, impartial as the M.C.C. sub-committee may be, it was a pity so little of the bowling element was represented on it. It is the bowlers who have most cause to grumble at the modern leg play; but with the exception of Mr. Ridley and Mr. V. E. Walker, both lob bowlers, the committee consisted of past or present batsmen entirely, or at any rate of members whose chief forte was batting and not bowling. However, the homily which was finally adopted has been preached, and it may have effect. We hope it will.
Some good results, however, followed the conference of the M.C.C, which was held just prior to the writing of these remarks. The position of affairs about 4 o'clock on the third day of a match, stumps having to be drawn at 7, until lately very often was that the in side were two or three hundred runs on and only five wickets down. The captain of the side, seeing that if his men played their natural game the match must
