I have said that a definition of throwing is impossible. There are only certain features that must be present whenever throwing exists. It is impossible to throw without bending the arm at the moment of delivery, indeed I have grave doubts whether it is possible to bowl fast with a bent arm without throwing. But this is absolutely certain—it never can be a throw if the ball is delivered with a straight arm: some bend of the arm must accompany every throw. It would seem from this that no so-called bowler, who bowls with a bent arm, must complain if his delivery is regarded with suspicion. If, therefore, the Marylebone Club wants to put the subject absolutely beyond any question, all that is necessary is to make it a rule that the ball must be delivered with a straight arm; and that if the arm is bent the umpire shall call "no ball." For reasons I shall give later, I think that this course would be a mistake; but undoubtedly it would finally abolish throwing, and, though it might be hard upon certain bowlers, it would settle a vexed and difficult
of cricket it is possible to conceive, and have done an injury which it may be difficult to remedy.
