Cricket Council referred to in the last chapter, one does feel surprised that nothing has been done in the way of altering the l.b.w. rules so as to stop the practice of deliberately defending the wicket with the person instead of the bat. It is only necessary to read and re-read what the M.C.C. Sub-Committee said in the resolution which was passed by them in 1887 "that the practice of deliberately defending the wicket with the person was contrary to the spirit of the game and was inconsistent with fairness and which the M.C.C. would discountenance and prevent the practice of by every means in their power. . . ." But this strongly expressed opinion fell on barren soil and ended in absolutely nothing and might just as well have never been said. Many of our leading batsmen deliberately put the bat out of action and cover the wicket with their legs. Indeed, this is openly taught as correct play in text books and the M.C.C. Sub-Committee has been flouted and ignored.
It is curious to see how differently the subject has been regarded at different times. When Ring and Taylor used the legs to save their wickets to balls pitched outside the wicket about the year 1782, old Beldham called it shabby and public opinion apparently agreed with Beldham, at any rate to a considerable extent. But when Shrewsbury in the middle 'eighties did what Ring and Taylor did a century before, it was condoned, for nothing was done, notwithstand ing the strong remarks made at the County Cricket Council in 1887. Since then nearly forty years have passed and the l.b.w. cases have increased enormously and still nothing has been done.
The effect of leg-play, and of course easy wickets, has
