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38 bestowed upon this part of the game. It may be stated, as a more or less true axiom, that good fielding makes weak bowling strong; and if no feasible catches were dropped, very rarely would innings of 300 runs be seen. What visions of dropped catches pass through my mind as I look back over thirty years' experience of cricket—a chapter might be written on them—and how many old cricketers live, deep in whose hearts linger bitter memories of catches in the hands and out again. True, some men have hands that are not well adapted for holding catches. A small, fat, fleshy hand is one out of which the ball is apt to bound—it lacks grip and holding power—but even such hands, if the owners thereof would only hold them in the right position, would hold catches and not drop them. Some fields can hold catches however they come in reason, and, within limits, however they hold their hands; but I feel sure that boys ought to be taught, in high catches, to hold the two hands high up, even close to the face,