Page:Cricket (Lyttelton, 1898).djvu/44

40 was that mid-on came round, and short-leg went third man. Nearly every match was played with the field placed as I have stated, and there were certain unwritten laws which were very faithfully observed. For instance, long-leg to one bowler used always to field cover-point to the other. It was always assumed that every bowler should be a born short-slip to the other bowler, and it was considered high treason that your chief bowlers should be put anywhere where they would be expected to throw, for fear of injuring their arm; this, I imagine, was the reason why they so frequently took short-slip. But the chief difference in the fielding between those days and these is the result of boundaries. Everything was run out, so throwing from long distances became absolutely necessary, and moreover very beautiful to look at; in fact, nothing prettier in cricket could be seen than a low, skimming, long hop, thrown in from eighty yards off, neatly handled by the wicket-keeper, the bails knocked off with no fuss, and the