Page:Out-door Games Cricket and Golf (1901).djvu/148

Rh declaring innings at an end will do much, because captains will not run any risks. This sentiment of our captains is encouraged by the modern system of calculation. In the county championship draws are ignored. You lose nothing, but a defeat is serious, and everything now is tabulated and published. The only way by which real benefit could accrue by declaring an innings at an end, would be to get established in the cricketer the principle that to lose a match is not so great a calamity as it is now thought to be, and more credit would attach to finishing and losing a match than saving it in the style of 200 runs to make and one wicket to go down. This, however, is too much to expect, and cannot be attained by any change of rule, or indeed any rule at all.

The rule as to following on has seen some curious developments. It was passed originally to help the weaker side. In the days of low scoring it was considered that when a side was 80 runs behind, its chance of winning was absolutely nil. If there had been no follow-on the leading side would go in again, and scoring as the average side then did about 150, would put