Page:Out-door Games Cricket and Golf (1901).djvu/50

Rh owing to its natural slope from north to south—than he was at the Oval.

On most grounds then a bowler could find a spot, and a ball pitching on that spot would sometimes shoot, sometimes hang, and sometimes bump. Grundy was successful because he could find such spots; but if he bowled now in such weather and on such wickets as we have seen in 1899, I say with confidence he would have been played all day with ease. Conversely, a man who plays fairly straight, can hit tolerably hard, and can meet the ball with the bat when it comes on straight with no hang or bump, but half stump high, goes in now and gets maybe 30, 60, or even 100 runs; but there are many such playing now whose captain, if he had been playing at Lord's between 1850 and 1870, would have rejoiced if he made 10.

As there are dozens of batsmen who can make hundreds now to the one batsman of forty years ago, so the general result is, in fine weather, drawn matches, and this fact has forced the hand of the lawgivers, and changes will be made. This will be dealt with fully in a subsequent chapter; but in talking of the