Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/486

 482 CEICKET CRILLON antennae; the length is about half an inch. They sometimes pierce peach twigs for the purpose of laying their eggs, and they injure the tobacco plant by eating holes in the leaves. They are difficult to catch, from their extreme shyness. The eggs are laid in the beginning of autumn, but are not hatched till the follow- ing summer ; they attain maturity by the first of August, and in southern climates before that time. The females are the largest, almost white, dusky beneath, with three dusky stripes on the head and thorax, and the wings with a greenish tinge and larger than the covers. CRICKET, the favorite athletic game in Eng- land, also played in America. Under the name of "club ball," or "hand-in and hand- out," it was played as early as the 14th cen- tury ; but the name cricket cannot be traced further back than 1685, when it occurs in Phillips's "Mysteries of Love and Eloquence." It has become the national game of England
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IB?. n M N A. Bowler. B, B. Batsmen. C. Wicket keeper. D. Long stop. E. Short slip. F. Point. G. Long slip. H. Cover point. K. Long field off. L. Long field on. M. Short leg. K". Long leg. U, U. Umpires. n,n. Popping creases, 4 ft. in front of wickets. 0, o. Bowling creases, 6 ft. 8 in. in line with wickets, p, p. Wickets, 22 yards apart. within a century. In America, though often played, it has never gained the same impor- tance, and is second to base ball in popu- larity. The game, to be played scientifically, needs a level piece of ground, from six to ten acres in area, with a close sod, which must be frequently mowed and rolled. The necessary implements are a ball, which must be not less than 9 nor more than 9J in. in circumference, and must weigh not less than 5 nor more than 5|- oz. ; the bat, which must not exceed 4 in. in width nor 38 in. in length ; three stumps, or short upright rods of wood, which are set up in tbe ground to form the wickets, and must be of equal thickness, standing 27 in. out of the ground, and so placed, equidistant from one an- other, that the ball cannot pass between them. Across the top are the bails, composed of two pieces of wood, each 4 in. long. Cricket is played either as single or double wicket. The former (not often played) requires not less than two nor more than eight on a side ; the latter must have eleven on one side, and as many or more on the opposite. Eleven picked players often contend with and defeat 22. The accompanying diagram will give a general idea of the positions in the field when the bowling is moderately fast. The fielders (whose duty it is to stop and return the ball) have, as will be seen by the references connected with the diagram, technical names, usually indicating their stations in the game. These positions are varied to suit slow and very fast bowling; and in fact each bowler disposes the field to suit his own particular style and the batsman's play. The game is begun with the outs placed in the field as shown above, and two ins, one at each wicket. The bowler, A, now bowls the ball at the opposite wicket, which is defended by the batsman, B, who if the bowling admits strikes the ball to such a part of the field as will enable him to make one or more runs, i. e., to cross from wicket to wicket as many times as possible before the ball is secured by the fielders and returned to the bowler or wicket keeper; then the bowler delivers another ball, and so on till he has bowled four, which constitute " an over." After this another bowl- er commences at the opposite wicket, the field- ers having assumed the same relative position to him that they held to his predecessor. This second bowler delivers four balls, when the same change takes place, and continuously till all the batsmen have been put out. This must be done either by their having the bail or bails of their wickets knocked oif, or the wicket or wickets knocked out of the ground, either by the bowler when bowling, or by a fielder throwing and knocking them down while the batsman is outside the popping crease, or by the ball's being caught when hit before it touches the ground. The batsman is also out if he knocks down his wicket with his bat, or if the ball is stopped by any part of his body before his wicket ; and several other means by which he may go out are indicated in the rules (15 to 24). After each side has had two innings, the one making most runs is de- clared victorious. The batsmen when playing against fast bowling use leg guards for the pro- tection of the legs, and gloves for the hands. The gloves are made of buckskin, with rubber tubing attached to the exposed parts. The wicket keeper is also protected by gloves and leg guards. Flannel trousers and shirts are invariably worn. For other particulars see the laws of cricket as revised by the Mary- lebone club, the highest authority in the game, and also the following books: "The Cricket and the Field," "Felix on the Bat," and Lily- white's " Guide to Cricketers." CRILLON, a French family, derived from the Piedmontese Balbes who emigrated to France in the 15th century. I. Louis des Balbes dc