Page:The Crisis in Cricket and the Leg Before Rule (1928).djvu/19

Rh the ball, which, in the opinion of the umpire at the bowler's wicket, shall have been pitched in a straight line from it to the striker's wicket and would have hit it." But what do the words "from it" mean? If it means what it is taken to be at the present day, "it" ought to be struck out, and "the bowler's wicket" substituted; if from the bowler's hand, "bowler's hand."

After Ring and Taylor's "shabby" play, about the year 1782, it is probable that umpires for some years were in the dark and followed no settled principle in giving l.b.w. decisions, some thinking that for a batsman to be given out l.b .w. it was necessary that the ball should pitch between wicket and wicket, while others held that where the ball pitched had nothing to do with the question. The rules gave them very little help, although nine revisions were made between 1774 and 1831. But there is some evidence that later, probably about 1831, it was commonly understood that where the ball pitched was immaterial. There is no written record to prove this, but what I am going to write is based on what was told me more than forty years ago. I have a very retentive memory for all matters connected with cricket and I remember the conversation I had with a very distinguished old cricketer as clearly as if it took place yesterday.

About the years 1885-7 I had a conversation with the late Lord Bessborough on the l.b.w. question which was very much to the front then owing to Shrewsbury's action, which will be described later. Lord Bessborough, better known perhaps as Fred Ponsonby, a good cricketer, a famous Harrow coach and a first-rate judge of the game, who played in the