which must be kept well forward, the left elbow well up. Many good batsmen, indeed most of our very best, having "taken guard" in the manner described, rise to their full height, holding the bat still in the line of the wickets, but swinging a few inches clear of the ground. This attitude, though apparently less cautious than the former, is in reality, in the case of an experienced player, far more effective even for defence, since the increased height of the eye gives a better sight of the ball, and the bat is more ready for "bailers," i. e., balls that rise high to the bails, without losing, in my opinion even gaining, in the power of being down upon "shooters." For be it remembered, it is far easier to drop the bat than to raise it. Moreover, the batsman standing upright has his muscular powers more at his disposal than when stooping.

The player is now ready for the bowler to deliver the ball; but something further is necessary before he can defend his wicket or strike with full effect. The bat is merely hanging from his hands perpendicularly in front of the wicket; in order to put it in a position to block-i. e., stop the ball, or strike, a further movement is necessary. As the ball is delivered, the point of the bat should be thrown lightly and smoothly back towards the bails, the right hand being used as the pivot, and the left being changed from front to rear, until the whole bat lies in the line from the top of the middle-stump to the bowler's hand. This position allows the batsman, by the mere dropping of the bat to its previous position, if the ball be straight and difficult, to stop it quite as effectually, as if the bat had never been moved, with this further advantage, that the bat strikes the ball, not the ball the bat—a point always to be gained if possible—thus offering the chance of a run, where otherwise the ball might have fallen dead. And if the ball be hitable, the bat is ready raised for the purpose, so that the batsman is enabled to wait till the last moment, and hit or block as it seems best. Forward Play.

The ball once delivered, the batsman has to make up his mind how to stop it. (We are only at present discussing defence, hitting will come after.) A straight length-ball may either be played forward or back; that is, the batsman may either reach forward, so as to catch the ball at or soon after the pitch, or draw back to get a longer sight of the ball. All balls may be played back, but many are better stopped by forward play. To play forward, the player must step out with his left foot, keeping the right, or pivot foot, fast inside the popping crease, and must reach forward as far as possible without overbalancing, the bat thrust forward to the full extent of the arms, and inclined well towards the bowler, the left shoulder well forward, and the left elbow well up. This movement must be so timed as to meet the ball just at the rise, not too soon (or the ball may deviate slightly, and take the wickets, or give a catch off the edge of the bat, or at best meet dead wood, and fall lifeless), and not too late for very obvious reasons. The bat should be clutched tight, and be brought forcibly upon the ball, driving it well back to, or perhaps past, the bowler, in which latter case a run is nearly always safe.

Back Play.

When the ball pitches too short to be met forward, but too far for a long hop, it should be stopped for back play. The left foot stands fast, and the right steps back towards the wicket; if the ball comes high, the bat is brought close to the wicket, and hangs perpendicularly (or lightly inclined forward) from the wrist. If the ball comes in a "shooter," the point of the bat is dropped sharply upon it, the harder the better, just before it reaches the wicket. This play against very fast bowling is perhaps safer than the former, for the ball, if it glances from the bat to either side of the wicket, is pretty safe to make runs in consequence of its own velocity; but with medium pace and slow bowling, this advantage is wanting, and forward play, therefore, is more serviceable. Fast bowling, too, does not twist so much as the slower varieties, and it is not, therefore, of so much consequence to kill it at the pitch.

Hitting.

Hitherto we have talked only of defence; we now come to the real purpose and end of the batting-run-getting. The score is the real criterion of a batsman, and if he be not competent to make runs, however difficult it may be to get his wicket, I must at once pronounce him no cricketer; mere poking about the block-hole is not cricket; it is mere waste of time. Defence is the first consideration of a batsman, but it is so only that he may have more opportunities of hitting. The first point in hitting is to insure the flight of the ball from that part of the bat which will propel it farthest. This is called "the drive," and lies about five inches from the point of the bat, varying slightly according to the weight and make of each bat, but very easily discoverable by experiment. The next point is to time the hit so as to catch the ball just as the bat is moving at its greatest velocity, and this can only be done by hitting as late as possible, not with a heavy dead swing of the bat, like the sway of a sack, but with a sharp rapid action, as though wielding a switch.

In striking a ball as it passes, i. e., from an erect position, the whole power of the hit comes from the swing of the bat; but in forward hitting from the position of forward play, the main power is derived from a sudden thrust of the right arm and shoulder, meeting the ball just as in shoulder hitting in the noble art of self-defence. The most forcible forward hitters rise slightly upon the toes to gain more height, and then drop forward from the vantage ground thus formed with all the force and impetus of their body to back up the mere muscular action of their arms. The lightning velocity with which a ball thus met flies from the bat is rather startling to an unaccustomed bowler. Hitting may be roughly divided under two heads-ground-hitting and sky-hitting. The fatter, especially from a "half-volley," i. e., a ball picked up just as it rises from the ground, is the most alluring to the batsman, and most appreciated by the unscientific spectators; but a low skimming hit, the ball flying about three or four inches from the ground, is the safest, as not being liable to be caught,

An habitual sky

the most difficult to stop, and the most telling on the score. hitter is a man of short scores. Bad fielding and bowling may, if he have a good eye, give him an occasional run of luck, but with real players his term of life-in the cricket sense-will be very short. I should strongly advise the beginner sternly to deny himself during practice hours the indubitable pleasure of high hitting. A habit formed at practice is very apt to lead one astray in a match, and one mistake may be fatal; high hitting, too, requires no practice. Slip

is made by allowing a ball on, or a little wide of, the off stump to glance from the edge of the bat, care being taken, in this hit and in all others, to keep the ball down, or "caught out" will be the result. If the ball be two or three inches wide, and near the ground, it may be sent with considerable velocity between the lines marked for the slip and the cut, by dropping the bat on it sharply just as it is passing the wicket, the later the better. This is done by a sharp, quick action of the wrist and a down drop of the shoulders. It is technically termed "snicking," which word I must use in default of a better.

The Cut

proper is made by hitting a high rising ball with a horizontal bat just as it reaches the wicket. Another form of the cut is made off a lower ball, and with an upright bat; it is not so brilliant a hit as the cut proper, nor so effective, but it is far safer, the attitude in the cut proper making it quite impossible to stop a shorter or keep out a breaking ball—i. e., one that pitches wide of the off-stump and turns into the wicket. The other hits, until we come to the square-leg, are not so peculiar as to require a special description.

Square Leg

may be made either by playing forward, as before directed, upon a ball slightly wide of the leg-stump, which will then fly off square to leg; or by the Cambridge poke, which is very useful for a high rising ball on the leg-stump.

Draw.

By which a ball is allowed to glance off the bat to leg, is useful with balls like the preceding, but difficult to meet forward. The attitude is the same as in back play.

Leg Hit.

Very useful against loose bowling. It is best made by stepping slightly forward with the left foot to an over-pitched leg-ball and hitting square to leg; the combination of the two forces, the original impetus of the ball, and the fresh impulse imparted by the bat, will carry it in the direction of leg. A hit is sometimes made by reaching forward to a short piched ball, and swiping across, the bat pointed to the pitch. This is all very well if successful, but the least deviation of the ball may either take it past the bat, or, more disastrous still, send it skying into the air off the edge; it is, therefore, not to be commended to the

novice. There is a further modification of the leg-hit, occasionally of some service. The left foot is made to describe a semicircle round and in the rear of the right, and the body is faced round nearly to square leg. This hit is employed by a few to pick up leg-shooters; it enables the batsman to hit them along the ground to leg with considerable force. The hit must be as late as possible to be effective.

BASE BALL.

The following are the official rules in force in the United States, where Base Ball is the National game.

RULE FIRST.-The Materials of the Game.

SECTION 1. The ball must weigh not less than five nor more than five and one-quarter ounces avoirdupois. It must measure not less than nine nor more than nine and one-quarter inches in circumference. It must be composed of woollen yarn, and shall not contain more than one ounce of vulcanized rubber in mold form, and shall be covered with leather, and be furnished by the secretary of the League.

SEC. 2.—In all games, the ball or balls played with shall be furnished by the home club, and shall become the property of the winning club.

SEC. 3.-No ball shall be played with in any championship game unless it is furnished by the secretary of the League.

SEC. 4. When the ball becomes out of shape, or cut or ripped so as to expose the yarn, or in any way so injured as to be unfit for fair use, a new ball shall be called for by the umpire at the end of an even inning, at the request of either captain. Should the ball be lost during a game, the umpire shall, at the expiration of five minutes, call for a new ball.

SEC. 5.-The bat must be round, and must not exceed two and one-half inches in diameter in the thickest part. It must be made wholly of wood, and shall not exceed forty-two inches in length.

SEC. 6. The bases must be four in number, and they must be placed and securely fastened upon each corner of a square, the sides of which are respectively thirty yards. The bases must be so constructed and placed as to be distinctly seen by the umpire. The first, second and third bases must cover a space equal to fifteen inches square, and the home base one square foot of surface.

The first, second and third bases shall be canvas-bags, painted white, and filled with some soft material. The home base shall be of white marble or stone, so fixed in the ground as to be even with the surface and wholly within the aiamond. One corner of said base shall face the pitcher's position, and two sides shall form part of the foul lines.

SEC. 7.-The base from which the ball is struck shall be designated the home base, and must be directly opposite the second base. The first base must always be that upon the right-hand, and the third base that upon the left-hand side of the striker when occupying his position at the home base.

In all match games, lines connecting the home and first bases, and the home and third bases, and also the lines of the striker's and pitcher's positions, shall be marked by the use of chalk or other suitable material, so as to be distinctly seen by the umpire. The line of the home base shall extend four feet on each side of the base, and shall be drawn through its centre and parallel with a line extending from first to third base. The foul lines from first and third bases to home base shall be continued as straight lines to the limits of the field beyond and back of said home base. The triangular space thus laid off behind the home base shall be for the exclusive use of the catcher, umpire and batsman; and no player of the side "at bat" (except the batsman) shall be permitted to occupy any portion of such triangular space. Two lines marked in the same way as the foul lines, and parallel with said foul lines, shall be drawn, one fifteen feet and the other fifty feet distant from them, and terminate at the lines bounding the triangular space aforementioned.

RULE SECOND.-The Game.

SECTION 1. The game shall consist of nine innings to each side, but should the score then be a tie, play shall be continued until a majority of runs for one side, upon an equal number of innings, shall be declared, when the game shall end. All innings shall be concluded when the third hand is put out.

SEC. 2. The choice of first innings shall be determined by the two captains. The fieiders of each club shall take any position in the field their captain may assign them, with the exception of the pitcher, who must deliver the ball from his appointed position.

SEC. 3. No player taking part in a game shall be replaced by another after the commencement of the second inning, except for reason of illness or injury.

SEC. 4. No game shall be considered as played unless five innings on each side shall be completed. Should darkness or rain intervene before the third hand is put out in the closing part of the fifth inning of a game, the umpire shall declare "No game."

SEC. 5. Whenever a game of five or more innings is stopped by rain or darkness, and the score at the time is equal on the even innings played, the game shall be declared drawn ; but under no other circumstances shall a drawn game be declared.