RULES OF CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 13

RULES OF CRICKET

10 THE EDITOR,

Sir,—"Umpire's" letter of the Bth January oil "Rules of Cricket" is a wonderful apologetic effusion, and cettainly left-handed as regards Hiddleston: Hiddleston's finger was split whilst fielding a ball and a substitute was obtained for him to : allow of him to obtain medical attention. A substitute waa necessary, otherwise Patrick would not have agreed to the arrangement. The rule is that "a substitute shall be allowed" when either a fieldsman or batsman is injured in play, therefore Hiddleston was perfectly justified in obtaining a substitute. A player after injury is i likewise in perfect order in resuming his place when' he is in condition to do so. Where the unfair advantage part of the argument comes in I am at a loss. to understand; Hutchings (one of Wel-/ lington's best fieldsmen) was the substitute. Hiddleston's bowling hand was injured. Was he therefore equal or better in the field than Hutchings? I doubt if it takes much of a wise person to answer the query, so where was the advantage to the Wellington team? It looks like as if the Canterbury side had much the advantage. If Hiddleston was prevented from taking his rightful place in the field through it being illegal, the ■ same illegality must apply to his batting,'but there was no murmur as to the latter position. The whole thing in a. nutshell is that Hiddleston, being a sport, decided, after his finger had been dressed, to resume his place in the field so that there should be no advantage to his 'side, which he was legally and rightfully entitled to do without consulting anyone, and was prevented from so doing by Patrick quite illegally.—l am, etc., FAIEPLAY.