A NOVEL IDF A OF CRICKET.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2555, 24 November 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

A NOVEL IDF A OF CRICKET.

E. W. Sabel contrionte- to the Detroit I'ree J/Yevt ,ui in t tTcst in lt arid amusing article on cricket, dealing particularly ivni, thf Eu/lini'l v. Au.-tnxlian match at tho Oval. Ha admits beuitr a mild special man of what, is kuown in America as a "Base BdC'rinit," and speaks lik-hly in favour of tfiti .-inartness of the fielding in the American trarne in cornpari on to the i£n<j;lish. H' 1 ia evidently ..n-tikpn when lih says " Fielding in cricket is disgracefully Klo'veuly even in such a match iih England v. Australia," and admitting that at times improvement oould be shown, yet the assertion he makes is far too wide to be correct. He advocates the sporting papers making permanent notes of errors, and >ays if it were dona there would lie a different spirit noticed in the field. His dessripr.iou oi the in as follows :— lt Away out in the centre of the lawn the game was proceeding. Englishmen in the field, and Australians attempting to bat. From tho remarks of the crowd a stranger was soon able to know that tho attempt was nothing more. I noticed a great many of tho Australian players goi disgusted with the way things were going, walked into the Pavilion, and sent someone else out to aeo what he could make of the situation. All ovor the field crouched men in white, with hands planted on their knees, and watching a man wh > stood with a spade of wood in his hand, and three wooden stumps behind him. This man had Ills legs done up in cane, making tbe.n look like fasces, Down at the other end a big man stood with the ball in his Land. He walked a short distance with his b*ck to thelictor man, then tinned suddenly around and rau fiercely at liini, his anus going like a windmill all the time. He was evidently rank insane. The lictorman got his spade ready to hit the fierce mail over the head if he came much farther. The spectators held their breath, When this truly awful scene was being enacted another factor came on the scene. He was a small irau, with his legs also a la fasces, and heavy gloves on his hands, and he came crawling stealthily up behiud the unsuspicious victim with the wooden spade chuckling and rubbing his hands together, Evidently the fierce man with the ball didn t see this ally of his, or lie would have waitod till the ally sprang on his victim's back, and th n both could have easily dispatched him with the assistance at the other nine who wer© gradually drawing closer and closer. But the fierce man, as he wildly came on swinging his arms, suddenly stopped, and let the ball fly with terrific speed at the fasces man, but the latter was too agile, and, jumping aside, he exposed the crouching mail to the full fury of tho ball. It hit him on the hands, and for some moments he jumped around shaking the hand madly, pulling a finger into joint, shook the hand again, and then pulling another finger into j >int. At length lie picked up the ball, throw it to the tierce man, and the whole thing was done again. But probably many readers know, as well as I do, how it's dune."