Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-08-18
CrIck0tAna.

In the infancy OF cricket there were
no stumps at all; instead of wickets,
the early players cut in the turf two
circular holes, and the batsman was
put out in running, not, as now, by
putting down a wicket. but by the ball
being popped into this hole (whence
"popping crease" says Mr.. PycrOft)
before the point Of the bat was ground
ed In it. 1t is most probable that orig
inally the single stump was placed at
the hole to point it out to the bowler
and fielders, very much as the "fiags"
used for this purpose at the holes in
golf. In process of time the frequent
disputes as to whether bat or ball
reached this first, as well as injuries
received in the unseemly tussles, would
naturally suggest that the beacon
stump should be made more useful, and
that the runner should be out if this
were displaced, as well as by holding
the bali. 1t is uncertain when the
second stump was added, but it was a
very obvious step from single stump
to one on each side of the old block
hole. In 100 We find Mr.. Gales
skeleton hurdle" only a foot high,
though two feet wide. There was no
middle stump till, in a match of the
Hsmbletonian Club, in 1855, it was OBJ
served that at critical part of the game
the ball went three times between the
stumps without knocking off the ball !;
then third stump was added to the di-
mensions of the wicket, till, in 1917, it
attained to the size at which it has eyer
since renamed. In 1897 the Earl of
Winchester, good cricBeter and great
supporter of the game, attempted to in
troduce fourth stump, that 1.-THE game
might be thus rendered shorter by cas-
ier bowling out;" but nothing came of
this except on one memorable occasion
when, in July, 1887, Mr.. Ward proposed
as a method OF equalizing the Gentle
men and Players, that the former
should defend wickets of 27 by inches,
the latter four stumps SO by u. This
was called the "Barn-door Match" or
"Ward's Folly" and, notwithstanding
the great odds against them, the Play
ers won in a single inning by ten runs.
Undoubtedly the greatest and most
pregnant innovation in cricket was the
introduction OF round-arm bowling.
The credit for Its Invention appears TO
be due to Tom Walker, a professional
of the old Hambletonian Club; but his
"throwing" was pronounced unfair,
and was suppressed and forgotten, till,
about a quarter of century afterward,
it was again introduced by Mr.. John
Willes, Kentish amateur, who, 1t was
said, learned the delivery from his SIS
ter, who used to throw the ball at him
in practice. Mr.. Willes' bowling fig
ured in one or two great matches, nota-
bly, in one on July 20, 1907, thirteen of
All England against twenty-three of
Kent, for thousand guIneas, on Pen
enden Heath. Kent won by 182 runs,
and Wilson's bowling greatly helped
to bring this about. As with Tom
Walker, SO with Mr.. Willes. He and
his bowling "were frequently barred
in making a MATCH" says Mr.. Pycroft,
''and he played sometimes amid much
uproar and confusion. Still, he would
persevere till the ring closed in on the
players; the stumps were lawlessly
pulled up, and all came to a stand
STILL" Ii was not till Mr.. might, of
Alton. espoused the cause of round-arm
bowling in 1925, that it became per-
manent instution, after much contro-
versy though, and no little ridicule of
The 18th roWinov STYLE