The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-09-07
Crlcketana.

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 wicket, but by the ball
being popped into this hole (wllence
popping Grease" says MIR. Pyoroftj
before the point Of the bat was ground
cd In 1t. 1t is most probable that orig
inally the single stump was placed at
the hole to point it out to che bowler
and helders, very much AZ the "nags"
used for this purpose ut the holes in
xolt. In process OF time the frequent
disputes as to whether bat or ball
reached this first, as we'll 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 AZ by holding
the ball. 1t is uncertain when the
second stump was added, but it was a
very obvious step from a single stump
to one Oh each side Of the old block.
hole. In 100 we find MIR. Gales
skeleton hurdle'' only foot high,
though two feet wide. There was no
middle stump till, In a match Of the
Hambletonian Club, in 1865, 1t was OBJ
served that at critical part Of the game
the ball went three times between the
stumps without knocking of the ball ;
then third stump was added to the di-
menstons Of the wicket, till, in 1917, it
attained to the size at which it has eyer
since rcma malned. In 1897 the Earl of
Winchester, a good crlcketer and great
supporter of the game, attempted to i'll
troduce fourth stump, that 1.-THE game
might be thus rendered shorter by cas-
Ter bowling out;" but nothing came of
this except ON one memorable occasion
when, In July, 1887, Mr.. Ward proposed
rs a method OF equalizing the Gentle.
men and Players, that the former
should defend wickets cf 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 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, professional
OF the old Hambletonian Club; but his
Throwing" WIS pronounced unfair,
and was suppressed and forgotten, TIL,
about quarter of Il century afterwaru,
1t was again introduced by Mr. John
Willes, kentish amateur, who, it was
said, learn"d the delivery from his SIS
ter, who used to throw tho ball at him
In practice. Mr.. Willes' bowling fig
ured In one or two great matches, nota-
DIy IN one on July 20, 1907, thirteen of
All England against twenty three of
Kent, for thousand gulneas, OH PEN
enden Heath. Kent won by 1852 runs,
and Wilson's bowling greatly helped
TO bring this about. AS with Tom
Walker, so with Mr.. Willes. lie and
his bowling "wcrc frequently barred
In making a match," says Mr.. Pycroft,
land he played sometimes amid much
nproar and confusion. Still, he would
persevere till the ring closed In on the
players; the stumps were lawlessly
pulled up, and all came to stand
STILL" 1t was not till Mr.. Knight, of
Alton: espoused tho cause of round-arn.
bowling in 1926, that it became per-
manent institution, after much contro-
versy though, and no little ridiculc of
the "throwing" style.