In a cricket match, Dingley Dell v. All Muggleton, the latter had the
first innings. Mr. Dumkins and Mr. Podder were at the wickets, when the
wary Dumkins made a splendid late cut, and Mr. Podder called on him to
run. Four runs were apparently completed, but the vigilant umpires at
each end called, "three short," making six short runs in all. What
number did Mr. Dumkins score? When Dingley Dell took their turn at the
wickets their champions were Mr. Luffey and Mr. Struggles. The latter
made a magnificent off-drive, and invited his colleague to "come along,"
with the result that the observant spectators applauded them for what
was supposed to have been three sharp runs. But the umpires declared
that there had been two short runs at each end--four in all. To what
extent, if any, did this manoeuvre increase Mr. Struggles's total?
388.--SLOW CRICKET.
In the recent county match between Wessex and Nincomshire the former
team were at the wickets all day, the last man being put out a few
minutes before the time for drawing stumps. The play was so slow that
most of the spectators were fast asleep, and, on being awakened by one
of the officials clearing the ground, we learnt that two men had been
put out leg-before-wicket for a combined score of 19 runs; four men were
caught for a combined score or 17 runs; one man was run out for a duck's
egg; and the others were all bowled for 3 runs each. There were no
extras. We were not told which of the men was the captain, but he made
exactly 15 more than the average of his team. What was the captain's
score?
389.--THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS.
"It is a glorious game!" an enthusiast was heard to exclaim. "At the
close of last season, of the footballers of my acquaintance four had
broken their left arm, five had broken their right arm, two had the
right arm sound, and three had sound left arms." Can you discover from
that statement what is the smallest number of players that the speaker
could be acquainted with?
It does not at all follow that there were as many as fourteen men,
because, for example, two of the men who had broken the left arm might
also be the two who had sound right arms.
390.--THE HORSE-RACE PUZZLE.
There are no morals in puzzles. When we are solving the old puzzle of
the captain who, having to throw half his crew overboard in a storm,
arranged to draw lots, but so placed the men that only the Turks were
sacrificed, and all the Christians left on board, we do not stop to
discuss the questionable morality of the proceeding. And when we are
dealing with a measuring problem, in which certain thirsty pilgrims are
to make an equitable division of a barrel of beer, we do not object
that, as total abstainers, it is against our conscience to have anything
to do with intoxicating liquor. Therefore I make no apology for
introducing a puzzle that deals with betting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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