As we have before noted, the umpire at the striker’s end has to
decide some few points; his duties, however, are not nearly so onerous
as those of his colleague at the other end. They are decisions on
stumping, hitting wicket, running out, and matters arising under law
42. This umpire should stand quite square with the wicket, so near
as to enable him to see accurately all that happens without placing
himself in any risk from a hard square hit. He should take care that
the popping crease is clearly visible to him: if it has got worn out
and difficult to see, a pinch of sawdust placed at the end of it will
give him its correct line. It is always best, however, when either of
the creases has become indistinct to send for the whitening and re-mark
it. Stumping rarely gives much difficulty to the umpire; his position
is such that he ought always to be able to see whether the bails are
off before the bat or foot are within the line. If the toe of the
batsman is on the crease and _no part of his foot within it_, of course
the decision must be against the batsman. If the batsman relies on
his bat being in his ground when the bails are off, the umpire should
recollect that the bat must be _in his hand_ according to law 19. We
recollect once seeing in a county match a batsman after a tremendous
futile swipe fall prostrate outside his ground with the force of the
unsuccessful stroke; he was lying some two feet out of his ground, and
his bat was within the crease with the handle resting on his shoulder
when the wicket was put down. The umpire wrongly gave him ‘not out,’ no
doubt thinking he was justified in doing so as the bat was connected
with a portion of the batsman’s body. The bat must, however, be in his
hand to prevent a decision against him, unless ‘some part of his person
be grounded within the line of the popping crease.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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