We say with confidence that never can one over bowled by any bowler
at any future time surpass the over that Cobden was about to deliver
then, and it deserves a minute description. Cobden took a long run and
bowled very fast, and was for his pace a straight bowler. But he bowled
with little or no break, had not got a puzzling delivery, and though
effective against inferior bats, would never have succeeded in bowling
out a man like Mr. Ottaway if he had sent a thousand balls to him.
However, on the present occasion Ottaway was out, those he had to bowl
to were not first-rate batsmen, and Cobden could bowl a good yorker.
You might almost have heard a pin drop as Cobden began his run and
the ball whizzed from his hand. Mr. Hill played the ball slowly to
cover-point, and rather a sharp run was made. As the match stood,
Oxford wanted 2 to tie and 3 to win, and three wickets to go down: Mr.
Butler to receive the ball. The second ball that Cobden bowled was
very similar to the first, straight and well up on the off stump. Mr.
Butler did what anybody else except Louis Hall or Shrewsbury would
have done, namely, let drive vigorously. Unfortunately he did not keep
the ball down, and it went straight and hard a catch to Mr. Bourne,
to whom everlasting credit is due, for he held it, and away went Mr.
Butler--amidst Cambridge shouts this time. The position was getting
serious, for neither Mr. Stewart nor Mr. Belcher was renowned as a
batsman. Rather pale, but with a jaunty air that cricketers are well
aware frequently conceals a sickly feeling of nervousness, Mr. Belcher
walked to the wicket and took his guard. He felt that if only he could
stop one ball and be bowled out the next, still Mr. Hill would get
another chance of a knock and the match would probably be won. Cobden
had bowled two balls, and two more wickets had to be got; if therefore
a wicket was got each ball the match would be won by Cambridge, and Mr.
Hill would have no further opportunity of distinguishing himself. In a
dead silence Cobden again took the ball and bowled a fast ball well up
on the batsman’s legs. A vision of the winning hit flashed across Mr.
Belcher’s brain, and he raised his bat preparatory to performing great
things, hit at the ball and missed it, and he was bowled off his legs.
There was still one more ball wanted to complete the over, and Mr.
Belcher, a sad man, walked away amid an uproarious storm of cheers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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