_a_, a likely one for a wild hitter to get himself out on the off side; _b_ and _c_, likely for a stump, or, if hit with straight bat, a catch to deep field-off; _d_ and _e_, likely for ‘catch and bowl;’ _f_, long-leg and half-hit chances--short-slip and wicket-keeper often get an easy chance off this ball.] The natural spin on every ball which is bowled is from left to right--i.e. the off break. Even when a fielder throws in a ball from a distance it almost invariably has this spin on it. If you watch the smallest boy in the street throwing a stone, you will find, nine times out of ten, the stone has acquired this spin. It is then no wonder that almost every right-handed bowler relies upon this twist as his principal artifice. The twist depends rather more on the power of the fingers than on the hand and wrist, as in the ‘leg-break.’ The ball is usually, by a slow bowler, grasped firmly with all the fingers resting on the seam, as this gives more purchase and resistance for the fingers to operate. The latter at the moment of delivery spin the ball, almost in the same way as they would spin a top, and instead of an upward and outward motion of the elbow, as in the ‘leg-break,’ there is an inward motion towards the side of the bowler. The hand is turned over outwards when the ball is delivered, and, if properly bowled and pitched just outside the off stump, and under good conditions of ground, the ball, after the pitch, will change its course abruptly towards the batsman and the wicket. Differing from the ‘leg-break,’ this ball can with practice be accompanied by a great accuracy of pitch--an accuracy which has been attained almost to perfection by some of our best known bowlers. The late James Southerton, the famous Surrey bowler, could bowl in this style for hours with only a very occasional variation from a perfect ‘good length.’ Alfred Shaw, of Nottingham, in his day was perhaps the greatest exponent of accuracy of pitch combined with the slow ‘off break,’ or what is generally termed ‘break-back.’ This ball should be bowled a good length, and generally about two or three inches outside the off stump.