Retire gracefully, and devote the rest of the afternoon to tea and mild flirtation with the five men who have been weeded out. * * * * * CURIOUS CRICKET ANOMALY. WHEN a batsman has piled up a hundred, or more, Though five twenties he's hit, he has made but "a score." * * * * * CRICKET CATCHES (_By D. Crambo, Junior._) [Illustration: A FORWARD STYLE] [Illustration: OUT WITH A BEAUTIFUL BAILER] [Illustration: COLLARING THE BOWLING] [Illustration: A PROMINENT PLAYER] [Illustration: SENT BACK WITH A SHOOTER] [Illustration: A DIFFICULT WICKET] * * * * * FAIR CRICKETERS [Illustration] ["The growing favour with which athletic exercises are being regarded by those who are still 'the gentler sex,' is evidenced by the rapid adoption of cricket into the roll of those games which may be practised by ladies without the sober world being shocked. In the course of the past Summer there have been several matches."--_Standard._] You may play the game of Cricket, like the men well known to fame, And be good "all round," like some folks at that fascinating game; You may bowl like Mr. Spofforth at the Demon's deadly pace, You may lead a team like Harris, and may bat like Doctor Grace; But in vain your skill and prowess--can you dare to win the day, Although hope may spring eternal, when the Ladies come to play? They have conquered us at Croquet, though philosophers might scoff, And the masculine intelligence was beaten by "two off." As a vehicle for flirting we acknowledged all its charms, And gay soldiers fell before it, although used to war's alarms; But they held me-thinks their cricket-bats as doughty as their swords, And they never dreamt of Ladies at the Oval or at Lord's. Then we turned to Roller-skating, how the God of Love must wink As he ponders o'er the havoc wrought on many a pleasant rink; There the Ladies, as their wont is, held indubitable sway, As they circled like the seagull in as fair and facile way; And we yielded, though at Prince's woman held all hearts in thrall, For we thought of our one Empire, that of Cricket--bat and ball. Comes the era of Lawn Tennis, when the balls spin o'er the net, What avail the "Renshaw smashes" when the Ladies win the "sett," And the boldest of all volleys will be found of little use When the women gain "advantage," their opponents at the "deuce." So we leave the lawn to Ladies, it were graceful there to yield; But we thought that still at Cricket we were masters of the field.