The absurdity of having a law and breaking it, is obvious; so let me insist on a newer argument, namely, that “to indulge a bowler in an unfair delivery is mistaken kindness, for the fairest horizontal delivery, like Cobbett’s and Redgate’s, tends most to that spin, twist, quick rise, shooting and cutting, and that variety after the pitch in which effective bowling consists.” A throw is very easy to play--as it comes down, so it bounds up: the batsman feels little credit due, and the spectator feels as little interest. The ball leaves the hand at once without any rotatory motion, and one ball of the same pitch and pace is like another. Very different is that life and vitality in the ball as it spins away from the skimming and low delivery of a hand like Cobbett’s. The angle of reflection is not to be calculated by the angle of incidence one in ten times, with such spinning balls. That rotatory motion which makes a bullet glance instead of penetrating--that causes the slowly-moving top to fly off with increased speed when rubbing against the wall--that determines the angle from the cushion, and either the “following” or the “draw back” of a billiard ball--that same rotation round its own axis, or the same spin, which a cricket ball receives in proportion as the hand is horizontal and the bowling lawful, determines the variety of every ball of a similar pace and pitch, at least when the ground is true. Whether precision and accuracy are as easily attained with a low as with a high delivery, is another question; neither should I be surprised nor sorry if fair delivery necessitated a wider wicket. A higher wicket would favour rather rough ground than scientific bowling; but a wider wicket would do justice to that spin and twist, which often is the means of missing the wicket which with better luck might have been levelled. Amateurs play cricket for recreation--as a pleasure, not a business--and experience shows that any alteration which would encourage the practice of bowling would greatly improve cricket. In country matches, bowlers stipulate for four balls or six; why not make matches to play with a wicket of eight inches, or even twelve? I had rather see a ball go anywhere than into the long-stop’s hands, or into the batsman’s face. So, give us fair bowling and a wider wicket, and let amateurs have the gratification of seeing the bowlers, on whom the science of the game and the honour of victory chiefly depends, no longer “given” men to play the game for them, but the fair representatives of their own club or their own county. XI. “He may require the striker at the wicket from which he is bowling, to stand on that side of it which he may direct.” Query. Can a bowler give guard for one side of the wicket and bowl the other? No law (though law XXXVI. may apply) plainly forbids it; still, no gentleman would ever play with such a bowler another time.