For our artist we have one word to say: not indeed for the engravings in our frontispiece,--these having received unqualified approbation; but, we allude to the illustrations of attitudes. In vain did our artist assure us that a foreshortened position would defy every attempt at ease, energy, or elegance; we felt bound to insist on sacrificing the effect of the picture to its utility as an illustration. Our principal design is to show the position of the feet and bat with regard to the wicket, and how every hit, with one exception, the Cut, is made by no other change of attitude than results from the movement of the left foot alone. J. P. _Barnstaple, April 15th, 1851._ [1] B. i. c. 20. CONTENTS. Page CHAP. I. Origin of the Game of Cricket 1 CHAP. II. The general Character of Cricket 16 CHAP. III. The Hambledon Club and the Old Players 40 CHAP. IV. Cricket generally established as a National Game by the End of the last Century 56 CHAP. V. The First Twenty Years of the present Century 82 CHAP. VI. A dark Chapter in the History of Cricket 99 CHAP. VII. The Science and Art of Batting 110 CHAP. VIII. Hints against Slow Bowling 176 CHAP. IX. Bowling.--An Hour with “Old Clarke” 187 CHAP. X. Hints on Fielding 204 CHAP. XI. Chapter of Accidents.--Miscellaneous 234 [Illustration: H. Adlard sc. THE BATSMAN. _Fuller Pilch._ London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans.] THE CRICKET FIELD. CHAPTER I. ORIGIN OF THE GAME OF CRICKET. The Game of Cricket, in some rude form, is undoubtedly as old as the thirteenth century. But whether at that early date Cricket was the name it generally bore is quite another question. For Club-Ball we believe to be the name which usually stood for Cricket in the thirteenth century; though, at the same time, we have some curious evidence that the term Cricket at that early period was also known. But the identity of the game with that now in use is the chief point; the name is of secondary consideration. Games commonly change their names, as every school-boy knows, and bear different appellations in different places.