The wicket-keeper's place is a very important one, his principal duty being to stop with his hands every ball the batsman misses, it being allowable to make runs (byes) for balls that elude his grasp. Behind him stands the long stop, who is always on the out look for balls that escape the wicket-keeper. The fielders, who are posted in various parts of time ground, ought to,possess quickness of eye and foot. and skill in picking up with either hand a ball that is running, and instantly throwing it to the wickets. They must also be well skilled in catehin.. Much depends on their judgment of distance between the point at which the ball is picked up, and the wickets, as miscon ception of this may lead to overthrowing the ball, or throwing it short, while the bats men are profiting by the error, and scoring additional runs. Fielders usually throw the ball to the wicketkeeper, who returns it slowly to the bowler; this saves the bands of the latter from being unsteadied by catching long balls.
At the end of every four bowls, the bowler, wicket-keeper, long-stop, and fielders, change places, and thus every four balls are delivered from alternate wickets; four balls constitute an "over," which it is the umpire's duty to reckon and announce.
We have said that each side is allowed two innings, but it sometimes happens that one side scores more runs in one innings than the other does in two; thus, A's side.
we will suppose, goes in first, and its eleven men score 180; B's side then goes in, and scores, say, 80 the first innings, and 70 the next: iu that case, A would be said to have won by an innings and 30 runs.
In England, there are many professional men who make a livelihood by playing matches with amateur clubs, and by instructing the latter in the art. The Marylebone club is the parliament of cricket, and its laws are recognized as the only genuine ode all over the world; and for skill and science, the "Eleven of all England," and the "United Eleven" (professionals), excel all other cricketers in the world. The attrac tions of C. are rapidly spreading. In America and Australia, the game is played to a large extent, and with skill almost equal to that of the English players. English elevens have crossed the ocean more than once to compete with the principal American and Australian clubs, and have returned to England covered with laurels. Good works on C. are The Cricket Field (Lond. Longmans), Felix on the Bat, and Lillywhite's Guide to Cricketers (Lund. Kent & Co.).