season of 1896, proved himself to be quite in the first rank of captains. The post is a thankless one, very easy to criticise, and seldom do you see the press, for instance, give it adequate notice.
UMPIRING
One reason why umpiring is often bad is, in the first place, because it is very difficult; in the second place, because none but professionals act in all but a few matches. In saying this I do not wish to cast any aspersion on professionals, but as professionals they are more likely to exist on terms of bon camaraderie with their brother professionals—they cannot be in an entirely independent position. The chief difficulty is to give correct decisions on leg-before-wicket appeals and runs out. There are, of course, some obvious cases, but the instances of l.b.w., where it is a question of the nicest judgment, are numerous. How often does one see at Lords a ball delivered from the Pavilion end
