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MR. BUDD.
93

quick and forcible, that his whole manner was really intimidating to a bowler. Every one remarked how completely Lambert seemed master of the ball. Usually the bowler appears to attack, and the batsman to defend; but Lambert seemed always on the attack, and the bowler at his mercy, and "hit," said Beldham, "what no one else could meddle with."

Lord Frederick was formed on Beldham's style. Mr. Budd's position at the wicket was much the same: the right foot placed as usual, but the left rather behind, and nearly a yard apart, so that instead of the upright bat and figure of Pilch; the bat was drawn across, and the figure hung away from the wicket. This was a mistake. Before the ball could be played Mr. Budd was too good a player not to be up, like Pilch, and play well over his off stump. Still Mr. Budd explained to me that this position of the left foot was just where one naturally shifts it to have room for a cut: so this strange attitude was supposed to favour their fine off hits. I say Off hit because the Cut did not properly belong to either of these players: Robinson and Saunders were the men to cut,—cutting balls clean away from the bails, though Robinson had a maimed hand, burnt when a child: the handle of his bat was grooved to fit his stunted fingers. Talking of his bat, the players once discovered by measure-