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THE CRICKET FIELD

between members of the same family and some other club. Besides "the Twelve Cæsars," the four Messrs. Walker and the Messrs. Ridding have proved how cricket may run in a family, not to forget four of the House of Verulam.

Pugilists have rarely been cricket players. "We used to see the fighting men", said Beldham, "playing skittles about the ground, but there were no players among them." Ned O'Neal was a pretty good player; and Bendigo had friends confident enough to make a p. p. match between him and George Parr for 50l. When the day came, Bendigo appeared with a lame leg, and Parr's friends set an example worthy of true cricketers; they scorned to play a lame man, or to profit by their neighbour's misfortunes.

In the famous Nottingham match, 1817, Bentley, on the All England side, was playing well, when he was given "run out," having run round his ground. "Why," said Beldham, "he had been home long enough to take a pinch of snuff." They changed the umpire; but the blunder lost the match.

"Spiked shoes," said Beldham, "were not in use in my country. Never saw them till I went to Hambledon." "Robinson," said old Mr. Morton, the dramatist, "began with spikes of a monstrous length, on one foot." "The first notion of a leg guard I ever saw," said an old player, "was