The Cricket Match

           IthinktherehasnotbeensomuchonacricketmatchsincethedaywhenSirHoraceMannwalkedaboutBroadHa’pennyagitatedlycuttingdownthedaisieswithhisstick.And,beitremembered,theheroesofHambledonplayedformoneyandrenownonly,whileDavidwaschampionofalady.Alady!Maywenotprettilysayoftwoladies?TherewerenospectatorsofourcontestexceptnowandagainsomeloitererintheGardenswholittlethoughtwhatwasthestakeforwhichweplayed,butcannotweconceiveBarbarastandingattheropesandagitatedlycuttingdownthedaisieseverytimeDavidmissedtheball?Itellyou,thiswasthehistoricmatchoftheGardens.

           DavidwantedtoplayonapitchneartheRoundPondwithwhichheisfamiliar,butthiswouldhaveplacedmeatadisadvantage,soIinsistedonunaccustomedground,andwefinallypitchedstumpsintheFigs.Wecouldnotexactlypitchstumps,fortheyareforbiddenintheGardens,buttherearetreeshereandtherewhichhavechalk-marksonthemthroughoutthesummer,andwhenyoutakeupyourpositionwithabatnearoneoftheseyouhavereallypitchedstumps.Thetreeweselectedisaraggedyewwhichconsistsofabrokentrunkandonebranch,andIviewedthegroundwithsecretsatisfaction,foritfallsslightlyataboutfouryards’distancefromthetree,andthisexactlysuitsmystyleofbowling.

           Iwonthetossandafterexaminingthewicketdecidedtotakefirstknock.Asarulewhenweplaythewitatfirstflowsfree,butonthisoccasionIstrodetothecreaseinanalmosteeriesilence.