Grundy, who was standing at deep short-leg. Grundy sprang into the air, and with his right arm fully extended brought off a magnificent catch. The cheering was immense. Willsher was bowling steadily, as usual, at the other end; and Mr. F. Burbidge, who had taken Humphrey's place at the wicket, and Mortlock had to play carefully. Willsher commenced his third over, and immediately the ball left his hand Lillywhite cried "No ball!" Willsher continued to bowl; but after being "no-balled" six times in succession, he threw down the ball, and walked away. With the exception of Messrs. V. E. Walker and C. G. Lyttelton, the remainder of the eleven representing England followed suit.
To say that the excitement was intense is to convey but a faint idea of the sensation amongst players and spectators. Nobody knew why Willsher had been "no-balled; "his delivery looked as fair the third over as it did the first, or at any time in his bowling career. Lillywhite thought otherwise: in his opinion his hand was above the shoulder when the ball left it, and it was his duty to call "No ball." Play was stopped for the day. There was no demonstration, but it was generally believed that a very big nail had been knocked in the coffin of the law bearing on the point, and that the law would have to be either stretched or altered. A night's reflection found Lillywhite in the same belief; and to enable the match to proceed, Street was put in his place. There is no need to say if the action was a wise one. Lillywhite was made the scapegoat; but he could console himself with the thought, a year or two afterwards, that by his firmness on that occasion he had caused the law-makers to act.
A fortnight before that match my brother E. M. had caused a sensation of another kind at Canterbury. His score of 118 against Wootton and Grundy at Lord's,
