the same time, guard their wicket, and I doubt if you can find from this select class a harder hitter in England."
This habit of playing each ball by correct judgment of its time and merits has made Pilch one of the few who play Old Clarke as he should be played. He plays him back all day if he bowls short, and hits him hard all along the ground, whenever he overpitches; and sometimes he will go in to Clarke's bowling, but not to make a furious swipe, but to "run him down" with a straight bat. This going in to Clarke's bowling some persons think necessary for every ball, forgetting that "discretion is the better part, of" cricket; the consequence is that many wickets fall from positive long hops. Almost every man who begins to play against Clarke appears to think he is in honour bound to hit every ball out of the field: and, every one who attempts it comes out saying, "What rubbish!—no play in it!" The truth being that there is a great deal of play in it, for it requires real knowledge of the game. You have curved lines to deal with instead of straight ones. "But, what difference does that make?" We shall presently explain.
The amusing part is, that this cry of "What rubbish!" has been going on for years, and still the same error prevails. Experience is not like anything hereditary: the generations of eels do
