marks on them throughout the summer, and when
you take up your position with a bat near one of
these you have really pitched stumps. The tree
we selected is a ragged yew which consists of a
broken trunk and one branch, and I viewed the
ground with secret satisfaction, for it falls slightly
at about four yards' distance from the tree, and this
exactly suits my style of bowling.

I won the toss and after examining the wicket
decided to take first knock. As a rule when we
play the wit at first flows free, but on this occasion
I strode to the crease in an almost eerie silence.
David had taken off his blouse and rolled up his
shirt-sleeves, and his teeth were set, so I knew he
would begin by sending me down some fast ones.

His delivery is underarm and not inelegant, but
he sometimes tries a round-arm ball, which I have
seen double up the fielder at square leg. He has
not a good length, but he varies his action bewil-
deringly, and has one especially teasing ball which
falls from the branches just as you have stepped
out of your ground to look for it. It was not,
however, with his teaser that he bowled me that
day. I had notched a three and two singles, when
he sent me down a medium to fast which got me
in two minds and I played back to it too late.
Now, I am seldom out on a really grassy wicket
for such a meagre score, and as David and I changed
places without a word, there was a cheery look on

-272-