THE

CRICKET FIELD:

OR,

THE HISTORY AND THE SCIENCE

OF

CRICKET.

BY THE AUTHOR OF

"THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC BATTING,"
"RECOLLECTIONS OF COLLEGE DAYS,"

PREFACE

TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

IN nearly all the cricket manuals published in England, we find reference made to William Clarke, whose portrait we have copied from the English edition of "The Cricket Field," but can find no sketch of him. For the following we are indebted to William H. Bray, Esq., the Cricket Editor of "The New York Clipper :" "William Clarke was born at Nottingham, in 1798, and entered the cricketing arena at an early age, in which he was known as the Slow Bowler of Notts.' He was one of the founders, I believe, of the All England Eleven, and was, for many years, and up to the time of his death, which occurred about a year since, their Secretary. He was not a very brilliant player, but his knowledge and management of the game rendered him eligible for any eleven. His slow bowling sometimes proved very destructive to the best batsmen."

BOSTON, Sept. 22, 1859.

Dedicated

TO

THE MEMBERS

OF THE

NORTH DEVON CRICKET CLUB,

BY

THEIR SINCERE FRIEND,

THE AUTHOR.