Related article: enough. One good thing the authorities at Lord's have at last accomplished. The absurd net which at the beginning of the year they had placed round the ground, and so spoilt a good many matches, was at the end of iune at length removed, and we ope with the net there has also gone any further idea of such a futile plan as the one which so signally failed as an experi^ ment. There is at present existing in the laws of cricket a rather strange anomaly. It will be re- membered that the Committee of the Marylebone Club at the beginning of the present season, recommended to the general meeting that, in order to save time, the over should be in- creased from five balls to six balls in all matches, three days or otherwise, so that in a three- day match or a two-day match there is no option but to have six balls in the over. Oddly enough, however, in the laws relating to a one day's match in the Maryle- bone laws of cricket, the following has been allowed to remain : — *' 3. — Prior to the commencement of a match it may be agreed that the over consists of five or six balls." This alternative would appear to date from the days ot when the over consisted in thre^ day cricket and two-day cricket of but four balls, and was, we presume, originally intended for the economy of time when a one- day's match was to be decided. It is somewhat illogical that such a law should continue to hold good in the Marylebone code, since the only effect it could have upon the game could be to cause ii8 BAILY S MAGAZINE. [AUGUSX some waste of time. It might be no bad plan, now that the laws of cricket have been so slashed about and altered, that they should be entirely revised and re-adjusted by some competent authority, not only upon cricket, but upon draughtsmanship and modern English. In a year when this country is not honoured by a visit of an Aus- tralian cricket team the meeting of Gentlemen v. Players at Lord's is usually regarded as the match of the season, and we think that we may safely refer to the Gentle- men V, Players of 1900 as the match of the season. Mr. S. M . J . Woods had a splendid team of amateurs entrusted to his charge, the only notable absentees being Ranjitsinhji and Mr. Maclaren; whilst the eleven players captained by Abel were a fine combination, although they had not so much bowling as usual, there being no regular fast bowler when Lock- wood, who was originally selected, was unable to play. The wicket at the start of the match had ap- parently not quite recovered from a good dose of water it had re- ceived on the previous Saturday, and so the Gentlemen, in batting first, did not gain any great ad- vantage, and for their score of 297 they had mainly Buy Isosorbide to thank Mr. R. E. Foster, who played a mag- nificent not-out innings of 102, and Mr. C. B. Fry, who scored 98. The Players, on going in to face the fast bowling of the Gentlemen, failed signally, and were all out on the second morn- ing of the match for a poor score of 136, leaving the Gentlemen with an advantage of 161 runs on the first innings. Mr. Foster again played magnificently, and scored a second century in the match, this being the first time such an exploit has been per- formed in this match, whilst it is the third occasion upon which Mr. Foster has accomplished the feat. Mr. Fry played steadily for 72, and it was obvious towards the close of this long partnership that Mr. Foster was hitting at everything with a view to putting on runs as rapidly as possible with a view to putting the Players in again. With his score at 136, Mr. Foster was finely caught in the country by Jack Brown, who caught in the match Generic Isosorbide three fine catches in front of the Pavilion. Mr. Jessop followed in out of his proper order, and made 18 runs before the eighth ball he received bowled him. It was now appa- rent that the Gentlemen, being nearly 500 runs to the good, were bent upon getting out and giving the Players an hour*s batting that night, and as batsman after bats- man came in to bit at everything, the cricket was most exhilarating ; Cheap Isosorbide and when the last wicket fell the Players were left with 502 runs to get to win the match, and a whole day and an hour in which to get them. The close of play on Tuesday night found the Players' score at 44 for the loss of Albert Ward's wicket, and the Gentlemen must have began their work on Wed- nesday morning with every hope of success; at two minutes after the time appointed for drawing stumps that night the Players had won the match by two wickets, actually succeeding in making 502 runs in the fourth innings for the loss of but eight wickets. To Jack Brown (173), Hay ward (m), and Abel (98), belong the chief honours of this triumph ; whilst to the Gentlemen, although they ac- tually lost the match, every credit must be given for the great and sportsmanlike efforts they made for victory. i9oa] 119 Otter-Hunting. Otter-hunting is a sport which should appeal specially to casual visitors who can only follow it incidentally. It costs them ab- solutely nothing except a little fatigue, and, perhaps, wet feet; and in exchange it provides an exciting chase and healthy exer- cise under conditions the most exhilarating, amongst scenery the most deligh^ul. Chance strangers among the field are always wel- come, if they "mean business;" but why do so many pose as authorities on the sport, when they seem to be at pains to make it obvious that they know little or nothing of the otter and its habits ? On the other hand, why should otter - hunting, the master, his huntsman and whip, escape the common lot ? We have all learnt recently, from people who know nothing of military matters, that most of our senior officers are incompetent ; I have heard it affirmed that W. G. Grace and Harry Trott were unfit to captain their respective teams ; I have even known individuals, who never have in their lives made a fifty break without a fiuke, assert that John Roberts, junior, was playing the wrong game. Where-