[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."]
you allow me to express my surprise at the letter from "An Outsider," on the tendency of cricket to promote loafing, in the Spectator of July 24th P There is hardly one of his statements that is not directly contrary to the fact. To take his chief points. He thinks that the "batting" side spend most of their time in " torpor, bodily and mentaL" No doubt only two of them can be at the wickets at once. But the rest are watching the game, either waiting for their several turns to go to the wickets, or, having discharged their part there, waiting for the moment when they shall be required to field; in either case, as far as possible from "torpor." He alleges that the two bowlers are each active half their time, and more or less awake for the rest. The fact is that when a bowler is not bowling he becomes a field, and has to work like other fields ; if he were not pretty wide awake he would soon hear of it from his captain. As to the statement that some of the rest of the boys are put to field where they can be or must be "torpid," none of the boys fielding can tell in what direction a ball may be sent, and there is no part of the field in which a boy's utmost alertness and exertion may not be required. I do not believe for a moment that any intelligent American scorns cricket. Here I may mention that a German M.D., whom I once entertained on a visit of his to England, said to me : " You have a real treasure (einen wahren Schatz) in this cricket," and after returning to Germany wrote that he wished the game might be adopted there. It is possible that your correspondent has mistaken the silence which reigns in a cricket-field when every one is strictly attending to the game for "torpor," but he has rightly styled himself "An Outsider,"—he knows nothing of cricket.—I am, Sir, &c., PLANCO.
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