wolf
International Cricketer
If anyone doubts that it is possible to concede more than 36 runs in an over, The Times Diary notes the unusual performance of one 'Cogg', whose first name was not preserved in the annals of cricket history.
It happened in Western Australia in 1894 and legend has it that Cogg aproached the visiting in a slow, loping jog. He sent off a ball which filled the batman with no fear whatsoever, as this gentleman dispatched it with such force that it cleared the boundary still sufficently airborne to land in a nearby tree. There it it was caught very firmly and held in the fork between three branches.
The umpire, being a man who knew his rules and was obviously blessed with better eyesight than some of his modern day contemporaries, noted that the ball was still visible and had not reached the ground. Therefore, he ruled, the batsmen should carry on running.
Two fielders attempted to retrieve the ball by climbing the tree, but the lower branches could not handle their weight and collapsed. As staring at the ball did not help, a team decision was taken to chop the tree down. This resulted in a lengthy search for an axe, complicated by the nervous tension caused by seeing the other teams batsmen still running, albiet at a more leisurely pace.
Eventually consenus was reached that the search for an axe was not entirely in vain, however, as it did produce a rifle. This being the best available instrument of retrieval, the afternoon calm was disturbed by the angry sound of rifle shots as the fielding team attempted to shoot the ball down.
They finally gave up when they realised the visitors had declared after completing 286 runs. The two batsmen were no longer running and the entire team had retired to the stands, from where they were showing their appreciation for the extravagant fielding of the home side.
It happened in Western Australia in 1894 and legend has it that Cogg aproached the visiting in a slow, loping jog. He sent off a ball which filled the batman with no fear whatsoever, as this gentleman dispatched it with such force that it cleared the boundary still sufficently airborne to land in a nearby tree. There it it was caught very firmly and held in the fork between three branches.
The umpire, being a man who knew his rules and was obviously blessed with better eyesight than some of his modern day contemporaries, noted that the ball was still visible and had not reached the ground. Therefore, he ruled, the batsmen should carry on running.
Two fielders attempted to retrieve the ball by climbing the tree, but the lower branches could not handle their weight and collapsed. As staring at the ball did not help, a team decision was taken to chop the tree down. This resulted in a lengthy search for an axe, complicated by the nervous tension caused by seeing the other teams batsmen still running, albiet at a more leisurely pace.
Eventually consenus was reached that the search for an axe was not entirely in vain, however, as it did produce a rifle. This being the best available instrument of retrieval, the afternoon calm was disturbed by the angry sound of rifle shots as the fielding team attempted to shoot the ball down.
They finally gave up when they realised the visitors had declared after completing 286 runs. The two batsmen were no longer running and the entire team had retired to the stands, from where they were showing their appreciation for the extravagant fielding of the home side.
