He does put them in to some tune; you can hardly see the ball, it's so swift." There was a faint _clang_ from the pitch.
"See that!" cried Fletcher junior: "that chap Austin's knocked that single stump out of the ground first ball.

My eye, he'll make our fellows sit up, I'll bet." "No, he won't," cried "Rats" excitedly.

"Old Ally'll knock him into a cocked hat.

He'll soon break his back," added the speaker complaisantly.

"Hullo! men in--Parkes and Rowland." There is something in the short space of time preceding the first _clack_ of the bat at a cricket match which rivals in interest even that exciting moment at football when the centre forward stands hovering over the ball waiting for the whistle to give the signal for the contest to commence.
The noisy clatter of "The Happy Family" ceases as the crowd of boys, ranged all down the sides of the field, turn to watch the opening of the game.
It is an ideal day for cricket, with a fresh breeze blowing, just sufficient to temper the hot afternoon sunshine and cause a flutter of cricket-shirts and boundary flags.