Two wickets fell before 10 appeared on the telegraph.
"Oh, we shall lick them easily!" cried "Rats" jubilantly; while Fletcher junior gave vent to his feelings by handing Bibbs's bag of sweets round to the company.
But there were still some hard nuts to be cracked in the Wraxby team, and one soon appeared in Partridge, the captain.

Over after over went by, and the score rapidly increased: "Thirty up!"-- "Forty up!"-- "Fifty up!" Two more wickets were taken; but Partridge seemed to have fairly got his eye in, and gave the home team as much leather-hunting as Oaks had provided for the visitors.

To make matters worse, Austin, arriving on the scene sixth man in, appeared to be also possessed with a determination to carry his bat; and though he was eventually run out by a sharp throw-in from square-leg, it was not until eighty runs had been registered for the Grammar School.
The closing scene of the game caused an amount of excitement unparalleled in the history of Ronleigh cricket.
As the last man of the Wraxby team went in to bat, the telegraph was changed from 90 to 100.

"Over" had just been called, and the invincible Partridge stepped forward to play, evidently making up his mind for another boundary hit.

Thurston had been put on to bowl at the top end, and stood ready to recommence the attack.
"Four to equal, five to beat," sighed "Rats." "Bother it all, they're sure to win." A cricket match needs to be very narrowly watched, or the spectator whose eye has strayed for a moment from the game misses some fine piece of play.