such as you seldom
see now. Twenty years ago a large percentage of balls shot dead. Mr.
Greenfield and Mr. Edward Lyttelton stuck together.

At 97, an awful yell went up; mid-on had missed Mr. Lyttelton, a low
hard catch, but one which he would have taken nine times in ten. At 101,
Mr. Campbell caught Mr. Greenfield off Mr. Royle, six down and 70 to
get. Then Mr. Sims came in, and another yell was heard. Mid-on had given
Mr. Lyttelton another let-off, an easy thing he might have held in his
mouth. Mid-on wished that the earth would open and swallow him.
Presently Mr. Lyttelton hit Mr. Buckland a beautiful skimming smack to
square leg. Mr. Webbe was standing deeper, but, running at full speed
along the ropes, sideways to the catch, he held it low down--a
repetition of what he did unto Mr. Lyttelton when they played for Harrow
and Eton. Mr. Lyttelton had scored 20, but not in his best manner. There
were now three wickets to fall for 60; Oxford seemed to have the
advantage. Sims and Patterson had added 14 (40 to win), when a heavy
shower came down, lasted for an hour and a half, and left Oxford with a
wet ball and a slippery ground. The rain, which favoured Oxford in 1874,
when Cambridge collapsed, was now on the Cambridge side. Mr. Sims was
determined to knock the runs off by a forcing game, and these were the
right tactics. Then Ridley went on, and his first slow bowled Mr.
Patterson clean. Mr. Macan came in, and got a single (13 to win). Then
Mr. Sims hit Mr. Ridley over his head to the ropes for 4 (9 to win). Mr.
Lang went on for Mr. Royle, a leg bye followed, and then a no-ball (7 to
win). Mr. Lang then, in a moment of despair, as unusual measures were
needed, bowled a full pitch right at Mr. Sims's head. Mr. Sims,
naturally concluding that two more hits would finish the match, hit at
it as hard as he could. Mr. Pulman was standing by the ropes 'in the
country' and the ball soared towards him; would it cross the ropes?
would Pulman reach it; he had a long way to run? He reached it, he held
it, and back went Mr. Sims. There remained Mr. Smith, in the same
historical position as Mr. Belcher. There were six runs to get, and Mr.
Macan, his companion, a good bat, was not yet settled. Some one in the
pavilion said, 'His legs are trembling, Oxford wins.' Mr. Smith, unlike
Mr. Belcher, stopped two of Mr. Ridley's slows, but not with enthusiasm.
To the third he played slowly forward, the ball hit the middle stump,
and Oxford w