This is a ball-by-ball account of a cricket match played in Fordenden, an English village, between English and Scottish players. None of the players is professionally trained. Many rules of the game are changed in order to accommodate the players.
There is a lot of excitement on the ground, with fielders crowding around the batsman, and the batsman themselves very tense. The strong sexton hits a ball which is caught, unwittingly, by the mighty Mr Boone in the process of protecting his stomach.
Then it is the turn of the lame blacksmith to hit the ball, and he hits it very high. Though he had a runner, the baker, appointed to run on his behalf, he forgets his limp and starts running, with the baker too beside him.
The opposite batsman too starts running, and all the three, eyes fixed on the ball, collide and fall down. Two fielders, both of them commanded to catch the ball, run together, and collide with another fielder, and fall down.
A fourth one picks up the ball. The batsmen, in their turn, get up and all the three start running towards the same wicket, realizing their mistake, turn back, again together, towards the other wicket, by which time it is very late, and the match is a tie.
