Six and Out The pitch was only smooth in parts; It sank at either crease, And motor vans and bakers' carts At times disturbed the peace. The bowlers found it hard to hit The lamp-post's slender stem, The broader wicket, opposite, Was cleared at 6 p.m. It was a keen, determined school, Unorthodox and free; Harsh circumstance oft made the rule, And not the M.C.C. The scorer, seated by the wall, Kept up a fire of talk; He was both umpires, crowd, and all, And plied a busy chalk. So, standing, musing on the scene, I let the moments pass: How well he drove it to the screen ..... And then-the crash of glass! I watched the players as they ran, And heard, while yet they fled, The loud voice of an angry man, The law's majestic tread. ...