ABSTRACT
As fans of the game, particularly those of a traditionalist bent, are wont to point out, cricket is governed not by mere ‘rules’ but by ‘Laws’.1 For them, and for others, this is a distinction which tells us much about the character of cricket. It indicates the formal, gentlemanly Victorian nature of the game. It also confirms the claims of its supporters that it is, for this and any number of other reasons, the best of all sports. Finally, it indicates, linguistically and grammatically at least, an affinity between the interests of jurists and those of cricket lovers.
