Overarm bowling

However, so the story goes, John Willes became the first bowler to use a "round-arm" technique after practising with his sister Christine Willes, who had used the technique, as she was unable to bowl underarm due to her wide and huge skirt impeding her delivery of the ball.

In 1845, the law was strengthened by removing the benefit of doubt from the bowler in height of hand questions, the umpire's view of the incident being final.

In what was surely a pre-rehearsed demonstration, Willsher and the other eight professionals in the England team staged a walk-off, leaving their two amateur colleagues looking non-plussed in the middle.

MCC responded to this "crisis" with rather more haste than they had to roundarm, and changed the Laws of Cricket in time for the 1864 season.

Law 10 was rewritten to allow the bowler to bring his arm through at any height providing he kept it straight and did not throw the ball.