Date-stamped : 19 Jul95 - 10:28
LBW Law - History

1744    No mention of lbw as such (in what I believe was the 
first ever written set of Laws) but umpires could adjudicate on
"standing unfair to strike".

1774    The striker was out if he "puts his leg before the 
wicket with a design to stop the ball and actually prevents the 
ball from hitting the wicket".

1788    Ball to be pitched in a straight line to the wicket. The 
reference to "design" was omitted.

1929    Experimental Law whereby the batsman was out lbw even if 
the ball first hit his bat or hand.

1933    Experiment discontinued.

1937    Extended to include ball pitched on the off side of the 
wicket provided that the impact on the pad was between wicket 
and wicket. This had been tried experimentally for the previous 
2 years.

1980    The batsman is out even if the point of impact is outside
the off-stump if he has made no attempt to play the ball (and if 
it would have hit the wicket).

Source:: Barclays World of Cricket

<END> Contributed by John.Hall (john@jhall.demon.co.uk)