Cricket 1884

oct . 30,1884. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 457 P R A C T IC A L H IN T S ON CR ICKET * B y W illia m C la r k e , Slow bowler, and Secretary to the All Eng­ land Eleven. (Continued from page 451.) Never make up your mind for a certain ball before it is delivered. Your mind being prepared for one sort of ball and another coming, as is almost sure to be the case, there will most likely be an accident. How often you hear men say, I have not been used to this or that sort of bowling. It’s all nonsense. They ought to practise all kinds. If a fast underhand bowler is put on for a change (what I call a trundling bowler, who gives a ball that bounds three or four times before it comes to you) he often does execution, especially with the rising generation. Why ? They have only been practised at one style, then they say the twist of the ball—hop, stride, and jump­ ing before it comes, deceives the eye, they having been used to only one bound, and perhaps one straight ball in the over, and the other being nearly always straight, they are rather alarmed, and losing their con­ fidence, the ball goes rolling through the wicket. In reality such balls are the easiest in the world to play. They want no judg­ ment as to playing backwards or forwards. They only want a good full-faced bat put to ’em upright, with a bit of a drive for­ ward. Play of that kind will beat any bowler of that style. Though bowling shall be ever so bad, I don’t say you shall hit away every ball. No, for it may by chance get up at the proper place and make itself a good one. But you will be fully pre­ pared by playing in the method I have de­ scribed. You will see by what I have said that it is well to have an hour of “ all sorts ” now and then. Besides, it will teach you to be on your legs and show you that there are many balls you have been in the habit of merely playing at and laying down which you might hit away with confidence. For instance, balls overtossed you will be able to drive forward hard by using your feet, while if you stand screwed to the ground you can only lay them down, and by that means you make a bowler seem to deliver many more good balls than he really does. There is, in short, only one true method of play. That is, not to make up your mind till the ball is delivered, then if it be a little too far, play forward ; if a little too short, play back. If it be put on the right place be decided, and p'ay either one way or the other, no half way. In running your runs you should always be prepared to take the advantage, which you will be able to do by leaving your ground as soon as the ball is out of the bowler’s hand. That will give you the ad­ vantage, not only by being well on your legs, but by having a less distance to run. But bear in mind not to leave your ground till the ball has quitted the bowler’s hand, or he will be justified in trying to put you out. Nothing looks worse than a man standing like a fixture, perhaps leaning on his bat, then having to make a start and calling that a hard run, which, if he had been prepared, he might have walked. Bun your first run well, in case of any mishap in the field, and be sure always to let your partner know what you are going to do by shouting at the top of your voice, so that he can’t mistake your meaning. IIow bad * From Cricket Note* by W, Bolland, published in 1851, it looks to see two men get into the middle between wickets and staring at each other, not knowing which way to go for want of decision and speaking out. If a man stands fast to his ground, and seems to have no care about the runs, he deadens the play. The fielders care nothing about him ; what puts fielders about more than when two de­ termined runners get in and take every advantage ? I am not an advocate for over running, for I think men may lose more than they gain by being out of wind, and therefore not so well prepared to play the next ball. Now you will see some, the harder they hit the more certain they are to run, thourh the ball be going straight to a man, when, if it were hit very slowlv, they would not at­ tempt it. That speaks badly for their judg­ ment. It should be quite the reverse. The ball hit slowly may be a certain run, while the ball hit with greater force to the same place is not half one. as it gets to the fielder so much quicker. There are many little advantages to be taken of fielders, such as the ball going to a man’s left, or wrong hand, one man not being able to shy, but always jerking in. These points want judg­ ment. They may be done by two decided men, who understand each other, but they will not answer with vacillating men. It is never right to risk your innings for tho sake of a run. If your innings is only valued at a run it is not worth much. IV. O n M a tc h -M a k in g , M anagin g , and Um­ p ir in g . When playing a match it is not always right to keep on the same bowling, though the bowlers be bowling ever so well. Sup­ pose you have a fast bowler on, a batsman comes in that don’t like siow, or the con­ trary; why, I say give him what he don’t like, never mind persoas saying you dare not do this, and you dare not do that; if you gain your object by getting the batter out you may win the match through it. There are plenty of Gentlemen as well as Players who cannot play both fast and slow. Some would shut their eyes at a fast one, but might perchance swipe away a slow one for four. It’s bad judgment to put a fast bowler at a man who can’t hit. Why ? He may stick his bat down, the ball may hit it, and glide away for three or four runs with­ out his having anything to do with it. Such a man with a slow bowler is probably a certainty. In choosing your side, don’t choose all batters. In the first place make sure of your bowlers (that’s the principal matter), your wicket-keeper, your long-stop. Then come the batters; five or six there will be no question about. Now as to the one or two last; if you have a middling bat and no fielder; if he gets ten and loses fifteen in the field, he is five worse than nothing; a bad bat and good field saves fifteen in the match, his side have that fifteen less to g e t; so give me the good field. Umpiring is a very arduous and often un­ thankful office, especially in country places, where a jealousy exists on each side, and a doubt of his doing his duty fairly and im • partially. That is sure to be the case, when he belong to one of the parties, and is not sufficiently acquainted with the game. It is better to choose men connected with neither party. If you have anything against a man, object co him at once, but not on suspicion. With some players Umpiresnever can be right. Don’t let a man take his place and then be dissatisfied with his decisions, and instead of making the game a pleasure, and creating a good feeling among all, make it quite the reverse. It is difficult for an Umpire to please both parties, but let each give him credit for good intentions. It is impossible for an Umpire to be always right, but I would take his de­ cision (if he understands the game) before the opinion of a spectator or of one of the players, for he stands in the best position to judge correctly. It is on those nice points which create a difference of opinion between the spectators and the field, that the decision of the Umpire is required. How unjust it is to an Umpire when he has given his best opinion on some nice point (such as the ball grazing a man’s bat or glove) for the batsman to go away and say he was not out, and so create a bad feeling. I said before ther; are some (and they ought to know bet­ ter) who never are out, unless the bowler makes the middle stump turn a summerset. Umpires have many points to attend to, they have not a moment to lose ; and if they allow the eye to wander to any fresh object, that very moment a nice decision may be wanted, so they should let nothing but cricket and their immediate duty in the game occupy their mind. In pitching wickets I often hear Umpires say “ It’ll do,’’when there is some little object that looks queer at the pitching place. In such case my opinion is it’ll not do. The wicket ought to be altered till it is a good one. I don’t like those “ it’ll do ” wickets. They may either spoil the batting or the bowling, and consequently there may be no play in the match. It is better, therefore, for both sides, that all objections should be removed, if possible, by having as good a wicket as can be got on the ground. V . A dvice to P kactice B o w le r s . You will often see Practice Bowlers bowl away at all players good and bad alike. A Practice Bowler ought to bowl according to the batsman’s plav. Suppose a Gentleman thinks he should like cricket, he joins a Club, or engages a bowler. Say he has never played ; do you think the bowler is justified in knocking down his wicket constantly, or perhaps giving him sundry hits and bruises ? No, certainly not. Give him something he can hit to begin with,and that will please him and make him fond of the game, so that be will play again. Then bowl at him accord­ ing to his improvement. He will so become a player, and perhaps what is of great con­ sequence to cricketing in general, a good supporter of the game. For mind you it is the Gentleman that makes cricket by his countenance and suppoit. Besides, what’s the merit in bowling out a person who has not learned to play. It don’t add anything to the reputation of the bowler- While tbe Gentleman may be made so disgusted that he won’t play any more ; and so no one left for you to bowl at. In practice it is often the way to pitch wickets anywhere. That is a bad system. You ought to be particular and have a good wicket, if you mean to have a good practice, and be of any service to the person you bowl to. On a good ground he will have con­ fidence and pleasure—all the balls will be playable ; cn the contrary if the ground is rough, the balls will cut about, he will be hit, and lose his confidence and his play. Not half the balls will be playable, so that half Next issue of Cricket Nov. 27-