Cricket 1891

JAN. 27, 1891 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 5 F rom th e S tu m ps . I recommend all bowlers to practise bowling on both sides the stumps, for it frequently happens that they are pitched to a very great disadvantage, if he cannot bowl both sides alike ; let him fix his eye on the spot where the ball is intended to be pitched, start gently, increasing your pace as coming nearer the bowling crease; run as upright as possible, and not fail being so when you deliver the ball, for the higher you are, and harder the ball is tossed against the ground, the higher and quicker the bail will rise after it hits the ground ; never bowl faster than you can do it with ease, I think it very proper not to bowl always the same pace, (either faster or slower) as the case may require, always running exactly the same, so that the hitter cannot know only by his sight; if slower it should be but very little than the usual pace, for the slower it is the sooner the hitter will discover it ; if faster, as much faster as you can do it well. F air B ow lin g , as th e C r ic k e tte k ste r m . It is all underhanded, for you must neither throw or jerk ; if the arm hits the side that is considered a jerk. I do not advise young bowlers to bowl too long at a time, but to practise often, and there will be no fear of success. If you observe a hitter hits better on one side than the other, bowl at his weakest side ; or if a hitter hits better before the wicket than he can behind, then do not toss the ball quite so fa r; but if the hitter can play best behind the wicket, then toss the ball a little farther. F or a B ow ler to tw ist th e B all Make a white mark on the ball, and it is very easy for a young player to under­ stand that a ball cannot go out of the hand without rolling round; by tossing a ball across a room so as to hit the ground only once, then when it rises from the ground he will discover whether it twists to the right or to the left, or whether it rolls straight forward ; for although the ball is tossed straight to a mark, yet it must not roll straight, if it does it will not twist after it hits the ground : when the ball goes out of a bowler’s hand he must endeavor to make it twist a little across, then after it hits the ground it will twist the same way as it rolls when it goes from the hand; it is not done altogether by the twist of the hand, for whatever part of the hand or fingers it touches last when it leaves the hand it will twist or roll directly from that part or place ; if the ball is exactly straight, between where it touches the hand last, and the mark which you are tossing at, it is most likely that it will not twist, but if it leaves the hand or fingers a little on one side of the straight line which you are tossing at, then most likely it will twist after it hits the ground. For instance, when a ball is hit behind the man at the point, and on the edge of the bat, it will twist as soon as it hits the ground, &nd always twists nearer to the long top. T o P itch th e W ick ets When the bowlers have to pitch the wickets, they should consult each other respecting the spot where the wickets should be placed; the more rough the ground is where the ball should pitch, the more difficult it is for the hitter; and a slow bowler cannot bowl so well up hill or against the wind, as he can down hill or with the wind. C h anging th e B ow ling The players to consult when it is necessary to change the bowling, except when some particular person has the management of the match, it is necessary to change the bowling in almost all matches when two hitters have been in long together, whether they get many runs or n ot; I think the bowling should be changed ; one four balls, and if there is but few runs got, he may bowl eight, twelve, or more, and when he has bowled as long as it is thought necessary, then let the bowler that bowled first bowl again, as he is supposed to be the best by his bowling]first,and not have two or three different changes before the best bowler comes to bowl again ; when it is thought necessary to change the first bowler a second time, then let another man bowl that has not bowled before, in case the first did not give satisfaction; for if a hitter has had sufficient practice with a good bowler, it will be as difficult for that bowler to bowl him out as it would for a bowler that could not bowl quite so well, if he had not practised with him ; as no two bowlers run alike, or deliver the ball the same, or bowl the same pace, there­ fore any man is a change that can bowl ; if the bowling is ever so good, it is necessary to change some times, other­ wise, when two hitters stay in long, it reduces the bowling so much, that some times two or three of the worst hitters who go in last, will get as many runs as all the rest. T he A ttitu d e of S tan din g to H it , Is different, as scarce two players stand alike,but, if good players, they stand very near alike, therefore would recommend all young players to stand in the following manner: that is, the toe of the right foot to be behind the popping crease, and for both toes to face nearly straight to the bowler ; if right-handed, the right foot should be eight or ten inches from the straight line from one wicket to the other, the left foot to be six, seven, or eight inches from the right foot, and then there will be very little danger in stepping the leg or foot before the wicket, for if the leg or foot stops the ball when it is bowled straight to the stumps, and not hit first with the bat, the bowler then bowling should ask the umpire whether the hitter is out or in ; in this case, the umpire must give him ou t; but if the ball is not pitched straight, and twists straight to the stumps, then not out, if it has not hit the bat. G uard ing t h e S tum ps or W ic k e t . As the bat is only four inches and a quarter wide, and the stumps being seven inches, the hitter cannot by his bat, standing in one place, guard all the stumps, therefore I think it is proper for all young players to guard the middle stump ; and if the hitter is bowled out oftener at the leg than the off- stump, then he should guard his leg and middle stump ; if bowled out oftener at his off stump, then guard the off and middle stumps, always remembering to guard the weakest side; when the bowler starts to bowl, raise the bat and stand at ease, until he can judge where the ball will pitch. To PLAY, OR STOP GOOD BOWLING. I shall adopt the three following methods: 1st. To stop the ball forwards. 2nd. To play back. 3rd. To let the ball go without hitting. The first thing to be considered, is how to stop a well-pitched ball. This is very frequent where there is good bowling; a middle pace bowler should pitch his ball four yards and a half from the stumps ; and if a line is drawn across the play, the same distance from them, and should the ball be tossed on or over the line, if the hitter is right-handed let him step the left foot forward three feet -or more, if necessary, provided he can do it without moving his right foot out of his ground; to step within six or eight of the line in which the ball is coming, as that will enable him to play his bat upright, three feet or more before the popping crease, as that he may be enabled to stop the ball before it rises high enough to hit the fingers ; and in particular, if a bowler twists his ball, to give it no more room to twist than he can help. I f a hitter will take a bat and stand by the side of a crease in a boarded floor, supposing that to be the straight line from the bowler to the hitter’s wicket, and the ball coming in the same line, and to pitch its proper length from the stumps, suppose to be standing behind the popping crease at the same time, the striker may play his bat down just over the popping crease; and by stepping the left foot forward three feet or more, and play the bat along that crease upright till it arrives at the farthest distance, he can play with ease, and be soon enough to meet the ball at that place ; by this the hitter will learn to play his bat straight, and will see whether it is straight and upright, very few players can do it at all times, as some times the ball comes much quicker than expected, so as to deceive the best players, for if a striker is in a hurry to meet the ball, and has had no practice, it is very easy to miss it, and not know where the fault is, or how to alter i t ; and by putting his bat down so early, and driving it along on the ground to meet the ball, it will always prevent it from getting under the bat too quick for the hitter, and in general, just as the bat comes on the ground the bottom of it is too near the striker; and when he gets his bat forward at its farthest distance, the handle generally leans to him not upright; when this is the case, the upper edge of the bat will be exposed to hit the ball and fly up for a catch ; the bat to be NEXT ISSUE, FEBRUARY 20: