Cricket 1891

6 CKICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME; JAN. 27, 1891 played square, not one edge before the other; always play the handle of the bat about three or four inches before the bottom, when playing to stop the ball forward, and not more, for by leaning the handle more forward the fingers will be lower, and consequently in more danger of being hit with the ball. To P lay B ack Is very useful, for it sometimes happens, when a ball pitches short of its proper length, and the hitter expects it to rise, but, on the contrary, takes the ground, then he is very often too late; but if he plays back two feet or more behind the popping crease, in case he can do it with­ out hitting the stumps with the bat, which will affcud him a little more time to hit the ball. To l e t th e B a ll go w ith o u t HITTING I f a ball rises six or eight inches, or more higher than the stumps, I consider it much the best way to let it pass, in case it can be done without hitting the bat, hands, or fingers, as there is very little good to be expected if they are hit ever so well, and it is very likely to make a bad hit, and be caught ou t; if a ball rises, so as you cannot let it pass without hitting, then raise your bat as though it was extended by a string tied to the handle, exactly upright, so as to hit the ball in the face of the bat; this will save the fingers from being hit, and very often prevent the striker from being caught out. Never look too long at a bowler before he starts to bowl, for that will hurt the sight; the hitter to be very careful that nothing takes his attention from off his play when he is going to hit, otherwise if a good ball comes he is very liable to be caught or bowled out, for mistakes are frequently made in all parts of the game, by not being attentive: it requires only the least motion in stepping to hit, for a man who stands steady to hit has the best sight; it very seldom requires both feet to move to hit a good pitched ball, it must be recollected that all bowlers are not confined to the same length, therefore the striker must judge for himself what pace the bowler is bowl­ ing, and where the ball should pitch, according to the pace of the bowler. To h it good L en g th or good pitch e d B alls That are not straight to the stumps; if the ball is six inches or more wide, the off side of the stumps, it is difficult for a young player to hit them well, as he must reach after them, and by that means very often hits under them and is caught out. A bowler very often bowls wide of the off stump, and a little faster than his common pace, merely to make the hitter reach after it, and sometimes a little slower and a little higher as the case may require, for to pitch its proper length according to the pace he is bow ling; this is the case in all matches where there is good bowling; if the hitter is right-handed, and means to play the ball forwards, he is to step with his left foot first, and that within six or eight inches of the straight line that the ball is coming in, which will enable him to hit over the ba ll; if the striker intends to hit the ball behind the stumps, he must step with the right foot first, as it will enable him to face the ball all the way till it is h it; but if he steps with his left foot first to play behind the w icket; he then turns his back to the ball and is obliged to look over his shoulder; if a ball twists after it hits the ground in towards the stumps, the striker cannot get out of the way, nor yet stop it with the bat, as it can be done by stepping the right foot first; step the right foot for all balls that are played behind the straight line of the popping crease, and step well up to it, so as to play the bat well over it without reaching after i t : never try to play a ball behind the stumps that is straight to them : if a ball pitches short of its proper length a little the off side, and rises and twists to the top of the off stumps, the striker must be very careful in playing back, that he does not hit his own w icket; it is with such balls that all the best players in their turns, have hit their own wicket down: if the ball keeps its height and the striker intends to play back, he should step within about eighteen inches of the stumps, or as the case may require, and step well up to the ball, so as to hit well over it without reaching. Stepping is a principal thing in hitting well, which depends on the hitter’s judg­ ment. I would wish to inform the striker, in the best manner I can, how to step : if the ball is bowled, the leg side of the stumps, three or four inches wide, then the hitter should move his right foot back, and play the ball between himself and the stumps. If the ball is six or eight inches wide, or more, the leg-side, then the striker to turn round as quickly as possible, that he may have the more time to hit the ball, and should always make it a rule to hit over the ball, which is much better than to hit under it, as then there will be very little danger of being caught out, if he does not get runs so fast; but the best way is, to hit the ball level with the ground in all directions where it can be properly done: To hit a ball when tost, if it is higher than the stumps the off side, it should be hit as far back as the straight line of the popping crease, it is nearly as fair as a toss, and should be played back as hard as possible, nearly in the same direction as it came in, with the handle ofthe bat a little before the bottom, so as to play the ball level with the ground, for as the ball will be raising from the ground it will continue so from the hit, so as to be caught out, if the handle of the bat is not played before the bottom at the (time the ball is hit. All fair balls and tosses are very easy for the striker if he has had sufficient practice ; he should always hit the ball the same side on which it comes, and never try to hit a ball the on-side (that is, on the off side of the stumps); however, I do not consider it good play to cross the ball from one side to the other, as very often players hit the ball on their own wicket, by endeavouring to cross it from one side to the other. T o h it a fa ir B a ll h ard The striker must hold his hands very near or quite close together, otherwise he cannot hit so hard, as one hand will be a check to the other’s, strike with the shoulders, arms, and wrists, and not straight armed or stiff; let the arms be loose, and strike the ball six or seven inches from the bottom of the ba t; it is of very little use to hit hard if the ball is not hit in the right part of the bat, there­ fore let the right part of the bat fall against the ball, like the lash of a whip, with the arms loose ; for if the ball is hit in the right part, the striker will hardly perceive it go from the bat). When a striker goes in he ought to be very careful and attentive in running, for his partner’s hit, as well asfor his own ; when his partner is going to hit he may stand before the popping crease, if his bat is on his ground behind it, but he must not start to run before the ball is out of the bowler’s hands ; ifhe does, and the bowler stops and hits abail ofthe stumps,with the ball before he returns, then he is ou t; for when the bowler starts to bowl, the ball is in play ; therefore he should always start as soon as the ball is out of the bowler’s hand, as far as he can get back if there is not a run ; for sometimes the ball hits the edge of the bat for a run,when it is a good length ball; sometimes he hits the wicket­ keeper’s hands or legs for a run ; some­ times the long-stop does not stop it well, or not at a ll; and in particular, fast bowl­ ing ought to be well attended to. Always run the first time hard, and never over­ run the popping crease until you look round for the ball; then there will be an easy run, where the same would have baen hard had you stopped at home, or over-run your ground, which is frequently the case with young beginners, Each hitter is to judge for his partner, as sometimes it so happens that one can run when the other cannot; therefore one had better lose the run than to run his partner out. W h en R u n n in g . Run with the bat outside, and be particu­ lar in running against your partner, for in so doing you may lose a run, if not run out. I f one is left-handed and the other right, they had best agree which side they each should run. I n C atc h in g th e B a l l . All players should extend their hands as wide as they can, and not shut their fingers too soon ; for when the ball comes into the hands, the fingers will shut of themselves. S tan din g in th e F ie l d . T he B o w ler . A bowler will very soon learn to judge where the striker intends to hit the ball, before it is h it; therefore it is his business to get there if he can, and stop the ball, to save the run ; but if he is not running after the ball, and the same is hit for a run, he must get back to the same wicket he bowled from, so as to be ready to catch the ball if it should be thrown to that wicket. (To be continued). NEXT ISSUE, FEBRUARY 26.