Cricket 1908

£6 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 23, 1908. LAMBERT ’S CR I CKETER S ’ GUIDE. ( C->aliiiu <?f om pagen.) “ Very few players can at all times strike upright, as the Ball at times coming quicker than expected, will deceive the best of players. If a Striker is in too great haste to meet the Ball, and has but little practice, he is liable to miss, but by placing the Bat nearly close to the ground, observ­ ing to keep the handle forward when he meets the Ball, it cannot slip under, nor rise when hit. It is too often the case with players in meeting a ball, that the handle cf the Bat is leaning backward, particularly the upper edge, which will be exposed to hit up the Ball for a catch ; the face of the bat should be played square, and not one edge before the other. " TO PLAY BACK AT THE BALL. “ This method of striking is very useful, as it frequently occurs, when a ball is pitched short of its usual and proper length, and the striker expects it to rise, that on | the contrary it may cut or shoot on the ground, then the Striker is often too late; but if at these kind of balls the Striker plays back about two feet behind the pop­ ping crease, in case he can manage so to do without striking the Wicket with the Bat, it will afford him a little more time to judge how the Ball is coming, and to strike with more certainty. " TO LET A BALL PASS WITHOUT HITTING, etc. “ We consider it good judgment not to strike at some particular balls, such as rise five inches or more above the Stumps, if it can be done without touching the Bat or hands, as very little good can be expected if hit, and it is very likely to be the means of producing what is called a bad hit, and perhaps the Striker may be caught out. If a ball should rise so fast that you cannot let it pass without striking, raise your Bat perpendicular, bringing the handle forward so as to strike it on the ground before the 'fieldsman can get near enough to catch; this will save the fingers, and frequently prevent a catch. It is adviseable not to look too long at a Bowler before he starts to bowl, as this may impede the sight. Let nothing take off your attention when about to receive the Ball, otherwise it is probable it may hit the Wicket, or struck up so as to cause a catch, which might otherwise have been avoided. It 5 'equires but little motion in stepping to strike, as a person who stands steady has the best sight of the Ball. It seldom requires both feet to move in striking at a ball that is well pitched ; and as Bowlers are not confined to pitch the Ball at the same length, the Striker must judge what kind of a ball he is about to receive, and where it will probably pitch, according to the pace. “ THE PROPER MODE OF STR IK ING GOOD LENGTH OR WELL-PITCHED BALLS. “ If a Ball is five inches or more wide on the off side of the wicket it is difficult, particularly with young beginners, to strike such Balls in a proper manner, as there is a necessity of reaching after them ; there­ fore the Striker must be careful, or he will strike under the Ball, and by that means may probably cause a catch. It is fre­ quently the case with experienced Bowlers to use at times wide Bowling for this very reason, which should be directed to the off side of the wicket. Bowlers often vary in Bowling faster or slower, so as to puzzle the Striker, which often has success, to avoid which we recommend Strikers to pay particular attention, by watching the Ball from the hand of the Bowler to the place it is pitched. “ If the Striker is right-handed and wishes to play the Ball forward, he should step with the left-foot first, then supposing the Ball not straight to the wicket by 5 or 7 inches on the off side he will be enabled to play on the Ball so as not to rise in striking. If the Striker is desirous of batting the Ball behind the wicket, pro­ vided it be wide enough on the near side so that there be no fear of twisting in to the wicket, he should then step his right- foot a little past the line in which the Ball IN STRUCT ION S AN D RULES FOB PLAYING THE NOBILE GAME OF CRICKET 9 AS PRACTISED BY THE HOST EMINENT PLAYERS, Containing a variety of directions little known to Players in general. ILLUSTRATED BT AN ©Icgant©oppet^Patt CrngtaWng, Exhibiting the Players, in the Field , TO WHICH ABB SUBJOINED THE LAWS OF THE GAME, ^WITH ADDITIONS AND COBBECTIONS. B Y W IL L IA M LAM B E R T . SUSSEX PKESS, LEWES: Printed and Published by J. Baxter , and sold in London by Baldwin $ Co. Paternoster Row , and all Booksellers. 1 8 1 6 . Facsimile o f Title Page o f F irst Edition. is coming which will enable him to face the Ball until it is hit. For all Balls that are hit behind a straight line of the popping- crease, step the right-foot for- most, and hit the Ball well on the top part, never strive to hit a Ball behind the wicket which is a straight line to it. “ If a Ball should pitch short of its proper length on the off side, and should twist towards the top of the wicket, the Striker must be very careful in playing back that he does not hit his own wicket, as is sometimes the case, even with the best players. If the Ball should be coming high in a direct line towards the Bail and the Striker intends to play back he should step within about 17 inches of the wicket, or as his judgment may dictate, playing well on the Ball. “ STEPPING TO STRIKE. Stepping is an important and principle qualification for striking well, and which chiefly depends on the judgment of the Striker. “ If the Ball should come to the legs 3 or 5 inches wide the Striker should move the right-foot back at the moment of hitting, playing the Ball between his left- leg and the wicket, but if the Ball be 7 or 8 inches wide or more towards the legs, the Striker should turn as quick as possible and strike, which is generally an advan­ tageous stroke; as in addition to the rapidity of the Ball from the Bowler’s hand the Bat adds to the velocity, and the Ball will in all probability run a consider­ able distance. We must here observe that it should be a practice as much as possible to strike on the top or over the Ball rather than under it, to prevent it from rising, and it is best at all times to strike the Ball as much as possible to the ground. If a Ball be tossed higher than the wicket, and on the off side, it should be struck back as far as the straight line of the popping crease. If the Ball be tossed with in about 2 feet of the popping crease the Striker should move back and strike as hard as possible, and if a straight Ball, nearly in the same direction, it would be adviseable to strike carefully, observing to keep the handle of the Bat forward, to prevent the Ball from rising. “ The striker should always endeavour to hit the Ball on the same side on which it is bowled, and not draw it across the play, as this is a very dangerous mode of striking and frequently is the cause of hitting down the wicket. “ TO STRIKE A FAIR BALL HARD. “ The striker should keep his hands very near or close together, or the one will pro­ duce a check to the other, exerting the Arms, Shoulders, and Wrist, but not stiff arm’d and strike the Ball five or seven Inches from the tip of the Bat as it is of little use to hit the Ball hard, except it be done with the proper part of the Bat, playing on it like the lash of a Whip, with the arms easy, when the Striker will scarcely perceive the Ball going from the Bat. “ The Striker should be careful and atten­ tive in running both his own and partner's hits, and when his partner is about to strike, it is adviseable to stand before the popping crease, toward the W icket; but he must not start to run before the Ball is out of the Bowler’s hand, for in that case he is giving the Bowler the chance of putting down his Wicket, and he will be out , the Ball being then in play, though not delivered. “ When the Ball is delivered the Striker may follow it, but should be careful not to run too far, that in case there are no runs, he may return in time, so as not to endanger his Wicket. “ Many things may occur at the Striker’s wicket which he cannot see, particularly by fast bowling, viz., the Ball may hit the edge of the bat, the leg or hand of the Wicket-keeper, or the Long-stop may miss it, &c., all of which his partner must at­ tentively observe and act on, as the Striker cannot see it so quick as he can. “ Always run the first time quick, which may enable you to get a second run easily taking care not to overrun your ground ’till you observe where the ball is, as running over the popping crease will cause a hard run, which by attending to the fore­ going observations might have been an easy one. “ One Batsman should judge for the other, as it sometimes happens that one can run to the most dangerous wicket, where the