Cricket 1914

M a y 16, 1914. THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 147 The Game and How to Play it. T he C u t. B y A . C. M a c L a r e n . T h e cut is reckoned b y many as the most delightful of all strokes, and w ith good reason. There are two kinds of cut— the square and the late cut. The ball cut square will travel to left of point and to the right of third man. The late cut should be made for the ball to travel past first slip and wide of third man’s left hand. The right leg is brought back to the ball just short of a length in both cases. When short balls are met by advancing the left leg across the w icket and are banged in front of point, the stroke does not constitute a cut proper. The accompanying photographs depict Hobbs executing one of his favourite strokes, the square c u t ; and a more perfect exhibition it is impossible to see on paper. The timid player, or the man who is anxious for a long stay, eschews the cut altogether, and the decay of this delightful stroke is very noticeable in all grades of cricket— more’s the pit-y ! A t Harrow School I have not seen four boys yet who can cut, and get the most out of the stroke— the m ajority cut w ith their feet glued to the ground. If boys will only study these pictures, they will see there is nothing very difficult about this delightful stroke. The one great thing to remember is to get the bat up quickly— it will be seen th at it should be up level w ith the shoulders before the right foot is brought back, and whilst the right foot brings the body across the w icket the bat is kept perfectly steady, and only descends when the right foot is firmly planted w ith true balance of body. Youngsters sometimes hit their wickets in attempting to master the stroke ; but this is due to one of two things only— the taking of the bat back too late, or the moving of the right foot straight back towards the wicket, instead of across, in the direction of third slip. There is another thing very important to remember, and that is the foot should be pointing in whatever direction the ball has been cut. Boys frequently have their right foot pointing in front of point whilst making the stroke, which causes them to cut too square, and often checks instead of accelerating the speed of the ball. If one adopts the true position for the cut, w ith the bat well up, according to these photographs, it is quite an easy matter to keep the bat up instead of making the stroke, in the event of the ball’s kicking up awkwardly or coming back suddenly, when the ball cannot find its way to the wicket owing to the legs being there. Many a batsman has been accused wrongfully of using his legs to protect his w icket when he has only taken up the position to cut, and has then declined to deal the b'.ow owing to the ball having done something to cause the carrying through of his original intention a dangerous matter. B y watching others Prince Ranjitsinjhi and C. B. F ry added to their store of cricket knowledge to make them what they were at the finish, and I myself learned very much from the play of others. We had to travel miles to get what we wanted then, and our hero did not always repay our journeys. To-day the strokes, and exactly how they are executed, are placed on paper in front of one, and any boy who studies them cannot help but very much improve his play. It is my wish that my young subscribers should write for further enlightenment in any case in which they fail to understand my meaning. May June July Aug In c o g n it i F ix tu r e L is t : 1914. (The names are those of the managers of matches.) 13— v. Hounslow Garrison, at Hounslow (J. C. Wood). 16— v. Charterhouse School, at Charterhouse (T. Shaw). 20— v. R.N. & R.M.L.I., at Chatham (T. Shaw). 23— v. Wellington College, at Wellington (Major Fawcus). 25 & 26— v. Malvern College, at Malvern.* 27 & 28— v. Worcestershire Gentlemen, at Worcester.* 29 & 30— v. Warwickshire Gentlemen, at Leamington.* 1 & 2— v. Mr. Lionel Robinson’s XI, at Old Buckenham (E. J. Metcalfe). 2— v. Richmond, at Richmond (H. Hargreaves). 3— v. R.N. College, Greenwich, at Blackheath (P. Collins). 6— v. Blackheath, at Blackheath (R. O. Schwarz). 6— v. R.M.C., at Woolwich (R. L. Finnis). 8 & g — v. Aldershot Command, at Aldershot (E. J. Metcalfe). 11— v. Radley College, at Radley (H. E. F. Sich). 13— v. Mote Park, at Maidstone (Capt. Sarel). 13— v. Moor Hall, at Moor Hall (T. Shaw). 17 & 18— v. Bickley Park, at Biekley (T. Shaw). 20— v. Tonbridge School, at Tonbridge (E. J. Metcalfe). 27— v. Wimbledon, at Wimbledon (P. Collins). 27— v. R.M.C., at Sandhurst (Major Fawcus). 29 & 30— v. Bury and West Suffolk, at Bury St. Edmunds.t 1 & 2— v. Mr. Palev’s XI, at Ampton Hall.f 3 & 4— v. Easton Ramblers, at Easton Park.t 3— v. Gatton Park, at Gatton (J. C. Wood). 4— v. Staff, R.M.C., at Sandhurst (Major Fawcus). 6 & 7— v. Eastbourne, at Eastbourne. X 8— v. St. Andrew’s Masters, at Eastbourne.J 9— v. Eastbourne College, at Eastbourne.J 9— v. Streatham, at Streatham (P. Collins). 11— v. St. Paul’s School, at W. Kensington (R. O. Schwarz). 11— v. Esher, at Esher (H. E. F. Sich). 15— v. Epsom, at Epsom (P. Collins). 15 & 16— v. Folkestone, at Folkestone (H. Hargreaves). 17 & 18— v. Shorncliffe Garrison, at Shorncliffe (H. Hargreaves). 17— v. Oatlands Park, at Oatlands Park (H. E. F. Sich). 18— v. Hailevbury College, at Hertford (R. L. Finnis). 20 & 21— v. United Services, at Portsmouth.** 22 & 23— v. Army Service Corps, at Aldershot.** 24 & 25— v. Hampshire Hogs, at Southampton.** 25— v. Westminster School, at Vincent Square (A. R. Severn). 31 & Aug. 1— v. R.N. Barracks, Devonport, at Keyham.ft 3 & 4.— v. United Services, at Plymouth.ft 5 & 6— v. R.N. College, at Dartmouth.tt 7 & 8— v. Paignton, at Paignton.ft 10 & 11— v. Torquay, at Torquay.ft 10 & 11— v. Merion (Philadelphia), at Lord’s (Col. Greenway). 12 & 13— v. Chudleigh, at Chudleigh.ft 14 & 15— v. South Devon, at Newton Abbot.tt 17 & 18— v. Sidmouth, at Sidmouth.tt 19 & 20— v. Seaton, at Seaton.tt 21 & 22— v. Sidmouth, at Sidmouth.tt 24 & 25— v. Devon Dumplings, at Exeter.tt 26 & 27— v. North Devon, at Instow.tt T h e M o te C.C. owes much to the generosity of Sir Marcus Samuel, to whom their ground belongs, and who annually contributes the handsome donation of £100 to its funds. Without this help the club might find it difficult to make ends meet ; there was, in fact, a deficit of close on £30 on last season’s working. New members are needed, for the maintenance of the ground at such a standard as renders it fit for countv cricket is an expensive matter. There will again be a county week there this season, Gloucestershire and Middlesex being the visiting sides. Mr Kenneth McAlpine, who continues to fill the office of Hon. Sec., has arranged a capital list of matches, as follows :— May 16— v. Maidstone. July 3 & 4— v. Royal Engineers. 23— v. Wye College. „ 11— v. The Frogs. ,, 30— v. United Services. ,, 14—v• M.C.C. j une 1— v. Sevenoaks. ,, 29— v. Old Tonbridgians. 2— v. Roving Friars. ,, 31 &Aug. 1— v. Eton Ramblers 6— v. London Hospital. Aug. 8— v. Church Institute. 8& q — v_ Roval Artillery. ,, 10 & 11— v. Free Foresters. ,, 13— v. Incogniti. „ 12 & 13— v. Charterhouse ,, 20— v. St. Thomas’s Hosp. Friars. „ 25— v. United Services. ,, 14 & 15 — v. Band of Brothers. „ 27— v. Nondescripts. 17 & 18—v. Harlequins. All, except the game on June 25, are home matches. * Midland Tour (manager, Major Hobson). t Suffolk Tour (manager, N. F. Wells). % Manager of these three matches, B. Tabrum. ** Southern Tour (manager, Col. Greenwav). tt Western Tour (manager, B. P. Dobson).