Cricket 1914

2 THE WORLD OF CRICKET. J a n u a r y , 1914. School Cricket. B y A . C . M a c L a r e n . In T h e W o r l d o f C r i c k e t sch oolboy p layers w ill be sp ecially catered for as th ey never h ave been in a n y paper in th e p ast, and it is m y hope th a t th ey w ill give th e p ap er lo y a l and w hole-hearted support, in recognition o f w h a t it offers them . I am re a d y and keen to help th em in eve ry possible w a y to im p rove th eir cricket. I will, if th e y like, assist th em in th e selection of crick et m a te r ia l; and I in vite queries on a n y m a tter in connection w ith the gam e, to w h ich I w ill m yself giv e answ ers th ro u gh th ese columns o r b y post. A t the office of th e paper, 61, T em p le Cham bers, close to the V icto ria Em ban km en t, and o n ly tw o or th ree m inutes from B lack friars B rid ge, we shall h a v e on sale a selection o f bats for b o y s— and fo r older p layers also— eve ry one of w h ich w ill be gu aran teed as sp ecially selected b y m yself. W e are n o t going in to com p etition w ith the trad e. W e do n ot m ean to sell these b a ts for our ow n profit. T h ey w ill be chosen from th e stocks of advertisers in our columns, and the ben efit to u s w ill be th e in d irect one o f helping su ch advertisers and also our readers. P riv a te school m asters who are in th e hab it o f bu yin g b ats and oth er m aterial for th eir schools m ight care to h a ve m y com p an y and ad vice on these b u y in g expeditions. P rovid ed I am given sufficient n otice in advance, I shall b e a t th eir service. I t is im possible to exaggerate th e im portance to the b o y p la yer of bein g p ro p erly equipped for th e game. M an y a b o y ’s p la y has been spoiled b y the use o f a b at too big or to o h e a v y for him . I feel sure th a t th is danger m a y be avoided in fu tu re if m y ad vice is sought. I w a n t all m y b o y readers to feel th at, w herever I m ay be, I am interested in th eir crick et struggles, and availab le to help them . E v e ry great p la y e r has h ad his difficulties ; e ve ry good p la y e r w ith th e p ossib ility of greatness in him m u st overcom e these if he is to realise th a t possibility. H e m a y overcom e th em alone, b u t he is far m ore likely to do so if he takes th e ad vice of one who has been through th e mill. D o n ’t be afraid of askin g too m u ch ! It w ill be a genuine pleasure to me to help you. I h a ve alw ays been keen on b o y s’ cricket, and I am as keen now as ever. T he b o ys o f to -d ay w ho are th orou gh abou t th eir cricket are every b it as good as those of a n y form er generation, and those w ho are n o t th orou gh n ever were and n ever can b e m uch good. No am ou n t of n atu ral a b ility w ill make up for th e la c k of thoroughness. Som e m a y th in k m e conceited. I w ill run th e risk of th at, and sa y th a t I h ave y e t to find th e b o y really fond o f th e gam e o f w hom I cou ldn ’t m ake som ething— a t least m ake him good enough to p la y cricket w ith an average am ou n t o f success. A n d crick et— th e kin g of all gam es— no oth er gam e is w o rth m en tionin g in th e sam e breath w ith it— carries in its train h ealth , happiness, and friends. W here else do w e find such a sp irit of cam araderie as am on g cricketers ? W h a t oth er sp ort teaches su ch fine lessons ? N early eve ry boy h as his gifts, which o n ly aw ait develop­ m ent. Som e are abn orm ally gifted ; b u t the race is not alw ays to th e sw ift. T h e fellow who has real perseverance m a y ou t-strip him w ho m ight do great things b u t for w an t o f stickin g to it. Thus, y o u will see, m uch depends upon yourselves. Y o u m a y ask, then, where do I — A . C. M acLaren— com e in ? I w ill tell you h o w far I can help you . I w o n ’t say h ow far I think I can help yo u , for I know. I don ’t care w h at th e critics m ay sa y ; I am n o t w ritin g for th eir benefit, b u t for th a t o f you boys. F iv e m inutes’ w atch in g yo u a t the nets w ill tell me w h at y o u r stren gth is. I d o n ’t m ean y o u r p h ysical strength, th ou gh th a t also m a y be p re tty a ccu rately g a u g e d ; I m ean yo u r strokes. N ow it is b y developin g y o u r stren gth — th a t is, th e strokes for w h ich yo u h a v e a n atural a d a p ta ­ b ility— th a t yo u can go forw ard . So m a n y men, so m an y styles. I t is a m istake— one o f th e greatest o f m istakes— - to im agine th a t th ere are h ard -and -fast rules of sty le to w h ich everyone m ust conform . T here are groundw ork rules w ith o u t observin g w h ich no one is lik ely to do an y real good, b u t these are scarcely p a rt o f w h at I m ean b y “ sty le .” P la y n atu rally. A vo id being m echanical. L earn defence before y o u begin to a tta ck . H ere are three pointers for a start. B u t th e y need a little qualification. P atien ce alw ays p a y s in b o y s’ cricket, I am sure. B u t b y p atien ce I don ’t m ean stodginess. O vertossed and loose balls should be punished, especially b y such of yo u as are stron gly bu ilt. T he p atien ce I w ould counsel consists m ain ly in learning to w a it for such deliveries, instead of try in g to score off balls too good to be scored from . It is n o t patience, b u t mere folly, to p a t b a ck balls you could easily hit. M ost cricket coaches can sp ot a prom ising b o y bow ler m uch more easily th an th e y can a batsm an. A few tips to bow lers. B e con ten t w ith len gth and spinning th e b all one w a y . P ractice n ot to v a ry y o u r run up to the w icket, or y o u r action, w hen you are v ary in g y o u r pace. In no grade of cricket is v aria tio n in the height of the ball as m uch attem p ted as it should be'. Y o u w ill find th is p ay. Some o f yo u h ave it in y o u to becom e clinkin g good fieldsmen. A ll can becom e a t least fair b y assiduous practice. D o n ’ t p l a y g o l f ! I t is th e absolute antithesis o f cricket. I never fail to spot golfers a t th e nets. T h ey tu c k their elbows into th eir sides, and m ake sh ort stab bin g shots. T h e best batsm en go right through w ith every stroke. G olf in the years when cricket is bein g learned w ill spoil y o u r a b ility to do this. B u t racquets— hard b all or so ft— and law n tennis harm onise w ell enough w ith cricket. E v eryo n e w ill n ot agree w ith this, I know— as to tennis, a t least. B u t I am sure of it. T he tennis strokes are follow through strokes ; th a t’s w h y tennis w on ’t h u rt y o u r cricket. A word, in conclusion, to m asters. I shall welcome in v ita ­ tions to their schools— n ot to criticise the coach ing there given, b u t to assist it. I hope to p la y again st m an y of the p u b lic schools in the com ing season, and to w rite fu lly of th eir doings. A n d I w a n t all schools to send along news. W e m a y n o t be able to p rin t everyth in g sent— and here I would ask corres­ p ondents to avoid unnecessary len gth in th eir reports, etc.— b u t every school which gives us support w ill h ave its doings dealt w ith in our columns if such doings are reported ; and w e— m y friend and associate, Mr. Pen telow , and m yself— h ave in hand various plans for the developm ent o f this section of th e paper, of which space does n o t p erm it me to w rite fu lly a t present. L a n c a s h ir e ’s President in future will have only a two-year term, and will not be eligible for re-election until two years after its expiration. T he Hon. L. H. Tennyson is expected to play for Hampshire regularly this season. But Lieut. C. H. Abercrombie, who will be abroad for the next two years, will be missed. Y o r k s h ir e disbursed /420 to clubs on whose grounds county matches were played ; winter pay cost the club £533, April practices £141, talent money £137, and young players’ wages £‘128. Y e t there was a surplus of £88, and the club has {10,500 invested.