Canadian Cricket Field Volume 1 1882

IFFE MADDIA1 0tIGKET FIELD. 3 CRICKET, AND HOW TO EXCEL IN IT. involuntarily give back with one and remainti umnioved at the ap. Droacli of the other, and the hall juîinps out. Pnictise catelmg r n. w. a. n . .with ithèr hand, but in a maiteh always catch with the.two lntis (Puiblilied bq quefdal penisXiol.) if you can manage it ; a ball with a twist on is niost diflicult to hîold with one band, lut cau esily b caught by two. Ciai IV.-FIELI>i«. If you happen to miss a catch, do not stol and look astoiisied, leielding, liko battiug- and bowling, cannot bu acquired without but scurry away after the ball and save the ruis ; a ian eau be essiduous practice. Its importanco is too ofton under.rated, and forgiven for misain a catch occasionally, " such things happen in il~~~~~csinly sich faiiug tln app n enngcserta t iliany peopleoe to fancy that there is nothing casier than to the best regiulate(' teais, and the best playors will sonmetines let tield proporly, and that it dhoes not su inuel iniatter if a tealn isi tlie ball drop, but it is tipardonîable for a inan in the itAil after rather weak in that departnent. A good fieldsnan who canuot mnissing a catch to slicepishly pick up the ball after a lengtiened bat at all is worth moro in an leven than an average batsmuan who pause, and then fling it in like a madman, as wo often see done. catnnot field-inatches are won iot ouly by the mus got, but by the He canneot possibly do any goodi, and he may do a great deal of r uns saved. iarii. A tieldsnan should be blessedi with activity. strength and pluck i The wicket-keeper shiould! stand wiell up to bis wicket, right leg -if he slrinke front or funks a ball ho is sure to miss it-and abovi-| forward and loft back, a position in which he will find it casier to ail things, lie should always be on the alert and wattch every baill take the leg balls than in any other. H1e should always bc on the that is bowled, nover standing still with hands in pocket and cyes look out and never tire, and should try and take every ball, and gay.ng on vacanîey. He should not talk except when the wicket is never think that a ball is going to be bit by the batsmuîan, aud give downl-ti3re is nothig more1o deloralizing to good play or inoro it up, as some wicket-keepers do. Tlh ene he does not atteupt to annoying to somte batsmen than to hear gossip more or les, princi- take is aliîost sure by the law of contraries to be a chance and to pallle ausiCg going on while the ball is being bowled. A b imissed by bis carelessiess. He ought never to leave his wick et batsman has quite enough tu do to attend to the gaie. uniess the ball rolls but a very little way fron bii ; lie should take li placing a field, always bear iniimid titat the mon should be overy ball lie can, and save the long-stop as uitcli as possible, and stood eitlher close enîough ii to save a single, or as far ont as tlcy ,always keep his wits clear and be ready to stuninp the batsian can go to save a two, and that when the ground is soft you can should lie be out of lis grountd for a second. Meii have been place tiein nearer to save tho single than wlen it is liard, the reasoni stumîped out for lifting their riglit leg just tu give a hitch to their being that when the ground is soft the ball rolls slowly, and fast ; trousers, for sitting on the grass to recover their wind and slipping runers eau casily steal a run if the men are not prttty close ilm. hold of their hat landle during a sneeze, for twitching up the right A great deal depends on ti positions te which the different t foot ii drawing a ball, aud thougli these are refincnents in the art nien arc assigned, and on the varying play of the batsnen. Most of wicket-koeping, they serve to sioiw that the nian with the gloves batsien lave favourite strokes, ani it is in the way in which thtese should be wide awake. It is a good plan for the captain te keep are noted and provided for that the efliUciency of the field depends. I w,ket, and to direct lis field by signs, as tho batsmian is then, un- Not ouly siould the fieldsnic watcli every ball that is bowled, i less very wary, kept in% the lark as te their movements. but thoy should particularly keep ait eyo on fle batsinan, se as to LoIgstop should stand just far enough back to sive the run, and aunticipate, if possible, whieri lie imeans to hit the ball, and thus get slould'have a very quick return. Ho should place himaself a little a god start of it and save a run or two. The howler also should tu the leg sitde of the wicket, as, if a riglt-landed m.an , le will be wateled, especially by the out-fuidsmen, se that they Cau at thaus find it casier to stol the ball, the liand whicli is quickest L'eing once obey his sigus whien lie waits themitu change thcir positions 1 nearest its probable track. A ball coming to the riglt is casier te suit somue particular ianuottvre. stopped by the riglit hand than by the left,and the wic-et-keeper is Long-stopping is a capital school for geieral fielding ; a nial who ioxcre likely to take the ball on the offside than on the leg. oLiîouuld can long-stop well eau field an-ywhiere. Practise catching ; get, if always be prepared for the ball being turned a little out of its youI can, soume ene to hit highi catches froi tie bat. It is astoisll- course, keep his oye on it froui the instant it leaves the bowler's ing what a difference there is in tle way a catch cones off a bat hand, ho ready for tips, draws, and snicks, and back up without the frou wlat it does frot a throw. Thi-owing catches afford .good loss of a moment. practice, and it is a good plan at the fall of aci wicket during a Short-slip lias little running to do, hence he is generally the match to throw about a few, more especially to the out-fielders. bowler at the end lie stands at, for a bowler is useless if blown and A good fielder does not stay for thie bail to conte to huni,but i unatcady. According to the speed of tho bowling the position of liastens to ineet it, and does not throw his armis about and threaten short-slip will alter ; for fast bowling lie slouîld go a gooid way back, to throw the ball, but picks it up and dasies it in ii one motion. because if lie stands near, and the ball is snicked, it rcaches and le always tries it a catch if anywhere within a reasoniable distance passes hiii before lie cati SOe it, and a catch is thus imissed, çichl a of hiim, aud is never content to stand still aind sectire it on the fow yards ii the rear would have shiot inîto his b-ids. For slow long-hop if he cantmanage te run in before it touches the ground. bowling he shouîld stand nearer and squarer, as die ball will not No man cau tell what balls it is possible to catch unless lie tries at reacli him fromt off the edge of the bat if to far away. Short-slip themi. sy siiould be mie of the irst to back up the wikket-keeper, and takes "l Throw stightat my,nose !" Surrey Ste henson used to say, his place if le over leaves lis wicket. and ie better advico could be given. The hall is thrown up by the J Long.slip or third man--ho is, perliaps, ather a niddle-slip, field for the vicket-keeper to stop and put the wicket down with, being long-slip placed in close enougi to save the run-is mne of if he can, and there is no object in fieldsnien taking siots at the the lardest places in the field to till satisfactorily, as the ball, flying wicket which do not lit it once in a hluitndred times. If, then, yout 'off the bat edge, takes a great deil of twist when it touches the are not far frot the wicket, throw the ball direct into tie wicket- grotind, and is mnst likely to be missed unless you get well in front keeper's hiands, and do not allow it to touch the ground, as it nMay of it. Loung-slip is expected to meet the ball, and te get it il shoot or break back (and gencrally does) before it reaclies lun. quickly so as te save tle run or tako the wicket. Suchla mode of retum is often must dangerous, and is just as Poinit should be a sharp ote to be of any use. He lias to change r-eîîrehenusile as the foolisi practice of hurling the ball wildly at i bis position for different styles of bowling, antd get far ont for fast the wicket-keeper or bowler wien tLcre is no chanuce of savimg the bowling, close in for slow. HE should follow eveiy ball with lhis run111 Or rtii-unning the nicn out. oye uitl it hits the bat, and spring forward and secuure it if-played A wicket-keeper wcars gloves to protect lis liands, a bowler does anyw liere Inimiu. He should backup promptly at cithter wicket, not ; and as it is of imtîpt tince thazit the bowler should iot be hurt, be a sure catch with cither hand, have an oye like ai eagle, and the wicket-kper shotuld receive as niany balls as possible, anmd stop the liard hits whiclh woultd go for mlianly rus as well to the lielders should never tlhrow in to the bowler's wicket uinless for riglt as to thue left of hi. If a bowler sends in the ball wildly lie some very good reasei. Throw low aud throw straiglt : the greater ntît keep away at little, but if the bowler in straiglt on thei wicket the curve the grcater the timîue the ball takes to get tu the wicket. le eau stand close in and ahuost suap the ball off the bat. All out-fieldsien should be good tlrowers and good runnters ; (To be«m'n.) fast runnuing with il, qjuick start is a great advaitage fer fioldsamen, :.. _ .. aud is the cause of t he saviig of a multitude of ruins. For quickBE stm-tinig you Vant ma good foothold ; it will never tIo te slip, aud so U1IIE spikes of some sort arc requisite ; there is plenty of choice as to - - - variety, fri-om ortdina-y hobniails upewards, but short spikes that; Tu.suUEn. -Wu vecoiimeid Mr. Samuel b. Wiidruna, whmose ad screw into the boot are, I think, the best. Boots arc better than vortisciment appears in aniother coluimn. shoes, especially for bowlers. Suusciua.-It is doubtful wlithier the Australian eleven will li catcing always give witli the bmll. Swiftcatches are frequently play li Canada this year, ituless pecuniuy avantages cat bo iade by ticmei who apparently mnuff easy unes, because tLeir Ianttds tffered.