Canadian Cricket Field Volume 1 1882

52 THE 1A1ADIA1 GFIqIKE T FIELD. their batting proficiency. A batsman will frequently fail to bat should bo lunged forward rapidly and with a firm push. come off ; a bowler or fieldsman nearly alwavs makes his umark It is the fashion in these days to stand still and bit at these in a match. Two or three good bats should be chosen first; balls ; if struck, they must go up in the air and becone food thon the bowlers, one fast and one slow. A good wicket- ior soeni good long field ; if they shoot, they go under the bat keeper is a necessity; and if possible two other bowlers and take the wicket. Many a good player ha., fallen a victim should be put in, one right-handed and one left, and the rest in trying to inake these sensationai hits. When a bail is of the teani should be made up of iniri uf fielding as well sliightly to the on side and a httle underpitched, play forward, as batting ability, a goud lob buwler being included if havng the face of the bat slightly turned towards the on side; you have got him. A man who can field well and bat a little the ball will thon glance off it, and go botween short-leg and should always have the preference over one who can bat tol- long-stop, and one if not more runs safely obtained. Vhelcn, erably and is weak in the field. of Chatham, whom many Canadians will remember, was very In cricket, the object of overy player should be the winning good at this-no one, in fact, better. Another way to play this of the match, and not his own gloritication , ienco all should, ball is to strerch the leg forward and bring the bat down with work as one man for the good of the side, and practise for a sharp chop on the ball with its face turned slightly to the matches as much as possible inî each other's comîpany. It is " on" side ; the ball will then go between your legs. By sloping remarkable what a difference thero is between the play and the bat more or les you may place th, bat out of short.leg'a success of a teani who are strangers to one another, and of an reach. Another way of playing is the I draw," now very eleven who have been trained all together and are well seldoni adopted, but there is niothing prettier or more effective acquainted with each other's whimis and peculiarities. whien off fast bowling; this is done by patting the ball with a Some people diet themselves in an elaborate manner fcr the straight bat, and with a turn of the wrists. practice of the game, but I an unaware of any regimen suited In place of all these modes of play, a bad and dangerous style for cricketers that does not apply in other cases. The best now generally obtains among players. It has been designated system is that which renders it unnecessary to have recourse by various names. At one time it was called the " Cambridge to any sudden methods of increasing muscular or mental poke," but I think it was originated-by the Sussex professioial power. Carefully diet yourselves alwavs; keep regular hours; player, Jemimy Dean; at any rate, he was the first man I saw .eat moderately. The great riistake of modern days is that we play in that miserable manner, and I know it was not then eat too much. Avoid late dinners and many courses. Take adopted at Cambridge. It consists in standing full face te the simple wholesome food. Drink but little. Never have to bowler, and trying te pat the ball to the outside. The very take refuge in doses and " pick-me-ups," and avoid excesses of position is bad and dangerous; all comniand of the ball is lost. ail kinds, particularly in spirits and tobacco. In short, if yeu If rissed, the chances are that the player is seriously hurt by are wise you will never want to go into training, for you will being struck by the ball in on-e of the tenderest parts of the always bo in condition, and your powers and faculties will person ; if the ball rises or twists, the player cannot get out of require no special treatinent to improve them, for they wNill the way of it, and most probably in consequence gives a catch always be kept up in their highest state of healthy vigour. to the slip, point or bowler. I earnestly hope all Canadian To play cricket well, then, be careful in your diet, and con- cricketers will give up this wretched misbegotten style of play. stant in your practice. Practice is of two kinds--practice for Balls overpitched and well te the off are be'st played by the sake of killing time, and practice with a view te improve- throwing your front leg well forward and over te the off side, -ment. As regards the former variety I have nothing to say and striking hard and rapidly; this will send the.ball Cither beyond hinting that thougli a nian nay amuse himself in between long-off and point or square, according as the ball is many worse ways than swiping atid slogging, and bawling more or less overpitched. This i- sometimes called a "cut," " Thank you !" for hours at a time, it woud be as well for but the true cut is in the slips. To cut well requires flexible bim to cease imagining that he is in any way improving bis wrists. You may help to obtain these by practice; keep raising cricket thereby. The common style of sh.shing away at half the bat rapidly on to your shoulder and down again as fast as a dozen bowlers in front of a net is a main reason of the you can, also swing the bat round and round by moving your wliolesale manufacture of duck's eggs anongst modern elevens. wrist without using your arms, first with one hand theü with (To be continued.) both; try every other way you may think of for working the wrists. Those I have mentioned I know are useful, especially the fi-st, as that is the motion for the actual " cut," and the GOIQURISMI1OTQ, more you practise it the easier it becomes. Don't forget this e8sential-the shoulder well forward. This also is the great requisite in back play ; bring the bat down with a sharp chop HINTS TO CRIOKETERS. on the ball. Try and time the ball as much as you can ; Cana- To the Editor of the Cricket FiId dians generally are very deficient in this mode of play. As a rule, they merely try te stop the ball, letting it hit the bat; they DEAR Si,-As you have been good enough to publish my want more freedom of wrist, more shoulder forward, and botter "Hints te Cricketers," I have presumed they met with your timing. I have endeavoured to show how these may be approbation, and now offer you sone more. 1 have endeavoured obtained; let then try to gain all these; it -willsimply repay to point out the chief essentials required to make a finished bats- themn I am certain. The " Leviathan" is most -wonderfulin this man, name y, good form of defence, a straight bat, and correct respect; I have several times seen him come down on a hitting. In plaving forward, I would add that care should be "shooter," and send it for three or four. No on probably will taken to tim the ball. The bat should meet it just as it leaves ever succeed in equalling him ; still, ar v one may try to follow the ground. If you play forward too slowly, it is nearly tanta- bis example, and depend upon it, he w'o does will ho the gainer iount to not playing forward at all; the ball has time to by s k doing. If he does not get runs, he wi at any rate keep rise, and may either pop over the handle of the bat and take bis wicket intact and play correctly, and like a finihaed the wicket, or muay slightly touch it or your fingers and give a batsman. catch. If played too quickly, the ball bits the bat instead of Against slow bowling (whether under or over) the player the reverse, and the force- of the blow is lost. If correctiy 1 should make good use of bis legs. A bowler is always trying timed the ball is driven, and by sligitly turning the face I to dodge, find out bis batsman's weak points, and tempt him towards the on or off side, you can place the ball out of reach tO bit. The player's object is to finesse against the bowler; of the field wherever you may see an opening. The forw ard this ho can do by sometimes playing back and inducing the play should also be adopted for straight halls or balls a little, bowler to pitch the ball up, if this object is gained, ho can go to thin off, whnn either are slightly overpitdhed, fur these the. in at the ball and drive it, making it bowling for the field. Somùe-