James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1875

• ' l ' . , • • • 5 • • • ' , . . ' .... . .. � Wll$. advisedly that I used the word mooting, �d to nia.b ro yse� . m Oi:e Jntelli� gible. I may ex.plain myself to mean: meeting µl the m o st · aot lve s�, as opposed t o . allowing the bii. t passively t o ' a.wait. the impact o! the ��11 : Some ba-t smcu , oonsi.d.er , t}lem sel ves fully r e c ompensed if t4ey � enn d�.5pos� o� a g �d bp.11 by �e simple proooss <;>� allowing _ t he , bat to protect tli e , stu�ps. This . may pos�bly be � - h appy .r�s.ult for the r8iJ}k . a.n d . filtl of the �ame, but I a.m desirous , Qf �p � ealin � at the sime 1 . time . tO t he . s _ u p � � i o r �fficers, � nd: I do not think that this policy Of offens1ve aeJence lll Cl'J.Ck�t. lf:\ R"nµiOlelltl Y, va l ued. In some . i nstan c es ,. ef course, t h · Eµ"e · � re b a l l s . whi ch requu-� eveii �itort of the ba.tsm(lJl to meet at- all, btit the.re . are, be-y9nd doubt, hu!,tdr�� of others that this . . p as $i v e . sty!� .of d�fens1 � e batt� all o 'Y s to · escape unpunished. To block a shooter o,: .stop a ba.ile1· can as easily be a c e9m ­ plished i.p. a · r�olute as ill a hesitating manner, whi1e in th e ' one case t t l ll S tt; ill accrue, and in th� o . the r, ru ns tnan.J . never come. }?lay vigorot1sly then a.nd when , y ou "play" a bi.ll t play . it conftdently and with a re solnte rnor e � ent, with both arms � � wr);Sts � cting i� C ?fl ce _ rt, � if you had . some o*-� idea than � 11,lere pas�1ve occupaition of � b el ea gu ered f ? rt!e s _ s, . ,yiien )·ou hit, hit h�d; when yo� b�ock, do not. be deterte<i from 1nfi1smg . vigO'lll even into this m ove m e n t. So . rn u ch f o1· wh�t ! may call the first ru diments of · scientific batting. . There are 0th.el; p oints , Which may affect t he · stud.en{ who has mastered the earir lessona 1 · a nd , succeeded in . gaining a knowledge- of batting · . as , ,veil as a suflieiency ot · confid.ence to . e r ta�le · biin · to exp�ti­ mentalise on his own behoof. I am n ot goirig ; to e]?.te1· into a d e s cr i ption · of the t]li�ee kinds into whieh, I h :a.ve . read, straight \>alls are clividea� . as · 1 caonot bl1t think that this ' is a line of instxu�tion of but · �ttie practical . · value. It is practice 1 aµ.d . , as I have · ptey io tis l y , r em a r k e d, th e _ aid : ' o f a, good example for in}itation, that will do · mosp ' to f · orm a successful . batsman. � Indeed� n , o more usefttl lesson c�n bef ' de . rived in the study of . batting thaq the sight of a skililtl hatsman at work. The willip� schola1· ,vill lear� m�ch to do, ancl more stµl to leave u.n-done, . from the · exa m pl e of a good master.. He )Vill be, . as it · we1·e, initiated into iµ y:s ter 1 e � that were previoltsJy beyond the pale of his · comprehensjon. Ile · will, if he love th� game, take .up 1·eadily the position t be qui.cit to coiµprehend · the ' exigency of · each move� mont, and, with i11creasing p�reeption, gain ,. P.fcreas ed lt nowl eclg e as well as the co�dence h1cid�ntal thereto.. · He will see · for 11imself the · practical go·od of the , t�eoretieal instruction he has received; the practiea,l . demerits - , of the defecta against which he has b�en cantioiied. He ,vill find that ther . e is something mor , 9 needed to gain distinction than a display of wild hjtting ; , and . that in hitting the11e is a certain · ijlti� that reqtili·es · _ more than the possession of great . phyaic&i force� · He will, . if t�e - l o $son prove . fruitfril ) . find that to hit well necessitates . a combination of . eye f:l,nd h�rid, the former . to tim.a and th·e latter to · strike ; as . wen · as a · ltlrge amount of ,vrist play whi c h . will alone tend to produce it freedom · , o� ' hitting a_p.d . � power ' i n con ­ ceivable . to one who �a� not discoye�ed the secret 1 oi thij peculiar gift. He t will see ) too, with what confidence every . ball is played, w i th w hat · decision ev:ery a r tifice �f , the . bowler is · met, �d ho� skilful ly · the line is drav;� i � � twe e n the d ? lioa�e dist � c : ions of fp!wa.r � ai;d, � � ck , ��y . : It is obviol'lalY. 1n Ute tlllOOrtrunty of deciding on �hese last two p . omt s ·· . $ha t th� bo\vlcr huA the greatest advan t � e ; . There i.s " � , b � of Qi e ei . ta:in - le n gth : t � at b!iffles e-yery · player, or at le � t one . that r�q':llfeS th ? . undiY1:�e � . attention of th� · best . batsmen. : '' It 1s a 1ength,'' $Bys · . Mr. Fept, � '' t 4at . p r mgs over a mat\ . m os t in<;les<U"ibable emotions.' 1 . Perhaps I Dla i y 1.1-ot be incl in ed _ t-0 go so f� nS Mf : • ' . ' , . ,. .. � . ' , . ' • J • , . ' , • " · ., I