James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1876

« 15 occurs to him to keep up liis bowling. Is it that hatting is unfairly estimated by the public, to the neglect of bowling? or that the averages incite a bats­ man to prefer the notoriety of a sensational score, while no inducement is iven to a bowler? Perhaps both these are reasonable suppositions. In the sTorth of England and in the Midland Counties, perhaps from indirect causes, bowling is greatly fostered. I have in some parts myself seen colliers and workers of all kinds, during their leisure hours, at practice with a ball at a stone or a piece o f coals in the roads or on the moors. No matter where, so long as they can have something whereat to bowl, at the regulation distance of twenty-two yards, and the consequence is that they can almost all bowl with accuracy ; though I fancy they prefer swiftness of pace, and do not devote sufficient time to the study of slow and medium-paced delivery. With young plavers, the great error is this ambition for extreme speed. The theory is to begin with slows until you have gained some accuracy of aim. The general practice is to tear aw’ay at the stumps as fast as possible, and to destroy, as a natural consequence, all hopes of distinction. Care must be taken not to overbowl at the ou tse t ; to deliver at a slow rate of progression, to be increased gradually, as strength accrues. Speed wdll come better if it is allowed to come of itself, rather than by forcing it unnaturally. J. C. Shaw, Silcock, and Wilsher do not pound away at their fastest pace, but howl so much within their strength as to have almost complete command over the ball, and hence the number of maiden overs as well as wdekets to their names. Any object will do to form a mark for practice, as a piece of paper placed in front of the stumps, at the point best suited for the pitch of the ball. A bowler will soon fall into a certain natural and mechanical action ; and care should be taken, wThen a suitable delivery is attained, not to deviate therefrom, as this will nullify the effects of the practice. Bowling to my mind, should derive its motive power from the arm, and not from the body, as it is from the arm that most of the spin is gained, and bodily exertion will always be to the disadvantage of the bowler. The arm should be c O t. _ kept as level as possible with the shoulder, as this of itself will produce facility of delivery, without an excess of physical labour. Still there is much in the way of example in the advocacy of a high delivery as the best action for a bowder. J. C. Shavr, Freeman, and others of our best bowlers, have the advantage of a high delivery with a slight assistance from a turn of the hand and wTist. It is the most difficult to play, as the bowler can pitch the ball nearer to the bat without the chance of a hit, in consequence of the ball risiug so abruptly and with so much spin. Without prejudice I am adverse to the claims of a fast against those of a slow bowler. Indeed, most batsmen prefer pace, as generally fast bowders pitch the ball short rather than well up, and the chances of a snick are many, while the opportunities for a cut are hardly less numerous. Moreover, fast bowling cannot be so aecuiate, nor can it be so consistent as that, which is well under control, and the bats­ man is not so puzzled by the length of the ball, as with a slow dropping delivery. A great defect among howlers is the disinclination or inability to pitch the ball far enough. A home toss or what is technically termed a “ yorker,” is often calculated to dispatch a batsman before he has had a chance of “ getting his eye in .” The shorter pitches may produce maiden overs, but it is the balls that are pitched nearest to the bat, as a rule, that get wickets; and Howitt and others can testify to the merits of a good “ tice,° when all other devices have failed. When you have achieved accuracy sufficient to warrant more ambitious attempts, it will be time