James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1883

1 2 L I L L Y WH I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R S ' A N N U A L. young student , with the right leg quite firm , the right foot just inside the crease , and the toes just clear of a line drawn from wicket to wicket . The advisability of having the right foot just inside the crease is obvious , as thereby the length of reach is greatly extended , but caution should none the less be exercised not to overstep the limits , as in the present age of efficient wicket- keepers , like the three P.'s-Pooley , Pilling , and Phillips -the end would soon come, andstumping is , at the best , an unsatisfactory death. Again, the adoption of a-guard nearer the wicket is inadvisable , as, though a better defence maybe gained in some instances , yet this is more than counteracted by the reduction of the reach , the consequent impediment in the wayof forward play, and lastly , the greater facility given to the bowler to drive you'back into your wicket . The right leg should be kept, as I have already stated , quite firm , as-in default of this proviston it will readily be seen that the balance can hardly be maintained , or at least that the batsman can be so well prepared for a forward or retrograde movement, or so ready for an emergency. Theright leg must of necessity form the 'pivot ' to regulate the movementsof the batsman, as on it depends most of the offence and no small share of the defence . Inthe methodofplacing the left leg and foot there are innumerable varieties and eccentricities . For,myself I prefer to place the latter about a foot in front of, and nearly at right angles to, theheel of the right foot. Thus, in the main, the ruling principle must,be that the right leg should be firmly planted and represent a stout support for the batsman, and given this provision , the use of the other must be greatly subser- vient to the difference of play , and be ruled chiefly by the discretion of the player . Thebatsmanin the diagram nearly realises m yidea on the subject of position , with the reservations already mentioned . Theyoung beginner will do well to frame his play according to this model. Fromm yown experience I have always found it to myadvantage to hold the bat half -way up the handle , and this happy mediumI recommend for adoption , as thereby you can control it as effectively as if held nearer to the blade, and the benefits incidental to the extra length are very important . Tohold it higher in the handle neutralises this advantage , as thebatis not so well nor so firmly grasped , and the power of hitting at a ball with certainty is considerably lessened . Stand, then, in an easy position , with thebat held as I have directed , firmly , but not too stiffly , to admit of facility of motion, and await the attack of the bowler. Do not beat the air with your bat, as is the manner of some, in unseemly flourishes , nor wave it high over your head after the fashion of other still more pantomimically inclined performers . Refrain , too , if possible , from wasting your energy in wagging the bat, if I may so term the irritating practice so often witnessed during the delivery of the ball . A s a rule these eccentricities are the unmistakable signs of nervousness or impatience , and these two defects will prove the ruin of the young cricketer . Decision , above all things is a strong point in the armour of the batsman, and one that maytend to render him shot-proof . To hold the bat in what is termed the pendulum fashion , in my opinion , gives the greatest scope for freedom of play , without in the slighest degree diminishing the power of defence . I disclaim any notion of egotism in the statement , but merely cite it as a practical demonstration that I always stand thus on guard myself , with the top of the handle just above thebelt, andthe bottomof the blade almost on a level with the centre of the middle stump. Again, it has from time immemorial been enacted that the left shoulder should be kept well forward and the left elbow naturally well up. I donot think that the most hypercritical cricketer can say anything in disparage- ment of this ancient rule . Modern cricket has indeed failed to supersede or find a flaw in the judgment of the past on this point . Try the experiment of playing with a straight and upright bat and the left shoulder in any other position , and you will realise the impossibility . Keep yourself as upright as possible to allow yourself the full benefit of your height , and your attention rivetted on the actions of the bowler. It is impossible to have such a good sight of the ball , to judge of its length , or to watch and allow for any break in its course , if the head be low or the attitude cramped. H egets so well over the ball ' is perhaps the highest praise that can be bestowed on a batsman , and to