James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1883

H I N T SO N B A T T I N G . 1 5 George Parr in his best day; for a good leg-hitter is nowa rarity , or the field could not be divested , as it nowis so often , of so important a manas long-leg . It may be that there are few batsmen who can hit in this quarter without exposing themselves to the chances of a catch, but it is certain that at least among the professional cricketers of the day I can call to mind no leg -hitter worthy of comparison with George Parr. It is on the leg -stump that many batsmen are unquestionably weak, with a propensity for ' blind -swiping ' that inevitably denotes a certain recklessness ; or, on the other hand, desire or fear for the safety of their limbs . Here, again , in playing balls on the leg-stump a firm position must be maintained , and by practice the art of making runs from thembe acquired . For it is an art, believe me, and one that is not sufficiently studied . In this case keep the bat pesistently straight as before , paying due attention to the penalty incurred by the infringement of the law of leg -before- wicket , and playing forward or back hard on the ball you will find runs come freely . Withfast bowlers especially this hit or ' shove ,' as it mayperhaps be more aptly termed, tells at times with signal effect , and constant practice to secure its achievement will not be uselessly employed . Above all things be careful not to move out of your ground to hit at a ball on the leg -side , as this is a most hazardous experiment , and should be studiously avoided . In leg -hitting , the right leg must be kept firm, and in all respects the ball treated as in the mainprinciple of batting above described , the policy of reaching the ball as near as possible to the pitch , whena good length , being most to be recommended. I would, too, impress forcibly on the minds of young players the necessity of making their practice consonant with their play during a match . Nothing can be morebaneful than the reckless style of batting so often prevalent during the hours of practice . It is this unwise relapse into bad habits that seals the fate ofmanya promising cricketer . Whatis virtually the object of practice but to accustom a player to the more important necessities of a match? What is practically the result of this foolish custom of recklessness and unnatural batting but to irreconcile the batsmanto his own genuine style , and substitute habits which unfit him for higher duties ? Young cricketers will do well to avoid these suicidal tactics . Thereare m a n yother sins of omission and com- mission into which it would be possible to enter were the present volume as capacious as the Koran, or the present writer as industrious as one of its expositors . O nthe minor topics incidental to the game there is muchto be said that has been unsaid . Onthe various appliances of the game there is muchto bewritten , if only to satisfy anxious enquirers . I shall , however, merely bring to anendthis m yfirst rough article on cricket with a few brief words of advice on subjects which are not sufficiently attended to. I allude first to the necessity ofgood running as one of the brightest feathers in the cap of anyone who claims to be an effective batsman. Itis b ythe neglect of this essential that m a n yruns are lost , andmanya ' notch ' indirectly given to the other side . To see two good runners at the wickets is a treat to those who understand genuine cricket . There is no slovenly dallying , no indecision , no call for a run and after recall . In this respect alone a batsman of mediocrity maybe of as much real value as one of far superior powers . Be ready to back up immediately the ball leaves the hand of the bowler, and be careful to act decisively , as on, this depends greatly the fate of your opposite neighbour . If you feel inclined to rundonot hesitate , but call , and on no account reduce your partner to the necessity of retracing his steps , as from the fact of your backing up, you can get to the opposite wicket with greater ease than he can return and recover his ground. Thislast caution should not be overlooked. A stolen run, if the batsmenact well in concert , is byno means difficult of achievement-though care should be taken against any really impracticable attempt-and a succession of stolen runs has theeffect of not only irritating the bowler, but of demoralising and detracting fromthe efficacy of the field . Again, to bat with strict care at the commence- ment of your innings , trusting to time and the gradual diminution of accuracy onthe part of the bowler to admit of scoring , is advice that would seem to be superfluous . But patience throughout an innings of any duration is a virtue of