John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

17 an y practical advice the fo llow ing remarks may contain is addressed to those I have specified— those endowed with clear sight, supple sinews, ciiicl energy. Suppose a cricketer Las a son. As soon as ever the child can walk he should be given a ball, and encouraged to play w ith it as much as possible. I f he betrays an inclination to throw it at the heads o f his elders, the inclination should lie encouraged, since lie will not throw very hard or very straight for some years, and with a soft hall no harm can happen to the person pelted. The result, however, to the child is excellent. His arm becomes loose, and lie learns the mysteries o f a hall bounding, which is the first essential to him it lie is ever going to be a cricketer, i f any one doubts the truth oi this, let him wat eh a bad lawn tennis player, and he will see him miss countless strokes niei ely li oni miscalculating the bound of the ball. W hy is a good cricketer ge iie ia lly good at other ball games P Surely it is because he understands bounds ; and i f he learns to understand them in childhood, he w ill find that, like other kinds o f knowledge picked up in early years, this know ledge remains through life. In fact, he learns it as he learns how to walk , and when he forgets one he will forget the other. In the same way during early boyhood, the mysteries o f cricket should be learnt gradua lly and naturally. It cannot be o f any use to begin regular coaching at a tender age. Brats should be left alone to hit, or he hit by the ball, or even to get out of its way, as best they cam A ll this trains the eye and strengthens the arms. Happy too is the child if he has the opportunity o f frequently watching a fine hitter. His defence he w ill not understand, but the spectacle o f the free arms in full action, and o f the ball soaring away to square Jeg, is one that w ill never be effaced from his memory. But, as a more practical suggestion for cricketing fathers, noth ing is so good for a youngster’s early training in batting, as a piece o f asphalte where he can play a rough game, in default o f a proper cricket-ground , or in the winter. A piece o f sufficient size can be laid down for con ­ sisting of a solid foundation o f broken bricks and stones, and above them a slab either of proper asphalte or common gas-tar. I t is ail adm irable jns aller , which can be tried even in towns and by the sea-side, and in other benighted places where children are in danger o f not learning this noble craft. w - - — ---------- — game. N o ­ body can bat unless somebody bowls to him. But in early life bein<>- bowled to is a process which gives rise to mixed sensations—ambition and terror : ambition to Lit the hail, terror at the idea o f bein<>- hit Th with eminent French writers, but on this subject they agree, city of the cricket ball is no less terrible to the lad o f 14 than it appeared 0 1 •T aine • hut after a time it may become a real delight instead o f a ci ior. How is this interval o f time to be shortened as much as possible ?