John and James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1882

23 |}ints on ConcWng a ^cljocr! B y If. II, STEPHENSON. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO WRITE a few remarks on Coaching a School Eleven at Cricket; and I will try and dot down an idea or two of my own on the way I think the game should be taught. L must confess that in iny present position I am very lucky in many ways, and have advantages that few other establishments of this kind afford, I am supported and helped by all the masters in the school, and hitherto the boys under my tuition have been very attentive. The latter, to my mind, is a great thing ; for unless attention is paid to instruction or advice given, it matters very little what sort of man you have to coach an eleven. The first thing is to have a good man to teach. Now, my idea of a good man is, one who knows the game thoroughly—not only a good bowler, but one who knows what good bowling is, also when the fields are properly placed and worked according to the different changes in howling, and who knows when bowling should be changed, &c., Ac. lie must also be a man in whom those he is teaching will have confidence. Teaching properly, whether at cricket or otherwise, is, to my mind, a gift. It will often be seen with masters in a school. Some masters, however clever they may be, have great difficulty in keeping order in their class, and get very little work out of the boys under them; while others, with­ out the slightest trouble, will have good order, and get the boys to work diligently and well. If the coach is a favourite, young players will work with him, and do whatever they are asked with a pleasant feeling. I fancy there is too much attention paid to hatting practice at schools, and in that case howling and fielding are apt to he neglected. A good professional is often engaged at schools, and if he is a good bowler, he is kept bowling at the net hour after hour, and day after day, without having the slightest opportunity of coaching the bow lers or fieldsmen. I like the net practice for several reasons. It is very useful to get boys out of a bad stroke, such as hitting or playing across at straight balls; it is also of use in getting players to judge the length of a ball. You can also teach a player to judge the pace of a ball at the n e t ; and a good man will have an opportunity, while bowding to a batsman, to coach a couple of fieldsmen also. From twelve o'clock to one, every day during the summer term, I have three boys at my net, which is as far away from any other net as it is possible to get it. These hoys have twenty minutes each, and while one is batting the other tw'o are fielding. I find I can do a great deal of good to tlie fieldsmen, as 1 can make them understand