Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

210 Appendix One Johnny Lawrence’s notes on his cricketing career A few rambling thoughts on cricket for fathers and young cricketers.  First, a youngster must want to play cricket and can be encouraged by parents, school or watching, etc. The best way to give him confidence is to send the ball for him to hit and give him praise when he hits straight not square leg.  Bowling action is the important thing. Don’t tell him to brush his ear with the arm; it tends to make just arm bowlers and not the body action bowlers we are aiming for – more like a wheel with the arms and legs for spokes. Bowling actions are difficult and a lot of time and practice should be spent. Look at the batsman through the front shoulder and point the front foot to fine leg – very slow at first and at a short distance. Always make it interesting to practise, with small rewards. Get an older boy to help and even pay him. At the age of seven or eight could learn to hit the ball with a straight bat. This involves keeping the top hand up – left hand in the case of a right-handed batsman. The shot comes from the thinker into the top arm to keep the bat straight. Never let the pupil get hurt so as to fall out with the game. Balls which don’t bounce very high are ideal. If you have a son or are interested in any youngster taking up the game see that he has some good kit and is well protected. Also take a pride in keeping it clean and looking after it.  Cricket is a game to be encouraged at all levels. A character builder (not as we see some of the big professional matches played). But I hope it will become more under control and back to the real spirit of the game which is played on the village green – when can we say this is cricket or this is not cricket, meaning this is good or this is bad. Cricket is a way of life and you get obsessed with it, but I think it is for good. You could get obsessed with many other things which will not give as much pleasure and make as many friends. Music, I think, goes with cricket – it helps to relax you. Many of my best friends are cricketers and love music. Personally I made up my mind to be a County Cricketer when I was three years old. I think my father must have put it into my head. He played cricket and I was taken to matches in the pram.