,the ,cricket of ,abel1 ,hirst1         
and ,shrewsbury                         
,,edited ,,by                           
,e4 ,f4 ,,benson                        
and                            ,,eustace
 ,h4 ,,miles                            
,,illustrated ,,with                    
,,thirty-,,four ,,photographs           
,,by                            ,,mason 
,,and ,,basebe                          
,,new ,,york                            
,e4 ,p4 ,,dutton  ,,co4                 
#ca1 ,west ,twenty-,third ,street       
#aijc                     ,,printed ,,by
 ,,kelly',s ,,directories ,,ltd         
,,london ,,and ,,kingston4              
,,editors' ,,preface4   ,there appear to
 be hardly any beginners or habitual    
players who know how to profit by seeing
 experts at play and at work4 ,the      
reason cannot well be that we do not    
look on at games sufficiently often6    
,no1 one reason is that we have not been
 trained to observe with a view to      
personal experimentation afterwards2 and

 another reason is that there is very   
little time to catch and realise the    
different positions and movements as    
they flash by4 ,hence the value of      
photographs1 especially when they       
are--as many of these thirty-four       
are--taken from behind3 it is not easy  
to reproduce for ourselves the action as
 shown by an ordinary photograph 7taken 
from in front71 since it gives us       
everything the wrong way round4  ,but   
even photographs often fail to teach    
their lesson4 ,the learner must be told 
how to teach himself from photographs4  
,after which he will find it easy to    
teach himself from actual models1 as    
soon as he knows just what to look out  
for--the feet and their 8stances0 and   
changes1 and so on4 ,it is to be hoped  
that these photographs1 and the notes on
 them1 and the obvious inferences drawn 
from them1 will train readers to study  
various other experts besides these     
three1 who are only a few out of a host4
  ,for the object of the book is not to 

tie any player down to any one method1  
but rather to set him on the track of   
independent research and                
self-instruction3 to show him how to    
watch and see1 and how to practise the  
best things that he sees1 and what the  
best things are most likely to be4 ,not 
a single hint in these pages need be    
followed until the reader is convinced  
that what ,i advise is what most if not 
all great players actually do1 whether  
consciously or by instinct4  ,the volume
 is not intended to compete with the    
many excellent books edited by those who
 themselves play the game well4 ,it     
boasts of a large debt to these         
classics1 but having gathered hints from
 them it moves away on altogether       
different lines4 ,the best player is    
seldom the best teacher of average      
beginners4 ,on the principle of 8,set a 
thief to catch a thief10 a duffer has   
here been set to teach a duffer1 while  
at the same time the whole teaching is1 
,i hope1 strictly according to the      

actual play of good players1 as shown by
 observation1 by photographs1 and by    
answers to questions asked during       
special interviews4 ,the three chief    
players 7whose ascertained positions and
 movements are made the basis for all   
the simple lessons offered here7 are    
,abel1 ,hirst1 and ,shrewsbury4  ,the   
editor of this volume used to play      
,cricket at school about as well or as  
badly as he used to play ,racquets4     
,after his school and undergraduate days
 at ,cambridge1 he discovered many      
fundamental faults in his play at       
,racquets--faults which abundant        
practice had strengthened and fixed into
 bad habits--ineradicably and hopelessly
 bad habits1 his critics said4 ,he had  
some hints from the best professionals  
7,smale1 ,latham1 and others72 he       
studied their positions and movements   
carefully2 then1 chiefly by the help of 
certain easy and healthy exercises in   
his bedroom for less than five minutes a
 day 7,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton constantly

 recommends bedroom-practice for        
,cricket1 and quotes the success of     
,jupp thereby71 he found that he was    
gradually removing those habits1 and    
building better habits which persisted  
in subsequent play in the ,court itself4
 ,quite recently1 after noticing the    
various positions and movements of the  
great experts of ,cricket 7including the
 three professionals whose photographs  
appear in this volume71 he concluded    
that there had been remarkably similar  
faults1 and no less fundamental faults1 
in his ,cricket1 though of course the   
games of ,cricket and ,racquets have    
marked differences4 ,he thinks that     
these faults were amply sufficient to   
account for his past failure to enjoy   
,cricket 7that is1 to improve at        
,cricket71 just as the other faults had 
proved sufficient to account for his    
past clumsiness at ,racquets4 ,he       
therefore devised special exercises by  
which he might eventually be enabled to 
do himself less injustice at ,cricket   

also4#a ,these he intends to practise   
regularly in order to secure the bodily 
mechanisms of play1 to make them his    
very own1 before he once again meets    
those 8disturbing elements0 in ,cricket 
7as in ,racquets and ,tennis71 the ball 
and the opponents4  ,whether he will    
ever become a cricketer or not he cannot
 say--he does not expect to become one  
in less than a year or two3 so numerous 
and deeply ingrained were his mistakes1 
so execrable was his style1 if he is to 
believe his most candid friends and     
enemies6 ,but at least he can safely say
 that these mistakes--which he observes 
to be common to nearly all duffers and  
most beginners--are now so absolutely   
obvious as to supply ample reasons for  
any amount of his failure in all kinds  
of batting1 in all departments of       
fielding1 as well as in bowling4 ,he can
 safely say that until he has mastered  
those positions and movements which     
nearly all the experts already have as a
 matter of course1 until he has learnt  

the ,a ,b ,c1 built the scaffolding1    
formed the skeleton1 or whatever one    
likes to call the process1 he will      
certainly not become a cricketer4 ,he   
cannot reasonably expect the tree to    
bear fruit for a long time yet2 but he  
hopes the fact that he himself is       
practising what he preaches will        
encourage others to give the            
method--sensibly adapted according to   
their individual opinions and needs and 
models--a fair and square trial1 as     
thousands have already given a fair and 
square and successful trial to the      
simpler diet4 ,the method is urged as   
claiming a reasonable experiment before 
condemnation3 that is all4 ,it is not   
meant to harass and cramp all players1  
so as to make them uniform1 any more    
than the learning of the alphabet and of
 spelling is meant to harass and cramp  
all writers4 ,he only describes what he 
believes to be the correct alphabet and 
spelling of words in ,cricket4 ,out of  
this alphabet and these words let each  

player subsequently form his own        
sentences and paragraphs and chapters4  
,let each player develop to the full his
 individual merits and specialities4    
,but not until he has made the alphabet 
and the vocabulary his very own1 to use 
easily at will1 is he likely to develop 
his individuality satisfactorily and    
successfully1 any more than a builder   
would be likely to build a good house   
without good bricks1 mortar1 and wood1  
and some knowledge and practice of the  
best ways of using them4  ,the          
suggestions are one and all based upon  
the practice or the teaching of         
successful players4 ,of the three       
special models here1 not one has the    
advantage of superior height1 and at    
least one had not the advantage of      
athletic physique4 ,the instructions    
point out the apparent foundations of   
batting1 bowling1 and fielding1 and1 by 
contrast1 the apparent faults to which  
the natural duffer like myself is       
liable4 ,it is hoped that critics and   

other readers will kindly offer every   
possible hint and correction4  ,each    
true lover of games1 whether he play or 
watch or both watch and play1 must see  
that if this way be good--this mastery  
of the instruments of play1 in addition 
to the usual net-practice and games--it 
surely will improve the health and      
physique of the nation2 will bring in   
more recruits for ,cricket2 will enable 
the busy man to keep up at least his    
muscular1 if not his nervous apparatus1 
so that he need never get considerably  
out of practice or training1 and need   
never1 as too many thousands have done1 
give up the game merely because he has  
not time to play the game itself        
regularly4 ,the editor feels assured    
that any feasible five-minutes-a-day    
system like this1 which may tend to     
spread the greatest of games more       
widely1 and to raise our national       
standard of skill1 enjoyment1 and       
physique1 will be received by every     
patriot in the spirit in which it is    

offered2 namely1 as perhaps useful for  
most1 and probably healthy and harmless 
for all4 ,every sensible person will    
agree that if the game is going to be   
played at all--and it certainly is--then
 it is worth playing well1 and therefore
 worth learning well and practising     
well4  ,whether these exercises and     
general hints will help towards my      
end--towards a game better played       
all-round 7in batting1 bowling1 and     
fielding71 better watched1 and so better
 enjoyed--experience must decide4 ,but  
all will concede that these exercises   
are not less pleasant and wholesome than
 those of drill and dumb-bell and       
strain-apparatus2 that they are far     
better adapted than these are as a      
preparation for the noblest of sports   
and for much of daily life itself1 since
 they encourage not mere strength and   
vastness of muscle1 but also full       
extensions in various directions1       
promptitude to start in any required    
direction1 rapidity to carry the        

movements through1 endurance to repeat  
them1 self-control to keep or recover   
poise in spite of the fulness and       
rapidity and promptitude and            
unforeseenness of the motion2 to say    
nothing of the corresponding mental and 
moral excellences4 ,if the system       
demands only a few minutes each day then
 in so far as it is correct--and it will
 be gradually corrected as observations 
and criticisms pour in--it will prove   
well worth while1 especially on wet days
 7which are not unknown in ,england71   
and in winter1 for those who do not     
grudge many hours a day to ,cricket     
itself with all its waitings and        
watchings and disappointments4  ,the    
system is the chief new feature of this 
book1 which1 however1 does not by any   
means underestimate the equally         
essential coaching by schoolmasters and 
professionals and others1 and           
net-practice and practice-games as an   
addition to the system and as the test  
of its merits or demerits4  ,these ought

 we to do1 and not leave the other--the 
system which teaches this very alphabet 
of ,cricket--undone1 especially to-day  
when the majority of people are cooped  
up in cities without the chance of a    
practice-game or even of a net4 ,the    
plea is not for uniformity of style1 but
 for reasonable mastery of the spelling 
of words before we write essays2 for a  
system of self-teaching and             
self-correction2 for a system of        
training and practice when regular play 
is out of the question2 for a drill     
which fathers and uncles may teach their
 children and nephews2 for a healthy and
 interesting use of odd minutes which   
would otherwise be wasted or worse than 
wasted4     ,,postscripts4   #a4 ,mr4   
,c4 ,b4 ,fry's advice in 8,cricket0     
7just published by ,c4 ,arthur ,pearson1
 in #aijc7 should be carefully read4 ,he
 says3 8,to train his muscles for heavy 
weight-lifting is precisely what a      
cricketer ought not to do4444 ,it is    
remarkable how much a player can improve

 himself 444 by simply practising       
strokes with a bat and no ball or       
bowler4 ,but this is easily understood  
when you perceive that the actual       
correctness of a stroke1 so far as the  
movement of the feet and of the arms is 
concerned1 is entirely independent of   
the ball4 ,to make a stroke with the    
correct action and to time the ball are 
two distinct things2 both are necessary 
in a match1 and you can learn the second
 only with a ball bowled at you2 but the
 first you can certainly to some extent 
acquire by mere chamber drill4  8,it is 
also worth knowing that much may be done
 with a ball hanging by a cord from a   
beam or a tree4 ,a little ingenuity     
renders practice at the swinging ball   
quite valuable40  #b4 ,the death of     
,shrewsbury in ,may1 #aijc1 has been a  
great loss to ,cricket and cricketers4  
,his enthusiasm1 his mastery of certain 
mechanisms of batting1 his calm         
confidence and patience1 his gentleness 
and good nature1 made him an almost     

unique personality in the world of      
,cricket4     ,,contents4               
,,page  ,,editors' ,,preface            
vii  ,,chap4     ,i4--,,batting ,,and   
,,running                               
#a    ,,ii4--,,bowling                  
#ef   ,,iii4--,,fielding ,,and          
,,throwing-,,in                         
#ajc    ,,iv4--,,notes ,,on             
,,wicket-,,keeping1 ,,captaining1       
,,implements  #abj     ,v4--,,the       
,,importance ,,of ,,all-,,roundness ,,in
 ,,cricket       #ach    ,,vi4--,,faults
 ,,in ,,play ,,and ,,practice           
#adi   ,,vii4--,,general ,,training     
,,for ,,cricket                     #aff
  ,,viii4--,,special ,,exercises ,,and  
,,notes ,,on ,,practice          #aha   
,,ix4--,,fallacies ,,of ,,theorists     
,,and ,,others                 #bjh     
,x4--,,merits ,,of ,,cricket            
#bbe   ,,xi4--,,suggested ,,reforms     
#bcc  ,,appendix ,i4--,,the ,,editors'  
,,defence ,,of ,,this ,,system ,,for    
,,beginners ,,and ,,others              

#bdi  ,,appendix ,,ii4--,,laws ,,of     
,,the ,,game                            
#bfh     ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4   
,i4--,waiting for the ball1 with the    
weight balanced almost evenly upon the  
two feet 7which are near together71 but 
rather on the right foot  ,facing page  
#bb  ,,ii4--,forward play3 the bat has  
been drawn straight up and back 7not in 
a curve7 before the stroke  ,facing page
 #be  ,,iii4--,playing back3 the right  
foot has retired nearer the wicket1 so  
as to give longer time for seeing the   
ball4 7,,note4--,the bat should be held 
straight4 ,this photograph was taken    
before ,shrewsbury was in practice7     
,facing page #bf  ,,iv4--,the glide3    
both feet well back  ,facing page #bh   
,v4--,playing back3 right foot retired1 
to give extra time for seeing the ball2 
weight on right foot4 ,this was         
,shrewsbury's stroke when he felt       
8beaten0 by the bowler  ,facing page #bi
  ,,vi4--,playing forward to a ball on  
the off3 the straight bat has passed    

near and beyond the left foot in a      
8follow-through40 ,notice the fingers1  
especially the first finger and thumb of
 the left hand4 ,at the end of the      
stretch the left arm is fully extended1 
and the right heel has come off the     
ground  ,between pages #cj and #ca      
,,vii4--,playing forward to a ball      
slightly to the leg side3 see remarks on
 previous photograph1 and notice the    
head well over the bat-handle  ,between 
pages #cj and #ca  ,,viii4--,playing    
forward to a straight ball3 see remarks 
on previous photographs  ,between pages 
#cj and #ca  ,,ix4--,position of hands  
and fingers at the end of the forward   
stroke3 the left hand has shifted round1
 the right hand holds the bat with thumb
 and first finger only  ,facing page #ce
  ,x4--,preparing to drive with a pull3 
the left leg is well out so that the bat
 may get nearer to the pitch of the ball
  ,facing page #ci  ,,xi4--,preparing to
 pull a short ball3 right foot across1  
so as to help the stroke well round to  

leg  ,between pages #dj and #da         
,,xii4--,preparing to pull a short ball3
 right foot across and well back1 so as 
to make the short ball still shorter    
,between pages #dj and #da              
,,xiii4--,hook-stroke to leg3 both feet 
well back1 but weight on right foot     
,between pages #dj and #da              
,,xiv4--,cut-drive4 ,right leg firm and 
straight1 left leg bent and well across 
,facing page #da  ,,xv4--,the late cut3 
right foot well across1 left leg        
extended so far as to bring heel off    
ground  ,between pages #db and #dc      
,,xvi4--,the late cut3   right foot well
 across1 left leg extended  ,between    
pages #db and #dc  ,,xvii4--,the way of 
running out with fairly long steps1     
weight should be chiefly on right foot  
and right leg should be ready to serve  
as firm pivot  ,between pages #df and   
#dg  ,,xviii4--,abel's way of running   
out1 with feet interlacing  ,between    
pages #df and #dg  ,,xix4--,turning     
quickly at the crease after the first   

run  ,facing page #ej  ,,xx4--,bowling1 
third position3 bowling arm extended    
fully forwards and downwards1 body      
facing forwards1 back leg fully extended
  ,facing page #fa  ,,xxi4--,bowling1   
second position3 bowling arm extended   
fully upwards1 body coming round with   
arm  ,facing page #fa                   
,,xxii4--,bowling1 first position3      
bowling arm back and down1 body facing  
sideways1 weight on back leg  ,facing   
page #fg  ,,xxiii4--,one of ,hirst's    
grips when he bowls3 the little finger  
does not touch the ball1 and only the   
knuckle of the third finger does        
,between pages #gj and #ga              
,,xxiv4--,same grip for right hand      
bowler  ,between pages #gj and #ga      
,,xxv4--,another of ,hirst's grips3 all 
the fingers touch the ball1 the little  
one only just with its side  ,between   
pages #gj and #ga  ,,xxvi4--,same grip  
for right hand bowler  ,between pages   
#gj and #ga  ,,xxvii4--,bowler waiting  
for ball to be thrown in3 he is standing

 well back from the wicket  ,facing page
 #ia  ,,xxviii4--,fielding a low ball   
with one hand3 the opposite leg is fully
 extended  ,facing page #aab            
,,xxix4--,fielding1 second position3 the
 hand drawn back behind the ear1        
somewhat further back than most         
,american ,baseball fielders prefer     
,facing page #aad  ,,xxx4--,waiting for 
a catch3 elbows ready to draw back      
slightly the moment the ball touches the
 hands  ,between pages #aaf and #aag    
,,xxxi4--,a one-handed catch3 body bent 
slightly back from the hips  ,between   
pages #aaf and #aag  ,,xxxii4--,fielding
 a ground ball3 no interval left for the
 ball to get through2 body well down to 
the work  ,between pages #aah and #aai  
,,xxxiii4--,a waiting position at point1
 where there is less foot-work than at  
most places4 ,it is easier to rise      
quickly than to stop quickly  ,between  
pages #aah and #aai                     
,,xxxiv4--,preparing to throw in with   
the high action  ,between pages #aah and

 #aai     ,,the ,,cricket ,,of ,,abel1  
,,hirst ,,and ,,shrewsbury4             
,,chapter ,i4  ,,batting ,,and          
,,running4   ,i4--,,introductory4  ,it  
was once thought that the universe moved
 round our earth merely as its          
accompanying condition1 existing simply 
and solely for the sake of our earth4   
,and so the batsman has been1 and       
generally still is1 regarded as the     
centre of cricket1 for whose enjoyment  
the rest of the players subsist4        
,batting seems best worth while1 not so 
much because of the qualities1 such as  
pluck1 which it demands1 as because of  
the pleasure it may give4 ,the reason   
why most people like batting1 even if   
they hate wicket-keeping and fielding   
and watching1 and do not bowl1 is the   
enjoyment of striking and of scoring    
runs4 ,perhaps in this there is some    
relic of the desire for hitting and     
killing--the desire for overcoming and  
controlling ,nature1 for using power4   
,moreover1 batting includes defence as  

well as attack2 indeed the safest       
defence may really be to attack boldly4 
,batting at its best and fullest        
involves a complexity of                
characteristics3 it involves back-play1 
with gliding and late cutting1 pulling1 
forward play1 with the cut-drive and    
ordinary drive1 the 8half-cock0 stroke1 
the snick2 a decision between these     
varieties1 followed by a hit1 then      
recovery of balance1 then a decision    
whether one shall run or not1 then      
perhaps a run1 then a turn at the       
crease--and much besides this4 ,it may  
involve a great change of habit4 ,thus  
in many other ball-games the ball is hit
 when it is further off from the        
striker's foot--as in ,golf1 ,racquets1 
,tennis1 ,lawn ,tennis1 ,fives4 ,in     
,cricket1 except in such strokes as the 
pull and the cut1 the ball should be hit
 when it is near to the striker's foot4 
,he who is not born a batsman1 he who   
wishes to be made--that is1 make        
himself--an all-round batsman1 must     

learn not only general rules like this1 
but also details with regard to the     
individual strokes4 ,in studying these  
details he will meet divergent theories2
 here again is scope for individual     
trial and judgment1 and for observation4
 ,he can notice what the best players   
actually do1 for1 as ,murdoch says1 this
 is of more importance than what they   
think they do4  ,the would-be batsman1  
therefore1 is offered perhaps a few     
really universal laws1 and certainly    
many general hints1 yet he must judge of
 each hint by its results in his own    
case after fair experiment4 ,he must be 
a free agent4 ,he may find that the     
advisers have assumed that he has little
 reach1 little activity1 whereas he may 
be a ,ford or ,abel for reach1 a ,jessop
 or ,abel for activity1 without the     
safety of a ,shrewsbury or the strength 
of a ,hirst4 ,why should such a one be  
tied down by a law that in forward play 
he shall not let his bat pass beyond his
 left foot1 if he has it in his power to

 send his bat with force many inches    
beyond that point1 and so smother the   
ball8 ,who shall bind down such players8
 ,on the other hand1 who shall spoil the
 slow player's pleasure and safety by   
bidding him run out8  ,throughout this  
chapter all rules or hints are submitted
 to the test of utility for the         
individual4 ,they must be studied2      
questions must be asked of coaches and  
others1 who should explain strokes by   
doing them2 the mechanisms must be found
 out1 and also the causes and reasons   
for them4 ,these mechanisms--some will  
be described later on--must be mastered1
 if not in early life1 then now2 they   
must be mastered sensibly1 not with huge
 bats and balls to begin with1 but with 
lighter implements4 ,the advice must all
 be judged by its effects4  ,if the     
reader will bear in mind that the       
mechanisms suggested1 together with the 
other helps1 are not necessarily the    
best 7though they are based on a study  
of what the best players actually do in 

games71 he will treat them in the right 
spirit1 with a view to sensible trial   
and judgment by fruits4 ,anyhow1 be     
these helps right or wrong1 it is       
obvious that1 by all except the genius  
player1 some ,a ,b ,c should be acquired
 as a personal possession and habit     
before much regular play has confirmed  
bad habits4 ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton     
insists on this in the following        
passage1 after he has described what is 
needed for a correct stroke3--          
8,now from these principles1 which some 
might call truisms1 a very              
important practical maxim proceeds4 ,all
 sound rules of batting      should be  
practised by a young cricketer without  
the ball as well      as with it4 ,the  
grammar of the science can be partly    
learnt in the      bedroom2 the         
application of the rules must be made on
 the green      sward4 ,many a finished 
batsman has tried this plan4 ,five      
minutes      devoted every night by an  
aspiring cricketer to a leg hit1 or cut1

      or forward play at a phantom ball1
 will gradually discipline his          
sinews to the required posture1 besides 
sending him to bed in a      right frame
 of mind4       8,i think it was ,harry 
,jupp who used to ascribe his           
astonishingly      good defence to a    
habit of this kind4 ,he used to place a 
large-sized mirror on the floor--not for
 purposes of personal      vanity--but  
to see if the bat moved in a straight   
line4 ,to make the      test better1 a  
line was drawn along the floor from the 
centre of      the mirror1 along which  
line the bat was to move4 ,the least    
deviation was then manifested1 not only 
at the end of the stroke1      but while
 it was being made40   #b4--,,the       
,,alphabet ,,of ,,safe ,,batting4  ,it  
is not part of the alphabet of safe     
batting to meet and attack the ball     
always4 ,both ,w4 ,g4 and ,c4 ,b4 ,fry  
began their careers with safety1 with   
the stopping of balls2 afterwards they  
proceeded to splendid execution4 ,the ,a

 ,b ,c of safe batting is not quite     
identical with the ,a ,b ,c of effective
 batting1 which will be considered in   
subsequent sections of this chapter4    
,one of the first rules of safety is    
said to be to 8keep the eye on the      
ball40 ,this rule needs alteration4#b   
,before the delivery the eye should     
watch the bowler's arm1 wrist1 and      
fingers2 ,shrewsbury owed to this       
observation of something besides the    
ball a long innings against the         
,australians many years ago4 ,to        
foretell a change in direction1 length1 
pace1 break1 etc41 is not easy by the   
sight of the ball alone4 ,it is after   
the ball has left the bowler's hand that
 it must be sedulously watched4 ,nor can
 it always be watched right on to the   
bat2 exactly how far it can be watched  
is a much disputed point4 ,certainly few
 batsmen can carry out the golden rule  
of ,golf4 ,i believe that most of       
them--,i speak from my own ,tennis and  
,racquet experience--take their eyes off

 the cricket-ball too soon4 ,few err by 
looking at it too long4 ,in my games1   
almost without exception1 the longer ,i 
look at the ball the better my stroke   
is4  ,the second law is correct timing4 
,there are several kinds of good sight2 
,i doubt if any one of them by itself   
brings with it that desirable faculty1  
8the good eye40 ,ranjitsinhji and others
 rightly include1 under the timing1 the 
judgment as to the flight 7direction1   
pace1 etc471 the decision as to what is 
or is not to be done1 the command that  
the best things shall be done1 the      
correct combination and co-operation of 
the requisite parts at just the very    
moment4#c ,i believe that the good eye1 
where it is not already a natural or    
acquired habit1 means a splendidly      
accurate and therefore healthy working  
of a vast number of more or less        
separate nerve centres and nerves2 but  
that what is often called 8a good eye0  
is nothing of the sort--it is a mastery 
of certain correct mechanisms1 which1 if

 a man possesses them for his own1 can  
produce an even better effect than the  
most superb eyesight without such       
mechanism4 ,i may have a far better     
sight and eye for games than a fairly   
well-taught golfer who knows what       
muscles to use1 and has these as        
half-automatic habits2 but put me       
against him1 and ask any spectators     
which of us has the better eye1 and they
 will very likely point to my opponent4 
,if this be so1 then the third rule will
 be to have already secured the best    
possible mechanisms1 and to have made   
them easy and sub-conscious2 at first   
perhaps they may be conquered one by    
one2 in the end1 however1 they must be  
not independent units1 but co-operating 
parts of a unit--members combining and  
working together in harmony1 as in some 
businesses1 adding power each to each1  
relieving one another4 ,these mechanisms
 include1 for many strokes1 and         
especially the forward strokes1 the     
8straight bat10 i4e41 the bat held      

straight and not sideways as it meets   
the ball2 with its handle nearer to the 
bowler than its blade is2 with the end  
of its blade just to the side of the    
left foot2 the bat moving as straight as
 may be towards the approaching ball    
from start to finish 7the finish being a
 follow-through after the ball has been 
struck72 quickness of foot and leg to   
start and to move1 the right leg being  
the base and pivot2 the power to get    
right to the pitch of the ball or else  
to wait for it as far back as possible2 
straight and fast and full extensions of
 various limbs in various directions2 a 
control of many different strokes1 and  
especially1 in these days of fast       
plumb-wickets1 a control of the forward 
stroke4 ,the reader will best realise   
the number of these mechanisms if we    
mention 7and if he meanwhile realises by
 trial7 some of those which are parts of
 the ordinary forward stroke3--the right
 leg straight and unbent1 the right foot
 firm1 the left foot and leg sent out   

towards the ball 7a little to the left  
of the line of flight71 the left elbow  
and wrist shot well forward at full     
stretch 7in order to keep the ball      
down71 the right shoulder forward and   
down1 the bat moved straight down and   
towards the approaching ball and beyond 
it 7not necessarily straight along the  
line between the wickets71 the weight   
brought forward with the head of the    
bat1 the recovery of balance and        
position1 and the readiness to run      
directly after the ball has been struck 
or missed4 ,if one has run out first1   
then the right foot will still have to  
serve as a firm pivot for the whole     
stroke1 which must be a single movement4
 ,this will give some idea of what the  
correct mechanisms are1 quite apart from
 individual peculiarities in the use of 
them4 ,such correct mechanisms may be   
acquired separately as ,i acquired my   
,tennis mechanisms1 and as fencers      
acquire their fencing--mechanisms of    
lunge1 wrist-play1 etc42 but it is part 

of the ,a ,b ,c of correct play to have 
already acquired them as correct members
 of a correct whole before the game     
begins4 ,add to these the mechanisms and
 the combination of mechanisms for other
 strokes1 such as back-play1 cut1 pull1 
etc41 and the reader will agree that the
 ,a ,b ,c of batting is no light work   
for anyone1 except the born player who  
apparently has not had to learn it      
letter by letter4  ,out of the list of  
useful mechanisms a few will now be     
suggested4 ,it is for the reader to     
judge how far they actually are used in 
the strokes of leading experts4 ,each   
example must be compared with the       
positions and movements of the best     
models1 as shown in photographs like    
these1 or in actual games or practice4  
,,some ,,sample ,,exercises4  ,before   
attempting these exercises1 the reader  
should find out the principles of       
correct practice1 some of which are     
suggested in ,chapter ,,viii4 ,one or   
two of the most vital may be selected   

here4  7#a47 ,decide whether it is worth
 while to play ,cricket at all2 if so1  
whether it is worth while to improve    
your standard of skill2 if so1 whether  
these and your own exercises are likely 
to be of appreciable help4 7,the        
exercises are not meant to take the     
place of net-practice and games1 which  
are indispensable1 but to make them more
 pleasant and useful47  7#b47 ,during   
the exercises1 concentrate your whole   
attention either upon the muscles at    
work1 or upon their reflection in a     
looking-glass4  7#c47 ,aim at           
correctness1 and therefore begin slowly 
and carefully before you repeat any     
given movement4 ,freedom1 pace1         
endurance1 strength will then increase  
almost of their own accord4 ,freedom and
 pace may best be acquired by movements 
done at first without implements1       
afterwards with light implements4 ,i    
found these two preliminary stages      
invaluable in the preparation for my    
games1 perhaps especially for the sharp 

movements of ,racquets4 ,the worst      
possible beginning is any 8exerciser0   
that requires a tense grip4  7#d47 ,in  
case of a fault 7discovered by yourself 
or pointed out by others71 seek to      
exaggerate the opposite fault4  ,among  
the most useful exercises for batting1  
as for bowling and fielding1 are the    
fast and full and straight extensions of
 various muscles and                    
muscle-combinations1 with economy of the
 unused parts1 and without loss of1 or  
with immediate recovery of1 the body's  
balance1 and readiness to be directed   
elsewhither4 ,it is likely that these   
pages contain errors1 but ,i think that 
if one were to ask a good player where  
he ached most of all after his first    
practice or game in the season1 one     
would find that the aches were mainly   
due to these extension movements 7of the
 latissimus dorsi1 below and behind the 
arm-pit1 etc474  ,for the feet and legs1
 7i47 ,lunge far forward 7but not so far
 as to strain yourself7 with the left   

foot and leg in a direct line 7not a    
curve7 in various directions 7perhaps   
along various chalk lines upon the      
floor7 with full weight--the head should
 come almost over the left foot--but    
with rapid recovery of balance4  7ii47  
,start to run in the forward direction  
afterwards4  7iii47 ,practise the       
position and movement for backing up and
 a quick start to run4  7iv47 ,practise 
the movement for turning at the crease1 
as shown in the photograph of           
,shrewsbury4  ,for the neck4 ,move the  
head round1 at first slowly and         
carefully1 from side to side1 then up   
and down1 and so on2 but do not strain4 
,for the trunk3 the body's force is     
great1 as--to use an old                
illustration--one can see when one bumps
 against a wall in the dark4 7i47 ,the  
body-swing from the hips is a most      
useful movement4 ,keeping the legs as   
stiff as possible1 and the head as still
 as possible1 twist round the shoulders1
 first to the right1 then to the left4  

7ii47 ,bend the trunk forwards1 and then
 sideways1 from the hips4  ,for the     
shoulders1 arm1 and forearm4 7i47 ,to   
the lunge of the left foot add an       
equally full and direct and fast lunge  
of the left shoulder1 elbow1 and wrist4 
,your head should come forward also1    
above your left foot4 ,imagine yourself 
to be aiming at a ball1 and see that    
your left wrist is in a line between    
your eyes and some object1 say a chair's
 leg in the bedroom4 7ii47 ,jerk the    
forearm 7and wrist7 as if you were      
whipping a peg-top or shaking out a     
clogged stylographic pen4  ,for the     
wrist and fingers4 ,flex and twist the  
wrist and each finger far and fast in   
various directions4 ,after freedom and  
pace have been acquired1 but not before1
 some strength can be added by          
resistance--as by holding a dumb-bell   
during the movements1 or by using some  
grip machine4         99       99       
99       99       99  ,let us apply     
these--a few out of many mechanisms for 

all-round batting--to forward-play4 ,the
 excellent words of ,mr4 ,edward        
,lyttelton must be quoted first4 ,he    
says3--       8,you will see from these 
directions that it is a very complex    
action1 far from easy to do all at once1
 so that by careful      practice if not
 by the light of nature you must first  
learn to do      it properly without the
 ball1 then with it4 ,establish the     
motion as      a habit before the stress
 of the crisis begins4444 ,it is thought
      that just as great players of yore
 reached eminence without being         
subject to coaching in early youth1 or  
indeed in some cases after      being   
completely self-taught1 so boys of the  
present day would      stand a better   
chance if they were less drilled than   
they sometimes      are1 and were left  
to find the use of their limbs by a     
vigorous1      if unkempt style of      
hitting4 ,the ,englishman's instinct1   
said a      ,frenchman1 is to go out of 
doors and hit or kick something as hard 

as he can4 ,this being so1 why not let  
boys learn to hit as they      please   
till they are sixteen or seventeen1 and 
then perhaps a few      rules might be  
taught them8 ,but if taught beforehand1 
they only      cramp the style1 and take
 away the enjoyment of the game4 ,nature
      must be the best teacher2 etc41   
etc4444 ,but it is not at all easy      
to secure this habit1 and therefore you 
should remember it      carefully in    
your bedroom44440  ,pretend that you are
 going to play forward1 and hold a stick
 in your hands4 ,now1 moving your       
fingers as you come forward 7see below71
 lunge with your left foot along a      
straight line1 and send your head over  
your left foot4 7,if you tend to deviate
 from the line1 probably towards the    
left1 then exaggerate towards the       
right47 ,keep your eye on the foot till 
the foot can take care of itself4       
,regard it as a servant that you must   
first watch carefully till the correct  
work shall have become half-automatic2  

then only an occasional glance of       
supervision will be required4 ,add to   
this lunge the extended lunge of the    
left wrist1 elbow1 and shoulder straight
 along a line parallel to and slightly  
to the right of the left foot4  ,the    
stick should be lifted straight back and
 up before the stroke 7though the blade 
of a bat1 as in ,racquets1 will face    
outwards at the top of the lift71 and   
should then come forward in a direct    
line close to the left foot1 and        
afterwards follow through beyond the    
left foot4 ,do not forget to keep both  
that foot along its line and the left   
wrist along its line by aiming say at   
some spot on the wall4 ,after the lunge 
with the whole weight1 recover balance1 
look up1 and prepare to run forward4    
,later on1 do this and actually start   
forwards a few steps4 ,that is part of  
the physical apparatus which a good     
average forward-stroke demands4 ,there  
is no space to describe the requirements
 of the other strokes--the cut1 etc4    

,they can easily be seen from the       
photographs and from the play of        
experts4 ,and some additional exercises 
will be offered under the special       
headings below4   ,,practice ,,outside  
,,the ,,nets4  ,in addition to these and
 other movements1 which may be tried at 
first either before a large mirror or   
else with a teacher behind to correct   
and perform correctly by way of         
instruction1 ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton    
mentions the practice of certain strokes
 with a ball in the pavilion4 ,any old  
room will do4 ,and the narrower the     
implement of batting the more easily it 
will show the errors of batting2 the    
lighter the implement1 the better it    
will develop pace and freedom4 ,a stump 
or stick or broomstick will do2 a light 
indiarubber ball will do4  ,if you      
cannot get a bowler1 then you can throw 
the ball--a ,lawn ,tennis ball will     
do--up against a wall1 and play forward 
or back to it with a stick4 ,i know a   
player who did this with very good      

results4  ,games of 8,snob-cricket10 and
 of ,cricket with smaller ball and      
narrower bat1 should be far more        
frequently tried for the sake of        
practice4  ,imaginary strokes may be    
made during idle moments4 ,fancy        
yourself playing straight forward with  
full weight1 or fancy yourself stepping 
across and back with the right foot and 
then cutting with a jerk of shoulder and
 forearm and some wrist-flick4 ,i do a  
great deal of ,racquet and ,tennis      
practice in this way2 needless to say1  
,i play infinitely better in imagination
 than in reality6 ,but ,i know that thus
 ,i help to make my ideal real4 ,after  
such an imagination-practice ,i often   
reproduce improved strokes with a light 
racket-handle in my bedroom4            
,,net-,,practice4  ,if too many bowlers 
are bowling at one net1 the variety is  
bad2 in actual play one has no such     
variety in a single over4 ,i would      
rather see three bowlers each bowl an   
over in turn1 while the two others      

field4 ,if you cannot reform this1 then 
make the best of it by trying to        
remember the previous balls of each     
bowler1 as if you were playing several  
games of chess at the same time4  ,begin
 on good wickets1 so as to habituate    
confidence and pluck4 ,don't practise   
correct ,cricket 7you can1 however1     
practise the bold running-out game for a
 caking wicket7 if the ground be fiery4 
,loss of nerve is fatal4  ,play safely  
and gently till you get set2 defend     
against the difficult balls2 then1 when 
you are set1 meet and hit every ball1   
except for the rare 8half-cock0 strokes 
to which you may have to resort4  ,the  
next stage is to place the ball4 ,while 
on the one hand you must count every    
chance you give1 and every ball an inch 
or two from the bails1 as a wicket down1
 you may1 on the other hand1 venture on 
experiments2 you may determine to hit a 
ball pitched too short or too far up to 
one of two or three places4  ,notice the
 sort of ball which beats you most      

frequently1 and find out why it does so1
 and how you can best play it--perhaps  
this may be by stepping back or forwards
 and turning it into some other ball4   
,aim at developing your individual      
strong points1 but--  7#a47 ,do not do  
this until you have mastered the        
fundamental elements of various strokes2
 and  7#b47 ,do not be content with     
this4 ,gradually bring up your weak     
points to the level of your strong      
points4 ,indeed1 practise them far more 
than your strong points4   ,,games4     
,while many hints must be reserved for  
the last section of this chapter1 we may
 here say a few words about games as    
distinct from training1 exercises1 and  
net-practice2 though it will be         
necessary to touch on the importance of 
training1 for success in the games4     
,what better help is there against the  
nervousness so fatal to success than the
 habit of full and deep breathing8 ,can 
you be nervous at all so long as you    
breathe fully and deeply8 ,what better  

help1 towards the steadiness and        
confidence so important to success1 than
 the clear eye that comes from clean    
living1 the feeling that the fingers    
8nip0 the bat1 the feeling that the     
correct mechanisms are under control1   
the self-reliance gained by net-practice
 on good pitches8  ,this steadiness is  
most necessary at the beginning of an   
innings4 ,as we mentioned above1 two of 
the great players tell us that at first 
they were content to defend1 often      
merely to stop balls without attacking  
them4 ,historians and natural historians
 and other scientists show us that each 
individual human being in itself        
reproduces quickly the past evolutions  
of the human race1 being1 for example1 a
 seed1 fish-like1 reptile-like1         
ape-like1 then man-like4 ,so each       
individual innings may quickly reproduce
 the past stages of practice and        
progress1 safety and defence coming     
before severity and attack1 except      
where--as on some caking wickets--safety

 and defence consist in an apparently   
rash rushing out to smite4 ,as a rule1  
however1 no liberties should be taken   
until the bowling has been mastered and 
the eye is 8in40 ,time may be saved if  
one watches the previous batsmen and    
finds out how they get out4 ,moreover1  
just as ,spofforth first tested the     
pitch and its pace and peculiarities on 
any given day1 before he bowled his     
best1 so a batsman may also test the    
pitch4  ,for different pitches demand   
different plays--different mechanisms1  
different tactics4 ,few1 like           
,shrewsbury1 have a style adapted alike 
to the billiard-table ground and the    
drying-ground4 ,ranjitsinhji's book     
gives most useful remarks on these      
differences4  ,while you are batting1   
count a chance as a blessed indication  
of error2 treat it as ,i treat a        
premonitory pain--do not wait for the   
illness itself1 but find out and correct
 the mistake at once4 ,you may have to  
exaggerate in the opposite              

direction--perhaps to play forward      
further out to the right than seems     
natural to you on that day4   ,,waiting 
,,for ,,the ,,ball4  ,guard is taken not
 only to give one a sense of the        
direction of any ball1 but also to give 
one the correct place for the right     
foot3 the toe of the right foot should  
be quite near to the block4 ,therefore  
one should not have a block either to   
the off 7in which case the right toes   
might be in front of the wicket71 or    
short and too near the wicket4  ,before 
and after taking guard one should look  
round to see how the field is placed4   
,as to the waiting-position1 one may try
 several and choose that which is the   
best basis and starting-pose for most   
ordinary strokes4 ,but first one should 
develop the various muscles1 especially 
those needed for the quick movements2   
otherwise one might adopt an attitude   
suited for safe play when a more        
,jessop-like or at least a more         
,stoddart-like or ,abel-like attitude   

might be better for one4 ,a good        
attitude for many will be ,shrewsbury's 
as seen in the ,photograph 7,i474 ,the  
body should be nearly sideways1         
,illustration3 ,i4--,waiting for the    
ball1 with the weight balanced almost   
evenly upon the two feet 7which are near
 together71 but rather on the right     
foot4  ,to face page #bb4   with the    
legs 7or only the left leg7 very        
slightly bent1 and ready to move        
backwards or forwards4 ,one should not  
be stiff1 but should be inclined to     
looseness1 until one knows which ball is
 coming2 till then one should be ready  
to run or jump out if it should be      
desirable4 ,the feet should probably be 
quite near to one another1 the right    
being near the crease and parallel to   
the wicket1 the left outside the crease 
and pointing more towards the bowler4   
,probably both should be resting on     
their balls1 and rather--so ,mr4 ,fry   
advises--on the insides of their balls4 
,the weight of most batsmen should be   

upon the right foot1 the batsman's      
basis4 ,abel stands on the ball of his  
right foot2 that is good if one be      
quick-footed4 ,ranjitsinhji explains    
some of the reasons why the weight      
should rest on the right foot--he       
instances several forms of exercise1    
such as boxing2 for ,tennis and         
,racquets ,i have spent hours in        
practising quick movements in all       
directions with the stiff right leg as  
my pivot4 ,the left foot may be slightly
 up and prepared to move out along some 
forward line4 ,in case of a late cut one
 has time to shift the weight on to it  
and make it the pivot4  ,the bat is     
usually held with one hand near the top 
of the handle and the other hand near   
the middle of the handle2 if one holds  
the right hand lower down one gets more 
control1 but may lose some pace2 one is 
more apt to stoop1 and to lift the ball4
 ,but for some strokes1 as for certain  
late cuts1 the shifted grip is often    
preferable2 one should be able to slip  

the right hand down the handle towards  
the blade1 near to which so many of the 
stone-wallers love to keep it4 ,as the  
right foot and leg hold the ground more 
firmly1 so does the right hand and wrist
 hold the bat more firmly1 though there 
should be no tight and tense grip till  
the stroke is being made4 ,one can--as  
,abel and ,shrewsbury put it--8feel the 
nip0 of the bat without any unnecessary 
tension4 ,not a few players have the    
grip of the two hands almost equal4     
,the left elbow should be well up1 so as
 to keep the handle of the bat nearer to
 the bowler and thus to prevent a chance
 of catches4 ,and the whole body and    
head should be well up as the bowler    
begins to bowl1 so that the best        
possible view may be given4  ,one must  
watch the fingers and wrist and arm of  
the bowler2 a change in his fingers     
,illustration3 ,,ii4--,forward play3 the
 bat has been drawn straight up and back
 7not in a curve7 before the stroke4    
,to face page #be4   will mean a change 

of the ball he will bowl4 ,thus ,hirst's
 balls will differ according to the way 
in which his fingers are arranged 7see  
the photographs74 ,abel generally       
watches the wrist rather than the       
fingers4  ,while the bowler is bowling1 
one should usually draw the bat up and  
back1 without flourish1 in the line     
opposite to the line of the approaching 
ball4 ,the photograph of ,shrewsbury    
7,,ii47 shows the bat lifted for a      
straight ball which he is going to play 
7not drive7 straight forward4 ,by       
lifting the bat one gets more impetus   
and can use one's height and weight     
better4  ,attention and alertness--these
 are to be maintained4 8,this one thing 
,i do now10 8,on this depends           
everything02 such are samples of the    
suggestions which ,i often make to      
myself at my own games4 ,yet ,i try to  
economise energy and not to waste any of
 it2 attention without tension1         
alertness without fidgetiness--these are
 right4   ,,back-,,play2 ,,the ,,glide2 

,,the ,,half-,,cock4  8,timing the ball 
is the secret10 says ,giffen4 ,it is a  
secret1 not the secret4 ,nor is it a    
simple rule2 timing is 7see page #g7 a  
concoction of many good things4  ,a     
simpler general rule is not to leave a  
large space between the bat and the     
legs1 lest one should be bowled off     
one's pads4 ,the photograph of ,abel    
shows no intervening space at all4      
,another simple general 7but not        
universal7 rule is to end up--as in     
forward play--with the handle held by   
the first finger and thumb of the right 
hand and of the left2 the other three   
fingers scarcely have any influence     
here4 ,the nails of all four fingers--as
 in the photograph--should face the     
bowler 7or yourself if you were opposite
 a mirror74 ,the bat must not be tilted 
upwards nor drawn back behind the line  
of the right foot1 which is firmly on   
the ground1 and is certainly not drawn  
away to the leg-side4  ,about the 8fixed
 right foot0 there is--as we shall      

see--a great fallacy2 theory has been   
allowed to controvert the practice of   
the leading experts4 ,shrewsbury in the 
photograph 7,,iii47 has his right foot  
firm indeed1 and not shifted to the     
leg-side1 but back almost to the wicket 
itself4 ,w4 ,g41 in a photograph in     
,ranjitsinhji's book1 has his right foot
 back1 though not nearly so far back4 ,i
 scarcely ever see a player whose       
regular habit is not to shift back his  
right foot somewhat  ,illustration3     
,,iii4--,playing back3 the right foot   
has retired nearer the wicket1 so as to 
give longer time for seeing the ball4   
,,note4--,the bat should be held        
straight4 ,this photograph was taken    
before ,shrewsbury was in practice4  ,to
 face page #bf4   in back play4         
,shrewsbury will tell one to get back   
far enough1 moving back with the ball4  
,this obviously gives one more time to  
see the ball and its break1 turning a   
ball that is just a trifle short into a 
ball that is nearly a long hop2 if the  

legs be--as they often are--in front of 
the wicket1 so as to give a still better
 sight of the ball and also to save a   
play-on1 then the retreat of the right  
foot is obviously useful4 ,others1      
however1 do not move it in front of the 
wicket4 ,but nearly all back-play is    
actually practised with the retirement  
of the right foot4 ,murdoch's words are 
worth quoting at some length3--         
8,in the majority of cases1 my          
experience has been that1 by moving     
the right foot as much or as little as  
judgment dictates1 the      stroke is   
made with far more ease than by having  
your right foot a      fixture4 ,if you 
will take the trouble to notice all     
players1 you      will see for yourself 
that in almost every case when they are 
playing back the right foot is always   
moved4 ,and1 again1 you will      find  
you have far more command and power over
 the ball1 and      especially so over a
 rising one1 and you can finish your    
stroke in      a far safer way4444 ,my  

advice to you is to move the right foot 
when1 in your judgment1 it requires it2 
if you find you can play      the ball  
with ease by not moving it1 well and    
good2 but should you      at any time   
think you could play the ball better by 
getting back a      little1 why do so1  
and you will find it will give you a    
particle      more time and enable you  
to make things very much easier4        
8,i think the art of boxing very        
applicable to forward and back play     
of cricket1 for whilst boxing is nearly 
all forward strokes1 there      are many
 times when a boxer has to get back1 and
 he generally finds      what a great   
difference there is in receiving a hit  
whilst standing      principally on his 
right foot1 and when he has moved it a  
few      inches in getting back4 ,so it 
is with your back-play at cricket1      
the velocity of the ball is not so great
 two feet back from your      crease as 
it is right on it4 ,the advantage of    
time is no doubt      momentary1 but    

still it is an advantage1 and one that  
,i have proved      and seen to be very 
beneficial40  ,one kind of glide-stroke 
forms a special branch of back-play3 it 
is to be seen in the photograph of ,abel
 7,,iv474 ,ranjitsinhji is the master of
 this most useful stroke2 he plays it   
for balls on the wicket as well as for  
balls to leg4 ,others use it chiefly or 
solely for balls off the wicket4 ,for   
this stroke ,i believe every player has 
the right foot back4 ,the bat's face is 
held not flat towards the bowler1 but   
slanting in one of many directions on   
the leg-side1 according to the spot to  
which one wishes to place the ball4     
,the 8half-cock0 stroke is ,grace's     
favourite help in time of trouble4 ,when
 he hesitates between forward and       
back-play1 and especially after he has  
decided on forward-play and             
,illustration3 ,,iv4--,the glide3 both  
feet well back4  ,to face page #bh4     
,illustration3       ,v4--,playing back3
 right foot retired1 to give extra time 

for seeing      the ball2 weight on     
right foot4 ,this is ,shrewsbury's      
stroke when he      feels 8beaten0 by   
the bowler4  ,to face page #bi4   then  
doubts whether he can reach out near    
enough to the pitch of the ball to      
smother the ball1 he is content to      
strike the ball scarcely at all1 if at  
all1 and to hold his bat half way       
between its forward and back positions1 
and wait in hope4  ,shrewsbury1 however1
 if the ball be straight1 prefers to    
bring his bat straight down on to the   
block4 ,he is to be seen doing this in  
the photograph 7,v474  ,it appears to me
 that1 as most ,lawn ,tennis players    
learn back-play securely before they    
learn forward-play 7play1 i4e41 at the  
net71 so most cricketers should learn   
back-play securely2 they should learn to
 play forward1 of course2 but1 as ,mr4  
,c4 ,b4 ,fry says1 they should not learn
 that only4 ,inasmuch as back-play is   
the easier and more natural--except for 
the art of not drawing away the right   

foot towards the leg side--it should    
probably precede the mastery of         
forward-play1 towards which mastery the 
8half-cock0 stroke might form a         
transition step4   ,,forward-,,play     
,,and ,,safe ,,driving4  ,there may be  
days when scarcely any forward-play is  
needed2 there may be experts who prefer 
back-play even on fast and true pitches1
 just as ,mr4 ,a4 ,w4 ,gore1 the amateur
 ,lawn ,tennis champion of #aija1       
prefers habitual back-play at his game4 
,but every player should be able to play
 forward1 particularly to swift         
good-length balls on quick plumb-wickets
 which are either too dry or else too   
slippery to bite the ball and allow it  
to break2 on the fast slippery wickets1 
however1 forward-play must be accurate1 
because of the occasional shooter4      
,besides the safety of such             
forward-play1 since it can smother the  
ball1 there is the extra delight of     
meeting if not of attacking1 and also of
 performing a movement which is not by  

any means natural--the extra delight of 
overcoming a mechanical difficulty4  ,we
 may begin to study this forward-play   
7for which we have already offered      
certain exercises--see above7 by a      
couple of quotations from well-known    
writers4       8,the golden rules to    
guide the beginner in playing forward   
may be      very briefly stated4 7#a47  
,play forward when the ball is fairly   
well      pitched up1 but remember that 
the faster the bowling and the faster   
the wicket the more frequently will     
forward-play be the safer style      of 
play4 7#b47 ,keep the bat quite         
,illustration3       ,,vi4--,playing    
forward to a ball on the off3 the       
straight bat has      passed near and   
beyond the left foot in a               
8follow-through40 ,notice      the      
fingers1 especially the first finger and
 thumb of the left      hand4 ,at the   
end of the stretch the left arm is fully
 extended1 and      the right heel has  
come off the ground4  ,between pages #cj

 and #ca4   ,illustration3              
,,vii4--,playing forward to a ball      
slightly to the leg side3 see           
remark on previous photograph1 and      
notice the head well over the           
bat-handle4  ,between pages #cj and #ca4
   ,illustration3 ,,viii4--,playing     
forward to a straight ball3 see remarks 
on previous photographs4  ,between pages
 #cj and #ca4        straight and the   
left shoulder and elbow well forward4   
7#c47 ,get as      near to the pitch of 
the ball as possible4 7#d47 ,do not put 
the bat      further forward than the   
level of the left foot1 which ought to  
be      thrown right forward40          
8,no forward-stroke is absolutely safe  
unless the ball is smothered4           
,there are many very beautiful strokes  
effected by forward-play at      the    
rising ball4 ,such strokes1 however1 are
 purely plumb-wicket      strokes40  ,in
 the face of this latter quotation1 and 
of 7#c7 of the first quotation1 and in  
the face of the habitual practice of    

many leading experts 7see ,photographs  
,,vi41 ,,vii41 ,,viii41 of ,abel and    
,shrewsbury7 in following through with  
the bat beyond the left foot1 the       
statement in 7#d7 is absurd4 ,and yet1  
as we shall see in the ,chapter on      
,fallacies1 it appears in almost every  
work on ,cricket4  ,personally ,i should
 far sooner see the general rule stated 
as follows3--       8,at the root of    
good ordinary forward-play lies         
extension both      direct 7not curved7 
and well-timed and well-co-ordinated    
7not too      early or too late1 and not
 piece by piece--for example1 first the 
foot1 then the left elbow71 and fast and
 powerful 7not slow and      tame71 and 
full 7not arrested72 at the root of it  
lies such      extension of right leg1  
left foot1 left shoulder1 left elbow1   
left      wrist2 but within the limits  
of power1 and of balance or rapid       
recovery of balance40 ,when ,abel or    
,shrewsbury can thus safely and         
strongly reach out an extra fifteen     

inches beyond the left foot1      and   
thus smother a ball and its break1 why  
forbid it8 ,if only in      case a ball 
hangs a bit1 and also for the sake of   
the      follow-through--,i believe that
 nearly every ball-game stroke          
demands a follow-through--such a passing
 of the blade's end beyond      the left
 foot may be advisable4  ,be this as it 
may--and it must be settled by practice1
 not by theory--at any rate the law     
holds good that for ordinary ground-play
 7as distinct from the drive out of the 
ground7 the left wrist must come before 
the right1 the right shoulder being kept
 down4  ,the base1 the safe  of         
forward-play1 is the firm right foot    
7nearly parallel to the three wickets7  
and the straight right leg4 ,from this  
base the left leg has1 as it were1 to   
radiate forward in one or another       
straight line towards the approaching   
balls2 not straight at those balls1 but 
a few inches to one's left2 certainly   
not necessarily straight forward down   

the line from wicket to wicket1 as the  
forward play of ,abel to a ball on the  
off will show 7see ,photograph ,,vi472  
in fact1 to a left hand bowler round the
 wicket one should as a rule not play   
along this line1 but along a line       
further outwards to one's right4 ,the   
left toe points1 and the left foot      
moves1 not at but towards the line of   
the approaching ball1 allowance being   
made for a curl or a break that will    
alter this line4 ,it is the line that   
the ball will be making just when it    
strikes the bat 7or1 rather1 just when  
it is struck by the bat7 that has to be 
met by the bat1 which must move in a    
line a few inches to the right of the   
left foot4 ,the line both of left foot  
and of bat must be direct1 not curved4  
,over one's bat comes one's head3 as    
,abel says1 one must get above the ball 
and smell it4 ,the bat itself1 for      
ground-play1 must not be tilted with its
 blade nearer to the bowler than its    
handle is1 lest a catch be sent up4 ,its

 direction from the line when one lifts 
it before the stroke 7see ,photograph   
,,ii471 right up to the end of the      
follow-through 7see ,photograph         
,,viii471 must be as straight as        
possible2 like a boxer's blow straight  
from the shoulder1 and not like the     
swirling arm of the unskilled navvy1    
even if both these movements might reach
 the same goal eventually4 ,the curved  
line means a loss of time and of power1 
as well as a risk--for it allows a      
smaller margin of error4  ,the stroke   
should be all in one piece1 the power   
beginning when the bat is near to the   
left leg1 and of course reaching its    
fulness from each part of the mechanism 
just when the blade hits the ball4  ,to 
what part of the mechanism would one do 
best to attend8 ,the firm right foot is 
the base1 the point d'appui1 the        
terminus a quo4 ,i should say that the  
terminus ad quem1 the point of limit1   
should be the outside joint of the left 
wrist4 ,let that go right out to its    

stretch4 ,most of us1 by taking thought1
 can add an inch or so to our reach4 ,i 
added two inches to my 7easy7 forward   
reach within two months4  ,the hand's   
grip should change as the left wrist    
shoots outward4 ,in the waiting position
 the bowler 7or you yourself in a       
mirror7 can see the back of your left   
hand2 then  ,illustration3              
,,ix4--,position of hands and fingers at
 the end of the forward      stroke3 the
 left hand has shifted round1 the right 
hand holds the      bat with thumb and  
first finger only4  ,to face page #ce4  
back and up goes the bat--not too far1  
but enough to get power 7my own ordinary
 ,tennis and ,racquet strokes and many a
 golfer's ordinary strokes go up and    
back quite a short way as compared with 
the old-fashioned 8complete0 swing72    
then1 as the bat comes down and forward1
 you yourself 7if you had not your eye  
on the ball7 should be able to see the  
back of your bat and above it the back  
of your left hand 7as in ,photograph    

,,ix4 of ,shrewsbury's hands74 ,so far  
as the left side is concerned1 the      
stroke is an exaggeration of a          
left-handed backhand stroke1 except that
 the thumb in cricket does not support  
the handle as it often does in          
,racquets4  ,if any one cannot yet play 
forward1 but wishes to learn the art1   
let him practise 7as ,i have recently   
done7 this turn of the fingers1 this    
outward stretch of left wrist1 left     
elbow1 left shoulder1 straight along a  
line1 full1 swift1 weighty4 ,it is      
amazing how soon the straight line can  
become easy if one works faithfully     
along a line upon the floor and opposite
 a mirror1 correcting all errors by the 
opposite exaggerations1 but first of all
 securing the foundation--the long      
straight lunge of the left foot4 ,sandow
 and all high authorities say1 ,throw   
the whole will1 focus the whole         
attention1 concentrate the whole mind1  
fix the whole vital force1 upon the     
muscles which you are using2 first do   

this upon the left foot1 then upon the  
left wrist 7if not upon the handle of   
the bat1 strange as it may sound74      
,having acquired this free forward line1
 then practise a speedy recovery of     
balance afterwards1 and a readiness to  
start running4 ,later on1 add to these  
two a few actual steps4 ,eventually1    
though you may have had to conquer each 
mechanism by itself1 as ,i conquered    
every part of my ,tennis and ,racquet   
strokes separately1 yet you will be able
 to combine them together so            
harmoniously that no one will guess or  
believe how you gained your stroke4 ,it 
appears so exactly like a unity1 so     
exactly like one single action--that    
lunge with full weight1 and recovery of 
equilibrium--that people tell me ,i     
never could have learnt it part-by-part4
 ,but ,i did4 ,i can tell every part1   
though now the whole move is a unit4    
,there is absolutely no necessity to    
begin by doing the whole stroke at once1
 so long as eventually you can combine  

the various members of it into a        
harmonious whole4 ,otherwise any one    
individual bad part may spoil the whole 
effect4  ,this correct stroke frustrates
 the bowler's attempt to make you tilt  
up your bat's blade and send a catch3   
having your left wrist well forward     
beyond your right1 you keep your strokes
 down4 ,another common fault besides the
 tilted bat is the crooked bat1 the bat 
of which the blade is too far to the    
off2 this fault is obviated chiefly by  
the straight right leg3 bend the right  
leg1 and the tendency is for both these 
faults to appear4  ,forward play may be 
either defensive or offensive4 ,the     
latter kind merges into the             
ground-drive4 ,in either case the       
average-eyed person must get to the     
pitch of the ball and smother it1 or    
must not play forward1 but either do the
 half-cock stroke or else step back and 
give himself the largest possible time  
in which to see the ball's flight4 ,the 
defensive should as a rule precede the  

offensive1 both while one is learning to
 play forward and also while one is     
beginning any innings at a net or in a  
game4 ,a few forward stretches before   
play will perhaps save a premature      
dismissal through stiffness4  ,in       
forward ground-driving the rule of not  
letting the bat's blade go beyond the   
left foot is far more reasonable4 ,one  
must get well over the ball1 the power  
coming chiefly from just that jerk of   
shoulder1 fore-arm1 and wrist which     
,latham and ,pettitt and a few others   
use at ,racquets--the jerk of some      
whippers of peg-tops4 ,but for this     
drive the bat need not move quite so    
near to the left foot4 ,moreover the bat
 may finish up with a smaller           
follow-through4 ,let the forward left   
elbow arrest the swing of the right arm1
 lest the bat be tilted and the ball    
rise3 that wrench of the left           
elbow-joint is a satisfactory sign4     
,the forward off-drive 7for a ball not  
coming at the wicket7 allows of a far   

freer swing1 and1 if you see it well1 of
 a far less straight bat4 ,it needs more
 right wrist and less left elbow        
restraint4 ,indeed1 it may end up with  
the bat over the left shoulder4         
,photograph ,,xiii4 shows ,abel's       
position for such a drive1 though the   
position is better suited for a         
cut-drive4  ,for the forward on-drive   
the left foot is pointed out towards    
mid-on4   ,,the ,,pull ,,and ,,high     
,,drive4  ,there used to be a fallacy   
that the pull was bad form because it   
was ungraceful2 but now-a-days grace is 
of little account  ,illustration3       
,x4--,preparing to drive with a pull3   
the left leg is well out so that the bat
 may get nearer to the pitch of the     
ball4  unless it is useful4 ,hirst's    
pull will count as four1 while graceful 
8good form0 will courteously return the 
same ball to the bowler and score       
nothing4 ,it was ,w4 ,g4 and his brother
 who subordinated so-called art to      
utilitarianism4 ,the only valid         

objection to the pull is that it is most
 dangerous as a habitual stroke2 whereas
 for a full pitch or a long hop it may  
be1 as ,shrewsbury says1 least dangerous
 as well as most paying1 since it may   
need less power and may go to a part of 
the ground least thickly studded with   
fielders4  ,the mistake is not in the   
pulling per se1 but1 as ,ranjitsinhji   
insists1 in the choice of the wrong ball
 for pulling1 or else--we may add--in   
the wrong way of pulling the right ball4
  ,as there is elsewhere a forward-play 
as well as a back-play1 so there is with
 pulls4 ,abel is shown giving a forward 
pull1 in ,photograph ,x42 notice that   
the left foot is right out so that the  
bat gets well to the pitch of the ball4 
,if one could always ensure that1       
pulling would be the best stroke in the 
game4 ,this step out adds to the safety 
of the pull when the ball will pitch say
 two yards from the batsman4  ,the      
back-play pull is for a shorter ball4   
,hirst is making such a pull in         

,photograph ,,xi4 7and ,photograph      
,,xii4 which represents a different kind
 of pull by ,shrewsbury74 ,hirst has    
moved back and turned a somewhat short  
ball into a long hop4 ,into this stroke 
he will put the full body-swing from the
 hips4 ,he might do this stroke equally 
well with a good full pitch to the off4 
,to run out 7either to slow bowling or  
to ordinary bowling on a difficult      
wicket7 and then to 8volley0 round to   
leg used to be the one stroke that ,i   
could do reasonably well4 ,even then ,i 
often erred in running out timidly and  
in using my wrists rather than my trunk 
and shoulders4  ,whereas the long hop   
and the ordinary full pitch may be      
placed thus1 the half-volley can seldom 
be safely pulled4 ,it is hard to direct4
 ,but with all these strokes1 whether   
pulls or drives1 the law of 8the left   
elbow and wrist well forward to prevent 
catches0 may be ignored if one can get  
to the pitch of the ball by coming      
forward1 or else get it as a long hop by

 stepping back1 and then can place it   
safely away from any fielder4 ,if one   
can1 then one need never mind about     
sending  ,illustration3                 
,,xi4--,preparing to pull a short ball3 
right foot across1 so as to help the    
stroke well round to leg4  ,between     
pages #dj and #da4   ,illustration3     
,,xii4--,preparing to pull a short ball3
 right foot across and well back so as  
to make the short ball still shorter4   
,between pages #dj and #da4             
,illustration3 ,,xiii4--,hook-stroke to 
leg3 both feet well back1 but weight on 
right foot4  ,between pages #dj and #da4
   ,illustration3 ,,xiv4--,cut-drive4   
,right leg firm and straight1 left leg  
bent and well across4  ,to face page    
#da4   high balls or playing with a     
crooked bat4  ,the useful hook-stroke to
 leg is seen in ,photograph ,,xiii4     
,,cutting4  ,ranjitsinhji rightly       
distinguishes several kinds of cuts1 and
 advanced players must be referred to   
his book for details4 ,here one must be 

content to notice the cut-drive         
7forward-play to some spot between point
 and extra-cover1 as in ,photograph     
,,xiv4 of ,abel71 and the late-cut      
7back-play to some spot between point   
and short slip1 as in the photographs of
 ,abel and ,shrewsbury74 ,here once more
 we have forward and back play1 the     
latter allowing more time4  ,the        
cut-drive is good for a short ball on   
the off4 ,the left foot is sent out to  
the off1 the bat swings back and        
generally somewhat up1 very much as it  
does to the pull-drive4 ,abel is seen   
preparing for a cut-drive in ,photograph
 ,,xiv4 ,he will get right on to the top
 of the ball4  ,the downward movement1  
for the sake of safety1 applies also to 
the late-cut1 with regard to which we   
have already exposed the fallacy that it
 is a stroke done entirely with the     
wrists4#d ,the wrists may do some of the
 directing at the last moment1 but the  
large movement and the force is usually 
given chiefly by the fore-arm-jerk1 the 

shoulder-jerk1 a little trunk-movement1 
and 7with some players7 the step with   
the right foot across the wicket4 ,let a
 hundred experts make imaginary or real 
late-cuts for half-an-hour1 and ,i      
guarantee that the wrists will not be   
the only parts that ache4 ,indeed ,i    
have seen many players cut safely and   
effectively with absolutely rigid       
wrists4 ,as ,i have already said1 the   
motion is nearer to that of shaking out 
a stylographic pen or whipping a        
peg-top2 it is akin to the ,racquet     
stroke of ,latham or the ,tennis stroke 
of ,pettitt4 ,watch the forearm and the 
shoulder of a stripped player1 and this 
will be clear4  ,the late-cut is most   
safely used against fast and not too    
short bowling on a quick pitch2 it does 
not oppose the ball's flight1 but rather
 increases or at least directs that     
flight4 ,it is not to be rashly tried   
,illustration3 ,,xv4--,the late cut3    
right foot well across1 left leg        
extended so far as to bring heel off    

ground4  ,between pages #db and #dc4    
,illustration3 ,,xvi4--,the late cut3   
right foot well across1 left leg        
extended4  ,between pages #db and #dc4  
against slow bowling1 especially if this
 breaks much1 on a slow or caking       
wicket2 for it needs very accurate      
timing4  ,in this late-cut the right leg
 is moved back and across the wicket    
7see ,photograph ,,xiv4 of ,shrewsbury's
 legs71 so that the left leg and foot   
now does what the right leg and foot do 
for the other strokes--namely1 serve as 
a pivot4 ,some move the right foot and  
then make the stroke2 ,i believe        
,ranjitsinhji generally prefers this    
plan4 ,others1 like ,abel1 often make   
the stroke as a single movement4 ,others
 use now one plan and now the other4    
,anyhow the weight passes from the left 
on to the right leg1 which is bent4     
,shrewsbury1 in the photograph 7,,xv471 
is allowing his left foot to rise       
slightly on its ball4 ,contrast ,abel1  
in ,,xvi4  ,he does not alter his       

ordinary grip1 and he uses his wrists a 
good deal2 others let their right hand  
slide down the handle towards the blade1
 and sometimes let their left hand slide
 after it4 ,the bat strikes downwards1  
passing about twelve inches over the    
wicket4  ,the direction of the cut is   
most important3 this depends partly on  
the presence or absence of a wrist      
movement1 partly1 as ,ranjitsinhji says1
 on the moment at which one strikes the 
ball--the earlier hit goes squarer      
7nearer to point71 the later hit goes   
finer 7nearer to short slip74  ,the     
late-cut involves not a little risk4 ,it
 may be well at the beginning of an     
innings to study the art of   ,,leaving 
,,balls ,,alone4  ,a good length or     
8blind0 ball on the off-side1 and a     
certain kind of bumping long hop 7almost
 out of one's reach7 are intended for a 
catch behind the wicket4 ,some may be   
cut or driven1 but it would be safer to 
let a few pass by 7unless they are going
 to break in7 till one sees what they   

are doing4 ,the continued practice of   
this plan is not for the good of        
,cricket as a form of sport4  ,the use  
of the legs to defend the wicket has    
been another much-discussed topic4      
,ranjitsinhji rightly points out that it
 requires skill and is not unknown in   
the play of the best experts4 ,here as  
elsewhere the fault lies less in the use
 than in the excessive use4   ,,moving  
,,out4  ,if ,shrewsbury and others have 
been censured as too cautious in letting
 certain balls alone1 and in playing    
certain other balls with their pads     
instead of their bats1 the runner-out is
 censured for the opposite reason--for a
 ridiculous rashness4 ,this is a        
fallacy4 ,to run out is often the safest
 policy3 it may mean to smother an      
otherwise difficult ball4 ,abel and     
,jessop1 like ,latham at ,racquets and  
,tennis1 play with their feet as much as
 with their heads4 ,the best            
illustration that occurs to me of 8the  
wisdom of anticipation0 7stigmatized as 

8the folly of rashness07 is the running 
up to volley or half-volley the service 
at ,racquets4 ,often one can take a ball
 best by letting it nearly fall to the  
ground at its second bounce--that is1 by
 turning into a 8long hop02 but if it be
 a good length service1 or one with a   
heavy cut1 it may be more prudent to run
 up and thus change it into a           
comparatively harmless plaything1 as a  
child may deal with a snake by fearless 
handling4 ,murdoch is most emphatic on  
this point1 when he says3--8,no1 ,i     
think the feet play very important parts
 in batting1 and both of them should    
have the greatest scope possible4 ,i    
advise all players to learn to use their
 feet quickly and well1 and it will be  
the means of getting you out of many a  
difficulty4 ,by being able to get to a  
ball quickly you make it an easy one    
where if you had remained in your crease
 you would have found it a most         
difficult one to stop4 ,once you get    
into the way of doing this you will     

never move the right foot unless you    
require to do so to make your stroke4   
,in all forward play it is absolutely   
necessary for you to keep the right foot
 well on the ground40  ,there are three 
ways of moving out to a ball2 in all    
three ways one must not draw the right  
foot away1 but one must keep the right  
foot as the pivot2 and one must come out
 wholeheartedly1 not hesitatingly4      
,shrewsbury will often jump out1 coming 
down on to his right foot first with his
 body-weight upon its ball4 ,he who     
tries this should be prepared to keep   
his balance and if necessary to jump    
back again into his ground4  ,most      
others run out sideways with small or   
large steps4 ,see ,photograph ,,xvii4   
,abel runs out more quickly than these4 
,his legs1 as it were1 intertwine neatly
 in the way shown in ,photograph        
,,xviii4 ,his first step1 with the left 
foot1 is well across the  ,illustration3
 ,,xvii4--,the way of running out with  
fairly long steps1 weight should be     

chiefly on right foot1 and right leg    
should be ready to serve as firm pivot4 
,between pages #df and #dg4             
,illustration3 ,,xviii4--,abel's way of 
running out1 with feet interlacing4     
,between pages #df and #dg4   wicket and
 towards the off-side2 his second step1 
with the right foot2 the action may be  
repeated4  ,this sideways running is not
 easy3 it needs considerable practice   
backwards and forwards before one can   
not only do it but also maintain one's  
poise and be ready to hit the ball      
afterwards4 ,a jump or a run out1 even  
with a loss of poise1 may be far better 
policy than to wait for a 8teaser40 ,two
 quotations from high authority are     
worth citing here4       8,i do not     
think that batsmen run out enough at    
slow bowling or at      lobs4 ,for some 
undiscovered reason1 there is a floating
 idea that      running out and rashness
 are synonymous4 ,as a matter of fact1  
to      run out is often the safest     
thing one can do4 ,it makes a difficult 

ball into an easy one1 and often enables
 the batsman to make a                  
forcing-stroke along the ground instead 
of a risky high-drive4 ,the      man who
 plays cautiously is invariably regarded
 with reverence and      favour by those
 who know4 ,he is supposed to play the  
correct game4      ,he often ties       
himself into extraordinary knots by     
playing what he      considers a safe   
dashing game4 ,there are some players   
who1 not      being quick on their feet1
 ought never to run out40       8,a     
running-out stroke should be played with
 the same amount of care      and       
concentration as a back-stroke4 ,there  
is an air of abandon      about         
quick-footed players which is very      
deceptive2 they often run      out to   
meet the ball1 because they feel safer  
in doing so than in      staying at     
home40  ,short balls or balls well off  
the wicket are seldom to be met in this 
way unless one is a ,jessop4 ,but       
whatever ball be anticipated in this way

 let it be sought with full pace and    
intent to 8volley04 ,if one must be     
stumped1 then1 as ,grace and others say1
 one may just as well be many yards out 
of one's ground as be only one yard of  
it4   ,,running4  ,an obvious advantage 
in moving out is that1 if your partner  
is backing up1 you have every chance of 
making a safe run4  ,quick starting and 
quick moving between the wickets are    
little cultivated4 ,yet a game of       
tip-and-run will show how many runs can 
be stolen4 ,too little account is taken 
of the pace at which the ball has been  
hit1 the place to which it has been hit1
 the individual to whom it has been hit1
 the side of that individual1 left or   
right1 to which it has been hit1 and so 
on4  ,the general rule is that the      
player in whose sight the struck ball   
appears most clearly 7namely1 the       
batsman for balls in front of him1 his  
partner for balls behind him7 shall call
 at once and call loudly4 ,the          
non-caller shall either trust and obey1 

or else immediately call a loud 8,no40  
,both players should start at once from 
their right toes1 and should run the    
first run as briskly as if a second were
 sure to follow4 ,giffen laments the    
small care paid to this art4 ,he says3--
       8,one most important point       
connected with batting is running       
between      the wickets4 ,really it is 
almost heartrending to see the immense  
number of runs1 to say nothing of the   
wickets1 which are lost      through bad
 judgment4 ,a batsman wants to study the
 pace at which a      ball is           
travelling40  ,the non-batsman should   
back up well2 a few yards may be gained 
in this way1 and also by the habit of   
running the bat along the ground just   
inside the crease4  ,a useful position  
for turning at the crease is to be seen 
in ,photograph ,,xix41 of ,shrewsbury4  
,by the rapid change while the bat is   
held at full stretch one may gain an    
appreciable amount of time and space4   
,,general ,,hints4  ,the first pieces of

 advice to all players of games will be1
 8,get at the reason why1 and the means 
by which40 ,why should one not flourish 
the bat before a stroke8 ,partly because
 this sends the bat out of the straight 
line and loses time4 ,why should one    
move the bat near to the left foot in   
forward-play8 ,partly because this will 
give power by keeping the weight of the 
body near to the bat1 and because it    
will give safety1 by allowing no space  
for the ball to pass between bat and    
leg4 ,merely to say to a beginner       
8,don't be afraid of the ball0 may not  
be enough2 he should know that1 if he   
draws his right foot towards the        
leg-side1 he will lose his pivot and    
will tend not to play the ball down and 
not to meet it along its line of        
approach4 ,if he bends his right leg1   
the same result  ,illustration3         
,,xix4--,turning quickly at the crease  
after the first run4  ,to face page #ej4
   may follow4 ,how can he keep the ball
 down and meet it along its line of     

approach8 ,by attending to his left foot
 in practice1 or by getting some one to 
watch his practice or play from behind4 
,having found out and mastered the      
muscular mechanisms as well as the      
raisons d'tre for each of them1 let the 
learner be prepared to try new things   
and to judge them by their results4 ,in 
,january1 #aijb1 in my thirty-fourth    
year1 ,i changed my ,racquet and ,tennis
 stroke from a full swing to a more     
8partial0 jerk4 ,in case it did not suit
 me1 ,i was prepared to go back to the  
old4 ,as a matter of fact1 the new did  
suit me4  ,in this case ,i imitated     
,latham and 7to some extent7 ,pettitt4  
,they were of about my own height4 ,i   
did not imitate slavishly or in trust1  
but in hope and because ,i saw good     
sense in what they did4 ,in ,cricket    
many might hold that even slavish       
imitation is better than rank failure4  
,to take an example4 ,few batsmen play  
well on difficult wickets4 ,shrewsbury  
does4 ,i would sooner imitate his style 

and methods on difficult wickets than go
 on failing to score4 ,there is no      
particular reason why his style and     
methods should not turn out to be mine  
as well4 ,i cannot tell till ,i have    
experimented4  ,the batsman1 as ,mr4 ,c4
 ,b4 ,fry says1 should be able to play  
all games and strokes--forward1 back1   
cut1 and1 let us add1 tip and run4 ,he  
must be able to keep his wicket up1 to  
stop good balls 7as ,shrewsbury advises7
 and then punish bad balls2 but he must 
also be able to force the game1         
especially if the bowling be too hard to
 enable him to stay in long4            
,especially should he be 8nippy on his  
feet0--,abel's rule4 ,he need not use   
them always1 but he must be ready to use
 them4 ,so with the pull3 he must not be
 tied down by a law 8,thou shalt not    
pull40 ,a short ball can often be pulled
 quite safely3 it need not always be hit
 to mid-off4 ,scarcely any rule is      
absolute4 ,we hear that the right leg   
should not be bent4 ,good4 ,but when we 

see ,grace hitting effectively to the on
 with a decidedly bent right leg1 we    
suspect that there may be times when    
this is useful4 ,it is only as general  
rules for most people that maxims are to
 be laid down4 8,stand upright0 says the
 theorist2 he even quotes successful    
examples4 ,but the individual may be    
nearer to ,stoddart or ,jessop than to  
,palairet4 ,let the individual try both 
ways1 if not in games1 then at the nets4
  ,reserve some force1 says ,mr4 ,r4    
,lyttelton in the ,badminton ,volume2   
,ranjitsinhji agrees--since the use of  
the full force may 8give one away0 and  
lose the balance4 ,but ,shrewsbury says1
 8,use the full force2 a mis-hit then   
has more chance of going over the head  
of cover or some other fielder40 ,keep  
the ball down--that is a good enough    
rule2 but if you can hit the ball safely
 away from or over the head of a        
fielder1 why not8 ,again1 we hear that  
the batsman should not stand with any   
part of his body in front of his wicket2

 yet many find it useful to do so1      
especially in case they snick the ball  
and might otherwise play on4 ,another   
hint that may not always be helpful is  
8not to make up your mind what you will 
do until the bowler's intention has     
shown itself2 for1 if you decide1 he    
will alter his intention40 ,this        
presupposes that the bowler is observant
 and intelligent1 whereas ordinary      
bowlers are not4 ,in ,racquets1 on the  
same principle1 ,i have been told not to
 pledge myself to any set action before 
the server has served2 that is sound    
sense so long as the server is likely to
 vary his service2 whereas1 if ,i know  
that he is going to pound away with the 
same sort of thing all the time1 ,i     
should waste energy by perpetual        
alertness4 ,i take for granted that the 
fool will serve foolishly1 and ,i       
virtually settle my policy beforehand4  
,it is not every bowler who demands     
alertness4  ,of wider and more nearly   
universal application are such hints as 

8,face the left-hand bowler round the   
wicket differently from the bowler over 
the wicket2 move your left foot out on  
different lines02 8,don't try risky     
attack till you are sure of safe        
defence1 unless the wicket be extremely 
difficult02 8,don't attempt to place a  
half-volley very accurately02 8,watch   
and observe the ordinary curves and     
breaks of the ball according to this or 
that action02 8,notice how others as    
well as yourself are most apt to get out
 off certain balls--say off the breaking
 ball well-pitched up on the off02      
8,practise wicket-keeping occasionally02
 8,study each bowler's action before you
 go in02 8,when you go in1 be careful at
 first of touching balls on the off02   
8,get the blind spots of the pitch in   
your mind's eye1 so as to tell whether  
to play back or forward3 the blind spot 
varies according to the pace of the     
ball1 the state of the ground1 etc402   
8,get in your mind's eye a picture of   
the fielders2 and1 when you are set1    

place the easier balls between those    
fielders2 but keep your real eye on the 
ball from the instant that it has left  
the bowler's hand02 8,find out your     
faults and practise the opposite        
faults40 ,as ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton    
says1 8,if it appears that your strokes 
habitually fail to tell as they should1 
it will probably be owing to your body  
not being properly utilized1 and a spell
 of bedroom practice should at once be  
inaugurated40 ,you can even cultivate   
the opposite fault during the game      
itself4 ,this is my habit during ,tennis
 and ,racquets matches3 if ,i find      
myself playing too soon at the ball1 ,i 
purposely try to play too late4         
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,bowling4             
8,every cricketer should be able to bowl
 when called upon to do so      by his  
captain4 ,every man who has played      
cricket has bowled at a      net1 and he
 certainly has an action which is       
different from      everybody           
else's40--,from the ,badminton ,volume4 

8,anything that improves bowling even a 
little is to be looked upon      as an  
unmixed boon to the game4 ,the number of
 bowlers who have      hitherto made an 
honest attempt to acquire the knack is  
extremely      small1 so that we need   
not forecast from the past what the     
future      might be40--,edward         
,lyttelton4   ,,introductory4  ,more    
bowlers and better bowlers are sadly    
needed if amateurs are to hold their own
 against professionals in other games   
besides ,lawn ,tennis and ,ping-pong4   
,bowlers are more and more needed in    
these days of good pitches1 when the    
caking ground1 the bowler's conjuror1   
cannot be had to order4  ,the cause of  
the behindhandness of bowling is partly 
the excellence of the plumb-wicket1     
partly the rise of the ,pro bowler      
7without a corresponding rise of the    
,pro or ,amateur fielder71 and partly   
the consequent head-play demanded of the
 bowler1 who to-day must think hard and 
must also be hard--must endure4 ,but the

 cause lies less in the degeneracy of   
the bowler than in the progress of the  
batsman and his chances of scoring1 the 
use of the heavy roller 7to which ,mr4  
,r4 ,h4 ,lyttelton so often calls       
attention71 and last but not least the  
fatal theory that the bowler is born not
 made4  ,of course the bowler is        
born--who isn't8 ,but whether or no he  
may be made if the right means be       
adopted1 remains to be ascertained by   
experiment1 the only teacher4 ,we must  
suspend judgment1 must insist on 1 until
 some sort of method of making a bowler 
has been fairly tried4 ,we freely grant 
a certain 8luck0 in the finding of a    
natural action with free swing and fine 
break4 ,yet we may still believe that   
proper practice1 as distinct from casual
 and persistent plugging1 may work      
wonders4  ,anyhow1 all should learn to  
bowl a bit1 not only for their own      
pleasure and in order to get a place in 
a team1 but also because the future of  
,cricket largely depends on the         

excellence and the variety of the       
bowling4  ,more and superior bowlers are
 urgently wanted1 whether wicket-keeping
 and fielding be improved or not 7of    
course the worse the fielding is1 the   
better the bowling must be72 whether    
batting be cramped or not 7see the      
,chapter on ,reforms72 and whether the  
conditions of bowling be improved or    
not1 as by the smaller bat1 the larger  
wicket1 the shorter innings1 the        
artificial pitch to take the full break1
 and so on4  ,there is a great opening  
for every one who can learn to bowl4 ,is
 there no practical advice to be offered
 besides such hints as3 8,bowl          
naturally10 8,have an easy swing10 8,get
 the length10 8,put on a break10 8,use a
 high action10 8,vary and conceal the   
pace1 etc408 ,at present no writer says1
 8,develop the right muscles rightly    
first40 ,no writer seems to have sought 
what muscles are used by most good      
bowlers1 and how they may best be       
developed4 ,as to the exercisers and    

developers1 they are in my opinion      
excellent for mere increase in the size 
of certain muscles1 for weight-lifting1 
for rowing1 for gymnastics1 for pushing 
in the football scrum1 but infamously   
worse than useless for bowling purposes 
until speed has already been acquired4  
,later on1 we shall expose a few        
fallacies about bowling1 especially the 
fallacy that premature failure means    
perpetual disability1 whereas the real  
fault may lie with the undeveloped      
mechanism of bowling2 thus ,i myself    
after a few weeks of bedroom-practice   
had added an inch to the upward         
extension of my arm1 and can move my    
wrist and fingers freely in more        
directions than before4  ,the first     
thing is to find out what muscles are   
used and how4 ,this we may do by        
watching good bowlers like ,hirst1 and  
by asking them1 at the beginning of the 
season1 where they ache4 ,these muscles 
we may practise by fast full movements  
and fast arrested movements1 not by     

strain-exercises4 ,thus1 when we find   
the first finger of the expert nearly   
worn out1 we may conclude that this     
finger is a potent factor in success4   
,till we can use it1 let us not despair4
 ,this is only one example4 ,personally 
,i do not see how any one could expect  
to bowl decently with trunk1 shoulder1  
wrist1 and fingers as stiff as mine     
were4  ,having found out the mechanisms1
 we must secure them2 we must be content
 with nothing short of mastery1         
especially in these days of             
plumb-wickets4 ,the beginning need not  
be too fast2 medium bowlers have        
succeeded as well as fast1 and have     
lasted longer4  ,and now as to the      
,,order ,,of ,,learning4  ,bowling is in
 ,cricket very much what serving is 7or 
should be7 in ,racquets and ,tennis2    
very much the same order can be observed
 as in these games1 apart from the      
bowling at nets1 at a stump1 and against
 a wall--all of which are useful        
afterwards4  #a4 ,first comes the       

mechanism1 the control of the requisite 
muscles and combinations of muscles4    
,for this control certain exercises may 
be outlined2 they are suggestive rather 
than complete4 ,let each reader and     
teacher add his own4 ,but the mechanism 
must become easy before the would-be    
bowler decides which style he will      
adopt4 ,otherwise  ,illustration3       
,,xx4--,bowling1 third position3 bowling
 arm extended fully forwards and        
downwards1 body facing forwards1 back   
leg fully extended4  ,to face page #fa4 
,illustration3 ,,xxi4--,bowling1 second 
position3 bowling arm extended fully    
upwards1 body coming round with arm4    
,to face page #fa4   what is naturally  
easy may be practically uneconomical or 
risky1 as almost every one of my        
8natural0 movements at any game seems to
 have been4 ,let the beginner begin     
without a ball4  a4 ,notice the         
extension of the back leg in ,hirst's   
photograph 7,,xx472 that is a simple yet
 important item4 ,the hand and shoulder 

are extended fully backwards and        
downwards4  b4 ,the arm reaches upwards 
and1 in some cases1 outwards4 ,try that1
 without straining4 ,having formed the  
full extension 7do not neglect the extra
 inch that the shoulder can give71 then 
point upwards with your first and middle
 fingers1 and1 keeping them as far as   
possible in the same direction1 turn the
 arm round quickly in both ways4 ,it is 
as if you wished to visit a distant     
possession of your kingdom and were not 
content merely to reach it but wished to
 take an excursion when you had reached 
it--to become more familiar with it4    
,the top of the stretch will be seen in 
,ranjitsinhji's book1 in the photographs
 on pp4 #gf1 #gi1 #ij1 #ii1 #aja1 #ajd  
7,first ,edition71 as well as in the one
 of ,hirst in this volume 7,,xxi474     
,abel says3--       8,before you settle 
on any particular style of bowling1 try 
various      plans1 and that which is   
easiest and most effective you should   
practise continually1 but ,i should     

strongly recommend the high             
delivery40  ,an exception is when you   
have some good leg-fielders1 and dare to
 imitate ,w4 ,g4's effective low action 
round the wicket4  c4 ,the sideways     
position of the body during the moment  
of delivery 7see ,hirst7 seems more     
usual than the position facing the      
batsman4 ,this means some of that       
body-swing which the golfer uses1 in    
common with the tennis-player1 the      
mower1 the pitch-forker1 and others4 ,it
 is described in the ,volume on         
,training4  d4 ,after the bowling and   
7see ,hirst71 in the case of some       
experts1 before it also1 the hand comes 
right down in front1 near the left knee4
 ,let the arm come down from the full   
upward extension to this position1      
preserving the outward stretch as long  
as possible4 ,the shoulder comes with   
it4  e4 ,the wrist is important4 ,hold  
your elbow close to your side1 and your 
palm1 fingers upwards1 in front of your 
face1 as if you were going to read your 

own fortune4 ,then twist it round       
smartly as far as it will go1 the thumb 
moving across to your left1 the little  
finger away to your right4 ,recover the 
first position smartly1 and repeat many 
times4 ,another wrist-exercise is the   
one straight up and down4 ,starting from
 the first position1 bend the hand      
briskly towards you1 as if to fan       
yourself2 then briskly back again4  f4  
,the fingers and thumb1 but especially  
the first finger1 must acquire full     
extensions1 full contractions1 and the  
power of rapid yet strong movements in  
various directions4 ,for example1       
imagine yourself to be spinning a       
peg-top with your first finger1 now in  
one direction1 now in the other4 ,a     
second exercise is to move the tips of  
all the fingers1 separately1 sharply    
down towards the palm1 and sharply back 
again4  ,we need a teacher to tell      
beginners and others which part of their
 mechanism is weak or slow1 which part  
is not doing its share of work1 which   

part is working wrongly1 and so on4  ,as
 a change1 the exercises may be applied1
 mutatis mutandis1 to left-hand         
practice4   ,,the ,,action ,,of         
,,bowling  has already been hinted at in
 these exercises4 ,but1 before the      
ordinary action1 may come a few words   
about the lob1 the use of which ,mr4    
,edward ,lyttelton advocates so well4   
,the following ideas are mostly his4    
,we seldom see lob-bowlers to-day4      
,perhaps many promising boys have been  
discouraged by too much hitting of their
 lobs1 or too bad fielding 7or          
badly-placed fielding71 or too little   
practice 7at a stump and onto a small   
piece of paper74 ,yet lobs may be very  
useful when runs are coming fast2 they  
are like slow twist-services at ,tennis 
or ,lawn ,tennis--one is ashamed not to 
kill them4 ,as a change at any time they
 may pay1 since unlike most bowling they
 break either way and hang4  ,they must 
not be long hops2 they must not be too  
slow4 ,the slowest ball should be the   

one outside the off-stump1 and twisting 
away4 ,the spin is like that which one  
gives to a billiard ball with one's     
fingers2 or we might imagine the fingers
 to be doing to the ball what ,pettitt's
 racket sometimes does in one of his    
services at ,tennis1 and ,mr4 ,a4 ,w4   
,gore's in his forehand drive at ,lawn  
,tennis4 ,the high full pitch does not  
need any spin1 except perhaps some drag 
in the air if one can manage that4 ,the 
bowling should generally be round the   
wicket1 and have a long run3 its exact  
length should be measured and a mark    
made where one is to start4 ,a stop must
 not be made at the crease except in    
order to vary the pace4  ,by practising 
lobs1 at games of snob-cricket if not   
elsewhere1 one can learn a great deal   
about the twist1 the pace1 the length1  
the height of the ball for various      
purposes4 ,it forms an easy             
apprenticeship4 ,if the bowling be with 
an indiarubber ball1 and the batting be 
with a stick1 then we have excellent    

practice for batting also1 since the    
indiarubber ball gives confidence to the
 shrinking right foot and yet receives  
all the break that is given to it and so
 encourages the bowler4  ,the next kind 
of bowling to learn is the low-action   
round-arm type1 such as ,w4 ,g4 and many
 of the old cricketers home from ,india 
indulge in4 ,it breaks from the leg to  
the off1 coming with the arm as well as 
with the wrist and perhaps the fingers  
also4 ,it tempts to leg-hits1 and needs 
good on-side fielding of the kind that  
,e4 ,m4 ,grace used to show at leg4     
,then comes orthodox bowling with the   
high action1 when the needed muscles are
 well under control4 ,do not settle on  
your action--unless you are a           
genius-bowler--until you have mastered  
the mechanism4 ,if you do1 you may      
throughout your career fail because some
 one or more of the important elements  
have not been brought into the          
work--perhaps those shoulder-muscles4   
,stretch your arm up and out and see if 

it is limber3 mine used to be shockingly
 rigid and cramped4 ,but having         
exercised the required parts fully and  
briskly1 then find your action after    
experimenting with several4 ,it is not  
likely that you will be able to bowl    
well with several actions1 though in    
,tennis ,i find that at least three     
utterly different types of service 7like
 those of ,saunders or ,fairs1 ,latham  
or ,lambert1 and ,pettitt7 can and      
almost must be used in the same set4    
,and serving at ,tennis is no less      
elaborate than bowling at ,cricket4     
,indeed the two are closely parallel4   
,at ,racquets also ,i distinguish three 
or four different actions without       
appreciable disadvantage4 ,theoretically
 ,i do not see why a moderately good    
bowler 7as distinct from the very best7 
should not vary his action4             
,illustration3 ,,xxii4--,bowling1 first 
position2 bowling arm back and down1    
body facing sideways1 weight on back    
leg4  ,to face page #fg4   ,we may      

consider first the medium-paced bowler  
with a run of let us say five or six    
yards4 ,this should probably be from a  
fixed spot1 and should not be checked at
 the wicket except occasionally for the 
sake of variety of pace4 ,perhaps the   
action should begin as it will end1 for 
example with the hand down near the left
 knee 7see ,hirst73 at ,racquets and    
,tennis ,i find ,i serve better--and    
service here is analogous to bowling at 
,cricket--if ,i begin with the position 
of the racket with which ,i want to     
finish up4 ,the principle is ,respice   
finem4 ,others begin with the hand      
outstretched to the full as it will be  
at the moment of delivery4 ,these are   
two plans that are worth trying4        
,probably the body should be sideways as
 the bowling starts1 not only in order  
to conceal the ball1 but also in order  
to add the extra body-swing from the    
hips4 ,and before the arm is lifted it  
is brought far back and down by many    
bowlers1 as is shown in ,photograph     

,,xxii41 of ,hirst4 ,this may be        
compared with the backward swing of the 
driver at ,golf4 ,perhaps here1 as in   
,golf1 there should be no interval or   
stop between the swinging back of the   
hand and the swinging of it forward     
again for the delivery4  ,it is         
generally agreed that the action itself 
shall be high1 somewhat as a server at  
,lawn ,tennis has more chance of serving
 into the court and well if he takes the
 ball high in the air3 the ball from    
above--and1 as we have said1 a man can  
by daily stretching of shoulder and of  
arm1 of leg and foot1 add an inch or two
 to his bowling stature--comes with more
 bump1 more devilry1 more break2 is     
harder to smother1 often harder to      
drive2 whereas the low delivery can     
usually be played forward with safety   
and confidence 7except the ,w4 ,g4      
round-arm round the wicket71 and is     
easier to see4  ,with the delivery let  
the right hand and shoulder and the head
 come well forward and downward1 the    

head having previously been back and up1
 to give full sight of the pitch and    
batsman4  ,the back leg1 from the hip to
 the ball of the foot1 is stretched at  
full tension without loss of balance4   
,for there must be immediate recovery in
 case of a sharp return or a quick run1 
in which latter case one moves behind   
the wicket and away from the direction  
of the stroke4 ,we shall come back to   
this directly4  ,we have already        
suggested how much can be learnt about  
length and break1 etc41 from lobs1 and  
about break and drag1 etc41 from the ,w4
 ,g4 action round the wicket4 ,here we  
may add that every bowler should be able
 to bowl round the wicket as well as    
over it4 ,at first the action is likely 
to be uncomfortable1 and the arrangement
 of fielders on the leg-side needs care4
 ,but bowling round the wicket is almost
 as good as a complete change2 it nearly
 turns one bowler into two4 ,the batsman
 has to face differently1 and probably  
he tends to send out his left leg in the

 wrong direction4 ,i have noticed that1 
against left-hand round-the-wicket      
bowlers like ,hirst1 the batsman        
generally sends out his left leg far too
 much towards the left and 8away from   
the batting business0 7as ,abel calls   
this fault74 ,moral3 learn to bowl      
left-hand round the wicket4  ,as to the 
ways of holding the ball1 these actions 
may at first be tried without a ball at 
all2 to grip a ball would probably cramp
 the free swing4 ,let the free swing    
first be formed4 ,in the same way ,i    
found that in ,tennis services ,i got   
the best training without a racket at   
all2 the actions then went with a       
pleasant and easy rapidity1 until they  
became habitual at that pace4 ,then ,i  
added the cramping racket-handle1 having
 already acquired freedom as my own4    
,get correctness and pace and ease      
before adding anything that might cramp 
and fetter not only the small extremity1
 the hand1 but also the large basic and 
motor muscles4  ,certainly do not grip  

the ball before the action2 that would  
tire you and might stiffen your whole   
apparatus4 ,as a rule1 let the tightest 
grip come just before the very moment of
 delivery4  ,there are various grips1 of
 which ,photographs ,,xxiii4-,,xxvi41 of
 ,hirst's hand1 will show two4 ,a study 
of these will be more useful than any   
verbal description4 ,notice1 however1   
that 7#a7 the little finger is scarcely 
used at all2 7#b7 the third finger is   
not always used2 7#c7 the first finger  
and the thumb do most of the holding and
 moving2 7#d7 the ball is not held in   
the palm 7except for the sake of a      
change7#e2 7#e7 the seam is the part by 
which the fingers secure their grip and 
movement 7again except for the sake of a
 change74  ,the grips can easily become 
familiar  ,illustration3 ,,xxiii4--,one 
of ,hirst's grips when he bowls3 the    
little finger does not touch the ball1  
and only the knuckle of the third finger
 does4  ,between pages #gj and #ga4     
,illustration3 ,,xxiv4--,same grip for  

right hand bowler4  ,between pages #gj  
and #ga4   ,illustration3               
,,xxv4--,another of ,hirst's grips3 all 
the fingers touch the ball1 the little  
one only just with its side4  ,between  
pages #gj and #ga4   ,illustration3     
,,xxvi4--,same grip for right hand      
bowler4  ,between pages #gj and #ga4    
friends if a ball be held in the hand at
 odd moments4 ,i recommend a ,lawn      
,tennis ball to begin with1 until the   
fingers become accustomed to the        
stretching4  ,both hands should be      
trained1 just as both right-hand and    
left-hand actions should be assimilated4
 ,the chance of becoming a left-hand    
bowler 7for occasional variety if not   
regularly7 is not one to be missed1     
especially in these days of             
billiard-table wickets4   ,,direction4  
,the direction should at first be       
regulated chiefly by the position of the
 body1 especially the feet1 and by the  
larger muscles2 without loss of the free
 swing1 however4 ,aim at a chalk wicket 

on a wall--an old ,lawn ,tennis or      
,squash ball will do to begin with--or  
try to get someone to stand at the      
further side of a wicket on a level bit 
of ground3 then you two bowl at that    
wicket alternately4 ,correct your       
mistakes by exaggerating in the opposite
 direction 7a principle invaluable for  
self-correction throughout games and    
athletics and life74 ,if you are bowling
 too much to the off-side1 then either  
keep your body turned further to the    
7batsman's7 on-side1 or else make your  
shoulder and arm and hand swing less    
freely and extendedly and fully to the  
off1 and more fully out to the on4      
,stretch out and away at the end of the 
swing1 and 8follow through40 ,but       
probably you will be bowling too much to
 the on2 in that case either alter your 
feet or else make your shoulder and arm 
and hand swing more fully over and      
across to the off4 ,for practice1 keep  
it extended out there4 ,hold it at its  
extreme limit1 and then add another inch

 to the reach4 ,exaggerate1 but always  
follow well through4 ,i have never seen 
this last and most important point      
mentioned in any book or writing4  ,of  
course in actual practice and play one  
must be able to bowl persistently to the
 off4 ,to keep the ball to the off1 one 
must bowl at an imaginary wicket there4 
,one needs the power of forming a       
picture in the mind's eye4 7,in ,tennis 
,i picture an imaginary net two inches  
above the real one2 that is my net1 and 
,i ignore the real one47 ,the reasons   
why orthodox bowlers bowl to the off are
 that balls off the wicket are harder to
 meet in their own line with a straight 
bat1 so long as the right foot is kept  
rigid4 ,the orthodox bowler has most of 
his fielders to the off1 for catches    
owing to the crooked bat4 ,if the       
batsman tries to pull into the desert on
 the on-side1 so as to escape the forest
 of fielders on the off-side1 he        
generally runs a risk4 ,that is what the
 bowler wants4  ,besides1 8it is worth  

remembering1 when bowling to a          
quick-footed player1 that he can run out
 with more safety to a dead straight    
ball than to one upon the off4 ,it is   
very difficult to keep a ball down when 
it pitches some distance to the side of 
you40 7,the writer adds 8after a big    
drive1 or after a couple of big drives1 
it is bad tactics to drop the next ball 
very short407  ,having acquired a free  
bowling swing with full extension of    
hand and arm and shoulder and back      
muscles and left leg1 and in an accurate
 line towards the imaginary stump on the
 off-side1 one can then learn to vary   
the line slightly1 using for this       
purpose not only the general direction  
of the feet and body and arms1 but also 
the smaller movements of the wrist and  
even of the fingers4  ,but first get the
 line safe and sure4 ,don't yet bother  
about length or pace or break4 ,get     
direction4 ,concentrate on that4        
,,length ,,and ,,height4  ,though there 
is no absolutely good length in bowling1

 yet the following is useful as a       
general rule3--8,for a fast bowler a    
ball that pitches on a spot within from 
five to seven yards from the batsman's  
wicket is #8good-length'2 for medium    
pace1 the spot lies between four and    
five yards2 for slow1 between three and 
four yards4 ,notice that the faster the 
bowling the wider is the margin of      
#8good-length4'0  ,this general rule    
must be altered according to the state  
of the ground 7wet1 dry1 etc471 the     
reach of the batsman1 which depends not 
only on his size but also on his use or 
non-use of his feet1 his 8class0        
7witness the rule1 keep a good player   
playing forward1 a bad player playing   
back71 the previous balls which have led
 up to a certain ball1 and so on4  ,a   
more comprehensive definition of a      
good-length ball is that it is just     
beyond the spot at which a player can   
play forward with safety1 and yet is not
 a long hop4 ,it is the ball which puts 
the player in two minds2 the ball of    

which he loses sight2 the ball to which 
he may pay the high compliment of the   
8half-cock0 stroke4  ,the obvious       
exceptions are yorkers and full-pitches1
 which may be excellent balls in due    
season1 and balls to elicit catches4    
,the yorker is admitted by most         
authorities to be a useful length to    
begin with--except with a few batsmen   
like ,w4 ,g4 ,it 8masquerades0 as a     
full-pitch or half-volley1 and succeeds 
because it is despised as such4  ,as to 
the full-pitch1 it has several useful   
varieties4 ,there is the ball which will
 fall on the top of the wicket--few     
batsmen like that4 ,such a ball need not
 be led up to4 ,let it be fast1 and it  
is an important unit4 ,it should be     
frequently practised1 after the         
direction has been mastered4 ,for it is 
hateful alike to most sloggers1 pokers1 
and well-set batsmen4 ,then there is the
 slower full-pitch about the height of  
the knees4 ,but the fielders must have  
been carefully placed4  ,how can one    

learn to get good lengths--for there are
 many8 ,how can one learn to use any    
length at will8 ,for1 obviously if the  
wicket be 8plumb10 then it may be the   
bowler's only hope either to keep a fair
 length and trust in the impatience of  
human nature1 or else to try different  
lengths4  ,illustration  ,bowl a ball   
lazily1 not too high2 it will fall      
short4 ,bowl another with a full upward 
stretch of arm and shoulder2 you then   
have a larger circle4 ,if you let the   
ball go at the right moment1 it will not
 fall short4 ,you can regulate the      
length1 then1 by the amount of extension
 that you employ to give a greater or   
smaller curve to your hand and the ball1
 and by the place 7within the curve7 at 
which you let the ball go from your     
hand4 ,while the hand is rising1 the    
sooner you let the ball go the higher   
that ball will fly2 during the downward 
curve1 while the hand is falling1 the   
same is true4 ,grip the ball till the   
end of a falling swing1 and it may drop 

quite near to your feet 7though there is
 a swing which scarcely falls at all74  
,the ball which is shorter should       
generally be bowled a little higher3 it 
was thus that ,shaw used often to vary  
his length and height4 ,he was able to  
hit any spot on the ground4 ,it is good 
practice for length and height to put a 
handkerchief or 7later7 a small piece of
 paper or a silver coin now on this spot
 and now on that1 and to make sure of   
pitching the ball on it with reasonable 
frequency4 ,the length may be regulated 
not only by the extension of the arm and
 hand1 and the moment at which one      
releases the ball1 but also by the rest 
or action of the fingers at this last   
moment4 ,after one is able to hit a     
small spot at will1 one can bowl for an 
imaginary spot1 just as one can bowl for
 an imaginary off-wicket4   ,,pace4     
,with regard to regulating the pace of  
the ball1 perhaps the medium pace is the
 best to acquire first4 ,anyhow1 the    
increase in speed should be gradual4    

,control of direction and of length     
should precede control of pace1 though  
it would be impossible to separate the  
three arts altogether4  ,in answer to   
the question of how the pace can be     
regulated1 ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton      
writes as follows1 with special         
reference to lobs3--       8,there are  
various ways of doing this4 ,one is to  
increase the      length or speed of    
your run4 ,it is a plain truth that the 
pace of      the ball depends on the    
run1 as well as on the swing of the arm2
 as      can be verified by observing   
the impetus given to projectiles        
thrown from a railway-carriage window4  
,now the pace of the run up      to the 
crease before the ball leaves the hand  
is of small      importance2 the        
difference depends on the ball being    
propelled by a      body in fast motion 
or by one hardly moving at all4 ,so you 
can run      fast up to the crease1 and1
 just at the moment of bowling1 stop    
dead4 ,this will give the ball a slow   

flight1 even though your arm      moves 
through the air at its ordinary rate4   
,or you may take your      usual number 
of strides1 but each a little longer    
than usual4 ,this      gives extra speed
 to the run1 and consequently to the    
ball1 but the      batsman can hardly   
perceive the reason why4 ,his eyes are  
fixed on      the bowler's arm4 ,lastly1
 there is the trick of giving the ball a
      forward spin with the tips of the 
fingers as it leaves the hand1          
which causes a fast bound from the      
pitch4 ,combined with a fast run1       
this spin makes a ball come along at a  
surprising pace1 without the      arm   
doing anything out of the common4       
,certain it is that very few            
lob-bowlers study the run up to the     
wicket sufficiently4 ,it ought      not 
to be mechanically uniform40  ,slow     
bowling1 as ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel points  
out1 may have numerous advantages4 ,it  
may curve in the air4 ,the batsman has  
to hit with more force1 with more risk  

of hitting up1 more chance of being     
stumped if he runs out1 more chance of  
being caught at the wicket2 the slow    
bowler has greater control over the     
pitch of the ball and its spin2 he can  
recover his balance so quickly and so   
thoroughly that himself he becomes an   
extra man in the field1 having plenty of
 time to stop a drive and to get behind 
and put down the wicket when the ball is
 thrown on2 he can last longer4  ,but he
 must pitch the ball further up1 nearer 
to the batsman's reach2 he may be hit   
hard and placed anywhere unless he can  
make his ball hang in the air or        
otherwise deceive the batsman1 as when  
the bowler sends it from the palm of the
 hand1 not from the fingers4  ,slow     
medium bowling is safer2 and as a       
general rule medium bowling should be   
practised before very slow or very fast 
be attempted4 ,perhaps for most ordinary
 bowlers it should form the staple pace1
 so easily can it be made a little      
faster or a little slower4 ,it has this 

advantage over very slow bowling3 that  
it need not be pitched so far up4 ,it   
has this advantage over very fast       
bowling1 that it can use the break both 
ways1 and can be kept up without much   
fatigue4 ,he who bowls well within his  
pace runs little risk of straining      
himself1 although every now and then    
7like the slow bowler7 he can put in an 
occasional fast ball for a change4 ,no  
one should ever bowl so fast as to      
endanger the swing and the knack1 as so 
many boys do2 or so fast that he dare   
not return to the slower for the silly  
fear of being hit4  ,nevertheless--as ,i
 once heard a coach remark--if you're a 
fool perhaps you'd better bowl fast4    
,pace may be varied1 somewhat as length 
may be varied 7see above72 for example1 
by a longer or shorter1 quicker or      
slower run2 by a run arrested2 by a     
quicker or slower or arrested movement  
of some part of the mechanism--shoulder1
 wrist1 etc4 ,spofforth used to hold the
 ball loosely for slow bowling1 tightly 

for fast1 as if he were a train which   
gives an impetus to the jumping-off     
passenger by holding on to him till the 
last moment4 ,spofforth's pace as a rule
 was medium rather than very fast4      
,,break1 ,,spin1 ,,curl1 ,,etc4  ,anyone
 who has practised bowling in this      
order--mastering direction1 then length1
 then pace1 will now wish to add some   
sort of break1 as the baseball pitcher  
wishes to add some sort of curl4 ,but   
here again1 as with pace1 it is a great 
error to acquire in excess1 so as to    
8endanger the knack40 ,i remember a boy 
who got into his school ,,xi4 at the end
 of the term simply because he could put
 on a huge break4 ,he had no other      
merits2 in his only match he failed     
miserably4 ,as a high authority says3-- 
8,the best ball is not the one that     
breaks most but the one that      just  
breaks enough--enough to beat the bat   
but not the wicket1 or      else enough 
to beat the centre of the bat and just  
touch its edge40  ,the general mechanism

 of the break has been best described by
 ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel in his now         
classical chapter of the 8,badminton    
,volume03--       8,the spin or rotary  
motion from right to left is gained by  
grasping      the ball chiefly with the 
thumb and the first and second fingers1 
the third and fourth fingers being      
placed altogether round the      other  
side of the ball4 ,the moment the ball  
leaves the hand1 the      latter is     
turned quickly over from right to left1 
and at the same      time the first and 
second fingers and the thumb1 coming    
over with      the hand1 impart a       
powerful twist to the ball1 which leaves
 the      hand when the latter is turned
 palm downwards4 ,there is also1 at     
the time of delivery1 an outward and    
upward movement of the elbow1      which
 gives the arm the shape of a curve1 or 
almost a semicircle4      ,the ball goes
 on its way spinning rapidly from right 
to left1 and      the moment it touches 
the ground twists very sharply toward   

the off      side of the batsman4 ,this 
ball 7termed in cricket parlance the    
#8leg      break'71 when well bowled1 is
 perhaps one of the most deadly of all  
balls1 but it is also the most difficult
 for a bowler to master4 ,it      is    
always a slow ball1 as to bowl it fast  
with any accuracy of      pitch is an   
impossibility2 at any rate1 it may be   
assumed to be so1      as no bowler has 
ever yet appeared who could bowl it     
otherwise than      slow4444 ,there are 
some slow bowlers who have become fairly
      proficient at it1 and who have    
enjoyed at various times--especially    
against batsmen they had never met      
before--a certain amount of             
success2 but it is a style of bowling   
which should be encouraged      only to 
the extent of enabling every bowler to  
use it      occasionally40  ,there are  
at least three different kinds of break2
 they may be combined in various ways4  
,the ,american baseball pitching is     
developed to a higher point of skill    

than our bowling1 and can probably teach
 us not a few lessons4  7#a47 ,the first
 break is called the natural break2 it  
is usually from the off to the leg 7from
 the leg to the off in the case of the  
left-hand bowler74 ,it comes almost or  
quite of its own accord with the action 
itself2 indeed one can scarcely ever    
bowl a ball without some action-break1  
any more than one can easily hit a      
billiard ball without any break4 ,this  
kind is often called the break 8with the
 arm40  7#b47 ,the wrist-break cannot be
 altogether separated from this2 some   
such break also is almost natural if not
 inevitable4  7#c47 ,the third kind is  
the finger-break 7including the         
thumb-break74 ,it is a spin given at the
 last moment4 ,the fingers move round in
 one direction or in the other1 the     
first finger being as a rule the most   
important factor4 ,this finger needs to 
be exercised by itself4 ,when one looks 
at a professional bowler's hands one    
finds this finger especially hardened or

 worn or blistered4  ,the finger-break  
7with some wrist-break7 can be partly   
given by the grip itself4 ,hirst's two  
grips in the photographs should be      
carefully studied and imitated4 ,c4 ,t4 
,b4 ,turner1 the great ,australian1 used
 to bowl quite a different ball         
according to the special grip4          
,shrewsbury tells of a match in which   
the ,notts wickets fell before ,turner1 
because the men did not notice the      
change of grip4 ,shrewsbury noticed it1 
and did not fall a victim4 ,the middle  
and third fingers were sometimes bent   
not round the ball1 but in upon the palm
 of the hand4 ,again1 the spin will be  
absent or lessened if the ball be held1 
not by the seam1 as it usually is1 but  
by its ordinary skin4 ,for the ,american
 baseball grip with a view to curl in   
the air 7and also affecting twist off   
the ground7 see below4  ,the least      
important finger is the little finger2  
then comes the third finger4  ,the break
 can be partly given by this or that    

special movement of fingers and thumb1  
or chiefly fingers1 during the moment   
when the ball leaves the hand4 ,the     
effect of the varied grip1 upon pace1   
has already been described4 ,there are  
the over-spins for extra pace2 the      
drag-spins2 and the side-spins4 ,every  
billiard player will realise what these 
terms mean4  ,the balls with arm-and    
wrist-and finger-breaks do not come off 
the ground in the same way2 the         
right-hand bowler's artificial 7wrist   
and finger7 break from the leg to the   
off will have a different effect from   
the left-hand bowler's 8natural0 break  
from the leg to the off4 ,and results   
vary also according to the wicket1 the  
wet and slippery 7as distinct from the  
drying and caking wicket7 scarcely      
imparting any break at all2 there is no 
8bite40  ,the commonest break 7of the   
right-hand bowler7 is from the off to   
the leg4 ,most bowlers and throwers have
 it4 ,it is often said that the         
reverse-break1 from the leg to the off1 

is impossible as a safe and reliable    
ball for a fast bowler1 except in so far
 as it comes with the action of bowling4
 ,be this as it may--and ,i see no      
anatomical reason for the               
impossibility--the leg-break is easy for
 a medium or slow bowler1 and is        
especially effective round the wicket1  
as many old bowlers have frequently     
proved4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel's excellent 
description of the action must be quoted
 from the 8,badminton ,volume03         
8,the ball was delivered round the      
wicket1 at the very extent of the       
crease1 in order to make the angle from 
the hand to an imaginary      straight  
line between the two middle stumps as   
great as possible4      ,the hand was   
very little higher than the hip when the
 ball was      delivered1 and instead of
 the hand and wrist being completely    
turned over at the moment of delivery1  
as in the slow leg-break1      the      
fingers imparted a right to left spin to
 the ball4 ,the ball1      coming from a

 great distance round the wicket and    
with a      considerable amount of      
leg-spin1 would be gradually working    
away to      the batsman's off-side     
every inch of its journey1 both before  
and      after pitching40  ,such a break
 would be liable to lead to a catch at  
the wicket or in the slips4 ,it is      
especially useful in school cricket4    
,school bowlers--and others--should     
acquire this action4 ,it is not         
difficult or exhausting1 but it needs a 
careful study of field-placing on the   
on-side4  7#d47 ,to the break given by  
arm1 wrist1 and fingers1 we may now add 
the curl1 which some bowlers have or    
occasionally have1 but which few if any 
bowlers know how to teach4 ,the         
following remarks about the ,american   
baseball-pitcher's curl in the air1     
produced by a throw1 are worth studying4
 ,they are from ,mr4 ,walter ,camp's    
8,book of ,college ,sports40 ,i think ,i
 am right in saying that the ,american  
curve usually does not come till towards

 the end of the ball's flight4  8,the   
easiest curve1 and the one to be        
acquired first1 is the out-curve4 ,the  
simplest method is to take the ball in  
the hand between the extended thumb and 
the first and second fingers1 the third 
and little fingers being closed4 ,the   
ball rests against the 7side of the7    
middle part of the third finger1 but is 
firmly clasped by the first two and the 
thumb4 ,if the arm be then extended     
horizontally from the shoulder1 with the
 palm of the hand up1 it will be seen   
that if the ball were spun like a top by
 the two fingers and thumb it would turn
 in the way indicated by the arrow in   
the diagram4 ,this is the way it must   
twist to accomplish the out-curve4 ,the 
simpler way to impart this twist is not 
the spinning motion1 but rather a snap  
as the ball is leaving the fingers1     
performed almost entirely without the   
aid of the thumb4 ,the sensation is that
 of throwing the ball hard1 but dragging
 it back with the ends and sides of the 

fingers just as it leaves the hand40    
,for further instructions the reader    
should consult this excellent work1     
published by the ,century ,company of   
,new ,york4  ,the writer goes on to     
remark3--       8,the most logical      
explanation of the curvature of a ball  
depends      upon the supposition of the
 compression of the air just in front of
      the ball and a corresponding      
rarefaction immediately behind it1 so   
that the ball by its friction is        
deflected from its true course40  ,it is
 interesting to notice that1 in contrast
 with our 8batting versus bowling0      
problem1 8in spite of all restrictions1 
such is the growing skill of pitchers   
that the problem is constantly under    
discussion how to legislate in favour of
 the batsmen40  7#e47 ,additional curl  
or break may be added by the wind1 slope
 of the ground1 and so on4  ,in all     
cases1 the break must be given          
especially at the last moment1 and must 
not be expended in the previous action1 

unless the object be to deceive the     
batsman4 ,obviously one should not      
always put on the same amount of break2 
one should appear to do so4 ,a straight 
ball following many breaks from the off 
is apt to be very effective4  ,now as to
 the learning of the break1 two or three
 notions seem to me sheer common sense4 
7#a47 ,the muscles of the various       
mechanisms1 and especially of the wrist 
and fingers1 must be exercised in       
various ways3 by full extensions in     
different directions1 by full           
contractions1 by partial movements in   
different directions1 and so on4 ,a     
certain amount of strength is needed1   
but let litheness not be sacrificed4    
7#b47 ,underhand bowling of breaks in   
either direction not only exercises     
these mechanisms1 and makes them        
habitual and easy1 but it also shows    
effects very clearly4 ,stump-cricket    
with an indiarubber ball and underhand  
bowling is good training for the        
bowler's break as well as for the       

batsman's straight bat4  7#c47 ,slow    
bowling is fine for the same reasons4   
,during it the ball is held longer in   
the fingers2 after it the ball is 8held0
 longer by the ground4 ,hence it also   
shows its effects clearly and encourages
 the beginner4 ,moreover1 the slow      
breaking ball is useful as a change for 
the medium-paced bowler4 ,some of the   
break thus acquired as an easy habit may
 be transferred to medium or fast       
bowling4  ,concealment is of the utmost 
importance4 ,the extra ,commandment1    
8,thou shalt not be found out10 is of   
great moment when once the bowler has   
control of the ball's flight and spin4  
,to hide direction is hard1 unless the  
curl be used4 ,to hide length and pace1 
as ,shaw1 ,spofforth1 ,lohmann and      
others used to1 is easier3 one or two   
helps have been offered above4 ,we may  
notice that ,shaw used to alter the     
height of his hand3 this had several    
important results2 for example1 the low 
delivery made the ball bump less and    

8skim0 more4 ,shaw again would bowl a   
very effectively concealed variety1 a   
ball rather shorter1 rather slower1     
rather higher4 ,a great change is not   
usually so effective as a small one1    
except when a very slow or medium bowler
 occasionally bowls a very fast ball4   
,in masking these changes1 as well as   
the break1 the bowler needs what        
,illustration3 ,,xxvii4--,bowler waiting
 for ball to be thrown in3 he is        
standing well back from the wicket4  ,to
 face page #ia4   ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel   
alludes to as the wiliness of the       
serpent with the apparent harmlessness  
of the dove4 ,he needs complete mastery 
of this or that part of the mechanism by
 itself1 so that he may or may not turn 
his wrist or fingers at the last moment 
either completely or partially1 but     
anyhow 8with intent to deceive40 ,need a
 skilful bowler be a skilful liar8  ,the
 art of taking balls at the wicket1 like
 the art of fielding balls1 demands a   
rapid recovery of balance4 ,after his   

effort the bowler must either field the 
ball or else get ready with his wicket  
between himself and the fielder4 ,as the
 photograph 7,,xxvii47 of ,hirst shows1 
he should not stand too near the wicket1
 for it is easier to move forward than  
to move back4 ,he must also be prepared 
for a bad throw1 either too high or else
 too low--perhaps a half-volley or what 
would be to a batsman a 8good length0   
ball4  ,the 8,badminton ,volume0 gives  
this useful advice3--8,a golden rule for
 every bowler to observe is--after the  
batsman has played the ball1 get back to
 the wicket as quickly as possible4     
,neglect of this rule loses many a      
#8run-out4' ,if a bowler does not get   
back to his wicket1 there is no one to  
take the ball and knock the bails off   
should the batsman run and the ball be  
returned to the bowler's end4 ,when the 
ball is thrown up1 the bowler should not
 take it till it has just passed the    
wicket2 he should then seize and sweep  
the ball into the stumps in one and the 

same action40  ,for the purpose of      
taking the ball and putting down the    
wicket rapidly--in fact almost by a     
single movement--he cannot do better    
than practise wicket-keeping now and    
then4 ,this should give him hints for   
bowling also4 ,it should help him to    
keep his real eye on the ball and his   
imaginary eye1 his mind's eye1 on       
imaginary wickets4 ,he must sense by    
imagination1 and by 8feel10 precisely   
where the wickets are1 just as at       
,tennis4 ,i have to sense where the     
8,grille0 or 8,dedans0 is1 even while my
 real outward eye is on the ball4  ,the 
bowler1 like the wicket-keeper1 should  
be an adviser 7but with judgment and    
tact7 to the captain1 especially with   
regard to the throwing in and backing up
 by this or that fielder1 and the       
correct placing of all the fielders1    
which must depend on circumstances and  
individual batsmen4 ,this has brought us
 to more general remarks on bowling4    
,,general ,,hints4  ,the first and      

foremost piece of advice to the would-be
 bowler1 that is to say to every        
cricketer1 is to read what the great    
authorities1 ,messrs4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel1   
,ranjitsinhji1 ,grace1 the ,lytteltons1 
and others say about the importance of  
bowling1 and of learning to bowl well or
 better1 not only for the sake of the   
game's future and of the team's success1
 but also for the sake of personal      
enjoyment4 ,let the reader digest what  
,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton says about      
practice in the bedroom1 and what ,mr4  
,c4 ,b4 ,fry 7in the 8,strand0 for      
,july1 #aijb7 says about the helps which
 he used to his grand athletic          
success--for instance1 kicking a small  
ball in a courtyard1 and jumping over an
 arm-chair4 ,let every cricketer read   
how the ,americans train for baseball4  
,then let him not despise the mastering 
of the mechanism in his bedroom or      
elsewhere1 if possible before a large   
looking-glass4 ,there should be one or  
two in every pavilion4  ,the following  

advice is not new1 but it will all bear 
repetition4 ,no amount of honest care   
spent in suggestions about bowling can  
be considered as wasted4 ,the future of 
enjoyable cricket lies largely with     
improvement in bowling4  ,be able to    
bowl round as well as over the wicket1  
for such a change of starting-point is  
almost as good as a change of action4   
,in view of what certain ,americans have
 achieved in ,philadelphia and elsewhere
 by being taught the use of the left    
side 7for drawing1 modelling1 etc47 in  
early childhood1 ,i do not hesitate to  
say1 learn to bowl fairly well with the 
left hand as well as with the right4    
,the control of the left side would add 
power to batting and fielding even if it
 led to little success in actual        
bowling4  ,when you have got the        
direction and can bowl persistently to  
the off1 practise the straight and fast 
yorker as well as the good length ball  
to the off4 ,in fact1 practise          
intentional variety2 do not rely on the 

variety which is incidental to careless 
and 8undisciplined0 bowling4  ,you must 
have firm feet--the left foot must have 
nails that bite the ground well1        
especially near the boot's toe2 you must
 have strong hands--they may be hardened
 by salt1 etc41 or1 in case of sore     
places1 may be protected by adhesive    
plaister round the finger or hand 7this 
prevents painful friction74 ,sprains may
 be treated by water or massage or      
radiant light and heat4  ,having        
attended to such things1 study          
pitches--their soft or hard spots1 the  
trees1 etc41 behind the bowler's arm1   
the direction of the sun1 of the        
wind--in fact1 all details that a       
careful general must notice4 ,spofforth 
used to make a point of finding out 8the
 pace of the wicket1 even if his first  
effort cost him dear40 ,one or two balls
 just off the pitch1 before play begins1
 may save such runs4 ,don't bowl these  
or the early ones too fast2 the ,public 
,school ,racquet representatives at     

,queen's slash about from the very      
moment that they enter the court4 ,this 
is silly4 ,start gently2 increase the   
severity by degrees4  ,at the beginning 
of an innings or of a new batsman's     
innings pitch the ball well up4 ,a      
yorker is among the most effective      
attacks 7except to ,w4 ,g4 and a few    
others72 even a half-volley is often    
useful1 or a full-pitch on the body1 but
 not a long hop4  ,correct your mistakes
 of direction1 length1 and so on1 by    
exaggerating a little in the opposite   
direction4  ,to a slogger a straight    
ball--unless it be a yorker--is not the 
best1 as a rule1 especially if he runs  
out2 a ball to the off may be most      
useful1 for a slogger generally runs out
 straight down the pitch rather than    
towards the side 7in which case he would
 turn an off-ball into a straight ball74
 ,with ,w4 ,g4's action round the       
wicket1 a ball on the leg-side may be   
just the thing4 ,a break to the off is  
generally needed1 so as to tempt a catch

 to cover or third man4  ,do not mind   
having your 8head-balls0 hit4 ,mr4 ,a4  
,g4 ,steel's words must be borne in mind
 constantly1 at least for ordinary      
occasions when the main object is not to
 keep the runs down4 ,he says3--8,when a
 bowler is put on to bowl by his        
captain1 it is his duty to do everything
 in his power to dislodge the batsman4  
,it is really quite a secondary         
consideration for him whether many or   
few runs are being made off his         
bowling40 ,as a sequel to this1 he urges
 that 8a slow bowler should try every   
wile that can possibly be attempted4 ,by
 adopting slow bowling he has undertaken
 to use #8the wisdom of the serpent' in 
the guise of the #8harmlessness of the  
dove1' and has sacrificed pace to       
cunning and thought40  ,if the bowler be
 very brave1 he will feed the strong    
stroke of the batsman4 ,i often find    
this plan effective in ,racquets and    
,tennis4 ,the opponent tries 8just one  
too many10 or tries to excel beyond his 

ability4 ,but of course it would be a   
greater error to forget the fieldmen's  
poor hands and to bowl the batsman into 
practice and sure sight1 than it would  
be to bowl merely for maidens1 unless   
the other bowler is playing ninepins    
with the stumps1 or unless defensive    
bowling is required at the close finish 
to a match1 or in order to excite a     
batsman to impatience4  ,most           
experiments should have been already    
made at the nets or in practice-games4  
,it is there that you should learn how  
to lead up to a killing ball1 as the    
,lawn ,tennis or ,chess player does1    
rather than always to spring the very   
best on the batsman at once4 ,to plan   
each ball deliberately beforehand1 to   
let each have a definite purpose1       
involves not only these previous trials1
 but also a good memory1 an absence of  
hurry1 a refusal to despair4  ,despair  
is almost natural when chances have been
 missed4 ,i remember a season of        
,college ,cricket during which ,i got   

about #acj wickets1 and had over #fj    
chances missed4 ,i had to console myself
 by imagining each chance--mostly to the
 sleepy slips--to be a wicket4 ,that may
 console one slightly4  ,another        
consolation is to remember that each    
fresh batsman is a fresh beginning to   
the game4 ,he comes in unready1 a hope  
to the bowler4  ,observation and memory 
have been invaluable helps to me at my  
own games4 ,i translate my experiences  
into ,cricket language4 ,from behind the
 wicket and elsewhere1 observe the      
commonest hits off the commonest balls  
with this or that break1 especially when
 the batsman shapes thus or thus4       
,observe how the poking potterer is     
dismissed by the high full-pitch or by  
the ball to entice a catch in the       
slips--for him you will note in your    
mind1 8,two short slips and perhaps two 
square legs40 ,watch the fingers of the 
nervous batsman grip the bat tight2     
watch the feet and body shuffle in      
anxiety2 watch the feeble strokes that  

result2 watch the balls that worry him  
most before he gets confidence4  ,the   
weak point of a batsman should be the   
point of most frequent attack1 and that 
weak point may differ on different days1
 and according to the individual        
batsman's special frame of mind4 8,ah10 
,i have often thought when ,i faced an  
old opponent1 8if only ,i could tell    
your strongest and weakest strokes      
to-day and now6 ,will you be slow on    
your legs now8 ,will you neglect that   
right foot1 oh1 mine enemy80  ,observe  
whether the batsman himself is          
intelligent and observant1 or--what     
generally amounts to the same           
thing--practised to the verge of        
automatism4 ,do not assume that every   
batsman will notice everything that you 
are doing4 ,excessive wiliness is often 
wasted4  ,observe how a player with a   
certain 8stance0 will tend to show a    
certain fault--as to draw away his right
 foot4 ,classify players in groups4     
,then when the hitherto new and 8unseen0

 batsman arrives1 you may start at an   
advantage2 you may save yourself        
unnecessary experimentation4  ,make     
notes of these and other 8tips40        
,cricket is as well worth notes as      
,tennis and ,racquets1 and my notes for 
these games have proved of yeoman       
service in matches4 8,how they would    
give my whole show away60 was the remark
 of an ,american player4 8,yes10 ,i     
replied1 8if anyone had the patience to 
use them1 he might very soon beat me40  
,work out theories2 remember the        
keenness of ,spofforth1 who lay awake at
 nights plotting and planning4 ,such    
imaginations are good for the intellect 
and 7in an obvious way7 8a very present 
help in time of trouble40 ,read1        
observe1 ask pros41 veterans1           
wicket-keepers4 ,make notes1 recollect1 
use4 ,judge by results4  ,for instance1 
work out where you will want this and   
that fielder placed4 ,most books give   
excellent diagrams3 ,ranjitsinhji's are 
the fullest4 ,but do not be tied down by

 any such diagram4 ,be ready to change  
the positions--by a word or a movement  
of the hand--according to individual    
grounds1 days1 batsmen1 and so on4  ,one
 need not confine one's practice to the 
nets and games4 ,these are indispensable
 in their place1 but not                
self-sufficient4 ,practice with a       
smaller and softer ball is not to be    
despised2 it will give one freer        
movements1 more obvious effects in      
break1 and thus more knowledge and      
confidence4 ,and one should do the      
special exercises--and others devised by
 wiser heads than mine--before one dares
 to despair4 ,one must first master the 
mechanisms1 try several actions1        
practise with a friend 7putting a stump 
between oneself and him1 and bowling at 
it alternately with him1 a third        
enthusiast acting as wicket-keeper71    
practise needless variety 7with wrist or
 fingers stiff or loose1 and so on74    
,one can give oneself every chance1     
every benefit of the doubt4 ,it was     

years before ,i learnt to serve at      
,racquets or ,tennis4 ,i am not nearly  
at my best yet4  ,when one is at the    
nets1 one must be independent4 ,one must
 imagine oneself bowling in actual      
overs4 ,one must notice where each ball1
 sent with a special purpose1 is        
generally hit4 ,in my practice of       
,cricket ,i never did this2 in my       
practice of my own games ,i do it with  
marked results4  ,boys should certainly 
practise1 even if they do not regularly 
play1 with a smaller ball1 a smaller    
bat1 a shorter pitch4 ,i wish that the  
,m4,c4,c4 ,committee would study the    
expressed opinions of ,messrs4 ,a4 ,g4  
,steel1 ,ranjitsinhji1 ,grace and       
others--elicit the hitherto unexpressed 
opinions of other experts2 discuss the  
matter1 and then1 if it seemed good1    
issue an authoritative advice to        
schoolmasters and others1 urging the use
 of adapted ball1 bat1 and pitch4       
,though any one single measure would not
 suit all1 yet it would be convenient1  

and would be a step in the right        
direction4 ,let there be light and small
 bats and balls4  ,it would be well also
 if old players would tell the young    
player to practise lobs1 to try the ,w4 
,g4 action round the wicket1 to master  
the mechanisms of ordinary overhand     
bowling1 to avoid excessive pace1 and   
break2 to practise at the nets as if he 
were bowling in an actual game1 only    
with more experimentation--to bowl an   
over1 then have a rest2 to make notes2  
to work out theories2 to be keen4 ,a few
 words from a famous expert come with a 
thousand times more force than any      
amount of advice from the present       
writer1 even though the latter be       
stating only most obvious and           
incontrovertible truths4 ,for the word  
of a successful man availeth much4      
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,fielding ,,and      
,,throwing-,,in4   ,the future of       
,cricket lies less perhaps with reform  
of the game itself than with more       
adequate preparation for play1 so that  

each part of each department of it may  
be better done--done with more skill1   
more enjoyment1 more profit4 ,and of all
 departments fielding needs most care   
and favour4 ,it must become so good and 
so interesting as to be a pride and a   
pleasure1 instead of--as it now is--a   
dulness and a drudgery4  ,the first     
requisite will be to realise that       
fielding is complex4 ,whereas ,cricket  
is often called a trinity of games1 of  
which one member is fielding1 fielding  
itself1 though regarded as a single     
occupation1 involves a multitude of arts
 and too often a multitude of sins4     
,quite apart from the different         
qualities demanded for different places 
in the field1 all fielders alike should 
possess certain characteristics in      
common4 ,in this chapter we shall speak 
of fielding in general1 referring the   
reader to the books by ,ranjitsinhji and
 others for special and exceptional     
information about special places4 ,thus 
short slip may have to be ready not to  

move his feet but merely to shift his   
weight1 whereas cover must be ready to  
do both4  ,a few minutes' study of the  
photographs of ,hirst and ,shrewsbury1  
and of an actual or imaginary game1 will
 show that as a rule many virtues are   
needful4 ,ranjitsinhji gives the        
following nine ,commandments3--  8,there
 are certain rules which apply to all   
fieldsmen1 viz43--  #a4 ,keep the legs  
together when the ball is hit straight  
to you and while you are picking it up4 
#b4 ,always back up the man who is      
receiving the ball at the wicket1 when  
it is thrown in1 but not too close4  #c4
 ,always try for a catch1 however       
impossible it may seem4  #d4 ,always be 
on the look-out and ready to start4  #e4
 ,run at top speed1 but not rashly1 the 
moment the ball is hit4  #f4 ,use both  
hands whenever possible4  #g4 ,do not   
get nervous if you make a mistake4  #h4 
,obey your captain cheerfully and       
promptly4  #i4 ,never be slack about    
taking up the exact position assigned to

 you2 never move about in an aimless1   
fidgetty manner40  ,these ,commandments 
apply to the whole side1 since1 as has  
been well said1 8,in a true sense1 the  
strength of a fielding side must be     
measured by its weakest member1 as that 
of a chain is measured by its weakest   
link4 ,then1 again1 when there is a     
really bad fielder on a side1 more balls
 seem to go to him than to any one else4
 ,put him where you will1 he seems to   
attract the ball40  ,let the reader     
fancy himself fielding at cover4 ,what  
must be his habits8  ,he must be ready  
to back up the wicket-keeper4  ,he must 
be ready to start at once in any        
direction either with his legs or with  
his arm or with both4  ,he must time the
 ball2 he must also anticipate1 his     
foreknowledge being based on instinct1  
observation1 and memory4  ,he may have  
to run and to run hard4  ,he may have to
 move his hands1 or one of them1 rapidly
 and accurately towards the ball's line 
of flight2 this may involve a bending of

 trunk1 and an extension of limbs for   
stooping and stretching4  ,he must      
preserve or immediately recover balance4
  ,he must be able to draw back his     
hands1 or one of them1 the instant that 
the ball has touched them or it4 ,this  
yielding movement must be timed to a    
nicety4  ,he must grasp the ball either 
as a catch or as a ball to be thrown in4
  ,in the latter case he must decide to 
which end1 at what pace1 etc41 he will  
throw it in4  ,he must then throw it in 
accurately4 ,this last rule of fielding 
alone postulates a special and difficult
 art4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,having found out what is  
to be practised1 the would-be fielder   
must realise that the practice as well  
as the fielding itself are abundantly   
worth while4 8,that side would have been
 out for a third of the score if one or 
two of us in our palmy days had been in 
the field10 remarked a veteran spectator
 at a big match4 ,this was quite        
true--catches were missed1 and they were

 costly enough4 ,ranjitsinhji says1 8,as
 to the importance of good fielding1 it 
is easy to prove it4 ,each catch that is
 missed simply adds another batsman to  
the opposite side4 ,if five catches are 
dropped1 the side that drops them has to
 all intents and purposes fifteen men to
 dispose of instead of ten40 ,besides   
the chances1 there were the balls not   
anticipated1 not stopped1 not thrown in 
smartly1 not thrown in accurately4 ,the 
so-called 8safe0 fielders often lost a  
run by their safe waiting4 8,patient    
waiting no loss0 is a bad rule4 ,mr4    
,edward ,lyttelton laments this         
inferiority4 ,what a contrast to ,mr4   
,v4 ,k4 ,royle1 whose habit was to stand
 like a man ready to sprint in any      
direction1 even before the ball had been
 hit4 ,such a man either ran the batsman
 out or else saved run after run by     
sheer terrorism2 he did not slack off   
merely because he thought the ball might
 possibly not come near him4 ,he seemed 
to be convinced that it certainly would 

come not necessarily to him but for him 
to field4 ,he was the ideal4 ,and ,w4   
,g4 tells us of another3 8,my brother   
,fred and ,jupp used to go after        
everything and try for every catch1 as  
if the match depended on their          
individual efforts2 and the             
extraordinary results which followed    
surprised others as well as themselves4 
,there is no finer sight in the cricket 
field than a brilliant fieldsman doing  
his utmost2 and every feat that he      
performs meets with quick and hearty    
recognition by the spectators40 ,such   
examples and words make one feel that   
keenness and skill and success are worth
 while4 ,the alertness and rapidity with
 accuracy are qualities for character   
and for life as well as for cricket4    
,after the complexity of fielding and   
its importance have been realised1 the  
next thing is to improve fielding4 ,why 
has it not been cultivated as a piece of
 land that may become fruitful8 ,partly 
perhaps because the fielder is not      

mentioned on the scoring-sheet 7except  
for the catches1 which go chiefly to the
 bowler's credit72 partly because the   
long-sided practice-nets render most    
fielding unnecessary2 partly because    
fielders are not keen1 and that means   
because they do not field               
scientifically4 ,fielding is regarded as
 a subsidiary and slavish drudgery1 not 
as an important and fine art4 ,and now  
for a few possible remedies of a general
 character1 to be supplemented by others
 and by special training for special    
places in the field4  ,every fielder    
should practise all-round fielding1     
while he makes one particular place 7or 
two7 his speciality3 the choice of this 
place should depend on the mental as    
well as the physical qualities--on smart
 readiness1 power of extension1 and so  
forth4  ,he should study the commonest  
hits to his place1 learning the curves  
and breaks which the ball will most     
frequently show4  ,he must be alert4    
,let me here quote ,mr4 ,edward         

,lyttelton's excellent                  
remarks3--8,unless strong measures are  
taken1 the school-fieldsmen will stand  
on their heels1 while the ball is being 
hit2 and this is generally the cause of 
that heart-sickening want of life--that 
imperturbable middle-aged decorum which 
is so often to be noticed among         
boy-cricketers of seventeen1 eighteen1  
nineteen years of age1 and is enough1   
when seen1 to make old cricketers weep4 
,but not to stand on the heels requires 
effort and stimulus2 and it is          
astonishing how often you may make the  
effort and reap no reward2 the ball     
doesn't come4 ,but when it does1 what a 
change6 ,the leap1 the determination    
that the batsman shall not score1 the   
racing after the ball1 are all part of  
the same dash which must begin from the 
toes1 not from the heel4 ,now some of   
these early principles can be taught to 
a boy by taking him singly1 and throwing
 or hitting the ball1 not too hard1     
either at him or to one side just within

 his utmost reach2 and1 by constant     
encouragement and exhortation1 the      
trainer may induce him again and again  
to do violence to his propriety1 in the 
first place1 and then to stretch his    
sinews and curve his backbone till he   
finds himself capable of a brilliancy   
which he never before suspected4 ,the   
exercise is terrific1 and ten minutes   
per diem are amply sufficient4 ,it is   
best to take only one at a time4 ,no one
 can guess the improvement that is sure 
to ensue if this rgime is faithfully    
observed4444 ,a deep field is standing  
with his whole body ready to jump in any
 direction that may be required4 ,there 
comes a catch1 but it is very doubtful  
if he can get to it2 only because he was
 ready to start he does so1 and perhaps 
the best bat on the side walks home2 or1
 owing to the same fact1 he again and   
again saves a ball from going to the    
boundary4 ,now1 if this is the case with
 a deep field1 how much more with       
cover-point and other #8save one'       

fields60  ,he must notice and practice  
several waiting-positions1 taking good  
fielders as his models4 ,whichever he   
decides to use1 he must not stand on his
 heels4 ,fielders refuse to learn the   
art of readiness2 so does our nation in 
its daily life4 ,it is the prompt       
readiness not to go in one direction    
only1 but to go in any direction1       
perhaps backwards1 without loss of poise
 and self-control--for the hands must be
 prepared to be extended anywhere1 and  
at the end of the extension to grasp    
securely4 ,so far from such an alertness
 being a common sight1 an inalienable   
possession of most players1 it is as    
rare as open-mindedness4 ,there is only 
one thing rarer in fielding1 and this is
 the custom of anticipating strokes1    
though heaven knows that similar strokes
 have been repeated often enough to be  
observed and remembered6 ,but           
8education0 does not encourage          
observation4  ,in addition to the       
readiness to get at the ball1 there must

 be the readiness to back up4  ,the     
fielder must follow each ball4 ,if he   
finds this dull1 let him pretend that he
 is the fielder to whom the ball has    
been sent2 let him field it in his      
imagination4  ,in a bedroom or elsewhere
 he may practice stoopings and          
extensions 7as in ,photograph ,,xxviii4 
of ,hirst71 a yielding of the hands and 
a rapidly closed grip at the end of the 
extensions4 ,all the common attitudes   
and movements for stopping and receiving
 balls may be acquired outside the      
field4 ,the muscles must be familiarised
 with their future work2 for1 as ,mr4   
,lyttelton says1 8,if every field picked
 up and threw in as quickly as his knee 
joints and the state of his arm allowed 
him1 a very considerable percentage of  
the runs usually scored would be saved40
  ,catching may be learnt with a soft   
ball against a wall or in games of      
catch4 ,the hands should be held not too
 far apart nor too far from the body4   
,both hands should be used1 if possible4

 ,the difficulty is to judge the flight1
 to time the instant to draw back just  
enough--for 8he must learn to let the   
ball come into his hands as into an     
,aunt ,sally's mouth4 ,it is entirely   
wrong to grab or snap at it0--and then  
to hold tight4 ,there are brought into  
play the senses of sight1 of            
hearing--different sounds accompany     
different hits1 and in ,racquets ,i get 
much help from what my ear tells me--and
 of touch1 as well as of other          
faculties4  ,as practice for stopping   
balls1 wicket-keeping  ,illustration3   
,,xxviii4--,fielding a low ball with one
 hand3 the opposite leg is fully        
extended4  ,to face page #aab4   is good
 except for the feet4 ,it teaches one to
 bend quickly1 to extend quickly2 it    
cultivates pluck and patience and       
observation1 since the wicket-keeper    
must stand firm and wait and watch each 
ball if he hopes not to be hurt4  ,every
 cricketer--,i would go so far as to say
 every ordinary human being--should     

learn and practise throwing-in4 ,dr4    
,grace says that the player 8should     
practise picking-up and throwing-in     
underhand40 ,at first this should be    
acquired as a separate accomplishment1  
till it can be incorporated and nearly  
ingrafted into the action of fielding1  
so that the whole process may become1 as
 it were1 a single movement started     
half-unconsciously by the sight of a    
batsman preparing to strike4 ,the right 
action for throwing will be dealt with  
directly4  ,interesting matches will do 
much to improve the keenness about      
fielding and therefore the care given to
 it4 ,it is mainly because the ,american
 ,school and ,university baseball       
matches are so interesting1 so          
absorbing1 that good fielding is so     
sedulously sought after4 ,we might      
arouse and sustain interest by variety2 
personally ,i should like to see        
handicap-matches occasionally           
introduced4 ,a few kinds are suggested  
in another chapter4 ,tip-and-run is     

excellent training for the batsman as   
well for the fielders and wicket-keeper4
  ,subsidiary games and exercises are   
also essential4 ,in these1 as in        
matches1 there should either be prizes  
or--as ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton          
advises--8the players should be         
encouraged to compete for colours to    
wear1 which need consist of nothing     
further than a cap of well-marked hue4  
,there is no reason to underrate the    
power of this enticement4 ,human beings 
have ever been addicted to ornament1 and
 some have thought that great wars have 
been fought for very little else than   
the difference between one colour and   
another4 ,it is quite certain that the  
authorization of caps for proficiency in
 cricket does wonders2 and it is a      
stimulus quite innocent enough to be    
worth trying40 ,the same writer goes on 
to suggest that 8it ought to be possible
 to devise a means of a social practice 
of fielding1 which without involving the
 waste of time of ordinary match        

fielding1 would ensure to each          
individual something to do1 and some    
stimulus to do it40  ,we might with     
advantage study ,american               
,illustration3 ,,xxix4--,fielding1      
second position3 the hand drawn back    
behind the ear somewhat further back    
than most ,american ,baseball fielders  
prefer4  ,to face page #aad4   methods  
of practice1 not with a view to slavish 
copying1 but with a view to adapted     
borrowing4 ,mr4 ,walter ,camp thus      
describes the method and apparatus for  
improving the accuracy of height and of 
direction2 after remarking that 8every  
one has what may be called a natural way
 of throwing the ball1 but this         
so-called natural #8way' usually means a
 perverted method acquired through      
carelessness1 or attempts to throw too  
hard before the arm is sufficiently     
accustomed to the work10 he points out  
such faults as to return the ball before
 the recovery of balance4 ,he then goes 
on thus3 8,to get an idea of the first  

steps towards the acquisition of this   
method1 let the player take the ball in 
his hand1 and1 bringing it back level   
with his ear1 planting both feet firmly1
 attempt to throw the ball without using
 the legs or body4 ,at first the throw  
is awkward and feeble1 but constant     
practice speedily results in moderate   
speed and peculiar accuracy4 ,after     
steady practice at this until quite a   
pace is acquired1 the man may be allowed
 to use his legs and body to increase   
the speed1 still1 however1 sticking to  
the straight-forward motion of the hand1
 wrist1 and the arm4444 ,there is no    
delay caused by drawing back the arm    
past the head or by turning the body    
around1 which loses so much valuable    
time4 ,its accuracy is due to the fact  
that it is easier to aim at an object   
with a hand in front of the eyes than   
when it is out 7to the side7 beyond the 
shoulder4 ,one can easily ascertain this
 by comparing the ease of pointing the  
index finger at any object when the hand

 is in front of the face1 with the      
difficulty of doing so when the arm is  
extended out sideways from the body4    
,still further1 in the almost round-arm 
throwing1 which many players use1 the   
hand describes an arc1 and the ball must
 be let go at the proper point to go    
true4 ,if let go at any other point in  
the swing1 the throw is certain to be   
wild4444 ,the majority of the best      
throwers in the country use principally 
the fore-finger and middle finger in    
giving direction to the ball40 ,mr4     
,camp then describes the system of      
hitting to a number of fielders--this is
 to be found in some ,english ,schools1 
but in ,america the practisers take it  
in turn to hit to the others1 8the      
batter being able to knock high flies1  
line hits1 long flies1 and occasionally 
a sharp hot grounder2 a good man1 while 
avoiding running the men to death1 will 
,illustration3 ,,xxx4--,waiting for a   
catch3 elbows ready to draw back        
slightly the moment the ball touches the

 hands4  ,between pages #aaf and #aag4  
,illustration3 ,,xxxi4--,a one-handed   
catch3 body bent slightly back from the 
hips4  ,between pages #aaf and #aag4    
occasionally give each man an           
opportunity to make a brilliant catch4  
,nothing encourages and improves the    
candidates so much as keeping their     
ambition thoroughly aroused during the  
entire time of practice40 8,exercise    
that toughens the hands--such as        
swinging on the flying-rings1 or        
rope-climbing--is found to be useful40  
8,the work with the boxing gloves is    
designed to improve the man's general   
muscular development1 make him quick and
 firm upon his feet1 and rapid in       
judgment and action40 8,on the          
running-track1 the men take a few turns 
to limber up1 and then practise quick   
starting1 and short1 sharp spurts at    
full speed1 rather than the more        
leisurely1 long-continued run of the men
 who are training for boating honours40 
8,the sliding-spool is an admirable     

device for cultivating the muscles used 
in throwing4 7,the spool is a piece of  
wood1 like a large reel of cotton1      
moving upon a rope tied1 e4g41 to a beam
 in a room1 and to some other object4   
,it can be set at any angle47 ,the point
 at which the spool would come in       
contact with the ceiling should be well 
padded with some rather inelastic       
substance1 in order that the spool may  
not rebound too severely4 ,by throwing  
the spool along the rope a number of    
times daily1 a man can acquire a        
powerful throw40  ,from the above       
quotations it will be obvious that we   
have many lessons to learn and adapt for
 ourselves from ,america1 even while we 
need not agree with all that is         
maintained here4 ,thus the action of the
 throw may be better for certain        
individuals1 certain places in the      
field1 certain balls to be fielded1 when
 the hand is kept at about the level of 
the shoulder 7see the photograph of     
,hirst71 or below that level4 ,murdoch1 

for instance1 says1 8,when throwing1 get
 into the way of never allowing your arm
 to get above the level of your         
shoulder3 it must be a quick1 wristy    
throw1 and1 with a little practice1 you 
will get very accurate40  ,the captain  
should set a good example2 he should    
also look out for keen fielders or keen 
practisers of fielding and try to turn  
these into respectable batsmen or       
bowlers1 instead of starting with the   
latter and neglecting their fielding    
qualifications4  ,among the best        
exercises for fielding is ,fives4 ,it   
trains the left hand and side1 as well  
as the stooping-capacity4 ,boxing is    
another help1 especially quick-foot     
boxing 7which my friend ,mr4 ,f4 ,v4    
,hornby has  ,illustration3             
,,xxxii4--,fielding a ground ball2 no   
interval left for the ball to get       
through2 body well down to the work4    
,between pages #aah and #aai4           
,illustration3 ,,xxxiii4--,a waiting    
position at point1 where there is less  

foot-work than at most places4 ,it is   
easier to rise quickly than to stoop    
quickly4  ,between pages #aah and #aai4 
,illustration3 ,,xxxiv4--,preparing to  
throw in with the high action4  ,between
 pages #aah and #aai4   described as    
8buzzing around07 rather than the       
stiff-legged methodical slow kind4      
,boxing is fine for the 8eye0--that is1 
for the co-operation of eye1 foot1 body1
 arm1 etc4 ,diving is good for the wind2
 swimming for this and other purposes4  
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,notes ,,on           
,,wicket-,,keeping1 ,,captaining1       
,,implements4   ,these subjects have    
been so thoughtfully dealt with in most 
of the well-known books on ,cricket1    
that it will be unnecessary here to do  
more than sum up what seem to be the    
most useful points1 and to add a few    
hints4   ,,notes ,,on                   
,,wicket-,,keeping4       8,the         
prevailing neglect of wicket-keeping is 
a gross folly4 ,first      as regards   
those who are to be regular             

wicket-keepers1 why do they      never  
practise8 ,their art is every whit as   
difficult as batting1      and it is    
astonishing how its supreme importance  
to the efficiency      of an eleven is  
overlooked4 ,there is probably no hope  
of getting a      really good man out on
 a good wicket1 which can be compared to
 the      chance of his sending a catch 
to the wicket-keeper before his eye     
is in4 ,sometimes these chances are     
missed1 and no one notices              
anything4444 ,every member of any team  
would gain if he were taught      how to
 keep wicket in early youth4 ,in the    
first place it certainly      helps the 
eye in batting4 ,the problem of judging 
pace1 pitch1 and      break is exactly  
the same in both cases4 ,next1 it       
teaches sureness      of hand in        
fielding4 ,a field who has learnt       
wicket-keeping must      find any catch1
 especially if it does not involve      
running1 mere      child's play compared
 with a chance behind the sticks4 ,it is

      impossible that any such          
continuous exercise of hand and eye of  
the      most subtle description could  
be anything but valuable to the         
general quickness and sureness both of  
fielding and batting4      ,lastly1 even
 if all the eleven do not learn to keep 
wicket1 there      ought always to be   
one or more ready to take the place of  
the      regular man1 in case of injury 
or absence40--,edward ,lyttelton4  ,in  
the plea for all-roundness we have      
already urged that every player should  
be able to keep wicket a little1 or at  
any rate should practise with the ball  
and stump 7see above74 ,wicket-keeping  
is useful not only for its own sake and 
for the sake of the place which it may  
bring in the team1 but also as excellent
 discipline for short slip4 ,the bowler 
himself must be able to take the ball   
when it is thrown in by the             
fielders--and it is generally thrown in 
remarkably badly--and to knock off the  
bails neatly and surely4 ,the captain1  

when he is not a bowler1 sees more of   
the game--the strength or weakness of   
the bowling and so on--if he is at the  
wicket than if he is at point or        
elsewhere4 ,as to fielding at mid-off1  
mid-on1 and out in the country1 even for
 these places wicket-keeping encourages 
quick bending and reaching1 and general 
alertness of mind and unflagging        
attention--merits which should be but   
seldom are insisted on in what we may   
call the ordinary positions4 ,the       
wicket-keeper must1 in sheer            
self-defence1 be quick not merely to    
move but also to anticipate2 he must be 
accurate to time the ball and to use his
 wrist and fingers2 he must adapt       
himself readily1 as when a ball is badly
 sent in by cover2 he must observe the  
bowler and--half unconsciously--the     
batsman2 he must remember how this or   
that ball will break1 and so on2 he must
 indeed know the whole game--all this1  
let us repeat1 if only in self-defence  
and to save trouble4 ,in contrast to    

him1 the deep-fielder may go to sleep1  
or 8stug0 himself on his heels with legs
 stiff and 8thinking other things10     
without appreciable interest in each and
 every ball4 ,the wicket-keeper dares   
not sleep3 it would be as much as his   
face or fingers are worth4  ,the habit  
of watching each ball carefully1 of     
being ever ready beforehand1 is a habit 
that every batsman1 every fielder and1  
we may add1 every watcher requires4 ,a  
personal interest is attached habitually
 to absolutely the whole performance and
 to each of the performers4 ,the        
wicket-keeper1 whether he be captain or 
not1 takes a more than fatherly interest
 in every part of the play1 for the sake
 of himself if not of his team4         
,besides this1 the almost compulsory    
pluck1 since many balls1 like nettles1  
hurt less if taken boldly1 the          
balance-shifting1 the stooping and      
stretching now here1 now there1 are     
certainly good for all play as well as  
for other games1 for physical           

development1 and for health 7especially 
as a preventive for constipation74      
,anyone who studies the various         
positions 7in photographs or in actual  
play7 of ,mr4 ,mc,gregor1 of ,storer1 of
 any expert1 will realise the truth of  
this at once4  ,nor is it possible1 ,i  
think1 even for a spectator to watch the
 game satisfactorily unless he has      
sometimes stood himself behind the      
sticks and seen the play from that point
 of view4 ,the following hints may be of
 use to those who wish to try           
wicket-keeping4         99       99     
99       99       99  ,every writer     
advises the wicket-keeper who has taken 
a ball on the leg-side to put down the  
wicket on the chance of the batsman     
being out of his ground4 ,this is a good
 rule1 though it is by no means easy to 
take a ball on the leg-side1 partly     
because the batsman himself obscures the
 view4 ,this is one reason why ,hirst   
suggests that for fast bowling the not  
over-good wicket-keeper should stand    

back unless the batsman often runs out4 
,to knock off the bails sharply on      
ordinary occasions is not so easy a     
task4 ,it is necessary to be able to    
take any ball neatly in spite of the    
break and the bound4 ,hence it is good  
practice to get players to throw balls  
in to the wicket from various parts of  
the field4 ,such practice helps both    
wicket-keeper and fielders1 but we never
 had it at school and of course at a    
college no one takes any trouble about  
fielding4 ,the wicket-keeper can tell   
the fielder how and why his throwing is 
unsatisfactory1 and can see that the    
other fielders back up properly4  ,the  
wicket-keeper should be the adviser of  
the captain1 pointing out to him these  
details and also any useful changes of  
position4 ,he may advise the bowlers as 
well--but with discretion1 lest he be   
confounded4 ,captains and bowlers do not
 use their wicket-keeper nearly enough4 
,he ought to be an invaluable           
guide-book4  ,dr4 ,w4 ,g4 ,grace        

describes the wicket-keeper's position  
as follows3--  8,their hands are        
touching each other unless the ball is  
wide of the wicket1 and catching or     
stumping is done without any show or    
fuss4 ,they always stand with a full    
front to the bowler1 and seldom move the
 feet unless the ball is very wide40    
,the wicket-keeper has to stretch in    
various directions with right or left   
hand1 now up1 now down1 now straight    
out4 ,he needs the power of stooping    
sideways4 ,at the end of each extension1
 or at some intermediate place1 he must 
be able to draw back his hand or hands  
slightly so that they 8give0 to the     
ball4 ,if one studies the different     
places at which the ball is taken1 one  
can soon devise exercises to make the   
movements of the legs and trunk and arms
 easier and quicker4 ,the fast full     
movements are essential to success4     
,boxing would be among the best of      
trainings for this as for most athletic 
skill where large and--with many        

people--unwieldy limbs have to be moved 
rapidly in any one of numerous ways     
according as the quick eye shall        
telegraph to the obedient yet commanding
 brain4   ,,notes ,,on ,,captaining1    
,,especially ,,at ,,schools4  ,it often 
struck me1 when ,i lectured to ,civil   
,service candidates at ,cambridge1 that 
to captain a ,cricket or ,football team 
well was an infinitely better           
recommendation for a post than to know  
the dates of all the wars and battles of
 the ,romans4 ,the former is a test of  
something more than phonograph-accuracy4
 ,it is a test of leadership--of which  
virtue the crammed smug who can only    
just scrape through the riding          
examination may be quite devoid4 ,but   
the art of captaincy counts nothing     
here3 it only counts in character and   
life4  ,besides the power to command    
others1 the ideal captain must have     
all-round knowledge if he is to be able 
to find out where lie the strengths and 
weaknesses of his team2 he should have  

some practical and personal acquaintance
 with all kinds of bowling and fielding 
as well as with wicket-keeping and      
batting1 so that he may give timely     
advice4  ,there is no need to carry the 
instructing of a team to an ,american   
,football excess1 but a hint from the   
land of exaggerations may be of use4    
,the ,captain frequently consults every 
possible authority4 ,before an important
 match--let us say between ,harvard and 
,yale--old boys will come down and talk 
over the team and the tactics and       
arrange special 8plays40 ,every ,captain
 should have a ,committee which he may  
consult when he is in doubt4  ,while he 
is choosing his team he should look     
among the juniors1 as ,mr4 ,lyttelton   
advises4 ,if he is a ,school-captain1 he
 may notice two or three boys keen on   
fielding and on practice generally 7and1
 by the way1 he himself should set a    
good example here72 perhaps these boys  
are trying the stump-practice suggested 
in a previous chapter4 ,well1 let him   

decide to turn these boys into batsmen  
and bowlers as well1 by urging them to  
whatever helps he thinks good--perhaps  
to the practice with a bat along a line 
chalked on the floor and to other       
exercises suggested here4 ,anyhow he    
must always be looking out not only for 
promising young players1 but also for   
keen young fielders4 ,the desire for    
batting or bowling may be taken for     
granted4 ,it is the fielders that are   
wanted4 ,but of course the batting and  
bowling must be duly considered4 ,there 
should be at least one left-handed      
bowler4 ,and there should assuredly be  
an extra wicket-keep4 ,since the weather
 is so prominent a factor in the game1  
and as some players are almost hopeless 
on a difficult wicket1 it might be      
suggested that the eleven for the most  
important matches should have a wider   
margin for choice than is usual1 though 
the possible names must1 for the sake of
 convenience1 be decided on at least by 
the previous day4 ,so much for the      

choice of the team2 and now for its     
practice4  ,as the team need not be     
decided on finally1 till as late as     
possible1 so neither need be the        
positions of its members in the field1  
nor the order of going in4 ,the         
positions and the order should be       
occasionally changed4  ,the captain     
should insist on punctuality1 on        
neatness of clothing1 perhaps even--if  
he dare--on clean hands as well as a    
pure heart1 and certainly on keenness4  
,at school he should try to get the most
 distinguished old boys to say a few    
words to the eleven4  ,he should also   
insist on all-roundness2 he should      
insist that every member occasionally   
keep wicket1 and 7as we have said above7
 occasionally field in a place not his  
own1 and occasionally bowl1 and         
occasionally bat under difficulties--as 
with a broom-stick at stump-cricket or  
8snob40 ,nothing more quickly reveals   
the crooked bat4 ,the captain himself   
should practise all these things1 and   

especially fielding3 otherwise what     
right has he to curse8 ,if he sees the  
interest flagging1 he should arrange    
more exciting matches4 ,and he might do 
worse than devise some system of        
handicaps4  ,when the members of a      
visiting eleven have arrived1 the       
captain's first thought must be for     
them3 he must put himself in their      
place4 ,he may delegate his duties to   
the second or third man in his team1 so 
that he may attend to the details of the
 ground and the play4  ,before and      
during a home or 8foreign0 match he must
 set an example of careful training and 
pure living1 making it clear that excess
 is not manliness4 ,he must not be a    
prig3 he need not say1 8,don't do that02
 he can say1 8,i shouldn't do that if ,i
 were you40 ,he is not a schoolmaster1  
and1 even if he were1 he might do worse 
than use that turn of phrase4  ,if he   
wins the toss1 he should probably put   
his own side in4 ,many hold this to be a
 rule without exception4 ,anyhow1 he    

should inspect the ground and notice any
 peculiarities of light1 etc4  ,during  
the play he must be watchful of all     
sorts of things1 and in the field he    
should therefore be as near to the      
wicket as possible4 ,point is a good    
place2 wicket-keeping is still better1  
for then he can judge of the bowling and
 give hints to the bowlers4 ,if he      
himself be a bowler he should have a    
candid friend who isn't one2 this candid
 friend must be consulted4  ,other hints
 are given in abundance by the many     
well-known writers on the game2 to whose
 books we can safely refer the reader   
for such hints as that the fast bowler  
should be put on against the tail of the
 enemy2 that the erratic bowler may be  
put on to break up a well-set pair4     
,these books the captain must read for  
himself4 ,he must make notes from them1 
unless he has a superlative memory4 ,he 
must think4 ,he must observe4 ,he must  
be tactful without weakness4 ,indeed1 he
 should be far the most intelligent man 

in the eleven2 and1 if he is1 he is     
probably worth his place in the eleven  
even if the utmost that he can do is to 
eat and drink in sensible moderation1   
and watch and field with unflagging     
energy4   ,,notes ,,on ,,implements4    
,one of the ablest of writers on        
,cricket1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,ford1 suggests  
8what the cricket-bag should contain1   
apart from the actual weapons of offence
 and defence40 ,he says3 8,it is a great
 addition to one's comfort to have spare
 socks and handkerchiefs 7we may add    
vest and shirt7 on board2 a small       
bandage is often useful1 especially     
adhesive bandage4 ,if you are lumbagic  
or rheumatic1 don't omit a cholera belt 
of red flannel1 and do not forget to put
 it on when you come in steaming from a 
century1 and have to sit in a draughty  
pavilion4 ,sticking-plaster is often    
useful1 so is a hair-brush1 likewise    
bags for boots2 nothing is gained by    
mixing up muddy boots with flannels1    
sweater1 and blazer4 ,add a button-hook 

and shoe-horn40  ,boots are generally   
admitted to be preferable to shoes4     
,they should be easy1 but not too easy4 
,the ,american pattern of boot is among 
the best1 though anything more hideous  
than the black ,lawn ,tennis horror it  
would be impossible to conceive4 ,the   
boots must be white4 ,a high authority  
says that they need not have many nails1
 but too many nails are better than too 
few1 lest one trip or slip when one     
turns4 ,it is common sense1 as          
,shrewsbury says1 to put two near the   
toe1 as runners do4 ,extra nails should 
be kept in the cricket-bag1 with the    
means for inserting them4 ,a good nail  
is the sparrowbill 7from ,shaw and      
,shrewsbury1 ,queen's ,square1          
,nottingham71 or the ,nottingham nail4  
,clothing in general1 as ,ranjitsinhji  
says1 should satisfy the demands of     
8ease1 convenience1 and comfort1 as well
 as of health and cleanliness4 ,the     
shirt ought to be of canvas1 wool1 or   
flannel3 flannel is always preferable if

 the wearer can put up with the         
irritation4 ,both trousers and shirt    
should be made to fit loosely1 not      
flappingly4 ,boys are in the habit of   
putting on belts4 ,this is a mistake1   
since the noise the belt makes may at   
times be mistaken for a catch at the    
wicket4 ,i advise instead scarves or    
sashes1 which also have a smarter       
appearance40 ,so far as health is       
concerned1 the flannel shirt 7which is  
worn by most professionals7 renders the 
wearer less liable to chill after a     
sweat1 but hardens him far less than the
 linen shirt4 ,under either can be worn 
a vest1 after the habit of ,shrewsbury  
and others1 if the weather is at all    
cold4 ,the sash is not healthy1 even    
though it is smarter than the           
belt--which1 by the way1 need not be at 
all noisy4  ,clean flannels should be   
used as often as possible1 since to wear
 things already rich in waste-products  
is not for the best4 ,and flannels      
should never be kept in closed          

apartments4 ,at ,columbia ,university1  
in ,america1 the lockers had wire       
trellis-work and not wooden covers1 and 
the small changing room for hundreds of 
men was quite free from disagreeable    
smell4  ,in case of severe heat a light 
sun-hat is safe4  ,in case of cold      
weather a sweater is usual4 ,to field   
well with cold hands is a miracle4 ,at  
the beginning of the season thick kid   
gloves might be worn1 as they are by    
,abel and ,shrewsbury2 or at least they 
can be made to cover those parts of the 
hand that blister most readily4         
,adhesive plaister round the finger will
 save friction if a blister has already 
formed and burst or been pricked4  ,the 
pads should be carefully chosen with a  
view to ease and lightness as well as   
protection4 ,shrewsbury's idea of an    
extra piece to protect the knee is to be
 commended4 ,otherwise let the pads be  
only just thick and heavy enough to give
 the feeling and the reality of safety4 
,the fastenings should be good and not  

of inferior leather or elastic4  ,here  
as elsewhere this advice holds good1 to 
choose your implements for yourself2 try
 before you buy2 treat them with        
respect2 learn how to mend them2 carry  
about the means of mending them4 ,a     
8housewife0 with needles1 good thread1  
scissors1 safety pins1 etc41 will be    
invaluable4 ,with a view to care and    
cleanliness1 keep your best bat in some 
sort of a cover4  ,as to the bat1 for   
men and full-sized boys its weight might
 be #bd to #be oz41 but that is less    
important than the ease with which the  
blade of the bat rises4 ,for a very slow
 wicket an extra #a to #b oz4 might be  
advisable1 and hence at least two bats  
may be taken in the bag1 if only in case
 of change of weather4 ,but a           
comfortable feel is the great requisite1
 a comfortable feel not merely as you   
stand and hold the bat but also as you  
move and use the bat4 ,if you have      
active feet and good shoulders and trunk
 then you may manage a heavier bat than 

if you have less active feet and a      
weaker forearm and wrist4 ,the handle   
should bend lithely backwards and       
forwards rather than sideways4 ,it can  
be made thicker by wash-leather if the  
hands are moist2 and if they are wet1 by
 the rubber covering1 which adds over an
 ounce of weight to the bat and thus    
helps the blade to rise4 ,the wood of   
the bat is often found to be cut away   
from all the bat except just the part   
with which one hopes to stroke the ball4
 ,this1 as ,shrewsbury says1 is not     
desirable1 since one cannot always judge
 the rise of the ball absolutely1 and   
though a stroke with the extra-fat part 
of the blade may be 8very1 very nice10  
the stroke with the thin part may be    
8horrid40 ,shrewsbury's bats are less   
exaggerated1 so that they allow the     
batsman more surface to drive well with4
  ,the blade should be oiled say once a 
fortnight1 but not too heavily1 lest the
 driving power be decreased4 ,one needs 
a nice soft bat which after use shall   

show not cracks but dents--a bat which  
shall have a slightly hollowed          
middle-blade4 ,in its infancy1 use it   
with soft old balls by preference2 train
 it gently as a boxer might train his   
face to receive hard blows4 ,notice     
where the dents come1 and correct your  
play accordingly2 those which are off   
the best driving part are like the blue 
marks of the schoolmaster's pencil4     
,when the bat is injured1 use           
string-binding in preference to pegs2   
learn how to do that string-binding1 and
 keep a little string in your bag4  ,in 
your bag keep also a comfortable pair of
 batting-gloves and a ball4 8,neither a 
borrower nor a lender be02 certainly    
never lend a ball4 ,i would add also a  
,lawn ,tennis ball and a stick2 the     
latter if only in case of a walk in new 
country1 the former in case of a wet day
 when ,snob-cricket is far better than  
loafing4 ,every pavilion should allow of
 this game1 as every ship should allow  
of deck ,cricket4 ,the game should be   

played with a soft ball and stick or    
stump1 not with a hard ball and bat4    
,if you take a favourite book also1 a   
,membook or ,diary with a pencil1 and   
also a complete list of all the things  
you want in the bag1 so that you never  
have to borrow what may not fit you1 or 
be as the foolish virgins1 you will be  
better off than nine out of ten         
cricketers are4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,,the
 ,,importance ,,of ,,all-,,roundness    
,,in ,,cricket4        8,the right and  
proper thing would be for cricketers to 
pay equal      attention to bowling1    
batting1 and fielding1 especially in    
their      young days4 ,all are equally 
essential parts of the game4 ,why not   
regard them as equally valuable8 ,the   
doctrine of the division of      labour 
holds good in cricket as elsewhere1 but 
every cricketer      should1 as far as  
lies in him1 qualify himself for every  
emergency4      ,most amateurs take no  
trouble whatever with their bowling1    
except      in                          

matches40--,,ranjitsinhji4  ,i have     
heard it said that ,richter1 the great  
conductor1 could himself play every     
instrument used in his own orchestra1 so
 that at once he knew where and how the 
general effect was weak4 ,on the same   
principle the captain of a team should  
as a rule be an all-round player--a     
batsman1 bowler1 fielder1               
watcher--though there are some captains 
who do not excel much in any sphere     
except captaining1 and yet are worth    
their place in their team4  ,but it is  
not merely the captain who gains by     
being an all-round player4 ,cricket has 
as its object to fit every cricketer for
 his all-round life1 as games and       
exercises prepare young animals for     
their narrower life4 ,we have used games
 with this result if not with this      
object for generations past2 year by    
year1 whether we know it or not1 we     
shall have to rely on them more and     
more4 ,and anyhow a certain time1       
perhaps amounting to hundreds of hours1 

is sure to be given to the play4        
,therefore it is as well to get the most
 that we can out of that time1 and to   
get the most that we can out of each    
department of ,cricket2 in the spirit of
 ,shrewsbury1 studying it as a pleasant 
art2 with ,abel1 entering into it keenly
 and smartly2 and1 like ,hirst1 aiming  
at many-sided excellence4  ,we cannot   
all be ,hirsts1 ,f4 ,s4 ,jacksons1 ,j4  
,r4 ,masons1 ,t4 ,haywards1 ,a4 ,g4     
,steels1 and so on2 that is obvious4    
,but most players are content never to  
try1 or else to try wrongly and then    
give up4 ,there never was a greater     
error4  ,let us consider batting alone4 
,even for successful and therefore      
enjoyable batting 7batting has been1 is1
 and will be most enjoyed and most      
sought after1 and therefore has been1   
is1 and will be least uncultivated2 many
 cultivate nothing besides71 even for   
this we need more than practice at a net
 or in a game1 indispensable as these   
are in their proper place4  ,first of   

all1 unless we are genius-players1 we   
need a knowledge of bowling2 we need not
 only to see the bowler's wrist and     
fingers1 but also to get an idea of what
 will happen to the ball when it has    
left the fingers4 ,in ,tennis ,i never  
knew what was going to happen to a      
service until ,i learnt how to serve4   
,otherwise ,i played as if there would  
be no special cut or twist or drag4 ,so 
practice in bowling may give the best   
knowledge of bowling for the batsman's  
purpose4 ,take a ,lawn ,tennis ball1 and
 study the ways of producing various    
breaks1 etc4--,i recommend a ,lawn      
,tennis ball because it shows the break 
more clearly1 and can be used in a room2
 then produce these breaks with a       
,cricket ball 7don't let it loose7      
before a large mirror4 ,after a time you
 will know what to expect when you see  
certain signs1 such as the middle and   
third finger curled inwards against the 
bowler's palm4 ,besides1 when you have  
yourself bowled certain balls1 you will 

know where the batsman generally hits   
them1 and what faults he generally      
makes4 ,you can avoid these faults1     
while on the other hand you can see at  
once1 when you go in1 where the fielding
 offers a gap4 ,it is not every bowler  
who knows his own weak spots4  ,as a    
wicket-keeper one might learn still more
 about batting than one could as a      
bowler4 ,it is amazing to me that so few
 wicket-keepers can bat even with       
moderate success4 ,they seem to         
degenerate1 like the idle watchers1 with
 too much watching and too much         
8knowledge60 ,the wicket-keeper sees    
most of the game1 and especially the    
batsman's faults and the bowler's merits
 of break1 spin1 change of pace1 and so 
on4 ,he has to watch the bowler's wrist 
and fingers4 ,he should know precisely  
what balls should be left alone4  ,only 
a few degrees less useful for batting is
 a knowledge of fielding in all parts of
 the field1 though every fielder should 
have one or two specialities4 ,the good 

fielder1 when he bats1 can remember the 
curl of the ball hit to third man2 he   
can observe cover-point's attitude of   
slackness and steal an easy run1 for he 
knows that a sloucher cannot run him    
out4  ,and to watch a game well--that   
may be as valuable a help for batting as
 bowling1 wicket-keeping1 or fielding4  
,shrewsbury will observe the play and   
its many niceties--the duel between a   
good bowler and a good batsman--from    
various parts of the field as he walks  
about2 he will study length1 pace1 curl1
 the batsman's weakness4 ,some watchers 
appear to see all the faults4 ,they     
don't play1 but they may be made very   
useful as teachers1 even if they only   
teach how to watch4 ,one should watch   
the game not only as a whole1 but also  
player by player2 and in a single player
 one should observe the bat alone1      
whether it be straight or not2 the left 
foot2 the left elbow2 the right leg2 and
 the results on play4  ,all-roundness is
 thus nearly a necessity for full       

success in batting1 unless one is a     
genius-player4 ,it is quite a necessity 
for full enjoyment4 ,it is also a duty  
towards the team4 ,but1 besides its     
effects on batting1 it has still more   
obvious effects on bowling and fielding 
themselves4  ,bowling should be tried   
and practised by every member of the    
team1 for the sake of the team as well  
as of the self4 ,it is a pleasure to the
 bowler1 if it be well done4 ,were proof
 needed1 why else do so many captains so
 often put themselves on to bowl8       
,perhaps it may be a smaller pleasure   
than batting1 somewhat as to besiege an 
enemy may be a smaller pleasure than to 
resist the siege or to make a sally4    
,but bowling allows more errors--a      
single bad ball1 unlike a single error  
in batting1 need not be the end of the  
performance4 ,anyhow1 bowling is a      
pleasant change from fielding1 and gives
 one an extra chance of playing for a   
team4 ,and1 unless one plays for a team1
 ,cricket is not much sport6 ,a fair    

bowler is becoming more and more useful 
to his side every year1 with these      
billiard-table wickets4  ,wicket-keeping
 offers a similar inducement4 ,at the   
last moment ,jones fails--he hurts his  
thumb--why shouldn't he8 8,well10 says  
the captain1 8,smith 7that's you7 can   
keep wicket a bit40 ,you are now1 for   
the time1 in the team4  ,the same will  
apply to fielding also4 ,to take an     
extreme case1 an inferior field has to  
be terribly superior with the bat or    
ball or both if he wants to get a place 
in a ,yorkshire or ,australian eleven4  
,for his own sake1 as well as for the   
sake of his side1 a boy or man must be  
safe and smart in the field4 ,the work  
is often dull--six overs without any    
ball1 but one can watch the bat and     
study where the man is weak4 ,or one can
 imagine oneself as the fielder to whom 
the ball is hit4 ,in case this shall    
appeal to you1 patient alertness and    
long waiting to pounce on an            
opportunity1 are makers of character1 as

 ,general ,grant proved1 and of money1  
as the army of ,american financiers show
 weekly4 ,fielding is worth doing well1 
and therefore worth practising well1    
whether with an india-rubber ball       
against a wall 7for stopping and for    
catching71 or with any ball and a stump 
or stick4 ,let two players1 as we have  
suggested1 stand on opposite sides of   
it1 and throw in at it1 varying the     
distance1 and occasionally sending      
catches instead4 ,a third player can act
 as a wicket-keeper or as a bowler      
receiving the throw-in4 ,if ,i were a   
captain ,i should encourage this kind of
 thing2 ,i should look about for smart  
fields1 and get them to practise in this
 and other ways4 ,i should also get them
 to bowl a bit4 ,i should not always    
pick out the batsmen and bowlers first1 
and neglect the fielders4 ,a ,vernon    
,royle1 a ,lohmann1 a ,gunn are worth a 
place in a team apart from other merits4
 ,they save runs not only by catching1  
not only by backing up1 not only by     

stopping hits1 not only by running in1  
but by their reputation--the batsmen    
simply dared not run a short one when   
,royle was at cover--and by their       
contagious influence4  ,i think that    
all-roundness justifies itself1 and     
therefore all-round practice justifies  
itself1 even from the point of view of  
the selfish batsman who wants the best  
possible innings1 quite apart from one's
 increased enjoyment as a change bowler1
 perhaps as a wicket-keeper1 certainly  
as a fielder1 and no less certainly as a
 watcher4  ,but how8 ,what is the secret
 of all-roundness8 ,this book will offer
 advice to many1 and hope to not a few4 
,if you have not yet paid attention to  
the very foundations1 the very ,a ,b ,c 
of good play 7especially of batting and 
fielding71 such as the positions and    
movements of the feet1 the full         
extensions of the limbs1 the body-swing1
 the balance and prompt recovery1 then  
you need not yet despair4 ,practice in  
these things will be far from useless   

for general athletic fitness2 there is  
scarcely a game but absolutely involves 
them4  ,this1 after all1 is my chief    
plea for all-roundness3 not merely that 
probably much time will be given to     
,cricket anyhow1 and that the player may
 as well learn the whole of ,cricket2   
not only that thus his play will be     
pleasanter 7or less dull71 more useful  
to his health and physical development1 
more useful to his side1 more useful to 
,cricket itself1 but also that he will  
be better prepared for other games and  
other occupations1 no matter what they  
are or shall be4 ,he is a handy man1 a  
footy and leggy man 7if the ugly words  
may be pardoned1 because they mean      
much71 a ready man1 disciplined and     
patient1 yet alert and quick here and   
anywhere4  ,if you are going to play    
,cricket at all1 or even to watch       
,cricket at all1 all-roundness is worth 
while4 ,otherwise your days of fielding 
or of watching will be for the most part
 wasted2 your minutes of batting will   

not grow into quarter-hours1 half-hours1
 hours2 your bowling will never have    
even a minute at all4 ,be a specialist  
if you like1 but don't be only a        
specialist4 ,try if you cannot do the   
other things at least moderately well4  
,within the dominion of batting also    
there is need for all-roundness4 ,mr4   
,c4 ,b4 ,fry aptly remarks3--8,the great
 defect of school coaching is that boys 
are taught to play forward and nothing  
else4 ,boys are not taught to play back 
or to use their feet properly1 either in
 turning to place the ball or in running
 out to drive2 nor are they taught to   
alter their play according to the state 
of the wicket40  ,he himself is an      
all-round batsman4 ,so is ,w4 ,g42 as   
one of his innumerable admirers         
says3--8,what ,w4 ,g4 did was to unite  
in his mighty self all the good points  
of all the good players1 and to make    
utility the criterion of style4 ,he     
founded the modern theory of batting by 
making forward and back play of equal   

importance1 relying neither on the one  
nor the other1 but on both40            
,all-roundness is of value to every     
player--all-roundness in ,cricket       
generally2 all-roundness in the special 
departments of batting1 and of fielding2
 to be able merely to catch well1 or    
merely to stop well1 or merely to run   
well1 or merely to throw in well1 must  
not content the player4     ,,chapter   
,,vi4  ,,faults ,,in ,,play ,,and       
,,practice4   ,no part of this book do  
,i edit with such confidence as the part
 that deals with faults4 ,i seem to have
 had every one of a certain class1      
though not want of endurance and        
strength1 nor a bad eye1 nor            
unwillingness2 ignorance ,i had1 not    
apathy4 ,my chief sin--of which ,i shall
 speak below--was that ,i tried to      
practise the whole rather than its      
parts2 ,i had matches1 games1 nets in   
abundance1 and a few fielding lessons1  
but made hardly any progress4  ,and so  
it is with most4 ,they try the whole--or

 at least the whole stroke--all together
 at first1 seldom if ever concentrating 
their attention on any one part4 ,they  
do what is natural1 and this is usually 
8wrong40 ,they have no method of        
learning1 except repetition which will  
only increase and ingrain the faults4   
,authorities recommend net-practice2 but
 much of it is surely next to useless   
until the ,a ,b ,c has been mastered by 
batsman and bowler4 ,if there are three 
bowlers at a net1 the batsman gets      
excessive variety of bowling1 the balls 
follow one another in too quick         
succession1 each dulling the memory of  
the previous two2 after the stroke--in  
which there is little incentive for     
carefulness--the batsman does not       
recover balance and prepare to run2 the 
bowler has small inducement to lead up  
to a special head-ball1 as he would by a
 consecutive series in a game1 and1     
besides1 he gets the wrong              
intervals--not a series1 then a rest1   
but a single ball1 then a rest2 last1   

and not least1 there are few fielders4  
,let us be more concrete1 and point out 
a few of the definite faults which are  
encouraged rather than removed by       
ordinary net play and games4  ,stand    
directly behind the wicket in a school  
or college game1 or behind a            
practice-net1 and watch the batsman play
 forward2 you will generally see the bat
 move up and back and then towards the  
ball in a far from straight line4 ,that 
fault1 it is well known1 may be         
partially remedied by practice along a  
chalk line on the bed room or pavilion  
floor4 8,play with a straight bat10 is  
the most familiar commandment4 ,besides1
 you may notice that his left foot does 
not go out nearly to the full extent of 
which a young and vigorous limb should  
be capable1 and it does not go out      
straight2 the bat may move towards the  
ball1 but between it and the left foot  
is a great gap1 through which the ball  
may pass4 ,this is not the only fatal   
result4 ,the left foot is sending the   

weight of the body too much to the left1
 to the leg-side1 instead of straight   
down upon the ball3 there is loss of    
power4 ,now does the fault lie with the 
hands and arms and shoulders that move  
and direct the bat1 or with the left leg
 and foot8 ,sometimes with both1 but    
nearly always with the left leg and     
foot1 which tend to get away from their 
work4 ,the lesson is obvious2 but ,i    
have never heard any coach advise       
players to practise their feet alone4   
,yet how else can one learn to control  
them--that is1 if one does not control  
them instinctively--except by           
concentrating the mind on them at first 
and until they will of themselves do    
what one wants8 ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,fry alone 
seems to realise the importance of the  
feet--of their correct positions and    
movements4 ,for years ,i have been      
studying them in ,racquets and ,tennis1 
for years ,i have been convinced that   
this is why1 ceteris paribus1 most      
unsuccessful players are unsuccessful2  

for years ,i have been training mine2   
and at length1 instead of being always  
unready and out of position in my       
racket-games1 as ,i was at ,marlborough1
 ,i am now told that ,i am almost       
invariably ready and in position4 ,if   
this practice be vitally indispensable  
at ,racquets and at ,tennis1 if it has  
proved abundantly worth while1 why not  
at ,cricket also8 ,in what essential    
respects do strokes at ,cricket differ  
herein from strokes at these games8     
,this is just one example of the lines  
on which much of the book is written4   
,as1 for my own games1 ,i studied       
,latham and ,standing1 ,brown and       
,pettitt1 ,fennell and ,harradine1      
,saunders and ,fairs1 so here ,i have   
studied ,abel1 ,hirst1 and ,shrewsbury4 
,what they do regularly1 if             
unconsciously1 this ,i have found out by
 questions and by the incontrovertible  
evidence of photographs1 and this ,i    
have then analysed and described        
especially for the benefit of beginners1

 but also1 it is hoped1 for the benefit 
of others who--like myself at my own    
games--played and played and played1    
practised and practised and practised1  
but wrongly1 for want of simple         
teaching1 for want of elementary        
apprenticeship1 for want of knowledge   
and mastery of the very alphabet of     
play2 and so scarcely improved but      
rather confirmed their bad habits4  ,let
 me diverge for a moment to give a word 
of warning4 ,to all such                
players--whether their form of exercise 
be ,cricket or ,racquets or ,tennis or  
,lawn ,tennis or other games--,i would  
say3 8,do not grudge time and trouble   
spent over the simple ,a ,b ,c1 at the  
start2 get over the drudgery2 make the  
letters and words automatic--integral   
parts of your very self and of its      
cells1 fibres1 nerves1 and muscles2 then
 and not till then play naturally4 ,but 
do not imagine that it is worth while to
 play naturally so long as at least     
one-third of the mechanism of your body 

is wrongly employed or else atrophied   
through neglect4 ,develop all your      
important muscles 7for pray tell me what
 important muscles are not wanted by a  
good batsman1 a good bowler1 a good     
fielder71 by prompt fast and full       
movements of the two sides of the body  
independently--a most vital point2 by   
extension movements2 by practice in     
weight-shifting and balance2 by         
imitation-batting and its various       
motions1 imitation-bowling1             
imitation-fielding and throwing1 in a   
bedroom or elsewhere4 7,i do a little   
nearly every morning47 ,then and not    
till then will you have a right to tell 
me that you can't play or can't improve 
in spite of nets and games4 ,then and   
not till then will ,i believe you4 ,till
 then1 ,i repeat1 you are not yet a real
 failure4 ,you have not done yourself   
justice40 ,for we wish in this book to  
prove several things that may give hope 
especially to young players and duffers1
 and to those who1 alas1 have abandoned 

our great national game in despair1     
because they have not found it worth the
 expenditure of money1 time1            
tediousness1 and disappointment4  ,let  
us consider in how many respects one may
 very likely be making serious mistakes4
 ,let us realise the multitude of       
possible faults4  #a4 ,first of all--as 
the photographs will clearly show1      
thanks to the new idea of the white line
 out from the middle stump--the feet are
 the foundations of successful and      
therefore of enjoyable play4 ,abel plays
 with his feet4 ,we must have their     
positions and movements not only correct
 but also automatically correct--already
 integral parts of ourselves--if we     
would wait well1 play forward well1 play
 back well1 pull well1 drive well1 step 
or jump out well1 cut well1 cut-drive   
well1 bowl well1 field well4 ,so long as
 we have to be thinking consciously of  
our feet1 we cannot focus our attention 
on the bowler's wrist or the batsman's  
bat4 ,he who would succeed must--unless 

he be a genius1 a born player--drill his
 feet for a few minutes almost every    
day4 ,such drill will be useful for many
 games and forms of sport1 as for       
,football1 ,hockey1 ,track-athletics1   
self-defence1 to say nothing of the     
mental and moral training which are     
indissolubly bound up with the physical4
  #b4 ,secondly1 the weight and the     
balance of the body must be under       
control both during and after the stroke
 or other movement4 ,over his foot-work 
and equilibrium the keen fencer will    
spend many months2 why should not the   
keen cricketer thus spend several hours8
 ,does he not think that ,cricket is of 
more value than many fencings8 ,now     
although the whole weight of the body   
must move together1 especially in the   
forward stroke1 yet perfect balance     
implies perfect 7conscious or else      
sub-conscious7 control of all the       
muscles1 in ,cricket scarcely to a less 
degree than in skating4 ,to put the     
total force into batting or bowling     

would mean with the average player      
either a fall or a strain4 ,but with    
special practice the power is acquired4 
,almost any one can by sheer practice1  
even of the least scientific kind1 learn
 to direct his limbs and yet maintain   
his balance in skating2 and if in       
skating why not in ,cricket also1       
particularly should special             
practice-exercises be devised8 ,these   
have been devised1 and are offered in   
this volume4  #c4 ,it is above all in   
the full extensions that average        
cricketers are weak4 8,i say1 reach out 
and field them10 is the complaint of the
 school captain2 8,come forward to it2  
get your bat well over the ball--get    
right to the pitch of it10 is the       
refrain of the coach4 ,but if the       
ordinary person followed out the        
instructions he would perhaps tumble    
over4 ,extension of legs1 trunk1        
arms--this can be mastered by proper    
practice4 ,fencers and boxers can master
 it2 why not cricketers also8  #d4      

,boxers and 8,bartitsu0 experts have to 
be alert on the balls of their feet1 and
 ready to move now here1 now there--not 
ever to lose poise1 but to put the full 
weight1 to make the full extension1 to  
shoot out the required limb or limbs    
fast and straight and true4 ,the        
batsman1 the fielder1 the bowler 7at    
least after he has bowled71 all have to 
be prompt commanders of their           
many-portioned persons1 waiting for the 
unknown1 or1 rather1 for some one out of
 the several knowns4 ,at present we have
 scarcely any means1 except the         
imagination1 of practising preparedness 
for the unforeseen4 ,but at least we    
can1 again by specially contrived       
exercises as distinct from dumb-bells1  
weight-lifting1 strain-exercisers1      
gymnastics1 develop an almost incredible
 looseness of joint and litheness of    
limb1 so that after a little play at the
 game itself1 merely to have seen the   
ball will mean to have formed 8the      
ready0 in a moment1 and to be waiting in

 8the ready0--8the ready0 being that    
position from which the strokes1 etc41  
are most easily and safely made2 whereas
 without such practice we should have   
stood and waited in 8the unready0 and   
should either have missed the strokes1  
etc41 altogether1 or should have made   
them with difficulty and with risk4  #e4
 ,nor is it mere quickness to prepare   
that the cricketer needs2 he needs also 
quickness to perform1 to carry through4 
,in the hundred yards sprint1 one should
 not only start rapidly1 one should also
 run rapidly4 ,as training for this we  
require fast full movements1 simple to  
begin with 7first for the right side1   
then for the left72 but afterwards more 
and more varied1 complex1 and speedy4   
,nothing could be better here than the  
,macdonald ,smith system4 ,slow         
movements of strain are not to be       
recommended for ,cricket purposes1      
except in so far as they strengthen the 
fingers and the wrist and the forearm4  
,and even these parts should not be     

strengthened till they have already     
become prompt to start and to move1     
lithe and supple under the control of   
the will4  #f4 ,a high authority1 quoted
 in a previous chapter1 asserts that    
,cricket does not need very special     
training4 ,but we insist that1 if one   
wishes--and one ought to wish--to run   
fast and vigorously and to move fast and
 vigorously 7whether as a batsman or as 
a bowler or as a fielder71 one should be
 in condition analogous to that of a    
football three-quarters4 ,quite apart   
from control of special muscles or sets 
of muscles1 one must be able to run and 
move not only fast1 but often2 one must 
have endurance1 or else one will amble  
after a ball--a disgusting sight to the 
true sportsman--instead of racing after 
it4 ,and one should be calm2 calmness1  
,i find in my own case1 is an           
inseparable accompaniment of good       
condition4 ,bad condition is a very     
serious fault2 it 8flusters0 the player4
  ,there is no space to enlarge upon    

errors in detail2 for example1 to warn  
the batsman against bending his right   
knee 7except for the late cut71 or      
against lifting his bat up and back in a
 crooked line before the stroke 7this he
 can test by means of a looking-glass71 
or against standing too far from his    
work as if he were playing ,lawn ,tennis
 or ,golf4 ,these and other hindrances  
to success will be dealt with in the    
special chapters4 ,here let us rather   
try once again to emphasise the fault of
 faults4  8,don't slog at a ball well up
 to the off10 8,don't pull0--these are  
not fundamental rules2 they are good for
 nearly all beginners1 but less         
applicable to him who has mastered the  
mechanism and elements of play already4 
,the mistake is to have failed to master
 this mechanism2 to have neglected the  
apprenticeship--an apprenticeship for a 
game which then becomes in itself an    
admirable apprenticeship for serious    
life as well as a relief from that life1
 and yet is both complex and to a great 

extent against nature in general and the
 nature of a player of ball-games in    
particular4 ,to play forward with full  
force and with the bat near to the left 
foot and not tilted upwards--this       
implies a very special skill1 with      
considerable restraint4 ,the average    
player fails here4 ,he has neglected to 
practise with concentration and care    
certain all-important parts of his      
forward-playing apparatus4 ,he might    
have mastered each one of these parts   
and made it his own1 and then have      
combined them2 the straight full lunge  
with the weight thrown on to the left   
leg and with the right leg stretched    
straight2 the complete forward-extension
 of the left elbow with some            
shoulder-movement2 the turning of the   
left hand so that its knuckles shall    
face the bowler4 ,for a late cut he     
might repeat1 till they become easier   
and easier1 the step across 7an         
imaginary7 wicket with the right foot1  
the shoulder-jerk1 the forearm-jerk1 the

 wrist-flick4 ,other strokes need other 
things2 the pull needs the body-twisting
 from the hips2 bowling needs not only  
large movements but also fine turns of  
the fingers and wrist4 ,let any player  
have neglected such mechanisms1 and he  
need not wonder at ill-success4 ,should 
he disbelieve me1 then he must watch    
some expert at work3 if the expert will 
give an exhibition stripped1 so much the
 better4 ,this will certainly convince  
any one that the co-operation and       
co-ordination of many members of the    
body is demanded by nearly every        
department of the play4  ,the use of the
 left-side will then emerge clearly into
 its prominent importance4 ,cricket can 
claim infinitely more left-sided skill  
and power than any authority seems to   
imagine4 ,a man is said to bat          
right-handed2 but watch his ordinary    
play forward1 feel his left shoulder and
 forearm and his left thigh3 the stroke 
is only more right-sided than           
left-sided4 ,in the drive along the     

ground1 the left arm may serve as a     
powerful check1 as it may in the late   
cut4 ,good fielding requires frequent   
quick and complete extensions of the    
left arm with power to catch while the  
extension is still complete4 ,to throw  
in with the left hand nearly as well as 
with the right is an art alien to nearly
 every one2 but alien by neglect and not
 by want of birthright4 ,every boy      
should be taught to throw with his left 
hand1 or at least to pick up neatly with
 it4 ,nor need any one1 until he has    
tried fairly and failed1 despair of some
 success as a left-hand change-bowler1  
thanks to the break from the leg and the
 unfamiliar point of departure from     
round the wicket4  ,the utter inability 
of at least nine individuals out of ten 
to make a fast1 full1 and free extension
 with the arm in any unexpected         
direction is closely connected with     
their inability to throw the body's     
weight rapidly hither and thither       
without loss of balance1 without        

sacrifice of 8the ready40  ,hence and   
from other sources arise many special   
failings1 which the use of ordinary     
strain-apparatus or heavy dumb-bells    
would probably do very little to        
correct4 ,he whose first aim has been to
 become strong--a lifter or puller or   
pusher--may have hampered his rapidity  
of movement for years1 if not for all   
his active years4 ,of course he needs   
some strength to hold and control a bat2
 but even that should not be developed  
until the limbs already have their      
promptitude and speed4 ,it is not a     
matter of physical 8development0--a term
 used by ignoramuses to veil a multitude
 of faulty methods4 ,it is a matter of  
proper physical development1 one tending
 to freedom4 ,and against this freedom  
,i am sure that the use of 8manly0      
implements and conditions by boys must  
militate4 ,most of the highest          
authorities are agreed here2 ,i select  
one or two quotations3--       8,there  
are three great difficulties with which 

young boys have to      cope--the       
regulation size of the ball1 the full   
distance between      the wickets1 and  
the full size of the bat4 ,some attempt 
has been      made to provide them with 
bats to suit them1 but1 unfortunately1  
most small-sized bats are made of       
inferior wood and are badly      shaped4
 ,all implements and conditions of the  
game should in every      case be       
proportioned to the players40           
8,why in the world is it that small boys
 are made to play cricket      with the 
same sized ball as ,dr4 ,grace and ,mr4 
,bonnor use8 ,what a      ludicrous     
piece of mischievous uniformity this is6
 ,the only hope of      making cricket  
as really attractive and useful to young
 boys as it      might be1 is to reduce 
the size of the ball as well as the size
 of      the bat1 and keep the full     
distance4 ,at present a diminutive brat 
pummels the big ball with all his might1
 and it barely reaches      cover point2
 his best half-volley drive goes meekly 

into mid-on's      hands--or1 rather1 it
 would1 if the ball were not too big to 
get      there4 ,not only is his hitting
 spoilt3 the throwing becomes           
painful1 and the bowling in spite of the
 short distance strains the             
shoulder4 ,the game is out of proportion
 because the fields need      never     
occupy their proper place1 and the ball 
never travels to them      as it will   
hereafter1 nor can they be expected to  
stop it clean      when it does reach   
them4 ,the fact must be insisted on1    
that it is      all important to make   
cricket thoroughly attractive to young  
players1 or they will probably give it  
up40       8,small boys cannot obviously
 use full-sized bats4 ,the mischief     
that results if they do is fatal4 ,it is
 impossible for them to play            
straight1 because the end of the bat    
smites the ground and the      stroke   
comes to naught4 ,besides which1 the    
excessive weight makes      them late   
for all the hits40  ,another            

disadvantage of this premature use of   
heavy implements is that it encourages  
tension4 ,players like ,mr4 ,l4 ,c4 ,h4 
,palairet are singularly free from it2  
but they are so by nature4 ,with        
comparatively few exceptions1 the habit 
of tension is1 alas1 almost national4   
,we ,english are a stiff-bodied and     
stiff-legged people3 the legs and body  
may be fairly big and muscular1 but the 
muscles are of the wrong order for      
,cricket--akin to lumps of wood rather  
than to lithe pieces of snake4 ,even    
when we watch cricket we often watch it 
with tense and strained bodies3 we do   
not sit reasonably comfortable4  ,owing 
to these and other faults hundreds give 
up the game4 ,they say that they can not
 play it regularly 7because it takes up 
too much time71 and that they do not    
play it well enough for it to be worth  
while4 ,they may be anxious to keep in  
practice and to improve1 but they do not
 know how4  ,others are not at all      
anxious2 theirs is the most serious     

hindrance of all--they are not keen4    
,this is to some extent what is called  
8constitutional10 but is largely due to 
ignorance of the ways of learning1 and  
to neglect of some one or more of the   
branches of play4 ,as to-day a person   
may be a clergyman or a surgeon or a    
physician1 but is seldom a healer of the
 whole patient1 so in ,cricket a person 
will be a batsman or a bowler without   
any noticeable ambition to enlarge his  
sphere of skill4 ,in batting he may even
 be a fast-wicket batsman1 failing      
regularly on caked wickets4 ,for        
fielding he has no enthusiasm2 or1 if he
 is a fielder1 he is perhaps good either
 at catching or at picking up or at     
throwing in--not at all4  ,lack of      
enthusiasm1 lack of concentration on and
 absorption in every part of the play as
 its turn comes round1 this is almost   
fatal if not to success at least to     
success that is worth having4 ,and ,i am
 not sure that the grievous and fatal   
error of allowing the eye to leave the  

ball too soon may not be to some extent 
a result of incomplete concentration4   
,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,general ,,training  
,,for ,,cricket4   ,there are some who  
deny that any special or even general   
training is needed for ,cricket4        
,ranjitsinhji says that 8cricket does   
not demand that severe course of        
training which is required by such      
athletic pursuits as football and       
running40 ,that it does not get that    
severe course is obvious2 what it       
demands1 let us examine in the light of 
a few facts which no one would dream of 
disputing4  ,if the game is to flourish1
 if it is to remain interesting 7or1    
shall we say1 to become interesting     
again71 our modern plumb wickets demand 
many more and far better bowlers1       
especially fast and medium bowlers4 ,we 
hear laments over the brief career of a 
,richardson as if it were inevitable2   
but knowing the nature of               
stimulants--they are a kind of whip or  
spur--and that meat is one kind1 tea and

 coffee another1 alcohol another1 to say
 nothing of the irritant stimulants such
 as pepper1 mustard1 and salt1 can we   
expect a man to go unharmed through a   
series of hard seasons if he uses the   
whip or the spur even 8in moderation0   
twice or three times daily during many  
years8 ,now has any well-known fast     
bowler ever yet paid any real and       
special attention to diet 7apart from   
the general adherance to 8moderation0 in
 quantity78 ,has any1 besides1 kept up  
quick and interesting exercise of his   
body during the idle months8 ,i do not  
allude to weight-lifting1 which may be  
fatal to fast bowling1 but to sensible  
exercises and breathing-exercises1 say  
for ten minutes each morning4 ,to me it 
seems obvious that a fast bowler1 if he 
wishes to keep up his pace and          
endurance1 must keep up at least as     
severe a course as football or running  
require4  ,secondly1 if the game is to  
be interesting and to flourish1 we need 
good fielders--the second and ,i think  

the most important reform to counteract 
successful batting4 ,we need fielders to
 be energetic1 always ready to stretch  
out in any direction1 to run in any     
direction at full pace1 alert to back   
up1 quick to throw in accurately4 ,yet  
how many dozen fielders outside the     
,yorkshire and ,australian teams1 how   
many out of our thousands1 are even     
reasonably brisk1 especially at the end 
or even in the middle of a day in the   
country8 ,for my own part ,i should like
 to see a very severe course of training
 here2 if the boys or men are going to  
stand there at all1 let them at any rate
 stand in 8the ready40 ,the listless    
loafing in most school and college      
matches is positively disgusting4       
,thirdly1 the batsman as well as the    
bowler and fielders should 8feel the    
nip10 as ,abel and ,hirst and           
,shrewsbury agree2 it is the result of  
fitness1 and expresses itself chiefly in
 the fingers and wrist 7at my games ,i  
get it in the balls of my feet also74   

,the player should feel it not only     
during the first few minutes of play1   
but to some extent up to half-time at   
any rate4 ,mere endurance is not        
enough--this is not what ,i mean4 ,i    
mean that joy in having hands and feet1 
which should be a general condition1 but
 actually is an occasional              
condition--how many of the players can  
tell you why they have it at            
such-and-such a time8 ,i find it comes  
naturally from my training1 which is as 
severe as ,i should adopt for football  
or athletics1 yet is a 8training without
 straining10 a training that need not   
interfere with brain-work4  ,it is more 
than endurance1 this feeling2 it is     
enduring freshness4 ,and1 until both    
bowlers and fielders get it somehow or  
other1 ,cricket will probably be a      
one-sided affair--poor sport for the    
majority4 ,it is as helps towards this  
enduring freshness that ,i offer a few  
hints as worth putting into practice4   
,let their results speak for them or    

against them4  ,many professionals rely 
on walking1 with an occasional run1 as  
their sole exercise1 and 8not too much0 
as their sole law about diet1 alcohol1  
and tobacco4 ,abel may practice a few   
strokes in a room2 ,hirst may play      
,knur-spell2 ,shrewsbury may get some   
practice on cokernut matting4 ,but for  
the most part net-practice and ,cricket 
itself are waited for and relied on4    
,now all these things are good1 but by  
themselves are not good enough for      
ordinary people4  ,one notices a bowler 
run slackly after a ball1 lest he should
 find himself out of breath4 ,breathing 
exercises are needed by nine cricketers 
out of ten4 ,the whole apparatus--low   
and middle and upper--should be         
developed by full and frequent inhaling 
through the nose1 by brisk movements1 by
 diving and swimming1 and so on4 ,he who
 has a bad wind1 whether because some   
parts of the breathing apparatus are    
undeveloped or overdeveloped1 or owing  
to fatness1 indigestion1 constipation1  

smoking1 drinking1 deficient sleep1 or  
sleep in bad air1 muscular tension1     
etc41 is at a most serious disadvantage4
 ,either he does not run and move with  
speed1 and thus is to that extent an    
inferior batsman1 bowler1 or field1 or  
else he does move and becomes 8puffed10 
and of necessity loses 8eye0 and nerve4 
,as ,murdoch remarks3--8,there is no    
doubt in my mind that running affects   
your eyesight in a greater or lesser    
degree1 according to the condition you  
are in40  ,the following quotation is   
also sound common sense3--8,the better  
your condition1 the less chance there is
 of your doing what boxers have         
generally to do1 and what ,i have often 
heard batsmen express as sparring for   
wind4 ,if you should care to go in for a
 system of training1 it can only do     
good2 for in every department of the    
game1 the better condition you are in1  
the better chances you have of doing    
yourself justice4 ,good condition means 
stamina1 and you certainly want this to 

play a long innings2 and solely for the 
want of it ,i have seen batsmen get out4
 ,you certainly require it1 should you  
have a day's outing in the field1       
especially so if you are a bowler2 so my
 advice is to make it a rule to be as   
fit as possible40  ,but to return to    
breathing1 breathing slowly outwards1   
together with a relaxing of the muscles1
 tends not only to endurance 7by economy
 of force71 but also to calmness1       
patience1 and contentment4 ,all players1
 and especially the nervous1 need a very
 fine course of nerve-training in these4
  ,with the calmness1 however1 there    
must be promptness and quickness4 ,the  
senses must send a quick message to the 
brain1 which must then give a quick     
order to the muscles1 which in their    
turn must quickly work together in      
harmony4 ,as to the senses1 we need to  
have a clear eye1 and--a much           
under-estimated help--a keen ear4       
,therefore we need clear blood1 which   
will give us also clean joints and clean

 limbs--joints free from deposits1 limbs
 free from excessive fat or water or    
waste4 ,we need a brisk intellect1      
including a sensitive observation and   
retentive memory4 ,these may all be     
trained by the ,macdonald ,smith        
,system1 which ,i should like to see as 
a part of national education4 ,it is not
 complete1 but it is extremely useful4  
,it will help1 for example1 to give a   
quick and fairly strong wrist without   
that stiffness which is singularly fatal
 in nearly every province of the game4  
,exercises according to this system1    
together with exercises in complete     
extensions1 will be suggested in other  
chapters4 ,i should like to do away     
altogether with that popular test 8,how 
large does the muscle look80 and to     
substitute for it1 among other tests1   
8,how far does the limb stretch80 ,in   
the other chapters will also be         
emphasised the importance of balance3   
one must be able to use weight without  
loss of poise4  ,the subject of training

 has been dealt with in a special volume
 of this library1 and food in particular
 has formed the subject of 8,muscle1    
,brain1 and ,diet40 ,here we must be    
content to select a very few hints of a 
general kind4 ,let us begin with food4  
,to what we shall say there will be     
exceptions4 ,some players are at their  
very best after the grossest excesses1  
perhaps partly because the blood has    
been cleared for the time by the        
quantities of stimulants2 but such      
excesses cannot be relied on to produce 
the very best4 ,moreover1 few such men  
last long1 even though for a while the  
outward eye sees little or no decay4 ,if
 any one thinks he must have an         
occasional 8bust10 let it be very       
occasional4 ,far safer advice would be  
as follows3--,find out what is          
nourishing to you4 ,don't assume that it
 must be meat4 ,it may be cheese or     
,plasmon1 or the pulses or nut foods or 
good grain-foods1 all of which have     
plenty of blood-forming and             

cell-building proteid1 as this little   
table will show3--  ,,approximate       
,,amount ,,of ,,proteid ,,in ,,various  
,,foods 7,,uncooked74      ,beef #bj4   
,fish #aj4     ,eggs #ab to #af4        
,cheese #bj to #cj4     ,plasmon #gj to 
#hj4     ,peas 7dried7 #ba4     ,lentils
 and haricots #bc4     ,nuts #aj to #bd 
7walnuts and filberts #ad74     ,hovis  
#aj4     ,wheat and whole-wheat products
 #aa4  ,roots and tubers1 vegetables and
 salads1 and most fruits1 though useful 
for other purposes1 are poor in proteid4
  ,take enough nourishment3 let that be 
your first rule4 ,take say four to five 
ounces of proteid a day1 trying and     
testing several sources when you have   
little at stake 7as on ,sundays74 ,you  
can generally control one of your daily 
meals4 ,start the experiment there4 ,eat
 slowly and enjoy the taste fully4      
,don't swallow disagreeable masses of   
vegetables or slops3 that is neither    
sense nor science4 ,on ,sunday give the 
in-side a holiday3 that is both sense   

and religion4 ,let the ,sabbath rest for
 the digestion be your second rule4     
,find out what are stimulants and       
narcotics1 and let your third rule be   
this3 never to become the slave of them2
 never to rely on them2 above all1 never
 to let yourself increase the quantity  
so that you have to add to the previous 
dose before anything 8begins to count40 
,this is a practical counsel1 rather    
than a counsel of perfection4  ,if you  
are against any great change1 any       
experimentation1 then let me give you   
some commonplaces1 they are better than 
nothing4 ,keep to moderation in         
quantity2 go early to bed1 till you find
 the fascinations of a fresh head and   
body in the morning and throughout the  
day and many days to follow1 greater    
than the fascination night after night  
of drinking1 smoking1 and cards2 sleep  
with shut mouth1 open windows1 light    
clothes2 rise or work early2 clean      
yourself with warm water and friction2  
invigorate yourself with cool or cold   

water and friction1 then with brisk full
 movements2 relax your limbs for a few  
moments now and at bed-time2 never have 
anxiety about anything2 never have      
ill-feeling against anyone2 add to this 
little repertoire all helps that are    
available everywhere1 however poor you  
may be--not champagne1 but air-and-light
 baths1 massage1 and so on4 ,be clean   
with mind and mouth as well as in body  
and limb2 keep your physical vigour for 
play2 study health1 not morbidly1 but   
sensibly2 be able to box1 and supplement
 ,cricket with other games and          
exercises4  ,during the play1 play with 
your whole heart and soul1 as a member  
of a team1 but as an important and      
special member4 ,concentrate not only   
while batting1 bowling1 and fielding1   
but while watching the niceties and     
learning new points1 and also while     
practising at a net or in a room2 as    
when you exercise yourself at starting  
in various directions1 or at            
step-dancing 7as ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,fry      

advises71 or at fast extensions1 such as
 stooping1 or at throwing movements1 or 
at bowling-movements4 ,concentrate as if
 there were nothing else at all in the  
whole world but to do each of these     
things very well--to do each of them    
better than any one ever expected you   
would be able to4 ,throw your           
nerve-power1 your will and mind1 your   
self1 into your muscles1 or1 if you     
prefer1 into their reflection in the    
looking-glass4 ,each pavilion should    
have a large mirror in it4 ,at odd      
moments imagine different movements1    
different strokes--and especially when  
undesirable thoughts come1 unless you   
have strength of mind to tire yourself  
out before sleep4  ,perhaps you will    
never become very great at batting1     
though fair batting seems to me to be   
within the reach of most people who take
 the proper trouble2 perhaps not very   
great at bowling either1 though how most
 boys or men should expect to bowl while
 they have huge muscle-areas and tiny   

muscle areas so ill-controlled1 ,i      
cannot tell2 at least1 however1 you may 
become great at fielding--quick to start
 and run1 sure to catch4 ,think what    
that needs--and practise accordingly4   
,so much for the attention when you are 
playing1 practising1 or training1 and   
when you are idle or inclined to worse  
than idleness4 ,insist on complete      
concentration2 recall again and again   
your wandering thought1 your roving eye 
and inquisitive ear4 ,say to yourself1  
8,this one thing ,i do now with all my  
heart40  ,but apply that same           
concentration to whatever you do1 if it 
is really worth doing1 or has to be     
done4 ,let each thing in turn be the    
sole thing for which you were born4     
,when other things are to be done1      
resolve not to do or think ,cricket4 ,i 
believe that this may prove an excellent
 cure for staleness4  ,the question of  
8staleness0 has already been well       
discussed by ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,steel1 ,mr4  
,edward ,lyttelton1 and many others4 ,in

 my own games ,i believe ,i am never    
stale now1 and ,i attribute this        
blessing chiefly to my diet4 ,in the    
8trinity of games10 ,cricket1 there need
 be no staleness through boredom1 if    
only the player will cultivate          
all-roundness of play1 and will prepare 
for and supplement his ,cricket by good 
brain-work1 simple exercises1 and       
general health-culture4 ,much staleness 
is the result of excessive1 or else     
badly-chosen1 or else badly-used1 or    
else deficient exercise1 food1 air1 and 
so on2 some is the result of the law of 
vitality and of victory1 that energy and
 success shall not be level1 but shall  
have tides2 scarcely any1 ,i believe1   
rests with ,cricket itself4 ,as more    
than one able writer has pointed out1 a 
successful cricketer is1 ipso facto1 not
 stale4  ,i am reluctant to preach1 but 
it is useless to edit a book on cricket 
without making clear to the reader that 
there is a problem for him to solve for 
himself4 ,no one else can possibly solve

 it for him4 ,the most ,i can do is to  
show my idea of the value of            
,cricket--the idea of one who has not   
excelled at it1 but who has decided to  
practise it for all that it's worth4    
,what is it worth8 ,on the answer will  
depend the answer to the question1 8,is 
it worth much training80 ,for myself1 ,i
 unhesitatingly say 8,yes40 ,during the 
next two years ,i shall practise        
exercises for ,cricket--for batting1    
bowling1 and fielding2 perhaps ,i shall 
not appear in any game or match at all  
till then4 ,this must not be            
misunderstood4 ,i shall focus my powers 
upon the exercises and practice1 but    
before and afterwards ,i shall try to   
keep them and the game in proper        
perspective with reference to           
brain-work1 character1 the whole life4  
,others must do the same1 and cultivate 
,cricket according as it shall seem     
likely to help with reference to these  
ends--not as first thing1 ,i know2 not  
as last thing1 ,i hope1 but wherever it 

shall aid the body-building and         
mind-building of a citizen of the       
,british ,empire and of the world4 ,and 
let me add a word4 ,i am not sure that  
you will ever find a more all-round     
exercise for the whole self1 the whole  
man 7including the 8social animal0 of   
,aristotle71 than ,cricket will be3 it  
is not yet so1 but will be if it is     
properly played and practised and       
trained for1 if----  ,but if it is not  
properly done1 if you don't watch the   
game properly1 trying to get hints for  
use2 if you don't ask for advice from   
the best professionals1 experts1        
veterans1 and spectators--they are the  
people2 if you loaf in the field and    
will not be prompt to start and stretch 
and sprint and pick up and throw in1 and
 safe 8to have and to hold02 if you will
 not learn to bat with the help of your 
feet and legs 7,i don't mean your pads71
 as well as with a straight bat and     
forward left elbow2 if you will not do  
exercises without which you cannot tell 

whether you will be a bowler or not2 if 
you will not train1 or give up anything1
 or study health at all2 or1 on the     
other hand1 if you will not work1 and do
 not feel inclined to2 well1 then1 ,i   
shall say1 ,cricket is not worth much to
 you unless you are a born cricketer and
 also a born all-round boy or man4 ,at  
the most it is an open-air occupation   
with a certain value for health1        
hardihood1 discipline1 social           
intercourse1 but not much even of a     
recreation4 ,at its best its physical   
results may and probably must develop   
corresponding intellectual and moral    
results1 if not in this generation and  
in this life1 then surely in the next4  
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,special ,,exercises
 ,,and ,,notes ,,on ,,practice4   ,if   
any reader can easily perform the       
various movements of ,cricket as shown  
in the photographs and in the actual    
play of experts1 he does not require    
special exercises for ,cricket4 ,but--if
 we may judge by results--he is the     

exception2 he is the genius1 the born   
player4 ,how is it that we have so long 
tolerated ,carlyle's ridiculous         
assertion1 8,genius is an infinite      
capacity for taking pains08 ,this is    
just precisely what genius is not4 ,in  
,cricket the genius-player plays        
correctly without taking pains1 almost  
without taking thought4 ,for such       
players this book is not written4 ,it is
 written for beginners and others1 to   
suggest certain exercises and practice  
and principles of practice which are not
 necessarily quite correct1 but which   
are the best which some of the most     
successful models have hitherto enabled 
me to devise in order that care and art 
8may triumph over nature till art       
becomes natural40 ,it is this second    
nature1 this sedulously acquired nature1
 which now has become so much a part of 
myself at ,tennis or ,racquets that the 
sedulous attention is utterly denied by 
many4 ,what ,i have done at these games1
 others can do at ,cricket4  ,is such   

practice worth while8 will be the       
question asked here1 as in the chapter  
on ,training4 ,here1 as there1 the      
answer depends on whether ,cricket well 
7or better7 played is worth while8 ,what
 is meant by ,cricket well played8      
,enjoyment1 health1 physical and mental 
and moral education4 ,if these are      
brought or increased by improvement1 and
 if improvement results from such       
practice1 then such practice is worth   
while4 ,only personal experiment can    
decide on the merits or demerits of the 
system2 certainly it is economical of   
time as well as of money1 since five or 
ten minutes a day are quite enough4     
,the part-by-part system of practice has
 been defended at some length in 8,the  
,training of the ,body40 ,american      
athletes use it with great energy and   
great success2 examples are given in the
 chapter on ,fielding4 ,mr4 ,edward     
,lyttelton1 in his book on ,cricket1    
remarks of the learner that 8his        
principal task may be described as      

learning certain motions till they      
become habits44440 ,while he frequently 
advises bedroom-practice with a bat and 
without a ball1 he does not suggest     
bedroom-practice without a bat4 ,yet it 
is by such practice first of one part of
 the mechanism1 then of another1 that   
all the parts can be made good and easy 
and then by degrees be combined         
harmoniously together in good and easy  
strokes4 ,otherwise some part or parts  
will almost certainly be done wrongly4  
,for many of the strokes and other      
movements of ,cricket are not           
natural--are even against the natural   
movements4 ,the reader should study what
 ,ranjitsinhji says on pp4 #aeb and #aeh
 of his book 7,first ,edition74 ,he     
says3 8,both batting and bowling call   
into play particular muscles0 7,i       
suppose he means 8combinations of       
muscles07 8which they alone can         
exercise40 ,one might add wicket-keeping
 and fielding1 with their quick stooping
 and stretching to this side or to that4

 ,let the forward-stroke be again       
outlined1 to show how little likely one 
is ever to master its mechanism without 
mastering the parts of it4  ,in order to
 smother a ball successfully by         
forward-play1 one needs an eye to watch 
and observe intelligently and to send a 
report quickly and accurately to the    
brain1 and then to watch again2 this1   
and what will follow1 one needs to have 
as nearly automatic as possible4 ,one   
must have a good brain to order and     
ensure correct and well-timed and       
co-ordinated movements of the muscles2  
these include 7#a7 a rapid and direct   
lunge of the left foot1 slightly to the 
left of the approaching ball1 and with  
the body-weight2 7#b7 a firm right foot 
and straight right leg2 7#c7 the head   
coming 7with the body-weight7 over the  
left foot2 7#d7 a rapid and direct      
extension of left wrist1 left elbow1    
left shoulder1 the knuckles of the left 
hand leading the way1 the fullest force 
to come at the instant when the bat     

shall strike the ball2 7#e7 a straight  
bat 7covering the wickets as much as    
possible72 7#f7 preservation or rapid   
recovery of balance2 7#g7 alertness to  
run forward1 if necessary4 ,these being 
some of the requisites1 how many are    
likely to possess them merely through   
net-practice or games8  ,of course some 
net-practice and games must come before 
and while the part-by-part system is    
tried1 if only to give interest to the  
system1 to show the difficulties of the 
game1 to show the progress made1        
and--because human nature is as it is4  
,but too many games by themselves will  
tend chiefly to accentuate and habituate
 the natural movements1 which are       
faults4 ,the probability of many        
faults--,i myself had nearly all when ,i
 played--will be clear if we consider   
how many different classes of movements 
are involved in the stock-in-trade of a 
good all-round cricketer4 ,we are so    
deluged by the general word 8exercise10 
that we forget how many provinces it    

has1 instead of being simply a matter of
 large biceps and power to lift weights4
 ,such symptoms have little to do with  
success in ,cricket2 they may even have 
something to do with failure in so far  
as--for example--they bring with them   
slowness and neglect of the internal    
organs of the body4 ,i notice that one  
book of 8,physical ,culture0 suggests a 
series of strain-exercises as useful for
 batting1 bowling1 etc4 ,i should       
consider these to be hindrances rather  
than helps4 ,imagine a person who should
 practise fast throwing1 by movements   
against a strong resistance6  ,if only  
in order to expose the fallacy that     
every form of 8exercise0--any and every 
exercise in a gymnasium or              
elsewhere--must be useful for the       
motions of ,cricket1 let us note   ,,the
 ,,different ,,classes ,,of ,,exercises 
which are demanded by ,cricket as a     
8trinity of games10 including the two   
very complex arts of batting            
7forward-play1 driving1 back-play1      

cutting1 etc471 and of fielding         
7starting1 running1 catching1 picking   
up1 throwing in1 etc474  ,fast full     
movements are to be found in all these  
departments of the game1 as the         
photographs will show3 for example1 one 
often stretches out quickly to the full 
reach in forward-play1 in overhand      
bowling1 in fielding a ball nearly out  
of reach4  ,these and other features of 
play require not only a fast and full   
movement1 but also an independent       
control of the various muscles in       
various combinations1 and a rapid start4
  ,fast and partial 7or arrested7       
movements are scarcely less important4  
,thus the batsman must be able to draw  
certain strokes up with a sharp jerk1   
lest he send a catch2 the bowler to     
alter his action by using some part of  
his mechanism only slightly2 the fielder
 to let go the ball at the right point  
during the action of the throw4 ,the    
feint at boxing and at all games often  
requires this partial or arrested       

movement of some muscles1 and therefore1
 again1 independent control of these as 
well as a rapid start4  ,some movements 
will be fast1 some less fast1 some quite
 slow4 ,one should control the pace4    
,this must all be with balance3 he who  
has played forward must immediately be  
ready to run2 he who has bowled1 to     
catch or field or get behind the wicket2
 he who has run to field a ball1 to     
throw it in4 8,the ready10 that is to   
say the most effective point de dpart1  
must be lost either never or for the    
smallest possible fragment of time4  ,in
 the first class of movements we had    
extensions1 say of the left arm in      
fielding1 made fast and fully4          
,sometimes such extensions must be not  
only made1 but also held1 as when one   
stoops to field a ball with the left    
hand or stretches that hand out to make 
a high catch4 ,at the end of this       
complete and sustained stretch there    
must be mastery of the mechanism3 the   
hand must first yield slightly1 then    

grasp safely4  ,some strength is needed 
for forearm1 wrist1 thumb and fingers1  
etc4 ,it is probable that strength is a 
quality to be acquired last1 or at any  
rate after the rapid and ready and      
independent control of the muscles2 lest
 prematurely elaborated strength and    
strain bring sluggishness and tardiness4
  ,the numerous co-ordinations of       
muscles and muscle-groups 7as outlined  
above1 in the case of the forward       
stroke71 must be under the sway of the  
well-timing eye which sends reports     
through the nervous system4 ,exercises  
are needed in observation as well as--to
 use technical language--in 8quick and  
correct response to external stimulus10 
in 8immediate and happy selection of    
harmoniously performing muscular        
combinations40 ,to the accuracy of      
observation1 and of choice of muscles1  
the senses of hearing and touch also    
contribute their share4 ,some expert    
players exercise them abundantly4  ,the 
imagination 7based on the memory7 must  

play an important part2 aside from any  
picture-painting in the mind1 of oneself
 as batting correctly but attackingly1  
bowling steadily but headily1 fielding  
surely but briskly1 one must have as a  
kind of background during the game the  
position of the wickets1 the fielders1  
and so on4  ,it would be possible to    
classify the exercises differently4     
,thus we might consider1 for example1   
running 7ordinary starting and running  
forwards and backwards1 sideways        
starting and sideways running forwards  
and backwards--no easy task--71 jumping1
 bending1 turning1 lunging1 stretching1 
and so on4 ,there will be movements not 
only for the feet and legs and trunk1   
but also for the neck in various        
directions1 for the shoulder 7jerking   
and twisting71 the whole arm1 the       
forearm1 the wrist1 the fingers2 if one 
studies three or four catches1 one sees 
how many parts of the body are to be    
used4  ,but the feet and legs are the   
foundation4 ,we hear much talk of the   

straight bat and the straight line of   
the bat's movement2 but the feet and    
legs1 their positions1 their poise1     
their motions--these are the roots of   
success in ,cricket as in ,racquets and 
,tennis4 ,i attribute nearly nine-tenths
 of my mistakes at these games to-day to
 mistakes made by the feet4  ,last1 but 
not least1 we must mention the need for 
supplementary exercises4 ,cricket should
 be not only trained for1 prepared for1 
and played1 but also supplemented4      
,left-side exercises1 in particular1    
should correct the balance upset by the 
excessive use of the right side4        
,before we come to details1 to actual   
exercises1 we must first know how to do 
these exercises4 ,a few hints on        
practice and its methods are            
indispensable4 ,i crave the reader's    
patience while he listens to what may   
seem unpractical1 but is really no less 
essential than the exercises themselves4
   ,,general ,,hints ,,on ,,the         
,,exercises ,,and ,,on ,,practice4  ,the

 exercises which follow in the next     
section are not complete2 they are      
samples which each reader should        
supplement as well as correct4 ,there is
 need of individual observation here as 
everywhere2 let every one be prepared to
 amend and to add4 ,this will make my   
suggestions far more interesting and    
useful4 ,for instance1 let him watch how
 it is that men get out or send chances2
 let him watch 7in games or from behind 
nets7 each part of the stroke separately
 at first--the feet in particular4 ,let 
him ask professionals and other experts 
about the right pose and the right      
motion of each part4  ,then let him     
practise part by part4  ,for if the     
whole movement consists of ten to twenty
 parts combined together1 and if of     
these ten to twenty parts at least five 
to ten parts are naturally wrong1 how   
can he ever learn the whole             
satisfactorily1 how can he ever unlearn 
the wrong and learn the right whole1    
unless he unlearn the wrong and learn   

the right parts1 one by one8 ,as ,mr4   
,edward ,lyttelton says1 8,on the       
principle of doing one thing at a time1 
it is admissible in practice1 especially
 at first1 to concentrate the attention 
upon each requirement separately4 ,he   
ought to do the one1 but not leave the  
others undone60 ,let me illustrate this4
 ,at one time ,i could not write an     
essay2 all my essays were marked as very
 bad4 ,then ,i found out by degrees that
 essay-writing 7like batting or         
fielding7 was a complex art1 and        
included1 for me1 the collection of true
 and useful ideas1 the selection of     
those which were wanted1 the underlining
 of the most important1 the illustration
 of these by comparisons1 contrasts1    
etc41 the arrangement of these and the  
others1 care for the beginning that it  
might be interesting1 care for the      
ending that it might be impressive1 and 
then--and not till then--the expression 
of the ideas1 which was to be           
grammatical1 clear1 brief1 forcible1    

appropriate1 musical1 and indeed full of
 virtues4 ,all these processes can be   
considered separately2 ,i believe that  
they can all be mastered separately2 ,i 
believe that an essay can possess any   
one or two or more of these virtues     
without possessing the rest4 ,i am      
trying to improve gradually in each     
process separately4 ,this also has been 
my method for learning ,racquets and    
,tennis and other games4 ,i have called 
it the part-by-part method4 ,a perfect  
whole is not a mere collection of       
perfect parts2 it is a perfectly        
harmonious co-operation of perfect      
parts4 ,the perfect parts must be       
combined4 ,yet the common sense of the  
reader will tell him that no perfect    
whole can possibly exist unless every   
part of it be perfect in itself4 ,let   
the genius do his work without knowing  
how2 duffers like myself must be content
 to begin by separate control of the    
individual mechanisms4 ,the combinations
 can be made later on4  ,even if we     

insist on doing the whole as a whole1   
yet it is on each part in turn that we  
must concentrate our mind and focus our 
attention4 ,independent control must1 as
 a general rule1 precede the various    
combinations4 ,such concentration on    
each part in turn need not produce      
jerkiness3 it has not done so 7except at
 the beginning of the practice7 where ,i
 have applied it4 ,it has seemed rather 
to send more blood to the part used1 to 
shorten the process of learning4  ,it is
 important that one should at first look
 at the part which is being used1 till  
it can attend to itself by itself2 that 
is1 until it works easily and           
half-automatically4 ,or1 if one likes1  
one can look at the reflection of that  
part in a mirror3 this plan has its     
advantages4 ,choose whichever plan you  
prefer4  ,for every reason1 including   
attention1 slow and full breathing      
through the nose is essential to good   
practice4  ,correctness must precede    
pace1 and correctness with me has always

 demanded not only attention but also   
slowness at the start4  ,pace is the    
next requisite4 ,it comes to some extent
 with sheer repetition2 but it must also
 be increased purposely4 ,it must       
precede endurance and strength4 ,for my 
own games ,i begin with no implement at 
all1 so as to preserve freedom2 then ,i 
use a handle2 then the racket4 ,i put   
speed and freedom and ease next after   
correctness4  ,endurance can almost be  
left to take care of itself4 ,the       
oftener one does an exercise correctly  
and attentively1 the less easily tired  
the muscles will be4  ,only one must not
 practise to excess4 ,before great      
fatigue or even before great boredom1   
the exercise should be stopped or       
changed4 ,during the interval the       
newly-learnt movements will be more     
completely 8assimilated40 ,when the     
joints are well freed1 the movements    
should be not only fast but also        
full--that is1 complete in both         
directions1 so as to empty out the      

capillaries of the muscles and allow    
fresh blood to flow in4  ,for the sake  
of economy of energy the unused parts   
should be loose and relaxed1 not tight  
and tense4  ,exercises done thus1 with a
 brisk snap1 and a staccatoed #a--b1    
or--for a forward-stroke--ot--bck1 are  
far more valuable than the dull         
strength-and-strain grinding of many    
so-called physical culture schools4     
,these extensions of the muscles should 
be not simply made and then lost2 they  
should be held for a second or two4     
,this holding of the extreme limit of   
reach will be a wonderful help for      
batting1 bowling1 and fielding4 ,notice 
the full extensions in photographs4     
,the balance is to be recovered promptly
 or else not lost appreciably4  ,the    
different simple movements1 thoroughly  
mastered1 should be combined in twos1   
and then in threes1 the complexity being
 increased gradually1 but without the   
decrease either of correctness or of    
promptitude4  ,strength--the power to   

lift or push or sustain heavy           
weights--is to come last of all4 ,the   
wrist needs considerable strength1 but  
it must not get that strength till after
 it has speed4 ,any strain that cramps  
one and makes one slow is undesirable   
for the mind as well as for the body4   
,faults should be detected by another1  
or by means of comparison between       
photographs of experts and one's self in
 a looking-glass4 ,having detected the  
fault1 correct it by concentrating the  
mind on the part concerned1 and then    
exaggerating the opposite fault4 ,thus1 
if you are inclined to send catches in  
the slips1 you are probably playing away
 to the left rather than straight at the
 ball4 ,find out which part of your     
mechanism is wrong2 perhaps the left    
foot may be moving too much to the left4
 ,if so1 then correct that by moving it 
purposely too much to the right4 ,find  
the error1 and find the reason why it is
 an error4  ,many short1 sharp spells1  
with concentration1 may be better than  

one long spell4  ,the maximum of air and
 light should be admitted into the      
exercising-place1 and the minimum of    
clothing should be worn4 ,there should  
be a good wash and rub afterwards4      
,there are many odd moments when wrist- 
or finger-exercises may be tried2 or    
when a cricket-ball may be handled and  
fingered till it becomes a familiar     
friend4 ,thus the grips of ,hirst 7see  
the photographs7 and others can be      
partially mastered in this way4  ,as to 
the imitation of others1 authorities    
differ4 ,certainly ,i should say1 ,do   
not imitate any marked peculiarities    
until you have control of the chief     
muscles which you may have to use4 ,it  
is only after mastering the complete    
mechanism that you are in a position to 
choose4 ,premature imitation is not     
advisable4 ,later on1 it may be well to 
study some expert of about one's own    
build1 and try whether certain of his   
habits are useful to oneself or not4    
,so far from urging that less attention 

be paid to the learning of ,cricket1 ,i 
urge that far more attention be paid to 
it at the beginning1 if ,cricket is to  
be played at all4 ,i should like to see 
a few lessons thoroughly learnt2 ,i     
should like to see these made           
interesting by biograph-mutoscope       
illustrations1 especially of bowlers4 ,a
 series of such illustrations would pay 
a ,company well4 ,the boys should watch 
these and then reproduce them4 ,i should
 urge more attention at the beginning2  
but1 on the whole1 less time4 ,a quarter
 of an hour's practice might often take 
the place of play or net-practice at the
 beginning4 ,there would be increased   
economy of time1 and afterwards         
increased skill and enjoyment4 ,one     
would be training 8,young ,england0 in  
method4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,we may now give samples of
   ,,actual ,,exercises1  referring the 
reader further to the special ,chapters 
on ,fielding1 etc4  ,we have already    
insisted on the importance of           

foot-and-leg exercises in starting1     
running 7sideways and backwards and     
forwards as well as straight forwards71 
jumping1 bending1 and stretching4 ,the  
exercises lie at the roots of successful
 play1 even if a few genius-players can 
bat well without them4 ,for batting one 
needs in particular the sideways-running
 with the straight right leg as the     
basis of action4  ,the body-swing upon  
the hips1 with powerful play of the     
muscles round the shoulder1 is scarcely 
less useful in all three departments of 
the game3 it has been described in a    
previous chapter4 ,every fast bowler    
knows how his back under his arms       
7especially the latissimus dorsi        
muscles7 aches after his first day of   
practice4  ,the shoulders should be     
jerked up1 down1 backwards1 forwards2   
and also rotated4 ,to keep both         
shoulders always back is not the ideal  
for a cricketer1 who must be able to    
move either shoulder in any direction   
which the joints and muscles allow4 ,if 

one feels the shoulders of good players 
while they go through the action of     
batting 7including the cut of some      
players71 bowling1 and fielding1 one is 
amazed at the amount of work that they  
do1 work for which the arm and wrist get
 much of the credit4  ,the forearm also 
requires to be jerked powerfully and    
fully1 especially by the action 7as     
already described7 of whipping a        
peg-top4  ,full extensions of the arm   
are to be made in various directions3   
for example1 one should reach up1 down1 
out1 across4 ,they should be made1 and  
then held4 ,at the end of them should be
 added some action of the fingers4 ,it  
must be remembered that the wrist and   
fingers have to do not a little work at 
the full extension1 whether in bowling  
or in fielding or 7occasionally7 in     
batting4 ,let the wrist-joint go the    
full distance2 beyond that point let it 
move about1 and let the fingers move    
about4  ,the hand needs to be shaken out
 as if it were a flag at the end of a   

stick4 ,then let it be exercised in     
various directions4 ,first let there be 
the freedom1 next the fast and full     
movements in each direction1 next the   
partial movements4  ,finger-exercises   
can be tried at any vacant moment4 ,the 
other hand can help to free them and    
stretch them and strengthen them by     
resistance3 for here1 as with the wrist1
 one does need some strength1 some      
straining power1 against the ball or    
bat4  ,massage is useful throughout     
these exercises1 but is most easily     
applied to the fingers4 8,deposits10    
which are causes and signs of fatal     
stiffness1 may thus be removed1 while   
the use of oil rubbed in1 and attention 
to diet1 will hasten the cure4 ,the     
heat-treatment 7known as the            
8baking-cure071 and the electric-light  
treatment1 are both to be recommended4  
,each finger should be exercised and    
developed separately1 but the first     
finger in particular1 for the sake of   
batting as well as bowling3 the bat     

sometimes is held chiefly if not solely 
by this finger and the thumb4 ,the full 
extensions and full flexions should be  
eventually both fast and strong1 and    
also independent of the wrist-movements1
 so that for instance1 while the        
bowler's wrist is still or putting on   
one break1 his fingers may move or be   
putting on another break1 with intent to
 deceive4 ,the thumb must not be        
neglected4 ,it can be freed and extended
 and strengthened by the aid of the     
other hand4  ,as we suggested just now1 
a ball should occasionally be held in   
the otherwise idle fingers1 a ,lawn     
,tennis ball being at first preferable  
until the fingers have stretched and    
grown powerful4 ,various grips and      
movements should thus become familiar4  
,a box-full of old balls might be used  
in order to practise bowling or         
fielding3 the ,lawn ,tennis ball        
exhibits the effects of a break or curl 
in the air far more clearly than a      
,cricket ball4 ,the practice may be by  

the player himself against a wall1 or   
with another player1 a stump being put  
between the two1 and a third player     
acting as wicket-keep4  ,there should be
 practice of alertness1 of control of   
the body's weight1 after each set of    
large muscle movements4 ,for ,racquets  
and ,tennis ,i often practise in my     
bedroom a hard service of one kind or   
another1 and then ,i immediately recover
 that waiting position from which ,i    
must be prepared to start in almost any 
direction at once4 ,i suppose that      
skating must be almost the ideal        
training for weight-control4  ,the      
following exercises may be found very   
useful for various reasons3 ,peg-top    
whipping1 some ball-game exerciser 7like
 the patent for ,lawn ,tennis1 but      
adapted to ,cricket71 ,fencing1 ,boxing1
 ,bartitsu1 ,hockey1 ,golf1 ,racquets1  
,tennis1 ,lawn ,tennis1 ,fives1 ,squash1
 hopping and skipping4  ,these are      
merely suggestions4 ,each reader is     
urged to devise his own means of        

exercise4 ,let him work on the lines    
that ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,fry so admirably lays
 down in an article in the 8,strand40   
,he says1 with reference to his high    
jumping3 8,i believe what did me more   
good than anything else was doing       
standing jumps regularly1 every morning1
 over a big arm-chair in my room20 and1 
again3 8,although1 like most other      
footballers1 ,i improved in value in    
some respects after ,i left school1 and 
became heavier and stronger1 ,i have    
never since been able to kick as neatly 
and accurately as ,i could then4 ,i put 
this down partly to the constant        
practice we used to have at school in   
kicking a football about at odd hours1  
on a piece of ground called the paddock1
 and partly to the constant playing of  
what we called #8yard football4' ,we    
used to play this game in the asphalt   
yards attached to our houses1 wearing   
tennis shoes and using an indiarubber   
ball about a third the size of a        
football4 ,this game made one very      

accurate and quick with one's feet4 ,i  
have often wished since ,i could get the
 same sort of practice40  ,mr4 ,edward  
,lyttelton is equally to the point1 when
 he remarks3 8,the truth must be        
insisted on2 many a cricket match has   
been won in the bedroom4 ,and even with 
the ball a good deal may be done4 ,i    
could name two eminent batsmen who used1
 as boys1 to wait till after the day's  
play was over1 and the careless crowd   
had departed1 and in the pavilion gave  
ten minutes or a quarter of an hour to  
practising a particular style of        
defence1 about which more anon2 the one 
bowled fast sneaks along the floor to   
the other1 at about ten paces distance4 
,this1 too1 yielded fruit in its time4  
,like all other great achievements1 the 
getting a score against good bowling is 
the result of drudgery1 patiently1      
faithfully borne4 ,but the drudgery of  
cricket is itself a pleasure1 and let no
 young cricketer suppose that he can    
dispense with it1 though some few gifted

 performers have done great things with 
apparently little effort40  ,besides the
 exercises outlined here1 each player   
should certainly use supplementary      
exercises1 especially for the breathing 
muscles1 the abdominal muscles1 the     
erector spinae1 and the trapezius4 ,so  
many of them are needed to correct      
deformities that ,i prefer not to offer 
any samples here4 ,some system should be
 chosen which gives exercises graduated 
according to the individual4#f  ,the    
left side needs to be used in exercises 
and in games4 ,a few words must be said 
about this much-neglected half4  ,the   
left side probably should not be trained
 up to the same pitch of excellence and 
versatility as the right side4 ,not only
 are some of the organs on the two sides
 different 7for example1 the stomach1   
liver1 and heart71 but apparently the   
supply of blood to the two sides is not 
equal4 ,on the other hand1 our present  
neglect and consequent atrophy of the   
left side is scandalously unfair and    

obviously disastrous in its general     
results on health and physique4 ,even   
for ,cricket alone1 we require the left 
side for fielding1 and 7far more than   
most people imagine7 for batting1       
especially in forward-play4 ,moreover1  
there should be more than one left-hand 
bowler in each team4 ,such a bowler's   
ball approaches the batsman from an     
unusual direction and with an unusual   
break1 tending to elicit catches on the 
off-side4 ,the ,americans1 led by       
,professor ,tadd1 have shown that the   
left arm can draw and model and do other
 things practically as well as the      
right2 and the majority of children     
brought up on ,tadd's principles are    
nearly ambidextrous4  ,but how can we   
become left-handed8 ,well1 apart from   
left-side exercises1 and such forms of  
sport as ,boxing and ,fives1 we can     
employ the left hand in opening doors1  
cutting bread1 and so on4 ,occasionally 
left-handed games and matches would     
certainly vary the dulness of a season's

 ,cricket--and this will apply equally  
to ,lawn ,tennis and other games4  ,but 
at present we are too truly a           
stiff-legged people1 slow to start2 as  
well as a one-sided people1 not masters 
of our full forces4 ,the reason for     
mental stupidity and atrophy must be    
partly physical4 ,brain-work            
alone--especially such as we are        
generally offered as intellectual       
8education0--is little likely by itself 
to remove such national faults4  ,a word
 may be said in conclusion1 with        
reference not to 8educators0 but to     
teachers of ,cricket4  ,while teaching a
 beginner1 let them insist on the       
essential elements of good play1 and    
give the reason why those elements are  
essential4 ,why not flourish the bat8   
,why not draw the right foot away to the
 leg-side8 ,the answers to such         
questions are most helpful1 and are very
 likely to induce a player to correct   
mistakes when otherwise he might not be 
convinced that he was radically wrong or

 know how he was radically wrong4  ,the 
practice of part-by-part should be      
encouraged1 ,mr4 ,edward ,lyttelton's   
hints about bedroom exercise being      
constantly borne in mind4 ,the movements
 should be explained and illustrated and
 performed by the teacher not only as   
complex wholes but also as simple parts4
 ,the teacher should say1 for example1  
8,watch my left foot while ,i play      
forward4 ,no2 stand behind me1 and watch
 its line4 ,now watch my left elbow40   
,he should at first work slowly4        
,comparisons and contrasts are among the
 best of helps4 ,compare cutting to     
peg-top whipping2 compare the left-foot 
lunge to the fencing lunge2 contrast the
 alertness of the fielder and 7if he    
have ,abel's activity7 of the batsman   
with the fixed 8stance0 of the golfer1  
whose eye must not follow the ball's    
flight at once4  ,let the teacher urge  
the beginner to correct his faults by   
exaggerating in the opposite direction3 
if the batsman's right leg inclines to  

bend itself1 let it be kept rigidly     
stiff1 ridiculously straight4           
,individuality must not be crushed4 ,but
 it must not be fostered unless the     
player already has the necessary        
mechanisms of the various parts of      
play--batting and bowling--under        
control4 ,the player must not hope to   
form his style out of a stock-in-trade  
consisting of less than half the        
muscular elements which practically     
every successful player possesses4 ,the 
genius-player may safely be left to move
 along his own lines1 with occasional   
supervision4 ,the duffer-player1 like   
myself1 must not be left to do so2 first
 he must learn to use those muscles1 and
 especially those large muscles1 which  
the best players use--for example1 in   
forward-play1 the full extension of     
right leg and left wrist4 ,then1 if ,i  
may repeat the old metaphor1 having     
mastered the spelling and the           
vocabulary1 let him at length write his 
own writing2 having collected the bricks

 and mortar and wood1 let him at length 
build his own building4     ,,chapter   
,,ix4  ,,fallacies ,,of ,,theorists     
,,and ,,others4   ,it is safe to presume
 that every reader has read some one or 
more of the many writings on ,cricket   
7from a penny upwards72 that he has seen
 many good matches and many great       
amateur as well as professional experts2
 that he has batted often1 fielded      
often1 bowled at least once4 ,so there  
need be no explanation of the game and  
its divisions2 the reader already knows 
pretty shrewdly the chief merits of     
batting1 fielding1 and bowling1 at least
 when he sees these merits4 ,he rather  
needs to have fallacies exposed and     
faults explained4 ,this chapter will    
clear the ground of rubbish after we    
have begun to sow advice upon it2 the   
ground must be cleared1 even if it be   
necessary to pull down some old ruins   
surviving from fifty years ago4  ,the   
first fallacy is about games in general1
 and about ,cricket in particular as the

 grandest of them all4 ,and here we must
 distinguish what our games are to some 
few1 from what they can and should be to
 many if not to all4 ,we shall claim    
much for them as the ,british nation    
claims much for itself--on the strength 
of its best examples1 without imagining 
that the full advantages are            
universally1 or even generally1         
realised4 ,for the fallacy of many good 
players1 that ,cricket actually is all  
that can be claimed for ideal ,cricket1 
rather than that it might and should be 
all this1 is no less ridiculous4 ,if1   
for example1 the fielder stands careless
 and listless1 ,cricket becomes for him 
almost an exercise in non-promptitude6  
,the ball runs to the side of him1 his  
lazy flop towards it is almost an       
exercise in non-extension as well4 ,we  
must guard against all extreme          
statements as to what cricket is4 ,it   
certainly is not an end in itself4 ,even
 all-round success in it is not an end  
in itself2 still less is success in some

 one branch only4 ,but it is as well for
 all who play ,cricket to remind        
themselves if not of the ideal yet of   
what is higher than their present       
actual4  ,cricket is not merely a       
muscle-maker1 a sort of gymnastic drill 
which scarcely trains the nerves at all4
 ,to run out to a ball1 to stand up to a
 fast bowler and not draw away the right
 foot1 to field a hard drive1 this means
 nerve4 ,nor is ,cricket merely a       
physical health-maker or                
disease-palliator4 ,to have practised   
and played it properly is quite         
impossible without some mental and moral
 exercise and health as well2 it is a   
social game of the best kind--it is a   
great bond of union4 ,far above         
brainless frivolity1 farther above mere 
recreation1 it can be a preparation for 
the whole of life1 even for business    
life2 for it can teach co-operation1    
specialisation1 patience1 observation1  
promptness1 full extension1 use of great
 weight and power without loss of poise4

 ,it can be valuable for all life1 which
 mere muscle-straining without          
nerve-training1 mere disease-avoidance1 
mere amusement1 cannot possibly be4     
,there are those who would not deny to  
,cricket some of these many merits1 but 
they would say that ,cricket can only be
 played properly by born players1 that  
no others can ever play it well4 ,to    
fielding this certainly does not apply3 
fielders can be trained2 so can batsmen1
 up to a certain point2 so--for all we  
know--can bowlers4 ,i do not mean by the
 present absence of method1 but by the  
use of sensible methods4  ,for the      
common advice of the genius-players who 
are so often set to teach the game is   
little likely to make cricketers4 8,play
 in a natural way10 they say4 ,this     
advice must be exposed1 though it is    
insisted upon by some of the leading    
authorities4 ,for ,cricket is not a     
natural game4 ,as ,ranjitsinhji aptly   
says1 the natural tendency is to hit up 
and to pull to the on4 ,in playing      

forward one does not naturally keep the 
bat straight and with its handle nearer 
to the bowler than its bottom is2 one   
does not naturally keep the right foot  
still1 send the left elbow forward1 and 
the bat near to the left foot4 ,the     
instinct is against all this--for       
example1 to keep the striking implement 
well away from one's body1 as at ,golf1 
,lawn ,tennis1 ,tennis1 ,racquets1      
,squash1 ,fives1 ,hockey1 and so on4    
,conversely1 ,mr4 ,lacey1 the ,secretary
 of the ,m4,c4,c41 after having the     
,cricket-habit ingrained in him1 found  
it hard at ,tennis to get far enough    
away from the ball4 ,and how can bowling
 be considered 8natural0 for him whose  
fingers and back-muscles are practically
 undeveloped8 ,so our answer to the     
teacher who would say1 8,choose the     
natural way of batting1 or of bowling1  
or of fielding10 is that this may be    
well enough if you already have control 
of the different parts of your batting1 
or bowling1 or fielding mechanism2 but  

that otherwise 7and the chances         
otherwise are at least ten to one71 the 
undeveloped muscles will probably be    
unused2 the work will be thrown on other
 muscles1 and will be done either badly 
or with excessive effort4 ,we should    
prefer to say this3 8,get control of the
 various muscles1 as by the fast        
full-movement#g system2 then get the    
foundations of play--the right foot as  
pivot1 the left leg as straight lunger  
7for forward strokes71 the straight bat 
with left elbow well forward1 the habit 
of the eye on the ball1 and so on2 then1
 if you like1 by all means try different
 ways and styles1 and choose what is    
natural to you2 but--unless you are a   
prodigy--do not be natural prematurely1 
or you will almost surely form bad      
habits40  ,that practice of this kind or
 indeed any sort of training will not be
 worth while1 is a fallacy that has been
 exposed at the beginning of the chapter
 on ,training4 ,even if ,cricket led to 
nothing at all1 training would still be 

as useful as most things that we attend 
to4 ,but ,cricket can make one fitter   
for all-round activity1 and proper      
practice and training must make one     
fitter for ,cricket--fitter in skill1   
fitter in endurance1 fitter in every    
way4  ,it is necessary to secure proper 
practice1 not practice based on mere    
theory4 ,many theories are egregious    
fallacies4 ,let us consider a few of    
them on the art of batting4  ,the first 
is that in forward play the bottom of   
the bat must never be sent forward      
beyond the left foot4#h ,in this1 as in 
most theories1 there are germs of truth1
 namely 7a71 that not many can stretch  
out much further than this without undue
 strain or loss of balance2 7b7 that    
very few can get pace and power at all  
into the stroke beyond their left foot1 
and that therefore the above is a safe  
rule for the attacking drive2 7c7 that  
the ball should usually be hit when the 
bat is not further forward than this4   
,but the theory--which is repeated by   

most writers on the game--utterly       
ignores one or two undoubted facts1 7i47
 ,first of all it seems a general       
principle of ball-games that to ensure a
 straight line of stroke 7and also to   
allow for too early a stroke71 one must 
follow-through some way with the        
implement2 this is especially true of   
the ordinary forward stroke1 which is   
usually played by faith as well as by   
sight2 7ii47 the defensive and 8safety0 
forward-stroke 7when it is distinct from
 the attacking drive7 has as its first  
object to smother the ball1 to get near 
to the pitch of it1 before the break    
works out its fulness2 common sense     
would urge a player1 if he could do so1 
to add an extra foot or so to his reach2
 7iii47 both ,shrewsbury and ,abel 7see 
the photographs1 which show them after  
the ball would have been hit7 do        
actually reach far beyond the left foot4
 ,who is to limit an ,abel1 if he has   
the litheness to add to his stretch     
those cubits which he cannot add to his 

stature8 ,the decision seems to be one  
for the individual4 ,if he can stretch  
out thus without tilting up the bottom  
of his bat 7and so lifting the ball71   
and without straining himself or        
tumbling over1 then by all means let him
 do so1 for he will crush the ball thus4
 ,but if he cannot1 then let him do what
 he has been so often told to do4       
,similarly in ,tennis ,i have been      
frequently told to keep the head of     
my racket above the level of my wrist   
for ordinary strokes4 ,latham      does 
not2 ,fennell does not2 ,fairs does not2
 ,lambert did not2      ,pettitt of     
course does not2 ,charles ,saunders1    
,alfred ,tompkins1 and      ,mr4 ,alfred
 ,lyttelton do4 ,i will not deny the    
beauty and grace and      power of the  
so called 8correct0 stroke2 but what ,i 
maintain is      that most of us cannot 
afford the risk4 ,we want to meet the   
ball as      long as possible in its own
 line4 ,we prefer safety and efficiency 
to risk and theory3 as to grace1 well1  

,latham and ,fennell are quite      good
 enough for me4  ,it is often said that 
the secret of successful batting is the 
straight bat4 ,there is a fallacy here2 
the straight bat is important for many  
strokes1 but the straight moving line of
 the bat1 the direct line in which it   
meets the approaching ball1 this is     
important also2 and scarcely less       
important1 for forward play1 is the     
straight lunge of the left foot near the
 bottom of the bat4 ,i would set this as
 a foundation of good forward play1     
since with the left foot goes much of   
the body's weight1 and since otherwise  
there is a gap between bat and leg4  ,a 
third and very grievous fallacy about   
batting is that the right foot must be  
kept still4 ,some have urged that it    
should be pegged down4 ,here also is a  
germ of truth4 ,the right foot is the 1 
the pivot1 for most strokes1 the late   
cut excepted4 ,and the line of the right
 foot1 a line just outside the          
leg-stump1 is usually to be kept to2    

that foot must not be drawn away        
cowardly towards short leg4 ,but as a   
universal law 8the unmoved right foot0  
is a mistake4 ,even in forward play it  
often tends to drag slightly 7it must   
not drag over the crease71 and the heel 
may rise from the ground4 ,more obvious 
exceptions are when a batsman runs out  
7as ,abel is doing in one illustration71
 or jumps out 7as ,shrewsbury is doing  
in another74 ,why should we fetter      
active-footed boys or men by            
restrictions that apply well enough to  
staid men with a long reach4 8,play with
 the feet10 says ,abel to all who have  
feet to play with4 ,if ,i can take the  
sting off a ,racquet service by four or 
five steps forward1 which will make it a
 volley or half-volley1 why not8 ,this  
is not rash3 it is frequently defensive4
 ,i dare not wait6 ,for the late cut1   
again1 ,i believe every player moves his
 right foot across4 ,for the glide ,i   
believe every player moves his right    
foot back1 not a few move their right   

foot across also4 ,for the pull of a    
short ball1 the right leg1 as in the    
illustration of ,hirst1 may go well     
across4 ,for playing back ,i observe    
that nearly every good player1 including
 ,w4 ,g4 ,grace 7see the photograph of  
him in ,ranjitsinhji's book71 does move 
his right foot more or less towards his 
own wicket2 this gives an extra fraction
 of time in which to watch the short    
ball and its break or rise4 ,moreover1  
the retiring of the right foot does     
actually prepare for the back play4  ,a 
fourth batting fallacy is that the late 
cut is with the wrist only4 ,one writer 
after another repeats this in the face  
of the practice of nine late-cutters out
 of every ten whom ,i have ever seen4   
,here once more is a germ of truth1 that
 the wrist is often a sine qu non4 ,but 
few could get much power with the wrist 
alone4 ,as a proof1 keep your whole body
 stiff except your wrist1 and then try  
to cut4 ,is that how most experts play8 
,or imitate their exact stroke for half 

an hour1 and see if you do not ache in  
your forearm and perhaps your shoulder  
too4 ,or strip1 and watch your muscles  
in a mirror4 ,we do really want nude    
photographs for these strokes4 ,even    
,shrewsbury uses much besides his wrist4
 ,some wrist there is1 though there need
 not be here any more than when one     
shakes out a clotted stylographic pen4  
,in the average late cut the body moves 
a bit to put in some weight2 the back   
muscles under the arm-pits 7latissimus  
dorsi7 do some work2 the shoulder jerks 
a little or a lot2 the forearm jerks    
powerfully2 some players add force by   
the stepping of the right foot and the  
straightening of the left leg2          
some--these are probably few--keep an   
almost or quite rigid wrist4 ,plenty of 
strength and pace will come from the    
other muscle-groups4 ,in fact1 for the  
ordinary beginner ,i should urge a      
reliance upon the large muscles in      
particular1 lest the big bat shall      
nearly wield the boy as the big tail    

nearly waggled the dog4       ,a similar
 fallacy exists in ,racquets4 ,it is    
supposed that ,pettitt      relies      
almost entirely on his wrist-flick2 and 
this certainly has      an astounding   
force4 ,but with it there almost        
invariably go a      forearm-jerk and a 
shoulder-jerk4 ,latham's ,racquet-stroke
 largely      depends on these two      
factors as well as on the wrist-flick4  
,that the pull is a bad stroke is a     
dying fallacy4 ,it is not a bad stroke  
so long as it is a safe stroke4 ,at     
times it appears to me to be the safest 
stroke1 if only because it meets the    
ball nearly in its own line and1 as     
,shrewsbury says1 need not send the ball
 near any fielder2 the bottom of the bat
 may rise1 and thus an extra foot or so 
may be given to the reach4 ,the pull is 
chiefly bad if tried with the wrong     
ball1 especially a fast and straight    
ball1 or if tried in the wrong way--for 
example1 without the lunge forward of   
the left foot as in the photograph of   

,abel 7that one may get near the pitch  
of the ball71 or the backward step of   
the right foot1 as in the photographs of
 ,hirst and ,shrewsbury 7that one may   
see more of the way of the ball72 or if 
tried by the wrong man--a man with no   
eye4  ,another dying fallacy is that to 
run out is a mark of rashness4 ,i have  
already compared the steps forward in   
order to take a heavily-cut ,racquet    
service2 in ,tennis also we have a      
similar safety or killing stroke2 and in
 ,lawn ,tennis the player who comes up  
to the net to volley is not necessarily 
rash4 ,the safest stroke in the whole   
game is the ordinary full-pitch2 next to
 it comes the ordinary long-hop2 next to
 it the ball that allows one to get well
 to the pitch of it4 ,the safety-player 
can often secure either the first or the
 third by an apparently mad jump out of 
his ground4 ,as a foreigner once said1  
8,when you've got a good boxer against  
you1 it's wisest to hit him before he's 
ready40  ,leaving the time-honoured but 

misguided advice about batting1 let us  
turn to the mistakes about bowling4     
,here we have the fatal opinion that1   
unless the bowler who has found an easy 
swing bowls well1 he is not likely ever 
to become a good bowler at all4 ,i      
should rather forbid any player to      
despair until he has mastered first the 
mechanism of bowling by fast full       
movements and extensions2 till then     
perhaps he has failed because he has not
 fairly used the back-muscles under the 
arm-pits 7how they ache after a day of  
bowling71 the shoulder-jerk1 the        
wrist-movements1 the                    
finger-movements--especially those of   
the first finger4 ,it is great folly not
 to be controller of these parts of the 
bowling-apparatus before one has decided
 either on one's individual action or on
 one's incapacity to bowl4  ,similarly1 
in fielding1 ,cricket suffers from many 
ignorances and negligences4 ,not only is
 there the general idea that fielding is
 unimportant compared with batting and  

bowling1 but it is assumed that it can  
be got through somehow without practice 
or apprenticeship4 ,the mere art of     
patient yet expectant waiting for an    
opportunity is in itself almost as      
difficult to acquire as it is worth     
acquiring4 ,mere safety in stopping     
balls1 or even in catching balls1 is    
often considered the acme of excellence1
 whereas the anticipation is not less   
essential4 ,here also1 as in bowling1 a 
boy or man is wont to adopt a 787 style 
without having first learnt and1 as it  
were1 infibred within him the ,a ,b ,c  
of success and enjoyment2 to start      
hither or thither in a moment1 to make a
 full stretch hither or thither1 to keep
 the balance1 to throw in at once and   
accurately--not one player in a hundred 
has gone through his apprenticeship4    
,or1 if a boy or man does field         
reasonably well in one place1 he is     
contented4 ,he does not aim at being    
able to field passably in other places4 
,as to wicket-keeping1 that he never    

dreams of4 ,and yet how else is he      
likely to learn to field at short slip1 
or to take balls he has bowled8  ,then  
there is the watching--how dull it      
appears to the members of the batting   
side who are out or not yet in6 ,many   
would rather be fielding--and what more 
need be said8 ,yet here is another      
misconception4 ,watch the play1 as      
,shrewsbury does1 or watch it part by   
part1 with a view of getting hints as to
 what to avoid and what to practise1 and
 you henceforth find the inalienable    
interest4  ,this failure to watch the   
play part by part--say the batsman's    
feet first1 then his bat1 and so        
on--finds its parallel in practice1     
which is seldom part by part4 ,people   
play in matches1 in practice-games1 at  
the nets2 but it is always with full    
implements4 ,is it not great stupidity  
to imagine that the game itself is the  
best practice for strokes8 ,the very    
variety militates against the mastery of
 any one thing par excellence4 ,were it 

not better sometimes to play            
stump-cricket or 8snob-cricket0--an     
india-rubber ball can be used2 to       
practise jumping with preservation of   
balance 7see ,shrewsbury72 sideway      
running 7see ,abel72 straight-forward   
lunges with balance and rapid recovery1 
with right foot scarcely moving1 with   
right leg unbent2 or left foot lunges   
alone1 then the bat lunges as well2 to  
throw a ,lawn ,tennis ball up against a 
wall and on its recoil play it with a   
straight bat and prominent left elbow2  
to go through the action of cutting1 and
 cut-driving2 to do wrist-movements2 to 
imitate the whipping of a peg-top2 to   
start quickly in every direction in     
turn2 to shift the weight2 to extend the
 arms up1 down1 to the sides2 to pick up
 and throw a real ball 7or an imaginary 
ball1 in a bedroom72 to hold one's hands
 for a catch here or there1 whether of  
an imaginary ball or of one thrown or   
hit off a wall2 to develop the left     
side2 and so on8 ,is it not the most    

grievous and fatal fallacy to rely on   
and to urge others to rely on nothing   
but practice at the nets or the game    
itself1 even if these are indispensable8
  ,i have already exposed the fallacy#i 
that to practise part by part is        
necessarily to produce a jerky and      
disjointed stroke2 at first it may do   
so1 but eventually the parts will easily
 combine into a unity1 if we do them    
rightly4 ,my own ,tennis and ,racquet   
strokes are no longer jerky and         
disjointed1 but once they were so4 ,use 
has fused the parts into a whole4       
,quite apart from success and enjoyment 
in ,cricket1 the game demands these and 
many other exercises1 not only as       
apprenticeship1 and as corrective of    
faults1 but also as supplementary4 ,for 
the last fallacy which we expose is that
 ,cricket as played at present is at all
 a complete exercise for the body4 ,a   
few reforms will be suggested in a      
subsequent chapter4     ,,chapter ,x4   
,,merits ,,of ,,cricket4   ,cricket as  

she is played does not bear one tithe of
 her possible fruits2 the soil is not   
properly prepared for her2 she is left  
to grow anyhow4 ,this is a sad error1 if
 only because she is not a natural      
game--a game of natural movements4 ,what
 more unnatural is there for most of us 
than to play forward correctly8 ,the    
same applies to most games1 for example 
to ,lawn ,tennis4 ,here we must consider
 the advantages of ,cricket not as the  
practice and play now are1 but as they  
easily might be1 if all-round ,cricket  
were well prepared for and taught1 well 
practised and played2 learnt and        
cultivated with science1 not            
haphazardly2 in moderation1 not too     
little1 not too much2 with conscious    
care at the start1 until conscious      
correct care has begotten               
sub-consciously correct ease4  ,the     
first advantage of the game1 as it      
should be1 is economy4 ,if it only saves
 doctors' and druggists' bills1 it is   
worth its cost in time and money4       

,professionals earn a healthy living by 
,cricket4 ,many schoolmasters1 many     
clerks and partners1 owe their position 
largely to their ,cricket4 ,this is but 
common sense4 ,to play ,cricket well is 
at least as good a qualification as to  
know well the names and dates of many   
prophets1 kings1 battles1 and other dull
 trivialities4  ,for ,cricket should    
develop the intellect4 ,quite apart from
 the effect of bodily health and        
activity upon brain-work1 quite apart   
from the tonic of recreation and change 
of employment1 ,cricket should give     
lessons for life3 it should teach       
co-operation1 division of labour1       
encouragement of individuality2 it      
should teach the art of mastering the   
mechanisms1 the ,a ,b ,c1 so            
indispensable to success2 it should     
foster observation1 rapid decision1 then
 rapid action1 judgment by results1     
memory1 foresight4 ,it should--though it
 seldom does4 ,this intellectual aspect 
of ,cricket is of national importance4  

,we need intelligent leaders and        
workers3 ,cricket might easily be made  
to produce them4 ,we need such in war as
 in peace3 as ,ranjitsinhji insists1    
8after all1 ,cricket is warfare in      
miniature4 ,it is man against man1      
general against general10 and1 we may   
add1 team against team4  ,to pass from  
the intellectual to the physical        
advantages which are so closely         
connected with them1 ,mr4 ,edward       
,lyttelton says3  8,it is impossible to 
make twenty runs in decent style without
 giving evidence of bodily pluck1       
readiness of resource1 patience1 health1
 strength and training40 ,but here again
 we must distinguish what is from what  
might and should be4 ,cricket should    
encourage general health and training1  
general fitness 7most excellent word71  
the power to preserve life1 not only by 
its exercise and physical virtues1 but  
also by the movements of muscles1 by the
 air1 light1 scenery1 subsequent        
washing1 which can all improve the      

well-being1 not completely yet          
conspicuously4  ,the enjoyment--if only 
we were better trained to enjoy the     
game--must affect the blood in the most 
favourable way1 as the chemical         
experiments of ,professor ,gates1 of    
,washington1 have demonstrated1 in the  
,american 8,medical ,times0 for         
,december1 #ahig4 ,we thank ,god better 
by genuine enjoyment than by mere word  
of mouth4  ,the word 8aesthetic0 is used
 in two senses--in reference to         
enjoyment1 and in reference to artistic 
beauty and gracefulness4 ,cricket should
 be an 8aesthetic0 game in both senses4 
,when properly prepared for and played  
and supplemented1 it should produce a   
body pleasant to behold whether in      
motion or at rest--a 8kinetic0 and      
8dynamic0 and 8static0 pleasantness to  
the eye4 ,the senses also should have   
their interesting growth by ,cricket2   
the sight by the timing and by the use  
of the imagination2 the hearing2 the    
touch2 the muscular sense4  ,of the     

moral and spiritual effects we need not 
say much4 ,it seems to me to be here    
that ,cricket does do much that it      
should do4 ,honour1 sympathy and        
courtesy1 pluck1 patience1 good temper1 
these are a few of the qualities that do
 often result4  ,clearest of all1       
however1 is the social value as a tie   
and connecting link between individuals 
and groups both small and great4        
,rudyard ,kipling1 with all his genius  
for seeing and describing things        
imperial1 scarcely realised the function
 of ,cricket as a common ground for     
meeting and forming friendships1 quite  
aside from its advantages in opening the
 mind by journeys among near or distant 
people4 ,what ,ranjitsinhji so aptly    
remarks in reference to the classes     
within ,england herself can be applied  
also to the relation between any sets of
 people anywhere4 ,he says3       8,it  
is a grand thing for people who have to 
work most of their time      to have an 
interest in something or other outside  

their particular      groove4 ,cricket  
is a first-rate interest4 ,the game has 
developed to      such a pitch that it  
is worth taking interest in4 ,go to     
,lord's and      analyse the crowd4     
,there are all sorts and conditions of  
men there      around the               
ropes--bricklayers1 bank-clerks1        
soldiers1 postmen1 and                  
stockbrokers4 ,and in the pavilion are  
,k4,c4's1 artists1 archdeacons1      and
 leader-writers4 ,bad men1 good men1    
workers and idlers are all      there1  
and all at one in their keenness over   
the game4 ,it is a      commonplace that
 cricket brings the most opposite       
characters and      the most diverse    
lives together4 ,anything that puts many
 very      different kinds of people on 
a common ground must promote sympathy   
and kindly feelings4 ,the workman does  
not come away from seeing               
,middlesex beating ,lancashire or vice  
vers with evil in his heart      against
 the ,upper ,ten2 nor the ,mayfair homme

 de plaisir with a      feeling of      
contempt for the street-bred masses4    
,both alike are      thinking how well  
,mold bowled1 and how cleanly ,stoddart 
despatched      ,briggs' high-tossed    
slow ball over the awning40  ,this is   
pre-eminently true4 ,cricket already is1
 and can be to an even greater extent1 a
 healthy interest that is a grand bond  
of union for the nation1 and yet not    
7like so many religious1 commercial1    
educational1 and other bonds7 a frequent
 cause of separation from other nations4
  ,what is ,cricket to you8 ,that is a  
very different question from 8,what     
might1 can1 should ,cricket be to you80 
,we have answered part of the latter    
question4 ,before answering the former  
let us take some contrasts4 ,what       
already exists that can be compared to  
,cricket in regard to effects8          
,gymnastics1                            
strength-and-strain-exercises2          
card-games1 other games 7,lawn ,tennis1 
,ping-,pong1 ,golf1 etc472 8economical0 

education--where is any teaching about  
such lessons as co-operation to be found
 in ,england8 ,it is to be found in     
,america1 but with it is also to be     
found the terrible money-grubbing and   
grabbing spirit2 8intellectual0         
education--sum up the useful results of 
what one has learnt in school3          
nine-tenths of it ,i pray that ,i may   
forget2 physical and hygienic           
education--where is it8 ,not at home1   
not at school1 not in business1 not in  
society2 in ,cricket there is quite a   
supply of such education1 mainly of an  
unconscious kind2 enjoyment1            
gracefulness1 pure and wholesome        
cultivation of the senses--where are    
they8 ,education about pure and         
wholesome and kindly social and national
 relations--where is it8 ,even moral and
 spiritual education by preaching and   
teaching4 ,compare and contrast these   
and other means of education for        
physique1 for character1 for life1 with 
,cricket as she is1 and then with       

,cricket as she might and should be4    
,judge the advantages of ,cricket for   
yourself as an individual and as a      
member of many groups4  ,the present    
advantages of ,cricket would be         
increased ten-fold if more care were    
taken by those in authority4 ,cricket   
needs greater interest and              
attractiveness for the majority of      
players2 it needs better basic          
preparation for all departments of play2
 it needs supplementation by other      
exercises and other means to health4 ,by
 itself it is not1 never will be1 never 
can be1 a complete education4 ,of course
 not4 ,but properly cultivated1 with    
other things1 in its proper place1 it   
seems to me splendid4 ,if it seems so to
 the reader1 then let him give it a     
care1 let him cultivate it1 in          
proportion to its all-round value in his
 eyes4     ,,chapter ,,xi4  ,,suggested 
,,reforms4   ,as with other games like  
,tennis and ,racquets1 so with ,cricket1
 we may assume that the game as now     

played is excellent for experts who     
either have wealth and leisure or else  
are professionals4 ,for those1 and for  
others at intervals1 let the play be    
nearly as it now is4 ,let the best go   
on4 ,let there be test-matches1 county  
and #8varsity matches1 college and      
school matches1 house and dormitory     
matches1 and so on4 ,here we deal       
chiefly with reforms outside these      
decisive games which are likely to      
remain as they are4  ,with those who are
 not experts of the classes mentioned   
above1 the play cries for adaptation4   
,first of all1 there is need for        
snob-cricket1 stump-cricket1            
room-cricket 7not mere bedroom practice1
 but an actual game71 as a more regular 
and more enjoyable substitute4          
,secondly1 there is need for            
preparation2 ,cricket has been described
 as a trinity of games1 and the         
stump-practice suggested in a previous  
chapter can serve as a preparation for  
fielding4 ,the exercises offered in     

other chapters would serve as           
substitutes and also as preparation for 
play when play itself was out of the    
question4 ,cricket is a river that needs
 a good source and many good            
tributary-streams2 it needs preparatory 
exercises and games4 ,such practice     
would soon make the play itself far more
 pleasant and interesting4 ,thirdly1    
there is need of supplementation--for   
example1 left-handed play1 the use of   
the left side being important1 not      
merely in fielding 7what crocks most    
people are with their left hands671 but 
in change-bowling also4 ,why should not 
more players be able to bowl an over or 
two left-handed for a change8  ,besides 
this1 there is need of cheapness--of    
economy of money and of time as well1 so
 that each player may get more work to  
do and less dull waiting4  ,above all1  
there is need of some 8fun for the      
duffers10 if the game is to spread or   
even to hold its own4 ,we are rapidly   
becoming ,americanised4 ,no longer do   

the majority care to serve merely as    
watchers1 or at the best as ninepins to 
a ,hirst or a ,rhodes1 as feeders and   
throwers-in for an ,abel1 a ,shrewsbury1
 a ,fry1 or a ,ranji4 ,they want to be  
up and doing and enjoying themselves1 or
 else they will give up the so-called   
play in disgust2 it isn't play4 ,that is
 their true complaint4  ,and so we say1 
let the best players and the other      
players at intervals have their matches 
and games and net-practice as before1   
with any changes that may be accepted   
7such as those which will be touched on 
directly74 ,but let there be something  
to give pleasure to the average person1 
whether it be an occasional game of     
tip-and-run1 or an occasional game with 
some sort of a handicap4  ,what the     
handicap shall be1 whether more men in  
the field1 or both sides fielding1 or   
fewer men on the stronger side1 or      
smaller bats1 or larger wickets1 or a   
time-limit1 must be left to the players 
themselves to decide4 ,only1 one could  

wish for a more democratic and          
representative vote instead of the whole
 management being left to the few       
experts or 8aristocrats10 who1 of       
course1 will legislate from their own   
point of view4  ,the reforms suggested  
by so many writers do not really deal   
with the masses of cricketers at all4   
,the time-limit for the innings 7it     
might be annulled in case of a difficult
 wicket71 the running out of boundary   
hits1 the declaring of the innings      
closed at any moment1 the innings of    
sections of sides at a time--these      
things do not tend to make ,dick1 ,tom1 
and ,harry really enjoy themselves or   
improve their play appreciably more than
 at present4  ,as contrasted with short 
games of stump-cricket 7to encourage    
accuracy of batting and to develop new  
bowlers71 and with the building of clubs
 having plain rooms for evening games1  
such reforms are trifling except for the
 very few who play well4 ,it would be   
far better to tell people how to field1 

or even how to watch with a view to     
interest and improvement4 ,reforms must 
aim at giving amusement1 interest1      
attractiveness to the play of the       
average cricketer4  ,let us consider a  
common experience in a one-day ,college 
match at ,cambridge1 putting aside the  
wet or rather the difficult wicket on   
which every player gets a knock2 we want
 to think of ,cricket at its best--on a 
fine day and a good wicket4 ,the side   
that wins the toss sends in its first   
two or three bats2 they pile up some    
hundreds of runs2 the other members sit 
and do nothing2 the captain eventually  
declares2 the opposing side1 after its  
hours of 8country life10 has no chance  
of winning1 so the players either stick 
and try to play out time1 or else make a
 desperate attempt and slog at          
everything like a set of ,jessops1 but  
unskilled4 ,no wonder there is apathy4  
,we begin by pointing out what appears  
at first to be the most ridiculous      
change2 yet it is certain that when the 

tail of a team does go in1 then it wants
 to enjoy itself for more than a few    
brief seconds4 ,if the captain will not 
every now and then absolutely reverse   
the order of going in 7at least at the  
end of a day's scouting71 then let the  
tail improve its own batting4 ,the      
improvement rests with the members      
themselves4 ,let them begin practice on 
any level piece of ground1 with a soft  
ball and a stick 7to emphasise the      
importance of the straight bat72 or let 
them in private 7if not in a new form of
 drill7 lunge with the left foot1       
stretch straight forward with the head  
and left-wrist and elbow1 move the right
 foot across and cut with shoulder1     
forearm1 and wrist1 repeat the          
body-swing1 and so on4 ,the drill could 
be made less dull if one individual     
8set0 the exercises to the rest1 at     
first simple movements1 then more       
complex movements with varied pace4 ,let
 the players give themselves the best   
possible chance of a reasonably long    

innings when they do go in4 ,let them   
make runs somehow1#aj not neglecting the
 safest kind of pull1 for example1      
merely because it is called 8bad style40
  ,more important than attention to     
batting is attention to bowling4 ,we    
need not allow a 8free margin0 to       
bowlers of doubtful action2 there are   
other remedies4 ,why should not people  
learn to make the ball curl in the air1 
starting their experiments with a ,lawn 
,tennis ball1 which gives more marked   
effects4 ,that which is done habitually 
by ,baseball throwers1 and occasionally 
if unintentionally by a few bowlers1 can
 surely be done frequently and          
intentionally by many bowlers1 if only  
there be careful and thorough research4 
,but anyhow let the breaks be learnt2   
let the first finger and the wrist be   
trained to strong movements of various  
kinds4 ,let the young players be given  
small bats and balls to play with4 ,let 
them and older players be given an over 
now and then for a change in less       

important games4 ,certainly let the     
various mechanisms of bowling be        
mastered before a player decides that he
 has not the gift of bowling2 let him do
 arm-and-shoulder extensions 7see the   
photographs of ,hirst71 wrist-turns1 and
 so on2 and then 7as suggested above71  
practise with a stump1 a wicket-keeper1 
and another bowler on the other side of 
the stump2 let each have his little     
paper-marks on the ground1 and let him  
pitch the ball as near as he can to     
these4 ,let every would-be bowler1 that 
is to say every cricketer1 try to bowl  
round the wicket1 if only in the old    
style with the low delivery 7like ,w4   
,g4's1 as described by ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4     
,steel74 ,or let him try his luck with  
lobs1 if only that he may learn how to  
make the ball break both ways4 ,let him 
see if he cannot bowl a little with his 
left-hand--who knows8 ,we must raise the
 number of bowlers as well as the       
standard of bowling4 ,on that point all 
are agreed4#aa  ,perhaps at the same    

time the power of the batsman might be  
lessened1#ab either by a number-limit or
 a time-limit to the innings1 or by a   
smaller bat 7narrower and thicker71 or  
by a larger wicket 7higher or broader1  
or both--at the moment when ,i write    
this1 the suggested change has not been 
accepted by all--71 or1 better still1 by
 the following plan4 ,on a caking wicket
 we do not need to shorten the batsman's
 innings1 except to put a stop to       
excessive poking4 ,the ground takes     
whatever break is put on 7and perhaps   
adds some of its own74 ,why should there
 not be an artificial material which    
would take a good deal of break and not 
be dangerous4 ,the ,m4,c4,c4 out of its 
abundance might offer a reward 7say of  
#ajj7 to the inventor of some material1 
which need not extend over more than a  
small area4 ,we want a floor that will  
show just what twist or spin has been   
given to the ball1 so that inferior     
batsmen shall not now make their        
centuries merely because the ball will  

not 8bite40 ,in ,racquets1 ,tennis1     
covered-court ,lawn ,tennis1 and        
,ping-,pong1 the ball performs          
practically whatever antics it ought to 
perform4 ,we want a pitch that will     
carry out the bowler's work without     
adding or subtracting much4 ,neither a  
plumb wicket nor a caking wicket does   
that4 ,we need some such material as    
,mr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,ford suggests1 perhaps a  
kind akin to cokernut matting4  ,the    
proposed leg-before-wicket reform by    
which the batsman is given out if1 in   
the opinion of the umpire1 the ball     
would have struck his wicket 7rather    
than if the ball pitches in a line      
between the wickets1 which militates    
against the old round-arm bowling round 
the wicket71 may or may not prove       
advisable4 ,it is not a really radical  
reform4  ,but far the best change1 the  
most potent1 and in every way most      
profitable to all1 to the bowler1 the   
wicket-keep1 the fielder1 the spectator1
 and even ultimately to the batsman1    

would be an improvement in fielding4    
,some time ago one of the greatest of   
all cover-points past or present        
remarked to a friend of his1 8,if you   
and ,i were there1 that side would have 
been out by now40 ,with this man at     
cover1 the batsman was never let off at 
cover4 ,with a team of such fielders1   
the game would be quite altered4 ,a     
century would then mean something4 ,as  
it is1 a player is said to have given no
 chances when with a field full of      
,vernon ,royles#ac he would have given  
several chances of being caught1 and    
many chances of being run out4 ,but how 
can fielding be improved8  ,why are     
there so few prizes for fielding8 ,why  
in athletic sports is there a prize only
 for distance-throwing1 and not for     
regulated direction or regulated pitch8 
,here is a great opening for schools1   
and especially to-day when1 as ,abel    
said1 stone-throwing in cities is sadly 
discouraged6 ,the beach of the sea-side 
is not always accessible4 ,besides this1

 it is good to practise catching and    
fielding with a soft ball against a     
wall2 various games of catching and     
fielding can be made exciting enough2   
the stump-game 7suggested in another    
chapter7 can be adapted to throwing as  
well as to bowling2 points may be       
counted4 ,excellent exercise can thus be
 had at odd moments4 ,or ,fives and     
left-handed ,squash will develop the    
left side1 and prizes for left-hand     
throwing may be offered by schools4     
,boxing is capital in its effects on    
alertness and 8eye40 ,there should be   
boxing by all means4  ,and let there be 
training in general--for how can one    
field well unless he be fresh and       
untired8 ,let there be full control of  
arms and legs and body without loss of  
balance1 full quick stretchings1 full   
and quick stoopings1 in all directions2 
let there be--we repeat--plenty of      
,fives for the left side and for        
stooping2 diving and swimming for       
endurance2 and the fast                 

extension-movements1 at the end of which
 the extensions should be held for a    
moment or two4  ,this implies careful   
analysis of the mechanisms of           
fielding--of starting1 of catching1 of  
picking up1 of throwing in4 ,it implies 
a system or systems based on this       
analysis4 ,it implies careful study4    
,but if ,cricket be a desirable game1   
above all if it be compulsory1 then it  
must be taught well1 especially at the  
outset4 ,as ,murdoch says3 8,a good     
ground-work must be laid down1 and the  
young beginner cannot be too painstaking
 and careful40 ,the drill must not be in
 all the refinements of ,cricket1 such  
as the ,ranjiglide2 it must be in that  
,a ,b ,c of fielding1 etc41 which no    
really great fielder has lacked4 ,that  
which is not by nature must come by art4
 ,some drill there must be1 even if it  
only be self-drill4 ,but drill itself   
will do a boy no harm to-day4 ,a veteran
 cricketer1 in his time an excellent    
field and now a superintendent of a     

boys' institution1 tells me on the one  
hand of the inferiority of fielding     
to-day1 and on the other hand of the    
lack of persistent concentration among  
boys to-day4 ,boys1 he says1 lack that  
power1 and drill can give it to them so 
that it lasts through life4  ,reform in 
,cricket must not be merely reform for a
 few match-players4 ,apart from         
increased power of sustained            
self-control1 of immediate              
self-direction1 apart from confidence   
and readiness1 it must be for the       
greater enjoyment and greater skill of  
the majority of ,british boys and men4  
,with this end in view1 we may have to  
adapt ,cricket to indoor play in        
well-lighted and well-ventilated rooms  
in cities and suburbs 7in ,america the  
city-clubs1 built storey upon storey    
upwards1 allow of other games by        
electric light74 ,any old room would do4
 ,we do not want only this adapted game1
 any more than we want only drill and   
practice2 we want net-play also2        

practice-games also2 matches also4 ,but 
we want the game itself1 the grand old  
game1 when it is played1 to be played   
better and to be played better all      
round1 in all its branches1 by all its  
players4  ,when we come to look at the  
matter impartially1 and to ask what     
,cricket might and should do for us     
physically1 aesthetically1 mentally1    
morally1 as individuals1 as groups1 as a
 nation2 when we come to compare its    
effects--even as they now are--with     
those of our school-lessons in ,latin   
grammar1 geography1 history1 arithmetic1
 and so on1 we do not hesitate to say   
that ,government support is needed1 not 
only in establishing such clubs1 for    
evening and wet-day play within cities1 
but also for allowing ,cricket--the     
trinity of ,cricket1 batting and bowling
 and fielding1 and perhaps the theory of
 ,cricket also--to count something in   
certain ,government examinations1       
especially in those for the ,indian     
,civil ,service4 ,for is it not of more 

value than many crammings8  ,let        
,cricket be given its proper place--no  
higher1 no lower4 ,it is an amusement2  
true4 ,but it is also an education for  
character and life4 ,it might be ten    
times the education that it is1 for     
almost the whole of character and life4 
,sensible reforms would make it         
so--reforms which would in no way       
interfere with ,cricket as it is now    
played in important matches1 and as it  
is now practised in practice-games and  
at nets4 ,the reforms would prepare for 
these excellent occasions1 and would    
also serve as substitutes for them and  
as supplements to them1 and would thus  
bring in many converts to the game1     
bring back many renegades1 and enable   
,cricket to hold her own against all her
 rivals1 especially against excessive   
,cycling1 ,golf1 ,croquet1 ,ping-,pong1 
idleness1 the public-house1 and that    
evil for which at present there exists  
no other name but smuggishness4         
,,appendices     ,,appendix ,i4  ,,the  

,,editor',s ,,defence ,,of ,,this       
,,system ,,for ,,beginners ,,and        
,,others4       8,the truth must be     
insisted on2 many a ,cricket match has  
been won      in the bedroom4 ,and even 
with the ball a good deal may be done4  
,i      could name two eminent batsmen  
who used1 as boys1 to wait after the    
day's play was over1 and the careless   
crowd had departed1 and in      the     
pavilion give ten minutes or a quarter  
of an hour to practising      a         
particular style of defence1 about which
 more anon2 the one      bowled fast    
sneaks along the floor to the other1 at 
about ten paces      distance4 ,this1   
too1 yielded fruit in its time4 ,like   
all other      great achievements1 the  
getting a score against good bowling is 
the      result of drudgery1 patiently1 
faithfully borne4 ,but the drudgery     
of ,cricket is itself a pleasure1 and   
let no young cricketer suppose      that
 he can dispense with it1 though some   
few gifted performers      have done    

great things with apparently little     
effort40                                
,,edward ,,lyttelton4   ,i have reserved
 for an appendix1 which ,i introduce by 
repeating the above words of sound      
common sense1 a defence of a system of  
practice based on what the best players 
actually do4 ,the system will be        
condemned unless it is understood--and  
tried4  ,in games1 as in health1 it is  
the commonest acts and parts of acts    
that most easily escape our notice--that
 are done least adequately4 ,he who is  
far beyond and above the alphabet can   
seldom realise its difficulties for the 
beginner4 ,the unconscious skill of the 
expert availeth little1 except for      
analysis and imitation by others4 ,the  
genius is not likely to be a good       
teacher4 ,that is no less true of       
,cricket than of mathematics4 ,the      
natural player does the thing well1     
but--he knoweth not how4  ,a story is   
told of one of the most famous of       
,cambridge coaches 7alas6 now dead71 to 

the effect that a pupil once asked him  
for lessons in ,hebrew4 ,the coach knew 
no ,hebrew1 but1 thanks to his excellent
 teaching1 he managed to secure his     
pupil a ,second ,class in the           
examination1 after which the pupil heard
 to his surprise that the coach himself 
had only been one lesson ahead all the  
time4 ,so here the veriest beginner may 
feel that ,i am not far ahead of        
him--that perhaps in some respects ,i am
 behind him1 since ,i have to undo many 
old and habitual faults4 ,let him       
imagine me1 at the age of thirty-four1  
in the midst of a busy life1 playing    
forward vigorously in the privacy of my 
small bedroom1 first with my left foot  
7with the body-weight7 direct along a   
line again and again1 till it moves     
along that line rapidly almost of its   
own accord1 with only an occasional     
supervision as of a well-regulated      
servant2 then this together with the    
quick reaching out of a straight bat in 
dangerous proximity to my left foot     

7which now lunges safely1 surely1       
rapidly on its line71 while my left     
elbow comes well to the front at full   
stretch4 ,in fact1 let him picture me   
practising for a few minutes morning    
after morning1 with ever-decreasing     
difficulty1 all that the best exponents 
seem to do so naturally and easily4 ,he 
would see me ready to start and starting
 at hundred yards' pace here there or   
anywhere1 as ,mr4 ,vernon ,royle used to
 stand and start at cover2 or extending 
now this arm1 and now that1 up1 down1   
out to imaginary balls1 and then        
throwing these in at once just above    
imaginary bails 7which will be spots on 
the wall-paper74  8,it is not thus that 
,cricket is learnt10 ,i hear the genius 
say4 ,yet it was thus--partly thus--that
 my ,racquets and ,tennis were learnt1  
and ,i for my part shall try to learn   
,cricket thus also2 and ,i shall advise 
others who are as backward as ,i am to  
try thus4 ,if the plan be wrong1 yet at 
least ,i am putting it into action in my

 own case1 so as to make as much a part 
of me as ,i can those movements that    
seem always to have been a part of the  
born experts1 who are my models1 and    
whose expertness has hitherto been      
regarded as beyond hope4 ,i do not mean 
fancy strokes1 such as the risky glide1 
but the ordinary and common strokes1 the
 8nine out of ten10 for which the many  
mechanical workings are buried so       
securely deep in the sub-conscious minds
 of the skilful1 that there is needed a 
thorough probing and cutting up by the  
anatomist if ever the secrets are to be 
laid bare4  ,there must be no reliance  
on mere theories2 actual models and     
photographs of models have been and are 
to be the basis of my advice and of my  
own steady practice4 ,photographs are   
less likely to err than the opinions of 
those whose chief merit is to do well   
rather than to teach well or even to    
know well4  ,but1 though the most       
careful analysis has been made1 and     
though ,i myself shall do whatever ,i   

urge the beginner to try1 yet the advice
 will all be put forward as worth a fair
 trial--no more1 at least for purposes  
of ,cricket4 ,for purposes of physical  
development1 health1 control of the body
 and of the will1 and so on1 ,i think   
that every such exercise can safely be  
recommended to most people4 ,i cannot   
believe that a few minutes each day     
would do any ,anglo-,saxon boy or man   
any appreciable harm1 if only the       
rapidity and extension be increased     
gently and sensibly4  ,my point of view 
is entirely new4 ,i come to the reader  
not as a good batsman1 bowler1 or       
fielder4 ,i was what may be called a    
,public ,school and ,college cricketer1 
and poor at that6 ,in my last season of 
,college ,cricket ,i made one or two    
centuries and got well over my hundred  
wickets2 but all this ,i did in the most
 atrocious style4 ,and ,i gave up the   
game many years ago4 ,why then do ,i    
dare to offer hints8  ,let me repeat    
that1 as a player of ,racquets and      

,tennis1 in spite of much play1 ,i still
 used to exhibit practically every      
serious fault except a bad eye1         
weakness1 and indifference to success4  
,as ,i have confessed or boasted        
elsewhere1 and as anyone who saw me     
would confirm1 the positions and        
movements of my feet1 legs1 trunk1      
shoulder1 arm1 wrist1 and fingers were  
incorrect2 and ,i used to let my eye    
wander from the ball4 ,these faults ,i  
found out2 and ,i afterwards found out  
that my faults in ,cricket were closely 
akin to these4 ,now comes the           
interesting argument4 ,i taught myself  
and am teaching myself what is less     
incorrect4 ,i practised and am          
practising sedulously1 to a great extent
 outside the court1 and especially in my
 bedroom4 ,i chose good models in       
,racquets and ,tennis--for example1     
,latham and ,fairs2 ,i analysed their   
strokes1 watching part by part1 asking  
questions1 accepting kind advice1       
listening to sane or mad theory4 ,i     

tried to master each part of the        
mechanism1 at first by itself1 then with
 other parts1 at times repeating with   
concentration1 at times exaggerating the
 opposite fault4 ,there cannot be the   
slightest doubt that ,i am mastering the
 mechanism of these racket-games4       
,incidentally ,i may mention that these 
two games taught me many      useful    
principles for ,cricket-practice3 the   
right positions of the      legs2 the   
art of running side-ways with the eyes  
looking forwards2      the formation and
 preservation of that correct pose and  
poise which      may be called 8the     
ready02 the use of the straight right   
leg and      firm right foot as a pivot2
 the body-swing from the hips2 the      
shoulder-jerk2 the forearm snap in      
contrast to the mere      wrist-flick1  
which of course is also extremely       
useful1 as in      peg-top whipping2 the
 wrist-flick itself1 especially at the  
last      moment2 the habit of not      
taking the ball too far in front of one 

except when one wishes to hit high2 the 
follow through2 the fast      full      
extension with power but without loss of
 balance or else      followed by rapid 
recovery of balance4  ,as a player of   
,cricket ,i used to suffer from similar 
and equally fundamental hindrances to   
success2 most of these ,i believe that  
,i have now found out4 ,i shall give    
myself nearly two years in which to     
correct these faults and to embody and  
infibre the best positions and movements
 that ,i can learn from the actual play 
of the best models 7,abel1 ,hirst1      
,shrewsbury1 and many others besides71  
as shown in practice and in their       
photographs4 ,much of this              
apprenticeship will take place in my    
bedroom4 ,all the time ,i shall continue
 to watch1 to ask questions1 to study   
theories2 ,i shall try to keep up to    
date both in my learning and in my      
advice in this volume if future editions
 should be needed4  ,in a word1 ,i write
 and shall write not for genius-players 

so much as for players like myself4 ,for
 genius-players1 the ,lytteltons1       
,steel1 ,ranjitsinhji1 ,grace1 and      
others have already written infinitely  
better than ,i ever could4 ,i have no   
ambition to supersede these great       
authorities except in so far as ,i must 
set the evidence of the camera and of   
the muscles themselves above theoretical
 opinion4 ,even here ,i wish to show the
 foundation of fact underlying the      
superstructure of dogma4                
,similarly in ,tennis ,i have read and  
heard again and again the      theory   
that the head of the racket must be kept
 above the level of      the wrist1 in  
spite of the common practice of ,lambert
 and ,latham4      ,the truth here is   
that the wrist should be firm4 ,so with 
the late      cut3 the theory that it is
 a wrist-stroke only is not altogether  
absurd--the wrist may play an important 
part even if it is kept      nearly or  
quite rigid 7the power and direction    
being given by the      shoulder1       

forearm1 etc474  ,the reader must not   
misunderstand my contention4 ,if ,i     
think that most experts do so-and-so1   
this carries little weight2 if the      
experts themselves think that they do   
some other so-and-so1 this carries      
little weight either4 ,the question is  
what the experts actually do4 ,if the   
reader after careful study of these or  
any other photographs and after careful 
observation of these or any other       
experts shall decide that the experts   
actually do something different1 then   
let him practise that something rather  
than what ,i suggest4 ,only let him not 
confuse me with a doctor who prescribes 
all sorts of drugs with apparent        
confidence yet himself would not swallow
 a tithe of them4 ,in a tentative and   
truth-seeking spirit ,i suggest only    
that which ,i shall myself use daily    
with heart and soul2 and ,i shall       
suggest it only as deserving of a fair  
trial before condemnation4 ,by their    
fruits ye shall know them2 and so shall 

,i4 ,the fact that ,i am going to submit
 myself to such apprenticeship would    
show at least this--that ,i am convinced
 of the need of such apprenticeship for 
duffers like myself1 and that1 if ,i had
 a son of my own1 ,i would put him      
through such an apprenticeship before he
 had much chance of falling into those  
bad habits under which ,i myself        
laboured so long and so unhappily4 ,i   
should teach him to master1 with me1    
elements not only of the language of his
 tongue1 but also of the language of his
 whole body2 ,i would practise1 with    
him1 many positions and movements and   
extensions of feet1 legs1 trunk1        
shoulder1 forearm1 wrist1 and neck--to  
fit him for ,cricket and other games4   
,in some practices ,i should err4 ,but  
here1 as in matters of diet1 ,i should  
treat him as ,i should like to be       
treated1 teach him as ,i should like to 
be taught1 were ,i in his place2 teach  
him as ,i--for want of better           
knowledge--shall teach myself2 urge him 

to do only what ,i myself have done or  
am doing4  ,it is simply in this spirit1
 in the spirit of an experimenting and  
enthusiastic fellow-learner1 that ,i    
approach my readers--all except the     
genius-cricketers1 unless these wish to 
be teachers also4 ,as almost the only   
self-made ,racquet player and ,tennis   
player who knows every single step of   
his own slow journey out of a hopelessly
 dark jungle of hampering errors into a 
comparatively clear and light country1 a
 journey elaborated during a very busy  
life of reading1 writing1 and teaching1 
,i can speak with weight4 ,i can        
honestly say that all my thousands of   
,racquet and ,tennis foot-exercises1    
shoulder-jerks1 body-swings1 and so on1 
in bedrooms and elsewhere1 have been    
well worth while2 and that those which  
,i am now doing and shall do for        
,cricket will be well worth while for   
many reasons1 including physical        
development and personal appearance 7,i 
do not mind what others think of it so  

much as what ,i think of it671 health1  
enjoyment1 and hope4  ,i only dare speak
 for myself1 because games1 and         
therefore practice for games1 are to me 
so much of all that seems best--possibly
 far too much4 ,to others a similar     
preparation and practice might be sheer 
drudgery and slavery4 ,to me they are at
 their worst a discipline--which ,i know
 ,i need--and an invaluable lesson that 
much work must be done of which the     
results will not show for years1 but    
without which the naturally unskilful   
person like myself may never be able to 
show any appreciable results at all4    
,speaking for myself1 ,i shall not be   
content with trying to learn batting4 ,i
 want to bowl and to field and to watch1
 and to enjoy all these parts1 and to do
 them well enough to avoid the look of  
boredom which ,i see on so many faces on
 the ,cricket-field4 ,my egotism in     
these pages will be pardoned because ,i 
am genuinely anxious to improve myself  
and others--our physique1 our standard  

of play1 our enjoyment4  ,let me here   
answer two objections made by friends of
 mine to whom ,i have told my plan4 ,the
 first has already occurred to most     
readers4 ,it is that ,i shall never     
become a good cricketer4 ,this was      
precisely what every critic with one    
exception1 ,smale1 the late ,racquet    
coach at ,wellington ,college1 bless    
him6 asserted confidently about my      
,racquets and ,tennis as well as my     
,cricket6 ,my style was so bad as to be 
beyond hope4 ,smale told me many of my  
faults and1 as ,i said just now1 ,i went
 for them and 8stuck to it0 for month   
after month1 with the result that in    
,america1 where people are quick to     
observe and detect faults1 ,i was       
frequently told1 not that my feet were  
always in the wrong position and        
unprepared1 but that they were nearly   
always in the right position and        
prepared1 in 8the ready40 8,i can't     
catch you on the hop0--that was the     
common compliment4 ,if ,i achieved this 

for ,racquets and ,tennis1 if ,i made   
the 7at first7 utterly unnatural        
movements so easy1 so habitual1 so      
automatic1 so sub-conscious1 so nearly  
inevitable1 that not one in a hundred   
people will now believe that ,i ever had
 any difficulty or serious fault here2  
then why not in ,cricket also8 ,and1 if 
,i can1 then ,i believe any one can4    
,the objection may be put more mildly1  
it being held that ,i should only be a  
8laboured0 player4 ,but am ,i a laboured
 ,racquet and ,tennis player now8 ,is   
not the labour past8 ,are not the       
positions and movements now my very own8
 ,i can seldom convince people that they
 ever were laboured1 that ,i once was   
among the clumsiest of all4  ,or it     
might be asserted that though ,i        
mastered the individual parts of        
movements--no one dares to deny that ,i 
could do this--yet the parts would not  
work together4 8,the secret of playing  
forward is to throw all the full weight 
forward together40 ,now1 though ,i began

 each part of the ,tennis stroke        
separately and mastered it per se1 yet  
,i regularly and habitually combine     
these parts into a unity to-day4 ,tennis
 certainly seems to me to need the full 
weight at the right moment3 ,i am       
repeatedly told that ,i seem to use all 
my weight in my strokes4 ,and1 if here1 
why not at ,cricket8 ,i fail to see any 
radical difference1 though ,i do see    
that my distance from the ball must be  
different3 but that is what ,i intend to
 get over6 ,i also see that ,i must not 
lift the ordinary ball2 but with my left
 elbow well forward ,i hope to stop that
 defect in batting2 even in ,tennis ,i  
try not to lift the ball much more than 
is necessary4  ,the second objection is 
that the game is not worth this         
drudgery3 this is the objection chiefly 
of those who do not play games1 or who  
have played them well without           
apprenticeship1 or who have played them 
badly without apprenticeship or else    
after bad apprenticeship4 ,this         

objection ,i answer in another chapter4 
,it is a personal matter1 and depends on
 what the game 7and success in it7 means
 for the individual--what it does and   
will do for him4 ,to me ,cricket 7and   
success in it7 would mean a very        
important benefit for the whole of my   
life1 just as ,racquets and ,tennis 7and
 improvement at them7 have already done1
 and in these ,i have not nearly come to
 the top of my game yet4 ,as to         
drudgery1 lists of battles and dates and
 names and places would be drudgery to  
me2 so would weight-lifting and other   
strain-exercises2 so would society      
at-homes2 but fast full-movements and   
extensions1 control of my weight and    
balance1 for a few minutes each day1 are
 not drudgery to me1 especially if ,i am
 stripped and have plenty of air and    
light1 and an ambition or two in view4  
,i should be sorry to see ,cricket      
reduced to the level of a school study1 
but ,i should be still more sorry to see
 it given up altogether4 ,why has it    

decayed so much8 ,why is there this     
apathy even among the 7ordinary7 players
 themselves8 ,we are wont to hear the   
blame ascribed to ,lawn ,tennis1 ,golf1 
,cycling1 ,croquet1 and to the          
expensiveness of ,cricket in time as    
well as in money4 ,but to me it is      
patent that the real cause of the decay 
lies deeper1 lies nearer home1 just as  
the real cause of physical decay lies   
nearer home than in the murky atmosphere
 of a nerve-harassing city4 ,the source 
is within ourselves4  ,people do not    
play the game well enough to enjoy it as
 much as they enjoy their other games   
and exercises--or their laziness and    
8amusements40 ,and behind this low      
standard of play 7and hence of          
enjoyment7 is the fact that they have   
not yet mastered and appropriated the   
alphabet of ,cricket4  ,i have never yet
 heard of anyone who systematically     
divided ,cricket strokes into a number  
of parts1 persevered in assimilating    
each part1 combined and co-ordinated the

 parts2 and then1 even then1 looked out 
for faults to be corrected by a similar 
process4 ,i have scarcely ever read or  
heard of a sensible analysis of any     
,cricket stroke1 except by a few such   
writers as ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,fry 7for we    
must put on one side the nonsense that  
the late cut is done only with the      
wrist3 that is not analysis but bad     
guess-work74 ,and this1 too1 although   
any stroke can be analysed4  ,i will go 
further4 ,i have never yet read or heard
 of the following advice 7let the reader
 tell me if it has ever been given73    
that1 if a beginner must or will do the 
full stroke at once1 he should          
concentrate on each part of it in turn1 
now on the left foot again and again1   
now on the left elbow1 and so on2       
somewhat as--to repeat a comparison--the
 conductor might during rehearsals      
concentrate his attention on each       
instrument in turn1 now on the first    
violin1 now on the 'cello1 and so on4   
,the end and aim would be a perfect     

whole2 but each part must first be      
perfected if ever a complete harmony is 
to result4  ,now why should there not be
 at every decent school1 if not in every
 decent home1 a drill for games8 ,a few 
foundation-movements were suggested in  
the 8,training of the ,body0 7,appendix 
,,ii474 ,i remember a deadly dull drill 
of monotonous rhythmical                
both-sides-together exercises at two    
private schools2 the compulsory drill   
for first-year-students at ,yale        
,college in ,america was better1 but    
still far from fascinating4 ,why was    
there no swift lunge for the left foot  
in a straight line2 no throwing in all  
directions with each hand in turn2 no   
wrist-turning 7as suggested in 8,daily  
,training072 no starting out and then   
back and then sideways2 no running      
similarly8 ,in a word1 why was there no 
drill at all in view of those games and 
sports in which every single ,british   
boy ,i have ever met would love to be   
able to excel2 why was there no sort or 

kind of apprenticeship for ,cricket or  
other athletics8 ,the drill was not even
 healthy--did not make us lively and    
fresh4 ,it was the acme of dreary       
discipline4  ,every true ,british       
subject is at least slightly annoyed    
when ,england is beaten2 when it is     
shown that we1 the nation of            
game-players1 who play habitually at    
schools and elsewhere1 play--let us     
recognise the truth--not very well4     
,most of us have many important         
muscle-groups absolutely or partially   
undeveloped2 nor will the few           
repetitions of any movement1 in a wrong 
manner1 tend to develop these groups4   
,we rely on the unreliable--especially  
the wrist4 ,our very foundations are out
 of course2 our feet and our bodies are 
wrongly posed1 wrongly poised1 slow to  
extend1 slow to change1 slow to bend4   
,no book tells us to develop our muscles
 rightly before we play games           
constantly4 ,right practice in bedrooms 
and elsewhere would be most valuable for

 ,cricket and other games1 and for      
development2 as far as ,i can tell--and 
,i believe ,i have studied all known    
systems--it would be no less valuable   
for physical and mental health and      
vigour than any of these systems2       
granted a keenness for success in games1
 it would be far less dull4 ,we need not
 practise to an ,american ,university   
extreme4 ,my many hours' work each day  
is a safeguard against that extreme for 
me4 ,but1 for the sake of the self and  
the side and the nation1 ,i cannot but  
feel that if games are to be compulsory1
 then we had far better teach them well1
 and so raise the standard of excellence
 and with it the standard of interest   
and pleasure4 ,we need not give more    
time3 we might give many hours less time
 each week 7,i shall find less than ten 
minutes ample for most days74 ,but we   
must give more sense1 more care1 if we  
are to hold our own as a nation of      
all-round cricketers and a nation of    
healthy all-round men4     ,,appendix   

,,ii4  ,,laws ,,of ,,the ,,game4   ,the 
reader is strongly recommended to buy   
the 7,threepenny7 ,laws of ,cricket1    
with ,interpretations1 etc41 published  
by the ,marylebone ,cricket ,club4      
,,the ,,laws ,,of ,,cricket4       ,,as 
,,revised ,,by ,,the ,,marylebone       
,,club1 #ahhd1 #ahhi1 #ahid1 #ahii1     
#aijj1      ,,and #aijb4       #a4 ,a   
match is played between two sides of    
eleven players each1      unless        
otherwise agreed to2 each side has two  
innings1 taken      alternately1 except 
in the case provided for in ,law #ec4   
,the choice      of innings shall be    
decided by tossing4       #b4 ,the score
 shall be reckoned by runs4 ,a run is   
scored3--       #ast4 ,so often as the  
batsmen after a hit1 or at any time     
while the      ball is in play1 shall   
have crossed1 and made good their       
ground1      from end to end4           
#bnd4 ,for penalties under ,laws #af1   
#cd1 #da1 and allowances under #dd4     
,any run or runs so scored shall be duly

 recorded by scorers appointed for the  
purpose4 ,the side which scores the     
greatest number of runs wins the match4 
,no match is won unless played out or   
given up1 except in the case provided in
 ,law #de4  #c4 ,before the commencement
 of the match two ,umpires shall be     
appointed2 one for each end4  #d4 ,the  
,ball shall weigh not less than five    
ounces and a half1 nor more than five   
ounces and three-quarters4 ,it shall    
measure not less than nine inches1 nor  
more than nine inches and one-quarter in
 circumference4 ,at the beginning of    
each innings1 either side may demand a  
new ball4  #e4 ,the ,bat shall not      
exceed four inches and one-quarter in   
the widest part2 it shall not be more   
than thirty-eight inches in length4  #f4
 ,the ,wickets shall be pitched opposite
 and parallel to each other at a        
distance of twenty-two yards4 ,each     
wicket shall be eight inches in width   
and consist of three stumps1 with two   
bails upon the top4 ,the stumps shall be

 of equal and sufficient size to prevent
 the ball from passing through1         
twenty-seven inches out of the ground4  
,the bails shall be each four inches in 
length1 and when in position1 on the top
 of the stumps1 shall not project more  
than half an inch above them4 ,the      
wickets shall not be changed during a   
match1 unless the ground between them   
become unfit for play1 and then only by 
consent of both sides4  #g4 ,the        
,bowling ,crease shall be in a line with
 the stumps2 six feet eight inches in   
length2 the stumps in the centre2 with a
 return crease at each end1 at right    
angles behind the wicket4  #h4 ,the     
,popping ,crease shall be marked four   
feet from the wicket1 parallel to it1   
and be deemed unlimited in length4  #i4 
,the ,ground shall not be rolled1       
watered1 covered1 mown1 or beaten during
 a match1 except before the commencement
 of each innings and of each day's play1
 when1 unless the in-side object1 the   
ground shall be swept and rolled for not

 more than ten minutes4 ,this shall not 
prevent the batsman from beating the    
ground with his bat1 nor the batsmen nor
 bowler from using sawdust in order to  
obtain a proper foothold4  #aj4 ,the    
ball must be bowled2 if thrown or jerked
 either umpire shall call 8,no ball40   
#aa4 ,the bowler shall deliver the ball 
with one foot on the ground behind the  
bowling crease1 and within the return   
crease1 otherwise the umpire shall call 
8,no ball40  #ab4 ,if the bowler shall  
bowl the ball so high over or so wide of
 the wicket that1 in the opinion of the 
umpire1 it is not within reach of the   
striker1 the umpire shall call 8,wide   
ball40  #ac4 ,the ball shall be bowled  
in overs of six balls from each wicket  
alternately4 ,when six balls have been  
bowled1 and the ball is finally settled 
in the bowler's or wicket-keeper's      
hands1 the umpire shall call 8,over40   
,neither a 8no ball0 nor 8wide ball0    
shall be reckoned as one of the 8over40 
#ad4 ,the bowler shall be allowed to    

change ends as often as he pleases1     
provided only that he does not bowl two 
overs consecutively in one innings4     
#ae4 ,the bowler may require the batsman
 at the wicket from which he is bowling 
to stand on that side of it which he may
 direct4  #af4 ,the striker may hit a   
8no ball10 and whatever runs result     
shall be added to his score3 but he     
shall not be out from a 8no ball0 unless
 he be run out or break ,laws #bf1 #bg1 
#bi1 #cj4 ,all runs made from a 8no     
ball0 otherwise than from the bat1 shall
 be scored 8no balls10 and if no run be 
made one run shall be added to that     
score4 ,from a 8wide ball0 as many runs 
as are run shall be added to the score  
as 8wide balls10 and if no run be       
otherwise obtained one run shall be so  
added4  #ag4 ,if the ball1 not having   
been called 8wide0 or 8no ball10 pass   
the striker without touching his bat or 
person1 and any runs be obtained1 the   
umpire shall call 8,bye02 but if the    
ball touch any part of the striker's    

person 7hand excepted7 and any run be   
obtained1 the umpire shall call         
8,leg-bye10 such runs to be scored      
8byes0 and 8leg-byes0 respectively4     
#ah4 ,at the beginning of the match1 and
 of each innings1 the umpire at the     
bowler's wicket shall call 8,play02 from
 that time no trial ball shall be       
allowed to any bowler on the ground     
between the wickets1 and when one of the
 batsmen is out1 the use of the bat     
shall not be allowed to any person until
 the next batsman shall come in4  #ai4  
,a batsman shall be held to be 8out of  
his ground10 unless his bat in hand or  
some part of his person be grounded     
within the line of the popping crease4  
#bj4 ,the wicket shall be held to be    
8down0 when either of the bails is      
struck off1 or if both bails be off1    
when a stump is struck out of the       
ground4  ,the ,,striker is out--  #ba4  
,if the wicket be bowled down1 even if  
the ball first touch the striker's bat  
or person3--8,bowled40  #bb4 ,or1 if the

 ball from a stroke of the bat or hand1 
but not the wrist1 be held before it    
touch the ground1 although it be hugged 
to the body of the catcher3--8,caught40 
#bc4 ,or1 if in playing at the ball1    
provided it be not touched by the bat or
 hand1 the striker be out of his ground1
 and the wicket be put down by the      
wicket-keeper with the ball or with hand
 or arm1 with ball in hand3--8,stumped40
  #bd4 ,or1 if with any part of his     
person he stops the ball1 which in the  
opinion of the umpire at the bowler's   
wicket1 shall have been pitched in a    
straight line from it to the striker's  
wicket and would have hit it3--8,leg    
before wicket40  #be4 ,or1 if in playing
 at the ball he hit down his wicket with
 his bat or any part of his person or   
dress3--8,hit wicket40  #bf4 ,or1 if    
under pretence of running1 or otherwise1
 either of the batsmen wilfully prevent 
a ball from being caught3--8,obstructing
 the field40  #bg4 ,or1 if the ball be  
struck1 or be stopped by any part of his

 person1 and he wilfully strike it      
again1 except it be done for the purpose
 of guarding his wicket1 which he may do
 with his bat1 or any part of his       
person1 except his hands3--8,hit the    
ball twice40  ,either ,,batsman is out--
  #bh4 ,if in running1 or at any other  
time1 when the ball is in play1 he be   
out of his ground1 and his wicket be    
struck down by the ball after touching  
any fieldsman1 or by the hand or arm1   
with ball in hand1 of any               
fieldsman3--8,run out40  #bi4 ,or1 if he
 touch with his hands or take up the    
ball while in play1 unless at the       
request of the opposite side3--8,handled
 the ball40  #cj4 ,or1 if he wilfully   
obstruct any fieldsman3--8,obstructing  
the field40  #ca4 ,if the batsmen have  
crossed each other1 he that runs for the
 wicket which is put down is out2 if    
they have not crossed1 he that has left 
the wicket which is put down is out4    
#cb4 ,the striker being caught no runs  
shall be scored4 ,a batsman being run   

out1 that run which was being attempted 
shall not be scored4  #cc;,a4 ,a batsman
 being out from any cause1 the ball     
shall be 8,dead40  #cc;,b4 ,if the ball1
 whether struck with the bat or not1    
lodges in a batsman's clothing1 the ball
 shall become 8,dead40  #cd4 ,if a ball 
in play cannot be found or recovered1   
any fieldsman may call 8,lost ball10    
when the ball shall be 8,dead02 six runs
 shall be added to the score2 but if    
more than six runs have been run before 
8,lost ball0 has been called1 as many   
runs as have been run shall be scored4  
#ce4 ,after the ball shall have been    
finally settled in the wicket-keeper's  
or bowler's hand1 it shall be 8,dead02  
but when the bowler is about to deliver 
the ball1 if the batsman at his wicket  
be out of his ground before actual      
delivery1 the said bowler may run him   
out2 but if the bowler throw at that    
wicket and any run result1 it shall be  
scored 8,no ball40  #cf4 ,a batsman     
shall not retire from his wicket and    

return to it to complete his innings    
after another has been in1 without the  
consent of the opposite side4  #cg4 ,a  
substitute shall be allowed to field or 
run between wickets for any player who  
may1 during the match1 be incapacitated 
from illness or injury1 but for no other
 reason1 except with the consent of the 
opposite side4  #ch4 ,in all cases where
 a substitute shall be allowed1 the     
consent of the opposite side shall be   
obtained as to the person to act as     
substitute1 and the place in the field  
which he shall take4  #ci4 ,in case any 
substitute shall be allowed to run      
between wickets1 the striker may be run 
out if either he or his substitute be   
out of his ground4 ,if the striker be   
out of his ground while the ball is in  
play1 that wicket which he has left may 
be put down and the striker given out1  
although the other batsman may have made
 good the ground at that end1 and the   
striker and his substitute at the other 
end4  #dj4 ,a batsman is liable to be   

out for any infringement of the ,laws by
 his substitute4  #da4 ,the fieldsman   
may stop the ball with any part of his  
person1 but if he wilfully stop it      
otherwise1 the ball shall be 8,dead10   
and five runs added to the score2       
whatever runs may have been made1 five  
only shall be added4  #db4 ,the         
wicket-keeper shall stand behind the    
wicket4 ,if he shall take the ball for  
the purpose of stumping before it has   
passed the wicket1 or1 if he shall      
incommode the striker by any noise1 or  
motion1 or if any part of his person be 
over or before the wicket1 the striker  
shall not be out1 excepting under ,laws 
#bf1 #bg1 #bh1 #bi1 and #cj4  #dc4 ,the 
,umpires are the sole judges of fair or 
unfair play1 of the fitness of the      
ground1 the weather1 and the light for  
play2 all disputes shall be determined  
by them1 and if they disagree the actual
 state of things shall continue4  #dd4  
,they shall pitch fair wickets1 arrange 
boundaries where necessary1 and the     

allowances to be made for them1 and     
change ends after each side has had one 
innings4  #de4 ,they shall allow two    
minutes for each striker to come in1 and
 ten minutes between each innings4 ,when
 they shall call 8,play10 the side      
refusing to play shall lose the match4  
#df4 ,they shall not order a batsman out
 unless appealed to by the other side4  
,n4,b4--,an appeal1 8,how's that10      
covers all ways of being out 7within the
 jurisdiction of the umpire appealed    
to71 unless a specific way of getting   
out is stated by the person asking4     
#dg4 ,the umpire at the bowler's wicket 
shall be appealed to before      the    
other umpire in all cases1 except in    
those of stumping1 hit      wicket1 run 
out at the striker's wicket1 or arising 
out of ,law #db1      but in any case in
 which an umpire is unable to give a    
decision1 he      shall appeal to the   
other umpire1 whose decision shall be   
final4       #dh4 ,if either umpire be  
not satisfied of the absolute fairness  

of      the delivery of any ball1 he    
shall call 8,no ball40       #dh;,a4    
,the umpire shall take especial care to 
call 8,no ball0      instantly upon     
delivery3 8,wide ball0 as soon as it    
shall have      passed the striker4     
#di4 ,if either batsman run a short run1
 the umpire shall call 8,one            
short10 and the run shall not be scored4
       #ej4 ,after the umpire has called
 8,over10 the ball is 8,dead10 but an   
appeal may be made as to whether either 
batsman is out2 such      appeal1       
however1 shall not be made after the    
delivery of the next      ball1 nor     
after any cessation of play4       #ea4 
,no umpire shall be allowed to bet4     
#eb4 ,no umpire shall be changed during 
a match1 unless with the      consent of
 both sides1 except in case of violation
 of ,law #ea2 then      either side may 
dismiss him4       #ec4 ,the side which 
bats first and leads by #aej runs in a  
three      days' match1 or by #ajj runs 
in a two days' match1 shall have the    

option of requiring the other side to   
follow their innings4       #ed4 ,the   
,in-side may declare their innings at an
 end in a three      days' match at or  
after the luncheon interval on the      
second day2 in      a two days' match on
 the second day1 at any time2 in a one  
day      match at any time4        ,,one
 ,,day ,,matches4       #a4 ,the side   
which bats first and leads by #ge runs  
shall have the      option of requiring 
the other side to follow their innings4 
#b4 ,the match1 unless played out1 shall
 be decided by the first      innings4  
,prior to the commencement of a match it
 may be agreed that      the over       
consist of #e or #f balls4              
,n4,b4--,a ,tie is included in the words
 8,played out40        ,,single         
,,wicket4       ,the ,laws are1 where   
they apply1 the same as the above1 with 
the      following alterations and      
additions4       #a4 ,one wicket shall  
be pitched1 as in ,law #f1 with a       
bowling stump      opposite to it at a  

distance of twenty-two yards4 ,the      
bowling      crease shall be in a line  
with the bowling stump1 and drawn       
according to ,law #g4       #b4 ,when   
there shall be less than five players on
 a side1 bounds      shall be placed    
twenty-two yards each in a line from the
 off and      leg stump4       #c4 ,the 
ball must be hit before the bounds to   
entitle the striker to      a run1 which
 run cannot be obtained unless he touch 
the bowling      stump or crease in a   
line with his bat1 or some part of his  
person1      or go beyond them1 and     
return to the popping crease4       #d4 
,when the striker shall hit the ball1   
one of his feet must be on      the     
ground behind the popping crease1       
otherwise the umpire shall      call    
8,no hit10 and no run shall be scored4  
#e4 ,when there shall be less than five 
players on a side1 neither      byes1   
leg-byes1 nor overthrows shall be       
allowed1 nor shall the      striker be  
caught out behind the wicket1 nor       

stumped4       #f4 ,the fieldsman must  
return the ball so that it shall cross  
the      ground between the wicket and  
the bowling stump1 or between the       
bowling stump and the bounds1 the       
striker may run till the ball be      so
 returned4       #g4 ,after the striker 
shall have made one run1 if he start    
again he      must touch the bowling    
stump or crease1 and turn before the    
ball      cross the ground to entitle   
him to another4       #h4 ,the striker  
shall be entitled to three runs for lost
 ball1 and      the same number for ball
 wilfully stopped by a fieldsman        
otherwise      than with any part of his
 person4       #i4 ,when there shall be 
more than four players on a side there  
shall      be no bounds4 ,all hits1     
byes1 leg-byes1 and overthrows shall    
then      be allowed4       #aj4 ,there 
shall be no restriction as to the ball  
being bowled in      overs1 but no more 
than one minute shall be allowed between
 each      ball4   ,,instructions ,,to  

,,umpires4  ,these instructions1 drawn  
up in #ahib by the ,committee of the    
,m4,c4,c41 are intended as an appendix  
to the ,laws of the ,game4 ,some little 
alteration had to be made in #aija1 the 
decision as to the fitness of the ground
 and light being now in the hands of the
 captains4   ,,fitness ,,of ,,ground4   
,,law #dc4--;,at the commencement of a  
match1 the umpires may be      appealed 
to by either side as to the fitness of  
the ground for      play4       ,should 
they not agree1 play will not commence  
until they are      agreed4       ,in   
case of interruption from rain1 as soon 
as the rain has ceased1      the umpires
 shall1 immediately1 without further    
instruction1      inspect the wicket1   
unaccompanied by any of the players1 and
 decide      upon its fitness4 ,should  
it prove unfit1 they shall continue to  
inspect at intervals1 until they decide 
that it is fit for play1      when they 
shall call upon the players to resume   
the game4       ,the ground is unfit for

 play--when water stands on the surface1
 or      when it is so wet1 muddy1 or   
slippery as to deprive the bowlers of   
a reasonable foothold1 or the fieldsmen 
of the power of free      movement4     
,the umpires are not to be biassed by   
the opinions of either side1      still 
less are they to allow themselves to be 
influenced by the      impatience of the
 spectators for a resumption of the     
game1 and are      not to be induced1 by
 the public interest in a particular    
match1 to      declare the ground fit   
for play1 unless they would consider    
that      ground fit under any          
circumstances4        ,,fitness ,,of    
,,light ,,for ,,play4       ,the umpires
 may decide1 on appeal1 that there is   
not sufficient      light for play4     
,should the light improve before the    
time for      drawing stumps1 they      
shall1 without waiting for instructions1
 call      upon the players to resume   
the game4       ,in the event of the    
captains agreeing as to the condition of

 the      ground or light1 the umpires  
will1 so far1 be relieved of their      
responsibility4       ,,law #dg4--;,an  
umpire is only justified in appealing to
 the other      umpire when he is unable
 to decide1 owing to his having been    
prevented from seeing the occurrence on 
which the appeal is based4      ,he is  
not to appeal to the other umpire in    
cases on which he could      give a     
decision1 merely because he is unwilling
 to give that      decision4 ,if he be  
in any doubt1 the principle laid down in
 ,law #dc1      8,that the existing     
state of things shall continue10 shall  
be      followed1 and1 in consequence1  
the decision should be in favour of     
the batsman4       ,,law #dh4--,the     
special attention of umpires is called  
to this law1      which directs them to 
call 8no ball10 unless absolutely       
satisfied      of the fairness of the   
delivery4       ,umpires should not     
allow themselves to be unduly influenced
 by      appeals from such of the field 

who were not in a position to form a    
judgment on the point appealed upon1 or 
by tricks--such as throwing      up the 
ball1 on appealing for a catch at the   
wicket1 without      waiting for the    
decision4 ,umpires1 being the sole      
judges of fair or      unfair play1     
should remember that such devices are   
obviously      unfair1 and are not in   
accordance with the spirit in which     
cricket      should be played4  ,by     
order of the ,committee of the ,m4,c4,c4
  ,june #bjth1 #ahib4       ,in the     
course of the season of #ahii the       
following additions to the              
,instructions to ,umpires were approved 
by the ,m4,c4,c4 ,committee3--          
,,law #ed4--8;,declaring40--       7,a7 
,if a side declare its innings during   
the luncheon interval1 it      must do  
so within fifteen minutes after the     
commencement of such      interval1     
otherwise an extra ten minutes will be  
allowed for      rolling4       7,b7 ,if
 a side declare its innings closed in   

the morning before play      commences1 
it must do so in sufficient time to     
enable the other      side to choose the
 roller it prefers1 otherwise an extra  
ten      minutes will be allowed for    
rolling4   ,,code ,,of ,,signalling4    
,boundaries shall be signalled by waving
 the hand from side to side4       ,byes
 shall be signalled by raising the open 
hand above the head4       ,leg-byes    
shall be signalled by raising the leg   
and touching it with      the hand4     
,wides shall be signalled by extending  
both arms horizontally4       ,no-balls 
shall be signalled by extending one arm 
horizontally4       ,the decision ,out  
shall be signalled by raising the index 
finger      above the head4             
,umpires should wait until a signal has 
been answered by the scorer      before 
allowing the game to proceed4           
,besides signalling1 the umpire should  
8call0 distinctly for the               
information of the players4       ,on   
giving a decision the umpire should make

 sure that the batsman      understands 
what the decision is4   ,passed by      
,m4,c4,c4 ,committee1 ,june #afth1      
#aijb4       7,a7 ,umpires are not      
justified in deciding the ground unfit  
for      play1 merely because the grass 
is wet and the ball would1 in           
consequence1 be slippery4       7,b7 ,in
 order to facilitate play at the        
earliest possible moment in      wet    
weather1 the ,umpires shall see that the
 foot-holes made by the      bowlers and
 batsmen are cleaned out1 dried1 and    
filled up with      sawdust at any time 
during the match1 although the game is  
not      actually in progress4   ,,rules
 ,,of ,,county ,,cricket4  ,at a meeting
 of ,county representatives1 held at    
,lord's on ,monday1 ,december #eth1     
#ahih1 the question of amending the     
rules of ,county ,cricket was left in   
the hands of the ,marylebone ,club1 who 
had offered to form a committee to deal 
with the matter4 ,the committee which1  
in accordance with a resolution passed  

by the ,county representatives included 
a representative from ,kent1 ,yorkshire1
 ,surrey1 ,lancashire1 and two ,minor   
,counties1 was duly formed1 and after   
long deliberation1 the following scheme 
was agreed to4 ,the ,m4,c4,c4 committee 
approved of the alterations1 and in the 
spring of #ahii the rules as given below
 were made public4 ,practically the only
 point in dispute had been the          
residential qualification1 it being     
strongly felt in many quarters that     
,rule #c in the old code had been       
interpreted in a way quite foreign to   
the intentions of those who framed it in
 #ahgc4 ,hence the far more strict      
definition of 8residence0 now put       
forward4 ,in order1 no doubt1 to avoid  
interference with existing              
qualifications1 it was agreed that      
except as regards ,rule #e1 the new     
rules should not come into operation    
until the #ast of ,january1 #aijj4  #a4 
,a cricketer born in one county and     
residing in another may not play for    

more than one county during the same    
season4  #b4 ,,qualification ,,by       
,,birth4--,a cricketer is always        
eligible to play for the county of his  
birth4  #c4 ,,qualification ,,by        
,,residence4--,a cricketer is qualified 
to play for any county in which he has  
resided for the previous #bd months and 
is residing1 but--       7,a7 ,the mere 
acquirement or hiring of a tenement1    
unless used as a      bon fide home1    
does not constitute 8residence40        
7,b7 ,the occupation of a tenement      
during the cricket season only      does
 not constitute 8residence40  #d4 ,where
 a cricketer uses as residences in the  
course of the year1 tenements in more   
than one county1 or where he leaves the 
country for the winter months1 and in   
all other cases where his qualification 
is in any doubt1 it is obligatory on the
 county for which he wishes to play to  
prove his qualification to the          
satisfaction of the ,m4,c4,c4  #e4 ,a   
cricketer who has played for a county   

for five successive years is qualified  
to play for that county for the rest of 
his cricket career1 or until he plays   
for some other county4  #f4 ,a cricketer
 may play for his old county during the 
two years that he is qualifying for     
another4  #g4 ,,transfers4--,a          
cricketer1 already qualified for a      
county but wishing to qualify by        
residence for another county1 must give 
notice in writing to the ,cricket ,club 
,committee of the former county before  
he commences such residence2 and a      
,county ,cricket ,club wishing to       
engage1 under a residential             
qualification1 a cricketer who is       
already qualified for another ,county   
,club1 must inform the committee of the 
latter before commencing negotiations   
with the cricketer4  #h4                
,,appeal4--,should any question arise   
under these rules it shall be left to   
the decision of the committee of the    
,marylebone ,club1 which shall be final4
  ,the following were established as the

 laws of county qualification1 at a     
meeting held in the ,surrey ,county     
,pavilion1 ,kennington ,oval1 on ,june  
#ith1 #ahgc1 and remained in force until
 ,january #ast1 #aijj1 when they were   
superseded by the new rules set forth   
above4 ,representatives were present in 
#ahgc from ,surrey1 ,middlesex1 ,sussex1
 ,kent1 ,gloucestershire1 ,yorkshire1   
and ,nottinghamshire4  ,i4 ,that no     
cricketer1 whether amateur or           
professional1 shall play for more than  
one county during the same season4      
,,ii4 ,every cricketer born in one      
county and residing in another shall be 
free to choose at the commencement of   
each season for which of those counties 
he will play1 and shall1 during that    
season1 play for that county only4      
,,iii4 ,a cricketer shall be qualified  
to play for any county in which he is   
residing and has resided for the        
previous two years2 or a cricketer may  
elect to play for the county in which   
his family home is1 so long as it       

remains open to him as an occasional    
residence4  ,,iv4 ,that1 should any     
question arise as to the residential    
qualification1 the same should be left  
to the decision of the committee of the 
,marylebone ,club4  ,v4 ,that a copy of 
these rules be sent to the ,marylebone  
,club1 with a request that they be      
adopted by the club4  ,the county       
qualification was discussed at a meeting
 of the ,county ,cricket ,council1 held 
in the ,pavilion at ,lord's1 on         
,december #ajth1 #ahhh4 ,representatives
 were present from the following        
nineteen counties3--,surrey1 ,kent1     
,yorkshire1 ,gloucestershire1           
,lancashire1 ,nottinghamshire1          
,middlesex1 ,sussex1 ,derbyshire1       
,essex1 ,leicestershire1 ,cheshire1     
,hampshire1 ,norfolk1 ,warwickshire1    
,northamptonshire1 ,somerset1           
,hertfordshire1 and ,staffordshire4 ,it 
was carried unanimously that--          
8,for purposes of county cricket1 county
 boundaries are not affected      by the

 ,local ,government ,act1 #ahhh40  ,and 
on the motion of ,sussex1 seconded by   
,gloucestershire1 it was decided by ten 
votes to five that--       8,during the 
two years a cricketer may be qualifying 
to play for      another county under   
the residential qualification1 he shall 
be      allowed to play for the county  
for which he has previously been        
playing under that rule40  ,in          
consequence of the passing of this      
latter resolution1 the rules of county  
cricket were modified by the addition of
 the words3 8,that a man can play for   
his old county during the two years that
 he is qualifying for another40         
,,county ,,classification4  ,a special  
meeting of county secretaries1 called   
together by ,yorkshire to discuss the   
subject of county classification1 was   
held in the ,pavilion at ,lord's on     
,tuesday1 the #ast of ,may1 #ahid4 ,mr4 
,h4 ,perkins occupied the chair1 and    
there were present--,mr4 ,m4 ,j4        
,ellison and ,lord ,hawke 7,yorkshire71 

,messrs4 ,w4 ,e4 ,denison and ,c4 ,w4   
,wright 7,notts71 ,mr4 ,a4 ,j4 ,webbe   
7,middlesex71 ,mr4 ,f4 ,marchant and    
,mr4 ,a4 ,j4 ,lancaster 7,kent71 ,mr4   
,c4 ,w4 ,alcock 7,surrey71 ,messrs4 ,w4 
,newham and ,w4 ,l4 ,murdoch 7,sussex71 
,messrs4 ,h4 ,murray-,anderdon and ,s4  
,m4 ,j4 ,woods 7,somerset71 ,messrs4 ,h4
 ,w4 ,bainbridge and ,w4 ,e4 ,ansell    
7,warwickshire71 ,mr4 ,w4               
,barclay-,delacombe 7,derbyshire71      
,messrs4 ,t4 ,burdett and ,g4 ,w4       
,hillyard 7,leicestershire71 ,dr4       
,russell ,bencraft 7,hampshire71 and    
,messrs4 ,c4 ,e4 ,green and ,o4 ,r4     
,borradaile 7,essex74 ,the meeting was a
 private one1 but the following details 
were officially communicated to the     
,press3--  ,the original proposition by 
,mr4 ,ellison1 on behalf of ,yorkshire1 
8,that for the purpose of classification
 there should be no distinction drawn   
between counties who play out and home  
three-day matches with not less than six
 other counties10 was seconded by ,mr4  

,hillyard1 and then withdrawn in favour 
of the following amendment3--,proposed  
by ,mr4 ,denison and seconded by ,mr4   
,murray-,anderdon1 8,that the ,m4,c4,c4 
be requested to consider and advise upon
 the whole question of classification of
 counties40 ,this was carried           
unanimously4  ,it was also made known   
that1 as the result of a meeting of the 
various captains of the first-class     
counties1 ,lord ,hawke had sent in the  
following resolution signed by himself  
and ,messrs4 ,j4 ,shuter 7,surrey71 ,s4 
,m4 ,j4 ,woods 7,somerset71 ,j4 ,a4     
,dixon 7,notts71 ,f4 ,marchant 7,kent71 
,w4 ,l4 ,murdoch 7,sussex71 ,a4 ,j4     
,webbe 7,middlesex71 ,a4 ,n4 ,hornby    
7,lancashire71 and ,w4 ,g4 ,grace       
7,gloucestershire73--8,that the matches 
played by the following four counties1  
,derbyshire1 ,essex1 ,leicestershire1   
and ,warwickshire1 against the counties 
at present styled first-class1 and also 
against one another and against the     
,m4,c4,c41 should be regarded as        

first-class matches1 and the records of 
the players engaged in these matches    
shall be included in the list of        
first-class averages40 ,lord ,hawke's   
resolution was afterwards formally      
ratified by the committee of the        
,marylebone ,club4  ,on the #bjth of    
,october the ,committee of the          
,m4,c4,c41 to whom1 as stated above1 the
 whole question of the classification of
 counties had been referred1 made public
 the following scheme3--  ,lord's       
,ground1 ,n4,w41 ,october1 #ahid4  ,the 
,committee of ,m4,c4,c4 having1 at the  
request of the leading counties1        
prepared a scheme for regulating the    
county championship1 and that scheme    
having met with the approval of counties
 concerned1 the contest for the         
championship will in future be regulated
 by it4 ,the scheme as finally approved 
is as follows3--   ,,classification ,,of
 ,,counties4  ,cricketing counties shall
 be considered as belonging to          
first-class or not4 ,there is no        

necessity for further sub-division4     
,first-class counties are those whose   
matches1 with one another1 with         
,m4,c4,c4 and ,ground1 with the         
,universities1 with the ,australians1   
and such other elevens as shall be      
adjudged 8first-class matches0 by the   
,m4,c4,c4 ,committee1 are used in       
compilation of first-class batting and  
bowling averages4  ,there shall be no   
limit to the number of first-class      
counties4 ,the ,m4,c4,c4 ,committee may 
bring new counties into the list1 may   
remove existing ones from it1 or may do 
both4  ,the list for #ahie is as        
follows3--      ,derbyshire     ,essex  
,gloucestershire     ,hampshire         
,kent     ,lancashire                   
,leicestershire     ,middlesex          
,nottingham     ,somerset     ,surrey   
,sussex     ,warwickshire     ,yorkshire
   ,,the ,,county ,,championship4       
,after the close of each cricket season1
 the ,committee of the ,m4,c4,c4 shall  
decide the county championship4  ,it    

shall be competed for by first-class    
counties4 ,no county shall be eligible  
unless it shall have played at least    
eight out and home matches with other   
counties1 provided that if no play can  
take place owing to weather or other    
unavoidable cause such match shall be   
reckoned as unfinished4#ad  ,one point  
shall be reckoned for each win2 one     
deducted for each loss2 unfinished games
 shall not be reckoned4  ,the county    
which during the season shall have1 in  
finished matches1 obtained the greatest 
proportionate number of points shall be 
reckoned champion county4  ,at the      
meeting of ,county ,secretaries on      
,december #fth1 #ahih1 it was moved and 
carried as a recommendation to the      
,m4,c4,c4 that the number of out and    
home matches qualifying for the         
championship should in #ahii1 in view of
 the ,australian visit1 be again reduced
 to six4 ,this was subsequently agreed  
to by the ,m4,c4,c41 ,worcestershire    
having at the ,secretaries' meeting     

secured six out and home matches with   
leading counties1 made formal           
application to the ,m4,c4,c4 to be      
promoted to a place among the           
first-class counties1 and on ,december  
#abth their request was granted1 subject
 to the usual regulations being complied
 with4     ,,footnotes3  #a ,mr4 ,c4 ,b4
 ,fry1 after studying the               
foundation-positions and                
foundation-movements which ,i have found
 most useful for ,racquets and ,tennis1 
was struck with their great similarity  
to those which he himself had found most
 important for ,cricket4  #b 8,keep your
 eye on the bowler2 watch how he holds  
the ball and runs up to the wicket      
before delivering it1 and you may be    
able to detect any alteration in length 
and pace4 ,and never get flurried       
whatever his action may be2 for if you  
take your eyes off his arm or lose your 
head for a second1 he has you at a      
disadvantage40  #c ,compare also ,dr4   
,w4 ,g4 ,grace1 who says3 8,timing the  

ball is the secret of all good play2 and
 timing1 as far as ,i can make out1     
means the harmonious working of eye1    
wrist1 arms1 legs1 and shoulders1 which 
can only be acquired by constant        
practice40  #d ,murdoch's words will    
serve as a good example4 8,to cut well1 
you must be able to time the ball well1 
for the effectiveness of your stroke is 
entirely due to your proper timing and  
your wrist work1 for you need to use    
your wrists more in making this stroke  
than in any other40  #e 8,there is a    
right and a wrong way of holding the    
ball4 ,good bowlers grip the ball as    
much as possible with their             
fingers--that is to say1 they use the   
fingers and not the palm of the hand to 
work the ball40  #f ,the ,macdonald     
,smith system is most appropriate for   
,cricket4  #g ,invented and taught by   
,macdonald ,smith1 of ,steinway ,hall4  
#h ,the following quotation from a high 
authority is typical3--  8,the left foot
 precedes the advance of the bat1 it    

being one of the first maxims of forward
 play that the bat must never be in     
front of the left foot4 ,this rule is   
absolute4 ,a neglect of it means that   
there is nothing to prevent the base of 
the bat being as near1 or nearer1 to the
 bowler than is the handle--no          
certainty1 that is1 against the ball    
being spooned into the air40  #i 8,if   
the batsman cuts up the action of the   
stroke into separate parts1 something   
must be sacrificed3 either the weight is
 not brought to bear on the ball1 or    
balance is lost4 ,the result is an      
emasculated stroke40  #aj ,most         
authorities are agreed here1 as these   
typical quotations will show3--  8,it   
ought to be the aim of all advice in    
batting to help a young player to get   
runs1 quocunque modo runs1 otherwise he 
will not learn the game40  8,many a     
devotee has been lured into less noble  
pursuits simply because he cannot       
score40  #aa 8,any reform of cricket law
 has for its object a levelling up of   

attack and defence--in other words1 of  
batting and bowling40--,haddon ,hall    
,library4  #ab ,mr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,ford is    
against this4 ,he says3--  8,the grace  
and the skill of batting is so          
attractive to the eye and so delightful 
to the batsman himself that1 pace       
various wise authorities1 batting must  
be regarded as the chief factor in the  
game4 ,cramp batting1 and the game will 
be spoiled40  #ac ,quaife and ,jessop   
are the best modern types of alert      
anticipation4  #ad ,in #ahif the number 
of out and home matches qualifying for  
the ,championship was reduced to six1   
owing to the ,australians' tour1 and for
 #ahig the number was fixed at seven4   
,in #ahih1 however1 all the counties    
played at least eight out and home      
matches1 thus complying with the rule as
 originally laid down4