Leg-Breaks At 90 m.p.h. From Dunedin's New Cricketer

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30445, 20 May 1964, Page 15

Leg-Breaks At 90 m.p.h. From Dunedin's New Cricketer

[Specially written for "The Frets" by

G. J. GRIFFITHS]

A 7ft “cricketer," “who” x can bowl 90 m.p.h. legbreaks and throw the ball 100 yards at a time, for two hours without tiring, made a first public appearance in Dunedin last week.

It is a machine imported from Australia by Mr W. H. Stewart, a well-known Dunedin restaurauteur and father of the prominent Otago junior cricketer, R. D. Stewart, who made his debut in Plunket Shield matches last season.

Displayed on a Grasstex practice wicket at Logan Park to a small group which included an Otago selector, Mr L. D. Smith, the former New Zealand cricketer, Mr H. D. Smith (Christchurch), and newspaper representatives, the machine turned on an outstanding performance.

After being set up and firing a couple of trial balls past the line of the nets, it was quickly brought on target and settled down to a stream of medium-pace deliveries at about 50 m.p.h. Operated by Mr Stewart’s elder son, Mr B. D. Stewart, it then proceeded to shortpitched bumpers, which fizzed off the pitch and cleared the back net; offbreaks which normally turned 4in to 6in, with occasional balls turning up to 2ft; slow and quick legbreaks; and a long spell of full-speed scorchers. A final touch was a 90 m.p.h.

bumper which soared over the back net and easily cleared a 6ft fence 20 yards behind the wicket

The machine is a simpleenough affair and readily manoeuvrable. It runs easily on four rubber wheels, but stays steady when in position. It is powered by an extension lead to an electric motor which drives a circulating hollow “arm,” shielded for safety. . The operator can set the speed of the whirling arm on a scale ranging from 0 to 10, and can aim the machine and alter the trajectory of the ball’s flight He inserts the ball into a hole in the side of the machine, signals to the batsman when he is ready, and presses the release catch.

Developed by an Adelaide man, Mr J. R. Black, and produced in Australia by the American Machine and Foundry Co., Ltd., the equipment cost Mr Stewart £N.Z.120, and is now being quoted at £AI72 in Australia.

The total landed cost for this particular machine was £NZ2OO, including £42 in duty, a sum that Mr Stewart thinks is unreasonably high. The machine, primarily intended to allow Ray Stewart to improve his batting, will also be readily available to other members of the Albion club, and to L. D. Smith’s coaching schemes for young players. Although this is the first machine if its kind ever seen in New Zealand (it is

understood that a New Zealand firm will be importing them in the future), bowling machines have had a long and respected history overseas. At least 16 similar machines, many of them patented, have appeared over the years. Today’s streamlined marvel is a clearly recognisable descendant of the first model created 127 years ago by the great Kent cricketer, Nicholas Wanostrocht, known everywhere as Felix. The accuracy of the machine is exceptional. It can deliver ball.after ball to a batsman’s weak shot ■with sufficient regularity to offer splendid practice, but just sufficient variation to avoid the batsman “getting into a groove.” When at full pace, it hit a 6in board wicket three times in a row. The first knocked it down; the second splintered a large corner off the inch-thick red pine; and the third smashed what was left of the board. The New Zealand batsman, S. N. McGregor, watched. this awesome performance and naturally declined to “have the machine on.” Later, however, he and young Stewart had some batting against slow offspin. Time after time they were beaten by balls of perfect length, which broke' in a foot and retained exceptional pace off the pitch. Stewart also had to keep out a string of mediumpaced yorkers that the

machine could deliver at will.

The machine was also used to hurl high outfield catches to McGregor, a full 100 yards away, and showed what it could do to sharpen up ground-fielding practice. H. D. Smith, who made his name by bowlirg Eddie Paynter for a duck in the Christchurch test against England in 1932-33, was extremely impressed by the equipment and foresaw an excellent future in the practice it would give to young players in ironing out particular weaknesses. It has many virtues beside accuracy and versatility. It never gets tired; it can be used indoors as well as outdoors; and, requiring no run-up, it can be used in restricted spaces. This absence of run-up, indeed, is a puzzling feature when one starts to bat against it. A fast delivery after a bowler’s 20yard run is hardly surprising. It is a different matter when the ball shoots out at you from a stationary machine at 90 miles an hour.

If Otago’s batsmen could bat for any length of time against the new machine without losing their wickets, they would be good enough to take on the rest of New Zealand.

When you consider Otago’s batting reputation in the last three seasons, that says a lot for the new machine.