Leg-Theory Bowling

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 101, 23 January 1933, Page 11

Leg-Theory Bowling

Sir,—The average ‘Aussie” will not admit, like Arthur Mailey does, that the pre-sent-day Australian batsmen are slowfooted. I fancy that Vic. Trumpet', Muccartney, and many of the old timers, would have played Larwood’sl leg theory quite easily. It appears to me a matter of footwork and timing. I remember B. B. Kortlaug stepping across to a fast off-ball and hitting it to leg. I also read about Tom LoixTy, when iu England, stepping out to a medium fast leg ball, and driving it to the off. „ I might tell “Aussie” that I saw Warwick Armstrong on the Basin Reserve, and the crowd jeer him, but he bowled about a yard from the wicket, and as the batsmen would not touch them the crowd became impatient, and told him to bowl on the wicket. I should like you, Sir, to send a photographer along to the Basin Reserve, as each batsman takes his centre and adopts his stance. You would find that nine out of ten cover up their leg pin. If a bowler bowls for the leg stump is he to be accused of bowling at the batsman? Quite recently we saw Badcock adopt the leg theory against Wellington. Did anyone object to Badcock? No, because Badcock is only a medium-pace bowler. If Badcock had been as fast as Larwood and had bowled closer to the leg pin, 1 can safely say his' balls would have risen just as high as Larwood’s. I blame the hard wickets of Australia for the whole of the trouble. How can any sane man expect a bowler of Larwood's speed to keep the ball from bouncing high?- Larwood's aim in life has l been to gain speed and accuracy, and now he has gained his ambition he is cried down because a few slow-footed batsmen who prefer to defend their wickets with their bodies start squeal. May I ask “Aussie” and ‘Not Cricket” if they honestly think that Larwood is bowling at the man, and if they can tell me how many wickets he has taken l.b.w. or clean .bowled? If he is bowling off the wicket what is to stop a batsman from leaving the ball alone, stepping acros's his wicket, and bidding goodbve to it. ... "The fact that the batsmen are getting hit proves to an old campaigner that they are afraid to let the ball go for fear it will hit their stumps, or simply that Larwood is too fast for them. I for one take off my hat to Larwood as a fine bowler. If the wicket had had the sting taken out of it, I am convinced that the ball as bowled by Larwood will rise no more than stump high. , What are the New Zealand Cricket Association doing about it? The M.C.G. before coining to a decision should ask the opinion of the New Zealand, South Africa, India, and the West Indies. A good idea would be for the Wellington Association to get Crooks, Parsloe, Fortune aud all the fast bowlers they have got, and give them two overs, each with instructions jo bowl as fast as they can for the leg wicket, without batsmen, and note how many balls, on a bone-dry wicket, rise more than stump high: then soak the wicket and note the difference. Wellington, January 21.