EXPERTS ON CRICKET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 66, 15 September 1906, Page 9

EXPERTS ON CRICKET.

«s» (The first article of this series appeared on Bth September. All rights reserved. Copyright in the United States of America.) IL RUNNING BETWEEN WICKETS. (By A. C. Macluren, Captain of Lancashire and" England Elevens.) "What a good judge of a run So-and-so is," was a, remark heard frequently ten seasons ago, but nowadays clever measuring between the wickets is so' seldom seen tnat it would be surprising to hear any compliment paid to a cricketer, so far as his judgment in running was concerned. Professionals, as a rule, are far moro to be blamed than amateurs for runs' thrown aw^y, which is scarcely a matter for surprise when it is remembered that the professional has to find out the game for himself, whereas the amateur has very early lessons in . the importance of always running his first run at his best pace, a small matter which naturally might not strike the youngster as being so very important. Let any one watch a good judge of a run, and mark well his methods. He will make all the ground possible whilst his partner is ir the middle of liis stroke. Thi3 assists the striker, who knows his own wicket ' is safe when calling for a run, and will immediately set off, having tho certain knowledge that his partner owing to the ground made before tho stroke is finished, cannot fail to get home. If this same partner had not backed up, the striker would "seldom if ever have taken that quick run for a hit to third man, sinca it is not the striker's wicket that is then in danger, but the partner's. No player should handicap the striker by causing the latter to have an eye on him as well as on the fieldsman towards whom the ball has been sent. THE VIGILANT FIELDSMAN. Fieldsmen are not slow to weigh up tho batsmen, -and in the event of the latter only running "long" runs they will poach as much ground as possible, which means that by falling back a yard or two many a hard drive is cut off, which must havo got through the fieldsmen had they been made by the batsmen to come closer to the wicket. It is curious 1 how deep fieldsmen to-day stand at third man, cover, extra cover, and mid off, and this is due entirely to batsmen taking matters so leisurely. Many a player would add to tho value of his team by compelling each -man to tako up his correct position. My advico to my own fieldsmen has been always t to stand as deep as possible, but cave ono-runs. Spectators who do nob miss thopo little tnings fi;om the rails must get a certain amount of amusement out of watching the manner ' in wfiich a > fieldsman will shift his position for different batsmen, not for the difference in the stroke, but for tho difference in* the judging of runs. Just as a good fieldsman weighs up accurately each batsman, so does the good runner kiiow to a nicety tho value of each fieldsman, and although this art is practically lost to 'j county cricket of, today, ono finds tho Australians havo no superiors in knowing exactly what can be done between wickets according to who is iloldinij the ball. Tho judge will drive a ball hard and clean, just to the loft of the outfield, who will gather with two hands, but the second run has not been saved, owing to that whisper from tho driver, v "come two," to which bis partner responds by runing the first rup at his top speed, then turns, and is galloping back to his original end,, without ever having "to look if -there is a second one, , because his partner whom he trusts has done all that, for him by the whisper in crossing. > Now the bad runner makes the same stroke, and then lolls across the pitch for one, and even if the fieldsman does not gather clean he is unable to make the second run. I have never seen $ke fieldsman yet who when placed on the boundary could save that second run, no matter how straight the drive, when he has failed to pick up clean; with, two good runners in together. Good running brightens up tho iielding, and consequently tho game. BREAKING UP THE FIELDING. Nothing annoys men who are all thero in ,the running between wickets more than being sent back on oalling their partner for a run, unless Ihevo is some good reason, such as a strain, of which' the caller knem> nottlnK- i faavo «i-■n-aya maintained that nobody has a right to question the judgment of a good runner. The moment ho calls, his partner has no right to do anvthinjr. but make good the run, and certainly should never watch tho flight of the ball to mako euro that ho can get homo. In international cricket tho blunders owing to nothing but lack of confidence in tho judgment of batsmen havo been deplomble, ami certainly two of tho tost games in übich I have taken part have been lost owing to batsmen failing to respond promptly to legitimate culls. It is always a good plan to call a new partner's attention to tho positions of the various fieldsmen, giving one's own ideas and pointing out to whom ('there is and is not a run. A few words together save all chances of misunderstanding. I have frequently seen a team fielding splendidly until tho batsmen started running short runs, when picking up and returning became very faulty. This put a very different complexion on their earlier work. Many to-day havo the reputation of being "fine fieldsmen, and yet, when really put to tho tost, are found wanting, for it is ono thing to make a little ground and pick up when the batsmen are not running, and another to dash in, collect, and return correctly when two good men are stealing runs. It is not bo long ago since a once county captain gave me a very useful piece of information for using ugamst a certain county which we were, just off to play. "Steal runs from tbo start of your innings," was tho advice, "because they always loso their heads." We carried out the advice, and very soon had tho side quite demoralised. How seldom do wo really try to upset fieldsmen nowadays. Batsmen are far too ready wilh their requests that thero shall be no short runs, which gives the fieldsmen tho tip to drop further back and stop drives of tho first water, four after four being savod, owing to that extra littlo bit of ground having been made. Every bntsmem ought to draw tho men in as near ns po&iiblo to the wicket, esnuciiiily when a forcing game, is being played. HITS FOR SHORT RUNS. Of course thero is an art of knowing exact lv what strength of stroko is required for tho short run, since it is no use pluying an ordinary forward stroke straight to a man fairly close in, for a "run out" is then not at all unlikely. A very gentlo forward stroke is necessary, and the player (should bo off for the ruus before the stroke is finished. On the Lancashire side, A. PI. Hornby and Shurp have frequently upset their "oppo-. nents by the stealing of runs, and the number of overthrows ench player has to his credit at tho end of the season is astounding. On billiard-tablo wickets it may not bo politic for a crack batsman to unduly distress himself by short runs, but there is a happy medium, and many good men to-day would be of far greator value to their side if they , fl*«J«»^ jnftrfl clo*alp^ iiiA^rjL.oS. XMiartiiia^

Let any one observe to-day, during any county game, the number of players on each side who first make good thoir runs, and keep going by turning quickly, and then judging the second ono. To-day we see ptayers looking back before they havo made good their first run, by ■which performance they often as not lose the second. I could not help laughing at a remark mnde by an umpire to" me this season. During an innings when runs were very valuable, and consequently I was off for anything that was half a run when, my bowlers had the pads on, "This is tho innings you enjoy, sir," to which. I gasped' out, "You are right," for no innings gives me greater pleasure than the one in which a few runs are fctolcn and some given by a judicious hustling of your opponents. Some partners will do anything you ark of them but there are a goodly number iwho do not like this short sharp work, and that is why we sec so little good running today outside, tho Australian team. ' MORE DASH WANTED. Tho Cornstalks can give us points, insisting on each man taking up his proper position, although, they become a trifle too daring at times in their desire to show up some one who has a cheap reputation as a fieldsman. Undoubtedly one of the reasons why 'fielding is not so brisk as it should, be, is that almost everything to-day appears to be sacrificed for runs, and it is quite a common experience for fieldsmen to see two batsmen graftirig away without running the slightest risk with the bat pr between the wickets. The game deteriorates into a sort of clockwork performance, 'which is as annoying to the fieldsmen and bowlers as it is uninteresting to the crowds, which are becoming surely less every season, owing to tho absence of dash in the players generally. Specta^ tors are always quick to appreciate clever running between wickets, and a little more of it would benefit crickei to a great extent. Almost every county side possesses one good runnor, and captains might well insist ,on those who know how to run to &how no signs of slackness, for the fault lies with, those who aro really too keen to keep fresh for runs rathei thap run out everything to the full. Big burly fellows naturally cannot sprint and 'pull up quick for the turn as others do, but they can back up for the one run. Clever' running is often seen when one of the early bats-men-is joined by a tail-end man. when t.ho crack man will be keen to play the, last ball of the over for a single to get the next over, and in the same way the tail-endor will attempt a short i-un should he 'receive the first ball of an over, to allow the better man tho remaining five balls. In these circumstances runs come very quicVly, and the frequent sureess which attend these men who take risks i towards the finish of an innings proves how such methods might easily be adox^tcd earlier, especially so, when the stronger pide is batting, as. they would always break up the mechanical swing of the game, which is becoming more pronounced every season. More originality is requirod of our players, and more enterprise, which: would certainly bo more in evylcnco with, brighter running between wickets. ! (The third article of, the series, by t John Tunnicliffe, to appear n^xt Saturday, is eptitled "Fielders and Fielding.")