THE LEG THEORY.

Evening Star, Issue 21316, 21 January 1933, Page 9

THE LEG THEORY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In reply to “ Long Stop’s ’’ letter on the leg theory, asking what the theory really is, as an old cricketer I will endeavour to explain this international complication. A fast bowler of tne type of Larwood sets a leg trap, consisting of a closely-packed field shaped fan-wise from fine leg to a position to. mid-on, with a silly leg within a few feet of the batsman. The bowler bowls a ball directly at the leg and middle stumps (not at the batsman). In the case of Larwood the ball swings away to leg. The batsman has either to make a stroke or let the ball hit him. When champions of the type of Ponsford, Woodfull, Bradman, and company repeatedly fall into this trap on wickets that are made to order for batsmen, what is the remedy? When you read of the past masters of the game dealing with faster bowlers on inferior wickets it makes you wonder whether croquet is going to take the place of cricket as the national summer game. In conclusion I would advise Badcock to instruct George Dickison to bowl this famous leg theory to Canterbury and chance diplomatic relations being broken off.—l am, etc., T. A. M'Faelane. January 20. In a letter too long to publish, Mr P. Neilson takes exception to the statement of a correspondent, “ Britisher, ”1 that his letters would convey the idea that everything in Russia is a vast improvement on conditions in any part of the British Empire. We agree that that has not been the tenor of Mr Neilson’s letters. In innumerable words he has claimed no more, as our impression goes, than that its masses are better off than they were in the days of the Tsars —which might not mean much—and that_ a wonderful future awaits them, which may be true of any country. In reply to two questions he states that the only debts the Soviet has repudiated were those of the’ late Tsar’s regime—sums often riotously, used by the then Russian court and its following. Appropriation of private wealth did not affect credits for trade, as that is an exchange of goods. The desire of imperialist Powers to attack Russia is deduced from events in Manchuria and the patience of the League of Nations towards Japan. Ed. E.S,