ART OF WICKET-KEEPING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 8 January 1927, Page 13

ART OF WICKET-KEEPING

‘•The wicket-keeper must be all attention. If there is one post at cricket requiring the gift of concentration, this is surely it. Personal danger, aiid the fear of losing opportunities, are the two influences keeping the custodian of the sticks right up to the mark.” Jack Ellis, the Victorian and Australian player, gives the advice quoted above. He stresses many points that should be noted by New Zealand aspirants for honours behind the sticks. To take the bowling you must see it, and this purpose is best served bybringing the line of sight as low down as may be consistent with complete freedom of movement. Some men stand a little nearer the wicket, others a little further away. The double purpose to serve is to keep the bails within comfortable reach, while avoiding the temptation of drawing so close as to increase the danger of taking the ball in front of the wicket.

If one were asked to discuss the proposition “How to become a wicketkeeper,” the first recommendation would undoubtedly Imp: “Satisfy yourself that you have a reasonable share of this qualification.” It can he done quite readily at the nets. Wicketkeepers have discovered themselves, not onlv to themselves, hut also to tlmir skipper, by merely taking a few halls while awaiting their turn to bat at practice. There is “a something” in a way at natural keeper takes the ball that soon marks him out as worthy of encouragement. The possession of the talent or gift being undoubted, your would-be keeper .should cultivate ■i stand-easy position, whether it be crouch or son at. or a mere bending of the body. Equally important, hut allowing less to choice, is the position of the hands. Experience shows that downward pointed fingers .serve not only'to minimise damage to the hands, but offer a larger surface wherewith to arrest the flight of the hall. Studying the Bowler.

The wieket-keeper’.s task is somewhat akin to that of the batsman, who is called upon to deal with all sorts of bowling, says Ellis. The thing is to make oneself equally at home, whether the attack be fast, slow or medium, leg-theory or off ; and whether the pitch, he glossy or sticky, or in any intermediate state. As a matter of fact, the keeper has one more factor to consider than the striker, this little bit extra being provided hv the batsman himself. All keepers know that to studv their men is a business of the first importance. They must he closely familiar with a howler’s wiles, and if possible couallv well versed in the habits of the batsman.

The keeper, indeed. requires to know everything about everybody. The habits of fieldsmen • and their throwing powers and propensities are all matters of concern to him.

It has been said that a wicketkeeper is a good man to captain a side, hut it may he quite reasonably argued that he has enough to think about without the worries of leadership. Fast howling by men who give themselves up to the accumulation of speed has added almost a second department to the keeper’s business. Time was when a t.rundler hardly expected chances to he taken from the occasional fast hall, hut nowadays every snick is considered worth a wicket.

Standing hack at short-stop makes such possible, of course, and fortunately we are able to pick up quite a good few. The temptation to dash at snicks that are the fair plunder of men “in the gully’’ is rather severe. When the hall flashes along it is often fairly hard to decide, in about the tenth of a second, whether the proper course is to take it or leave it. Obviously, the keeper must, be a man 1 of instant decision. There may be a temptation to declare that a wicket-

keeper who writes thus about liis jol is certainly- magnifying his office—i: not guilty- of “hiding his light unde a bushel.” Make the declaration if yoi will. It will not elicit reply, much less protest. When on© is invited to dis cuss wicket-keeping there is really ; good deal to say; and anyone wh< cares to don the pads and gloves anc “go behind” will find that there is also a great deal to do.