HUMOUR OF CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 8

HUMOUR OF CRICKET

QUAINT HANDBOOK ADVICE

A sixpenny handbook on a game does not as a rule .survive many seasons. But one on cricket, written more than 70 years ago, has lately come into ■the hands of a reader of the *‘Miscellany ’’ column of the “Manchester Guardian.” The old woodcut illustrations arc as funny as “Punch” caricatures, and the reading matter is full of unconscious humour. For instance, talking of dress, the author says: “How snobbish a man looks strutting about, in a flaming red shirt, a dark ■blue cap, and a belt of another colour! ’ ’ He himself advocated -white shirts, suggesting also “a white jacket with at least three large pockets, in which to carry a hall, batting gloves, handkerchief, etc.” Those were the days when a yorker was a “tiee,” a 'break “a twist” ('“the long-hop is liable to twist every time it reaches the ground”), and a shooter the most difficult of all halls to play (“stopping a shooter at Lord’s (produces more applause ithaiil .a hit which scores two or thrpe runs”). Some of his remarks on technique arc beautiful in their simplicity, as, for instance:? “Never if yon can possibly avoid it hit a ball on the wrong side. How disgusting it is to see a big awkward player swipe a ball right round to the offside (sic) which he should have drawn or played to inid-wicket on. ”

To illustrate the importance of paying attention -when fielding, the author of this cricket handbook tells an almost incredible story ©f a certain Mr Knatchbull who was keeping wicket one day. The ball ‘ 1 was struck sharply by him” and hit him on tho forehead. It rebounded and was caugnt by the bowler! “Mr Knatchbull assured us he felt' no inconvenience from the blow.”

But buried among much that is out of date and quaintly amusing are many pieces of advice which arc as right now as ever they were. ' “Let mo beg young players,” says the author, “to use a light bat, one that feels almost as a whip in their hands.” And with, regard to bbwling, how admirable is .the remark: “If change of pitch is advantageous in the swift howling, it is the very soul of slows.” But how many- -would agree nowadays with his lunch menu, “a sandwich and a glass of ale”? Moreover, there is no reference to a tea interval. As he says, “You wilL 00 able to enjov a good meal when tho match is over””