CRICKET AND HOW TO PLAY IT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 264, 27 October 1911, Page 2

CRICKET AND HOW TO PLAY IT

(By L.8.W.) THE ART OF BATTING. The first thing to learn in the art of hatting is hew to play with a straight bat ; there are some well known criekelcrs wh-n are exceptions lo lh<- straight Imt theory, but nene of them can be regarded as really ’.’ir-t class batsmen. The giants of the game have all played tl-.e perfectly straight bat -Ai . G. Grace. Prince Ranjitsinbii, Victor Trmnper, AV. L. Murdock, F. S. Jackson and many others. As past masters they realized that a bat held perpendicularly defends a much larger area of wicket, than docs a bat held slanting towards the batsman. Of course, the bat must slant towards the bowler, that is to say the handle will be nearer to him than the bottom of the bat which rests in the block hole. To master the method of playing the straight bat you should get lhe man who knows how to play to bowl to you bat you should get a man who you whether or not you arc holding and using the bat correctly ; the better yor.r tutor the better will be your style. A correct pose al the wicket ’.vi'l greatiy add to your success. To get this correct pose, first take guard by holding the bat perpendicular in front of the wicket. The sides of your bat should be equidistant from the off and leg stumps, the block hole should be in front of the middle stump, about two inches inride the batting crease. The block hole should be used only a sori of guiding mark to denote tßeposition of the wickets, which cannet be seen while batting. Your dr fence closer in to your own person, that is you must guard your middle and leg stumps ; this allows of jr.ii keeping your toes from being in front of your kg stump and you can easily defend the off stump. BODY BALANCE.

The right foot should bear the weight of the body, the left one being about a pace in front and covering it. Learn to keep the right foot still : many beginners, especially if the howling is fast, draw it away, the result is they upset their entire body balance and weaken their defence. The bowler is not slow to notice this weakness and will certainly play upon it. Then if you

’• nink’’the bowling you are doomed ; you must stand up to it. In tactics they say that best method of defence is to attack. Do not get away from the bail; meet it bravely and hold your ground. It is just, as big mislake to jump away from your wicket as it is to jump in front of it. it- >s absolutely e::r.cnlial for the batsiivm to have courage and so generate confidence. Yon must- not hop about like a cat on Lot bricks. Keep your right foot, down ami use ii as a sort oi body balance, use i! as sort of piv.-t. if yo:i will, but ut the <-ommciicem< nt. keep it fixed. There are times when i! must, he u wd. but your first lesson is to tear:: h iw to bat witlion.l inoving it.