CRICKET.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 275, 9 November 1911, Page 2

CRICKET.

DRAPERS v. NAPIER

Drapers completed their match with Napier on the Recreation Ground yesterday, and won by 10 wickets. In the second innings Napier bn,light their total up to 90 runs, leaving Drapers 3 runs to make to win. Tlie.'i- were obtained without the loss of a wicket.

ball. The great Dr. Grace was a master of this stroke, and he said there are two or three courses open to the batsman. First to hit for home and glory ami trust somewhat to luck, mid the lial! will generally drop out of harm’s way ; secondly he may play forward on faith, but tilt is a dangerous stroke ; or again Tie may* make a -ort of hurried back stroke, hut this may not be successful. as he has already began to move forward. So it is best to play the half-cock stroke, winch means that the bat is merely held almost stationary, somewhere between a back and a forward stroke, rather over the popping crease, and the ball is allowed to hit it.

The Forward Cut.—No batsman, who is building up his strength of offensive or defensive play, should attempt to perfect himself in the various strokes until he has perfected himself in the forward and back strokes, which are the alphabet and foundation of a batsman’s skill. He may turn himself to the study of more advanced exercises and kinds of play. The first stroke to practice should be the “cut.’’Without a doubt it is the prettiest, both from a spectacular and from a playing standpoint. The sensation cf the "cut’’ is delightful to the man who perfects it. There are few men who excel as exponents of it. It is a stroke which has been neglected by many good batsmen. Whilst the ”cut” is beautiful to watch it is avoided by the players who look to safety in preference to beauty. The "cut’ ’is divided into three types: the first is the “forward cut,” the second the “square cut.” and the third “the late cut.” The forward cut is something of a misnomer. This stroke sends the ball towards the “off,” somewhere between point and midoff. The direction it takes, shows that it partakes, more of the nature of an off-drive than a real cut; the difference is that you do not open your shoulders to it to the same extent as when driving. At the same time, the shoulder and arm muscles are utilised considerably in effecting it. The prevalence of legbreak bowling has something to do with the less frequent adoption of the forward cut. Leg breaks were always known, but it is during the last decade that they have been brought to a state of perfection hitherto unknown by such heady trundlers as Len Braund and W. Armstrong and others. Swerves and big off-break bowling have militated against the too frequent use of the stroke. Nevertheless, once you have mastered the secret of forward play, the forward cut is but a corrallary to it. The ball to treat by this method is one which pitches outside the off stump. Some first-class bastmen let it go solely for safety. Do not neglect it on that account. The more varied your strokes, the more you can worry the fielders, including the bowler. To execute the forward cut keep your right foot quite still, bring your left foot across the wicket, meet the ball with a “slicing” bat and direct the ball to the right of point. You may also treat the half-vollev by this method, and apart from the drive there is 'no stroke so delightful to its maker. AYL G. Grace, Prince Rangitsinhji, W. L. Mudock, and Tom Hayward are past-masters of this stroke.