CRICKET.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 276, 10 November 1911, Page 2

CRICKET.

M.C.C.’s FIRST MATCH

THE TEAMS. Adelaide. Nov. 9.

The teams chosen for to-morrow s match are as follows:—England : Warner, Douglas. Foster. Rhodes. Barnes. Hobbs. Strudvvick. Vine. Mead. Gunn and Woolley. South Australia: Clem Hill, Crawford, Whitty. Stirling, Mayne. Webster. Down. Rees. S. Hill. Kirkwood and Blackman.

BIG St ORES AT GISBORNE

Gisborne. Nov. 9

In a Thursday cricket competition match concluded to-day some eery big scores were made. On the first day I.'nit cd A ran up 377 for four wickets, and to-day were all out for 392. Lyndon being 160 not out. Commencing their innings at 3.30. I’nitecl B scored 428 for four wj<-k--ets. and thus secured a two-point win. W. Gibson, one of the Lest cricketers in the Bay, madb 227 not out. CRICKET AND HOW TO PLAY IT. (By “L.8.W.”) BATTING. The Square Cut. —This is the safest of the cut strokes, but remember one thing in all "cut strokes, never attempt to cut a ball which could possibly hit the wicket ; such a delivery has to be met by the methods of back or forward play. according to the requirements of the individual case. To square cut a short pitched bull, the left foot mm t brought m ross ihv unlo-l. •::id you mn-t. as it v.rir. push the ball from you aft--r getting well over it ; the wrist plays a great part in

this stroke. To square cut a welljiilelied ball just outside the offstump. the right foot must be mined across I lie wicket, and your at tit tide somewhat resembles that of a fencer making a lunge. You must get well over the ball, and just as it is passing your body you must, with good wrist, work, direct the ball down ■ wards and away front you, between point and third man. Some may say that good wrist work cannot be learned, but it can. Tom Hayward is a complete master of it ; and, further still, ho who Mould excel in cutting must be competent in good v, rist work. Like every other art, it has to be learned, and practice alone will give the suppleness which makes for perfection.

The Late Cut. —The late cut is an ordinary cut somewhat delayed. It is a stroke which was not cultivated in the early days of cricket, and much of its first popularity can be traced to the early visits to England of the Australians. Percy McDonnell was a past master of the stroke, and to a less degree so was AV. L. Murdock. Now there are scores of English batsmen who excel in this stroke. To effect the late cut, you wait until the ball is practically- past, the wicket and then, with a deft use of the wrists, you send the ball •••■*- tween third man and the wicketkeeper. To successfully accomp'ish this stroke, you delay- a fraction of a second later than you would were you going to effect the square cu u You bring your right foot across th? wicket and almost chop the ball in the necessary direction. It is a disconcerting stroke for the fielders in the slips, who reckon on the ball being left alone. The suddennes_s of your action makes for success, because you are effecting the unexpected. Safety before show. —In cutting of every kind a sure eye and sound judgment are absolutely essential. The slightest error is likely to lead to your undoing, since, unless your timing is accurate, you are going to pop the ball up off the shoulder of your bat into the hands of the fielders who are round about the wicket. You should remember there is no ball which you may cut which connot be mastered either by* forward or back play, hud so, until you have perfected yourself in the cut. strokes do not attempt them in a match. Be content to be safe, rather than showy. While you are practising at the nets get some one to bowl off balls to you and learn how to cut accurately before you attempt the stroke in a game of any imporance. The ‘chop” is only another form of late. cut. In executing it you look as if you bad made up your mind to let the bill go by. then suddenly you dive, so to speak, after it, and cut. it very lom-. It is less graceful than the “cut” proper, but it is, if anything, more effective.

The art of Driving (the drive). — This is a delightful stroke, and is the most powerful of all. M hen you have learnt correct forward play the drive is its natui tl outcome. After all, it is only an emphasis of your preliminary trnininc. If you are an observant critic of the game you will realize that the chief characteristic of the stroke is its abandon, its freedom. You may eit her stay in your crease or go out to the bowling, but whichever course you choose you must, iu driving, give free action to the strength you possess.

Two kinds of drive.- There are two kinds of drive - the off drive and the on-drive. To effect either you must determine the flight and diiection of the ball and must meet it with the bat held parallel to the body and close thereto. If you have confidence in yourself, which comes by practice, the straighter the ball the easier it is to drive. Do not think that every sraiglrt ball may be driven ; not at all. For instance, a “yorker” might play havoc with your stumps if you tried to drive it. It is easier to drive the ball which conies straigfit for your stumps than one which, pitching to- the off or leg, admits of your not catching the ball fairly and squarely on your bat. This must be remembered in driving as in other strokes ; the lower you keep the ball the less' chances you offer to your opponents. Clean hitting requires a loose arm, and with a free swung the bat must be brought forward, and whilst the wrist and forearm play an important part in the stroke, the chief power must come from the shoulders. When you have made up your mind to drive, and your judgment in this respect must act as quick as lightning, you must bring your left foot forward ; do not drag your right foot until you have completed your stroke. Get well over the bail and take care to get it low down on your bat. When you drive you must put full power into vour stroke.