WHAT IS WANTED?

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11706, 19 December 1923, Page 11

WHAT IS WANTED?

BETTER BOWLERS MORE ENTHUSIASM—AND A COACH. (Special to "N.Z. Times.") Reading through the "Times" report of the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association one was struck by ’ the remarks of that great enthusiast, j Mr C. G. Wilson—that what was ] wanted in our cricket was greater enthusiasm, and until that was got no j real progress would be made. Be was quite right, and it must be conceded that there is a lack of genuine, burning enthusiasm. It is all very well talking about cricket coaches, but they will not do much good unless players are prepared to go the whole way and do their practice systematically. To my mind there is a deplorable lack of bowling in the Dominion at the pre- 1 sent time. Looking back over the past season this great want was manifested in the most striking manner. There are plenty of strong, hefty youths who display quite a good style while bowling, but who do not consider it worth while to take some pains and understand the fundamentals of the greatest art in cricket. We shall not get anywhere in our cricket until enthusiastic players come to light who will try and learn how to bowl. The finest coaching in the world will not be of avail unless the bowlers are up to the mark. Of what use is it for a batsman to go into the nets just to get any fellow slinging down any sort of bowling. Sammy Woods once 6aid "that just beoause a fellow bowled an over it wasn’t to say that he was bowling.” No! Unless the accuracy of the bowlers can be depended on and can be maintained more than five minutes our batting is not going to reach the high standard it ought to. The results of a lot of had bowling have made themselves known in England, and the task of restoring the game to its former place is proving no easy job. If bowlers will concentrate on length first, and show that they can maintain it, they will have made material progress. After all it iB only length that keeps the batsman thinking. Finger-spin is all very well, but there is a lot of fun for the batsman who gets bad length balls from so-called finger-spinners-Taking the average good wicket as a basis, I do not think that the average bowler turns more than one hall in every couple or so of overs. Then he has to fall back on length, and change ot pace, and flight. Alfred Shaw and Dicky Barlow both deolared that they never deliberately turned the ball; yet how many better bowlers than these two have lived? Another thing: It is only by constant practice that -bowlers get their muscles into fighting trim and acquire that indefinable something called "devil." If, as suggested, a batsman is introduced as coach, I think a lot of trouble will be gone to and not much good eventuate. It would be better to got a man from Australia who is an all-round man — good bat and first-class bowler. I suppose the best eoaches in the public schools in England have been more noted as bowlers than os 'batsmen. Certainly the greatest on© of modern times, namely, Mr C. Toppin, of Malvern, was known to fame as a fast howler. Again, in view of the fact that so many of the modern professionals in England are obsessed with the two-eyed stance, 1 think it better if they were left alone. Let the authorities concentrate on raising the standard of the 'bowling and the batting will benefit accordingly. . There are some older players who are enthusiastic enough to give the young idea a knowledge of the mechanics of batting; at any rate enough to build upon. For after all is said, and done the best of coaching can only lay tne foundation, and the finished article is produced by experience. It. is well known that weak bowling produces bad batting, and more than one county in England can be adduced in support of that argument. The career of the West Indian team in England this summer should bring home the lesson that good bowling and fielding will make a comparatively weak batting side a dangerous opponent. Thoy have held their own with tlie best of the counties, and great praise has been bestowed upon the bowlers and fieldsmen. For enthusiasm and love of the game the West Indian, both white and negro, cannot be excelled. * Let tho earn© ho said of players in Now Zealand, and the record in the future will surely justify the efforts made to that great end. —QUIDNUNC.