RUNNING BETWEEN WICKETS.

NZ Truth, Issue 881, 14 October 1922, Page 9

RUNNING BETWEEN WICKETS.

$ Is- It a Lost,' Art? It is really surprising how. many runs are lost through the inability of batsmen to estimate the value «of a stroke, and bad judgment m. running between wickets. Every run made is one for the opposition to get. If the number of runs lost during a season, for the reason's stated, could be calculated, the aggregate would be astonishing. OL ! course, you cannot make Bill Speeds out of heavyweight cricketers, whose equatorial regions' have expanded, and • who have bellows to' mend, any more than you can mike Gloamings out of slow horses. It is not so much a matter of pace as concerted action between the striker and batsma??, and alert backing up by the batsman. 'lt. should be borne m. mind i that, m this connection there is a dis-

tinction between the striker, and batsman.

OLD-TIMERS,

Shades of Syd Gregory, Harry Donnan, Clem Hill, Victor Trumper, Reggie Duff, and others. How. often have we. seen them, and .such as them, when the tedium of a niatch has inclined the onlookers to indulge m 40 winks, enliven the play by smart, clever running between .the wickets, stealing .singles from under the hands of the fielders almost, and disorganising the field. . Aleck Bannerman's oft-repeated adviqe. "Run the first one hard, son," is good, very good indeed. Many a single, has been turned into two runs, twos into threes, and threes into fours, by so doing. And there is no need to take suicidal risks. The faults pointed out have been particularly noticeable m the -Great Public Schools matches when opposed to seniors. The boys generally seem to be glued to the ground, do not use /their feet, and show no enterprise. There is room for vast improvement m this /direction, but competent coaching by experienced players should easily remedy these defects See to it. , " BACKING UP. -■ In backing-up, the batsman should not be taught napping or be too venturesome. By watching the bowler's approaek and waiting for the delivery there is no danger.' Rarely do you hear of a batsman being run out through leaving his crease before the ball leaves the bowler's hand. Such incidents have occurred, and the batsman been trapped.