AT THE WICKETS

NZ Truth, Issue 935, 27 October 1923, Page 9

AT THE WICKETS

Hints On Practice i PICKING UP FORM. |-. . _ i Seasonable Comments. The thoughts and energies of cricketers are at present chiefly concentrated on the picking up of their "form" — batsmen trying to establish friendly relations between bat and ball: bowlers adopting, perchance, a more hostile ihtent-'-for the season just commenced, writes Dr. L. O. S. Poidevin m the "Sydney Sun." After the long winter holiday it is by no means an easy matter, even for the most experienced player, to resume the old familiar touch of the previous summer; and the efforts to do so are always fraught with considerable in-tel-est. to the individual, and, m many cases, to the cricket community m general. It gives all/ true followers of the game, -for; instance, ■■ a thrill- - of pleasure to even read of Charlio . Macartney l playing, a, big innings at 'the start of. the season with his wellknown vigor, daring, and enterprise. Much of the difficulty m "strikini; form" lies m getting hand and. eye to work together again harmoniously and m unison." The eye requires a curtain amount of retraining every year; the muscles, have to be got into proper working order. . The process 'R rendered easier, beyond doubt, by the active indulgence m winter., pastimes, during the cricket vacation^; but whether, the cricketer plays any of these games or keeps his muscles toned, up with physical exevcises, he generally finds when he comes to wield ..the cricket bat or bowl the ball that he requires different muscles, or different combinations of muscles, from those he has been using. No. one, so far as I know, has ever worked out the precise" nevral and muscular combinations required by the various strokes at cricket. WHAT OLD-TIMERS DID.;" ..■• •• A batsman may, however?; "without bothering about the science ;■: of • th'e matter, imitate the actual \ cricket strokes with a hat, if he likes, m his own room, as Charley Fry, the late Billy Murdoch, and; others of the highest class amongst' cricketers used to do, with the idea of keeping the cricket muscles m .order and under perfect control. Sppfforth, too, it is said, used to make a 'practice of swinging his bowling arm round a few times while dressing every morning, to the imaginary disepmforture of certain batsmen. / But whether the batsman approaches? tin- beginning 1 of the season semiprepared fin this way, or quite unprepared, itf takes some time to attain that harmonious cp-operation or eye arjd musoie which. results m the crisp, gratifying, well-timed stroke. As v rule, at Ilrst the muscular response tends to lag, and the tendency is to play too late for perfect timing. But' the batsman's- chief bother creeps m over tho management of his feet. If the feet bo ndt properly placed, it stands :to reasdtf .' that the various strokes cannot be properly played. „ Curiously enough, at the beginning, of the season, it is the experience of almost every batsman to find much concentrated stubbornness inside his cricket boots. One, cannot be too emphatic m reminding the young batsman m particular to pay special attention to, and liven up, his footwork without delay,, for quickness o the feet is valmost a? sine qua non m good batsmanship.' PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. This leads one to a very 'brief consideration of the important matter of cricket practice, and it is with no dmall amount of diffidence that I approach the subject. Few things, one knows, are so liberally bestowed or squandered with so little effect as cricket advice; but as I have been asked ito mention the subject, I can, therefore, hold myself free from any imputation of quicker sagacity or deeper penetration than others m the matter. ' There . is a twofold aspect to this question! concerning, as it does, thoss who practise to pick up their form, and those who practise with a desire to 1 bring about improvement m their game. Players coming under the former category usually ha vo their own methods of practice. Experience has taught them what is perhaps best for themselves. . Most experienced players lay the greatest store upon tho value of match practice;— a nice innings of 50 or so is infinitely more valuable to them than any amount of net play. ...... There is a certain amount of habit about milking big scores. The first century 1b always the most difficult to make: finding your way through the eighties and nineties is all the easier i'or having trodden the pathway before. It is a favorite maxim that "practice makes perfect," equally true of cricket, as of other things: and a great many players, perhaps the majority. practlß« to that end. But you will r>ot find many disposed to admit that they get -the full value from their practice that the-y should. The fact probably is that it m not so judiciously or thoughtfully undertaken as it should bo. The tendency m batting practice Is towards uggreiflion. Aimoit everyone when at the nets overdoes the desire to get the ball away somewhere. Especially m this the case against the slow leg-break bowling. At tho nota it is banged here, there and everywhere, whereas m a match It has to be played quite differently, and only hit with more attention to placement tlmn to vigor. FIRST THING IS DEFENCE. To my mind the first thine trt make cortaln of at practice is your def ones', it is the only sure foundation to greatness and success. When you come, to play m the match ngainst experienced players, it Is certain to be put ■ r to tho lost. Every reader is convc-r- --| sant with the net cricketer — the man I who makes the most brilliant; and | varied strokes at practice, but fails to 1 reproduce his form m a match. The | simple reason is that he has no d-s-a fenulvo qualities, and, therefore, c«»I not stay lonp enough to bring his scor- § • inp strokes into play. It is only whon | llisi young ;player feels fjuHe sure of 1 his ability lo defend that, he ought to a seriously turn his attention to tho g making and; developing of his scoring g strokes. |j It is Rood policy to practise one | stroke at a time. Spend the first halt I <^r your time at all-round practice, I then pet your bowlers to feed you >n | thp ono stroke— o.p.. the #<}Uur<> cut I or the leg glnneo. nnrt ho on — ami m I Ujlh way partitioning your practice I between all-round play and special 1 attention to individual strokes. My 1 advico to the young player is that. 1 first having analysed hi* stroke-mak- | inn ability, he should never go to the I nets without having his mind made I ' up to dovoN' some portion of his praeI tlee time, be it ever so small, to the K3 i-yihiHivc development of one or other of tho standard strokes. The thought

put into it will be a wonderful guide to real batting enthusiasm. It should be every young batsman's aim, of course, to make his practice aid his match play as nearly alike as possible. He should take his practice seriously, and strenuously avoid making the mistakes which have previously led to his downfall. This is no mere platitude. I know of one batsman who, after getting 1 out at any time, made it a special habit to think well over his mistake, determining cy practice and the exercise of good judgment never to repeat it. In this way he materially helped to eliminate errors from his play — and he speedily, touched the top rung m the ladder of success. TABLOIDS FOR JUNIORS. -* To the' juniors let me offer two or three cricket tabloids m this connection. "When batting, stand m such a position that you can keep both eyes on the. ball, all the way. Keep both hands close together, on the handle jof your bat, for the greater, part of your play near, the top or hot- I torn or m the-niiddle, just as your "com- | fort dictates. . „-.:..- , , Be careful over- 'the , disposition ) '.^f^ your feet m making the various strokes' — a fundamental to success. . \ Keep the ball down; or, at most/ only hit it up when sure of your control. " And. lastly, do not let lack of energy; or enthusiasm ever interfere with the regularity of your practice. Asa bowler, always take a full and measured run; bowl the full distance,

and aim at getting 1 control (length, etc.), before devoting your special attention to. spin and variations of flight.

There are . just a few of the many matters of detail; insignificant enough m themselves, perhaps, but of great importance m . the aggregate, which must suggest themselves to the thoughtful cricketer. It is only by thoroughness, perseverance and special attention to detail that the younggricketer can hope to make his play a valuable asset to his side and a pleasure to himself.