CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12607, 10 March 1903, Page 6

CRICKET.

TO THE EDITOR. Slit,—l should like to write a few lines ( about crickct in general 'now that the visit j of the English team is a thing of tho past. j I was prcsont at tlic South Island match. I. saw tho wickct-koeper do excellent work. I i also saw him time ami -again como in front, of his wickets to take the ball 1 when it was thrown in from the field—a fatal mis- J take. I think two or three wicTcete were in : great danger had the fielder thrown as hard as ho could at the slumps, provided, of, course, th'cro was so one in front of the : wickets. This is not necessarily a costly j practice. The field should lx> prepared to j hack up for all they are worth. Supposing ■ thero is a boundary overthrow or twe, what i is that as set p.gjiinpt the capture of a dan-5, gerous wicket and the chcck on the stealing ' o! runs? I think men should be drilled in ( throwing at a single stump and backing up '! as' a part of ordinary fielding practice.' Orchard, I !upix>s<? admittedly, did the best i work in the field, but, even so, he let a i Kill past him. This.was certainly a fairly fast one. but it enme straight to him. ', You, Sir, in a leader, advocate the engagement of a professional coach. Truly, a most 1 desirable step for the betterment of our ! cricket, hut one which ha.? its limitations for ~ good. If a coach be secured for the grown- ' up players of Dnnodin, a certain modicum of j prood will result. A natural bat like How- . den would reap untold benefit from nrofessional instruction. Tho average player ' might pofsibly-improvo his game 25 por cent, j In 99 cases out of 100, when a man ha-s grown up lie is too nld to reap the full ■ benefit of professional instruction, The j writer has spent many a half-crown on his j college and university coach only to realise i that the opportunity* to Joarn camo too late. ! To gain really great ami lasting good from !, a professional coach, the services of such • j must be at the disposal of those of the school j j boys of Dunodin who show an aptitude for tho game. And this not only in our so- ; called summer, but all the year round. 11 Many a good cricketer has been made from !, instruction given in winter under cover on |, .matting. In tho writer's experience, the' i only man who over took to cricket as a man 1 and mado a'success of it was A. E. Stcd- ■ dart. Last year's eleven from any of tho! 1 big schools at Homo would make a very 1 successful tour of this colony. Thero is c every excuse for our not having better-bats-men, but none for any want of excellence in the field. There is, unfortunately, one thing which no professional can teach. This is the confidence to play up to form against an imported team and before a large crowd. —I am, etc., Dunedin, March 6. E. C.