IMPROVE YOUR CRICKET.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20455, 7 November 1934, Page 6

IMPROVE YOUR CRICKET.

Famous All-Rounder’s Advice Holds Good To-day.

THIRTY YEARS AGO that famous all-round cricketer, the late Harry Trotl, wrote some sound advice, which applies with equal force to-day. Trott, a master strategist, many times led South Melbourne, Victoria and Australia to victory. Harry Trott’s cricket wisdom still adorns club-rooms in Melbourne—an inspiration to younger players. It is reproduced here for the benefit of junior and senior cricketers. It ducecl here for the benefit of junior and senior cricketers in Canterbury. It is worth cutting out and keeping.

Always play for your side—forget 3’our average. Take no notice of outsiders who tell you how to bat; you are the best judge of the bowling, at the wickets. ’ Get the pace of the bowling and the wicket before trying to knock pickets off the fence. Don’t get yourself out. Leave that to the bowler. It’s his job. It’s j-our brains against his. If you keep the ball “ along the carpet ” you can’t be caught. More than 80 per cent of batsmen are caught. If you make a bad stroke, or are missed in the field, don’t throw your wicket away—profit by the mistake. When you are 50 go for the 100; when 100 go for 200. When at the non-striker’s end, watch the bowler’s hand, and “ back up ” a couple of j^ards. Never forget that it is the striker’s call for all strokes in front of the wicket, and the non-striker’s call for all strokes behind the wicket. Always call out “Yes” loudly when going to run, and “No” when you do not intend to run. And—a match is never lost until the other side has won it!

To Bowlers. Always remember that you have ten men fielding besides yourself, all waiting to take catches. Don’t bowl too much at the wicket; batsmen are not bowled every ball, but may be tempted into a mishit. «*♦ 55 Use your brains as well as your muscles, and try to discover a batsman’s weakness. Don’t feed him on his good strokes—try to block them. Don’t worry about vour average, but bowl to get the batsman out. If a catch is dropped or a ball misfielded, remember that the fieldsman is more disgusted than you are. And .... it may be your turn next time! To Fieldsmen. There is only one captain on the field. He expects that implicit obedience so necessary to team work—and success. He may make mistakes; but loyalty, keenness, good fellowship and good fielding have won more matches than anything else. Players get little fielding practice at the nets; so use every moment between fall of wickets to improve fielding and catching. Don’t fail to “ back up.” Be sure you are properly “ shod ” before entering the field.