CRICKET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18973, 26 March 1924, Page 6

CRICKET

EVOLUTIONS IN CRICKET SWERVE AND “BOSIE” BOWLING. METHODS OF GREAT PLAYERS The consideration of “evolutions” in bowling would not be complete without spacial mention of the two most modern developments, “swerve” (i.e. “seam” swerve as contrasted with “spin” swerve, discussed last week) and the “bosie” type of bowling, (writes Dr. Poideviu in the Sydney Sun). George Hirst, of course, was the outstanding exponent of the “seam” swerve, and B, J. T. Bosanquet was the originator of the “boslle" or “googlie’’ ball. These two important evolutions have exerted a tremendous influence on the game. The use o£ the “seem’’ swerve has had the effect of . cramping tlie batting at the commencement of an innings to a degree that is not by any means appreciated by onlookers; and, again, when the new ball is requisitioned at 200 runs the same difficult problem is presented to the batsmen. Before its introduction you would see the bowler, when handed the ball at the commencement of an innings, at once proceed to rub it vigorously on the ground to produce a rough surface in order to give the fingers a good grip of the ball. Spin was the object then. Nowadays, since George Hirst showe’d what could be done with it, the new ball is hardly ever allowed to touch the ground before the innings begins, and every endeavour is made to preserve the shine on it a s long as possible. SOME “SWERVE” POINTS, It is no mere habit that makes “Bill” Whitty, for instance, rub the ball on his shirt sleeve, or “Johnnie” Douglas on his shirt front or handkerchief, after every delivery, and just before commencing tlie next.

Since George Hirst showed the way, “seam” swerve lia s been practised an utilised to such an extent that practically every bowler in firstclass cricket nowadays, in England especially, makes the now ball swerve appreciably. As pointed out in a previous article, to do this is not difficult. Any bowler can make the ball “swerve” while it is new, provided he grips it properly and lets it leave his hand the right way. It is only the few, however, who practise the grip systematically and learn to control the length and direction properly. The selection of his opening bowlers has therefore become a very important point for every captain to decide when starting an innings, and similarly the captain of the batting side has also to exercise much discretion in choosing his opening batsmen. It is courting disaster to send in batsmen to open the innings who are unaccustomed to negotiating the swerve. The ideal opening pair is a left and a right hander, since the lefthand batsman nullifies the righthander’s swerve, and the right-hander can best handle the left-hand’ bowler’s swerve. That is why Collins and Bardsley are such a successful opening pair in big matches —one can protect the other. This little fact is very frequently overlooked by spectators when watching the first half-hour’s play in any big match. It is this facility to make the new ball swerve that made the introduction of the comparatively recent rule to have a new ball at very 200 runs, so helpful to the bowling side. It would assist the bowler still more and help to restore the balance a little, and keep down the scoring somewhat, if a new ball were allowed at every 200 runs. I certainly would be in favour of this change. METHODS OF BARNES, The case with which the swerve is produced had, in my opinion, one very detrimental influence on bowling which became noticeable soon after its practically universal adoption a couple of decades or so ago. It led to his over-cultivation. Every bowler aimed at being a “swerver,” with the result that other devices were neglected and fell into disuse to a certain extent. That is what happened in England. One bowler, however, S. F. Barnes, stood out from the general run, not only in his methods, but also, and on that account especially, in his position in the game. He adopted the swerve, learned to control it well, and used it with deadly effect as an adjunct to the off-break and leg-break. It thus brought him most of his caught behind and caught in the slips results—positions where he got most of his wickets. As everyone knows, Barnes was one of the greatest bowlers of modern cricket times; indeed, in Australian opinion, perhaps th® best who ever visited us from England. He had the unusual knack of turning the ball appreciably from the leg side as well as making it break back from the off side in the orthodox way, keeping a good length all the time, and it was the exploitation of the swerve in conjunction with these and the admirable changes of pace that he employed which made him such an outstanding bowler, and so different from the generality of bowlers of his time. There’s an example for all time. “BOSIE” BEGINNINGS. The last bowling “evolution,” and one that has had far-reaching effects upon the game, is the “bosie” or “googlie” typo of bowling. The game of cricket is indebted to B. J. T. Bosanquet for this innovation. Bosanquet, as I knew him first, was just an ordinary right-hand med-ium-paced bowler, with a swerve and a little orthodox off-break as his sole means of attack. He wa s not even a leg-break bowler. He got the idea of making the ball break both ways with the same grip, from his habit of manipulating billiard balls. Ho practiced it next with a tennis ball in what is known as “little cricket’’ in the back yard, and, surprised with the results, it was not long before he tried it with the cricket ball. He soon picked up the leg-break, but his early attempts to bowl the off-break with the same grip of the ball and hand action, although only in social games, produced much merriment. He persevered, however, and at length was bold enough to try the new ityle in a first-class match. It met with immediate success, and, though the uncertainty of his control

earned for him the title of the world's best worst bowler, within a year or so it had won him a place in one of the strongest teams that ever took the field for England against Australia; indeed, it was his “freak” bowling, is it was called, that won the match for England. SOUTH AFRICAN PIONEERS * It was not long, of course, before he had imitators. Reggie Schwartz, his college chum at Oxford, wag one of the earliest to learn how to bowl the off break with the leg-break action, though previously he had no bowling pretensions whatever. He developed wonderful accuracy of pitch with the off-breakindeed ,in order not to interfere with his accuracy, he dropped the leg-break altogether, relying upon and securing remarkable results in the best company with the off-break or “bosie” ball alone. His phenomenal success was in reality a cricket anomaly. He wa a lust a slow off-break bowler —the ball certainly turned a lot, and came Quickly off the pitch—delivering the ball in a quite unorthodox way, viz., with the action of a leg-break bowler. What was the reason of this? THE “BOSIE” SECRET. The real secret of the effectiveness of the “bosie” at any time is not only that it leaves the batsman in doubt as to what the ball is going to do, but eventually creates in his mind a preconceived notion that it is going to break one way, while he is subconsciously uncertain which. The effect is to cramp his play and to leave him a minimum of time in which to decide on his stroke. So strong is the impression left by habit upon the minds of all of us that, although we may bo morally certain that a ball is going to break a certain way, yet, when it is delivered in a way which we usually associate with a different break, it is very difficult to adapt the mind itself to the altered conditions. Schwarz was a remarkable illustration of this. Although well known that Schwartz never broke from leg, batsmen seemed to find it almost impossible to convince themselves tj»at each ball was going to break the same way—the “wrong” way it seemed—and there always seemed to be present the lurking notion that one would break the other way. It was to this fact that much of his success was due, and although the “nip” from the pitch that he obtained made him a useful bowler in any ease, the added touch of uncertainty made him an extremely good bowler. Here the suggestio falsi was of more value to the bowler than even the suppressio veri, as in other walks of life.

Remember this fact when you sec Mailcy or any other “bosie” bowler tossing up amiable-looking stuff that seems to be escaping its due punishment. Many of the onlookers at big matches have never played good “bosie” bowling, and they cannot understand wherein lies its difficulty.

Now, Schwarz went to South Africa and planted the “bosie” seeds in the cricket fields there. Immediately there was a “crop” of “bosie” bowlers in South African cricket—Faulkner, White, Vogler, and others —and it was their success on tour in England shortly afterwards that put South Africa on the international cricket map. Vogler on that tour was one of the very best “bosie” bowlers I have seen. South Africa made the mistake of over-cultivating the “bosie,” with the result that the general standard pf both their bowling and batting soon began to deteriorate. There can be no doubt that “bosie” bowling exerts a very potent influence on batting style, but that is. another theme. FALLACIES AND FACTS. Now, both of these "evolutions” arc essentially devices of comparatively recent years. Not only do they afford further instances of the bowler being driven to new expedients to outwit the growing skill of batsmen, but they also further emphasise the fallacy of the old shibboleth that bowlers are born and not made, whereas the real truth is that the opposite is the case. These two important dvelopments in bowling can be, and indeed are, only acquired by practice. I specially emphasise the point because there is a sort of notion current that great bowlers are heaven sent, and only spring up periodically from nobody knows where. That is an entirely wrong conception of things, and partly it lies at the root of our present day paucity of good bowling. HOMELY ADVICE. In my humble opinion the really good bowler hag to be made—and made by the assiduous practice and intelligent application of tho many known devices; and it is my belief that we have to-day amongst us plenty of latent bowling talent that only needs for its development the backing of a knowledge and appreciation of the available devices and the individual ambition, energy, determination, and opportunity to put them into operation. I want to bring it home to every young cricketer that it ig within his power to become a more than useful bowler if he will only give a certain amount of time and energy to studying and practising some one or other of the many methods of bowling. There is, further, no valid reason why an indifferent bowler should not become the equal of the good bowlers if he will practise assiduously and intelligently along the right lines, and in all cases with a clearly defined purpose before him. That is the secret of practice—in bowling as in batting. It must never be haphazard, but directed to the perfection of each detail in turn. A few certainly achieve greatness with a minimum of effort, but it is open to all to achieve greatness even if it bo by a slow and laborious road. If the will and application and opportunity be there, the results will certainly follow. JUNIOR CUP FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY, College A V. Colts, on Victoria Park No. 1. College B v. Y.M.C.A., on College grounds. Marist B v. Technical College, on Cook’s Gardens. Old Boys v. Marist A, on Victoria' Park No. 2. Wanganui a, bye, I