FIELDING.
American Cricket owes a debt of gratitude to base ball. The undaunted
pluck that stops and holds the fierce grounder; the strong arm which
returns it to the baseman; the steady judgement that guides the
out-fielder to the fly; all deserve the highest praise. Cricket
welcomes the base ball fielder to the cricket ground, gives him
the post of severest duty, depends upon his keen eyesight, splendid
throwing, quick action and steady nerve. She soon calls him her own;
for these qualities are just what she is always wanting. Let base
ball players then not hesitate, for all their training is in the
line of perfect fielding on the cricket ground.
The most important fielder is thought by many cricketers to be
the bowler, nor do we wish to disparage the judgement of anyone
prejudiced in favor of that opinion. But our belief, reached after
deliberate thought, is that the wicket keeper who performs his
arduous duties successfully, does greater service for his side than
even the best bowler. Like the catcher in base ball, his position is
one of danger, leg guards and gloves must be added to his outfit to
prevent accidents. Even with these, only a man with a cool head, a
correct eye, and a safe pair of hands, should attempt wicket keeping.
He is almost an “unknown” in American cricket, but if we do not err,
Vint of the Irish team, gave some free lessons in the art which will
prove most advantageous. In Lockyer’s era the backstop was a factor
which modern cricket has abandoned. He was the support of the wicket
keeper, whose hands he saved from many hard blows, unnecessarily dealt
him by cannon ball bowlers. He it was who performed the drudgery of a
match.
Illustration: No. 4--THE HALF FORWARD BLOCK.
“Among the advantages of cricket are the means it affords for
physical improvement, the opportunities for bringing rich and
poor into friendly communication, the inculcation of gentlemanly
feeling, and the principles of mutual charity, good will, and
moral harmony.”--_Wisden._
The advent of the fast bowler has been the chief means of changing
the wicket keeper into a back fielder, he has at the same time given
the opportunity to the aggressive batsman. The chief object of the
fast bowler has been to frighten the timid batsman, and drive him
to the tent. If he has been the Simon Pure article, he has fulfilled
his mission, and even the crack batter has failed to score heavily.
But has he not oftener through bumpy ground and wrong pitch, for the
faster the bowling, the less control the bowler has over the ball,
given the other side the victory? Let not this be considered a plea
for the back stop, for he belongs to an almost forgotten age, but
it is rather to put a brake upon the “demon” bowler. It is asking
too much of a wicket keeper to stop every wild attempt of the
machine bowler, or be abused by his side. Speedy bowling, under wise
control and supported by prompt and efficient fielding, has distinct
advantages, but with slow fielding it is a menace to its own eleven,
and has been the means of increasing the score of the adversary, who
need not display even good batting to accomplish the result.
The most serious question which confronts the American captain
of to-day, is a “stumper.” But we believe so thoroughly in the
progressive spirit of American cricket, that when attention is called
to the importance of “stumping,” and to the fact that the aggressive
batter glories in a wicket keeper whose position is twenty feet
behind the wicket, and whose arms are of normal length, that the
wicket keeper will soon become a real, rather than an imaginary
personage upon the cricket field; and that he will again be seen
close behind his wicket, forcing the batsman to display his prowess
within his crease, or suffer the penalty. Let us predict that when
this desirable result is accomplished, bowlers will be found to rely
upon pitch and curve, rather than upon speed, and that skill will
depend more upon brain than muscle. His position must always be such,
that the wicket is between himself and the approaching ball, for he
cannot run the risk of trying to “down” a wicket which he cannot see,
neither can he spare the time to turn around, for the run is short
and the runner may be a “sprinter.”
The object of the bowler should be either to bowl the wicket; to have
a batter give a chance for a catch; or, to force the batter to leave
his ground for a stump. Unless he can vary his intention to thwart
the batsman by the delivery of unexpected and difficult balls, he
cannot expect to rank among the best, nor will he be called a head
bowler. The only ball which the bowler can depend upon for uniform
good results, strikes the turf outside the reach of the batter. Good
batsmen safely block or hit any ball falling within six feet of the
crease, some reach a ball which drops eight feet or more from the
crease. But every batsman has a limit when the wicket keeper is
in place. That spot, a little nearer the bowler than this limit is
known as the “pitch” or “length.” The bowler must direct his efforts
to gauge the batter’s reach, and deliver balls which will prevent
scoring. When a bowler discerns the “length” ball a batsman cannot
play, and his skill enables him to deliver it at will, he may be
relied upon. It is the eager hope of every beginner to become a
superior bowler. We have endeavored to indicate just what a good ball
is and wherein it differs from one which the batter fancies. But this
is not enough; the mind of the young bowler must solve the problem,
and must have a well defined conception of the ball which is expected
to baffle the batter. Having reached a satisfactory conclusion
upon this all important subject, the physical effort to execute
his theories must now be regularly practiced until he has mastered
the art.
1st.--Almost every good bowler holds the ball in the fingers at right
angles to the seams, for two reasons, first a better grip can be
taken; second, if any twist or spin is desired, the roughness of
the seams increases the action of the fingers.
2nd.--Begin delivering what are technally known as slow balls. Do
not attempt fast bowling until your mechanical command of the ball
has in a large degree, been able to materialize from your conception
of what a good ball should be. This mechanical command of the ball
comes from practice only. When it is observed that every batsman
has his own peculiar style, some right handed, some left, some long,
some short reach, some forward, some back, the beginner will at once
percieve that success depends upon this, absolute command of the
ball. When the possible fast bowler has learned to bowl “slows” with
precision, he may put up an occasional fast ball. If he has properly
conceived the art of slows, the chances are all in favor of his also
becoming a good fast bowler. No eleven is perfect with only slow
bowlers. Batters must be worried by fast as well as slow balls. But
let every bowler whose ambition is to attain speed, recollect that
accurate slows are the fore-runners of speedy balls.
3d.--The slow bowler having mastered the pitch or length must
practice twists or spins by which he endeavors to deceive the
batsman. These must be performed with such ease that mind and body
simultaneously act, the ball rotating upon its own axis, with such
force that when it leaves the ground it no longer continues in its
apparent direction, but rising abruptly according to the bowler’s
desire passes the astonished batsman into the wicket.
4th.--An easy elegant style of bowling is attained with less fatigue
than a slouchy one. Some men will start ten yards behind the bowler’s
crease, rush at it as though preparing for a somersault, come to
a halt to deliver a disappointing ball. The fault here lies in the
misconception of the bowler. He has not studied cause and effect, nor
has he studied his own powers. These must not be squandered upon an
over or two, but must be husbanded for a long day’s work.
5th.--Place the ball as near the batsman as possible without its
becoming a full ball, should such a ball strike slightly to leg, all
the chances are in favor of its working between legs and bat into the
wicket.
6th.--The objects of attack are the wickets of the enemy. Straight
balls only can take wickets. The bowler of such balls is likely to
be in demand. He is sure to force a defensive opposition, of which
a good captain can take advantage.
Illustration: No. 5--THE HALF BACK BLOCK.
If you play for your side and not for yourself, at the end of the
match your average will be better, than if you have constantly
had upon your mind the disturbing element of selfishness.
7th.--Bowling for hits has become a usual method, when persistent
blockers guard the stumps, a dozen runs is a small addition to the
latter’s score in exchange for a wicket.
8th.--“Study the furthest point to which your man can play forward
safely, and pitch just outside that point with every variety of pace
and spin.”
9th.--All other points being equal the bowler who rotates the ball
most rapidly upon its own axis will capture the greatest number of
wickets.
10th.--Learn to bowl from either side of the wicket, or to change the
delivery or speed without the appearance of so doing.
11th.--If a bowler is left-handed he should study bowling with
extra care. He may, if he gives his mind to it, become great in
that department. The reason being found in the simple fact that it
is unusual and disconcerting to the batsman; nine men of every ten
being right-handed.
12th.--A high delivery has its advantages as well as its objections.
It must not be overlooked that what is gained by elevation is lost
by the difference of angle. The angle which the course of the ball
describes is greater when the arm is at right angles with the body
than when elevated. The delivery from an elevated hand is made with
a view to catches more than to bowled wickets. A delivery which
combines elevation and angle has been adopted by the best bowlers.
The ball strikes the ground with greater force, causing a more sudden
and unexpected rise, while the spin and angle add to its disturbing
effect upon the mind of the batsman.
13th.--The bowler more than any other fielder needs patience,
perseverance and pluck. He must be strong, steady and sure. He must
smile and look happy when catches are missed. He must look contented
and satisfied when the umpire gives decisions against his interest.
All will recognize the successful bowler even without the aid of
these few rules.
Point is next in importance, he is always expected to have safe hands,
for when a fast ball is cut to point, a run is sure to result if he
is not alert; in ancient cricket he stood much nearer the batsmen
than at this period. His place is now so far from the striker that
his position upon the field seems to have given way to silly point,
a position so dangerous that a fielder possessing great courage
generally volunteers for it. Few captains would order a man to the
position of silly point, yet there are still fewer who do not delight
in the man who fills it advantageously, for “chances” abound near the
wicket.
The slips, short leg and mid wickets follow in importance, while the
outfielders and covers should not be deficient as stoppers, while
as throwers they frequently have grand opportunities for the display
of great activity. The Australian and English teams who came to
this country were most effective fielders, and our native cricketers
learned much from their prowess. They seemed ubiquitous. The ball
did not seem ever to bore its way through them, their anticipation
of its direction seemed instinctive. But if a hard hit one passed
through the phalanx and did get by the fielder and was rapidly
wending its way to the boundarys, the foreigner chased it with a
speed and determination which gradually overtook it before it reached
the ropes, thus reducing the score to a minimum. Let the cricket
fielder constantly bear in mind that the time allotted to him to pick
up and return the ball to the wicket is less than that required for
a fast runner to traverse 18 yards at speed. If he is just as fast
as the runner his exertions are lost to his side, for the batsman
has reached his crease. The fielder must therefore be mentally and
physically active while the ball is in play. It is not enough for
him to take the ball and return it to the wicket keeper. Thousands
of wickets have been held by a failure on the part of the fielder to
return to the right wicket. Which one that is can only be determined
by instant thought followed by immediate action. If the fielder waits
for notification to receive and return the ball he will in ninety-nine
cases out of every hundred belong to the bump on the log variety.
Fielding should be practiced whenever cricketers meet on the turf.
Many captains advocate meeting for fielding only. In view of the
numerous occasions for practice which constantly present themselves
it seems to the writer unnecessary. But these must be used. The
hardness of the cricket ball causes fear to the unpracticed. It hurts
tender hands to be rudely struck by the hard ball. Companions can
practice fielding indoors or almost anywhere, if a ball is provided.
Cricketers will find a ball a delightful companion. Passing it around
gives the practice which fielders must have to become expert. A
dozen occasions innure the hands to the sensation of stopping a fast
ball. It will no longer feel hard, but the fielder will take it at
lightning speed.
Perfect fielding is absolutely unknown on the American cricket
fields. Errors are so numerous even among the best players, that
bowlers lose courage and nerve. Each fielder should recollect that
he is the support of the bowler. The strength of every bowler depends
upon his field. A catch missed means a game lost which might have
been won. Most fielders feel little of the great responsibility
resting upon them, and even many good ones fail to appreciate it.
When our American gentlemen were winning the match against Surrey on
the “Oval,” the sympathy of the London crowd was with the Americans,
who they thought fielded better than the English gentlemen. One of
the crowd said to the writer our cricketers “worship the bat.” They
play forever in the nets, and forget the importance of fine fielding,
this did not seem a just criticism, for although he has seen every
foreign eleven that has ever played in America, he has never seen
any American fielding compare in excellence with that of the English
and Australians. Almost every American fielder fails to realize that
there are two wickets. He picks up well, returns well, runs well, and
the mechanical part is often better than that of his English brother,
but when head work is needed the English fielder returns to the right
wicket, and the batter little expecting it is run out. The American
batter is expecting the same loose methods to prevail among English
fielders, but disappointment awaits him, for much to his astonishment
the English fielder recollects the other wicket. Nothing has impressed
itself upon the writer’s mind in commenting upon the play of foreign
elevens, like the constant watchfulness of the fielder. If English
cricketers worship the bat at home, they show no evidence of it upon
American cricket grounds. They set an example to American cricketers
which the sooner they follow, the sooner will they equal their alert
foreign competitors.
The last fielder to be spoken of but the most important, is the
captain of the XI. Upon his judgement in placing his men depends the
result. He is responsible for the work of the field. He is looked to
as the one to place his men in good or bad localities. If bad judgment
is used he is most severely criticised by the on-lookers. If he shows
good judgement he gets little credit, as the fielder is supposed to
be doing it all and receives the applause. But the captain must be
watchful, helpful, courageous and sanguine. He must not loose nerve
and energy because his side is hunting leather. He must work harder
because he has an up hill game. In short, he must lead all the time,
and if he expects his side to follow, he must set the example.