Page:A "Bawl" for American Cricket.djvu/75

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OME cricketers never seem to get beyond the "beginning" period, and it is in vain to expect anyone to delight in a thing which he cannot do fairly well. If these lines can convey a hint or two they will have accomplished a most satisfactory purpose.

Let us for a moment watch a batsman plant himself before the wicket as though with the determination to stay there the remainder of the day. His mental purpose becomes his weakness, for no preconceived idea of what one's opponent will do is at all likely to occur. The cricketer is always a creature of circumstances over which he usually has little or no control, but of which he must be ever ready to take immediate advantage. We used the words "plant himself" advisedly, for no other suits. Having planted, a vigorous growth should follow, but the disappointed spectator sees only a machine cricketer trying to force hands and wrists to do the duty, which they should but assist the arms and shoulders in doing. The beauty of the game is sacrificed to the ounce of precaution, which may have been too much emphasized by an over careful captain. While the game is in progress cricketers should be active mentally as well as physically, and they have only themselves to thank for the erroneous