Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/248

 bowlers we have to-day, no matter their pace, take a longish run, and the giants of the past did the same thing. Mr. S. M. J. Woods, Lohmann, Briggs, Peel and Attewell are the most prominent of our English bowlers at present, and all take a good run; and the Australians, Messrs. SpofForth, Boyle, Turner and Ferris, do the same.

The young player cannot do better than watch firstclass bowlers carefully, make a note of their styles, and mark their points of difference.

Another point that used to be urged strongly was to present a full front to the batsman at the moment the ball left the hand. That has been considerably modified of late years, and there are now more advocates for a side position. Presenting a full front means that the bowler's arm can be seen plainly before the ball leaves the hand a point in favour of the batsman; a side position means that arm and hand are hidden until the last moment a point in favour of the bowler. I could mention the names of half-a-dozen bowlers, of whom it has been said that their delivery was a most puzzling one, and that it was pretty much owing to their being able to keep their arm out of sight. Of others, again, it has been said: "We have no difficulty with them we can see them all the way."

I am not advocating the cultivation of a style merely for the purpose of distracting the attention of the batsman; but I would point out the great success that has attended such bowlers as Messrs. C. A. Smith, Spofforth, GifFen and Ferris, who have peculiar deliveries. When Smith begins his run he is behind the umpire and out of sight of the batsman; and I can assure you it is rather startling when he suddenly appears at the bowling crease. Spofforth goes to the other extreme, starting some yards on the off-side of the batsman, and giving the impression that he is aiming at a point nearer