Page:Cricket (Lyttelton, 1898).djvu/89

Rh about the good bowlers. A captain should be able quickly to judge of the play of a batsman, as to which is his favourite hit, and place the field accordingly. This seems easy, but there are many captains who appear blind as far as this is concerned. I remember one University match where one man scored a hundred, and not till he had got over sixty did the rival captain put an extra short-leg to stop his favourite stroke—off his legs. When a hitter like Jessop begins work, I know it is easy to say that a captain should keep his head, whilst I am well aware that it is extremely difficult for him to do so; but there are some rules that ought to be observed. If you have a bowler who can break the ball, try him, for if the hitter runs out and tries to hit a ball and does not quite get at the pitch, the ball may break past his bat and he is bowled or stumped. Remember also to instruct your best bowler to bowl a good length rather wide of the off stump. The hitter sooner or later will have a slog, and will very likely be caught somewhere