Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/103

Rh batsman, it revolves outwards from the bowler with an over-andover motion like that of a carriage-wheel travelling away from him. This spin, which corresponds with "top" put on a billiard-ball to make it "follow through," causes the ball to bound forward after pitching with increased rapidity. The other motion is just the reverse of this, with the opposite result. The ball is made to rotate in the same way as a lawn-tennis ball which, under-cut by the racquet, reverts to the striker's side of the net after pitching on the other side. By a spin corresponding to "drag" on a billiard-ball, the ball is made to hug the ground when it pitches, and to rise slowly afterwards, or "hang," as it is called by cricketers. Both these spins are very likely to cause a mistimed stroke, because the ball comes off the pitch at a pace different from that of its flight. With some bowlers it either "hangs" or m.ore often comes fast off the pitch owing to something in their regular action. The power to produce either of the spins artificially is confined to slow or medium-pace bowlers. Most good fast bowlers come quickly off the pitch by nature; in fact, it is this quality chiefly that distinguishes them from the ordinary "slinger." Both Briggs and Jack Hearne, when helped by the wicket, are very skilful at making balls of apparently similar flights either "stop and look at yo " or whip along like lightning. Mold's deliveries, though less rapid in their flight than Richardson's, come off the pitch as fast if not faster. The two former produce their results by finger-and-wrist-work, the two latter by some natural quality of their action.

Thus there are four kinds of spin that can be put on a ball. The ideal bowler should be master of them all. And inasmuch as every bowler should set before himself and try to reach the highest standard, he should do his best to acquire a command of off-break and leg-break, "top" and "hang." The two first are the more important, as they are the more generally useful; the two others are rather refinements. For practical purposes a bowler, unless he has a natural turn for the leg-break, had better thoroughly master the off"-break first, then try to learn the leg-break, and finally, after perfecting these two, see what he can do with the others. On no account should a new break be attempted if it at all spoils the power acquired over that which is most natural and is mastered first. A bird in the hand is worth two or even three in the bush.

As may be gathered from previous remarks, great bowling skill is not attained even by the most gifted in one season nor yet in three seasons. It is an affair of years. The best plan is to learn