Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/85

Rh this surprising, since the process of learning to bat is far more attractive than that of learning to bowl. There is drudgery in both for those who mean to succeed, but moments of pleasure cannot fail to relieve the batsman's early labours, whereas the bowler must be content "to scorn delights and live laborious days." The mere handling of a bat gives the crudest player a certain satisfaction, which can be transformed into positive enjoyment by a few well-timed strokes, however accidental.

The pleasures of bowling do not he so near the surface, and indeed can be fully appreciated only by the finished artist. Many boys who might grow into fine bowlers give up trying to become bowlers at all; they find the earlier stages of the art dull and toilsome, while the result at which they are aiming seems far away. In the same manner, many young pianists give up music from disgust at the weary work of scales and exercises; they are unwilling to endure the preliminary labour in order to arrive at the ultimate profit; they would like to be able to play well, but do not consider the game worth the candle.

It is a great pity to give up trying to learn to bowl merely because the art cannot be acquired very quickly or easily. In matches most people are only too ready to accept an invitation to bowl, but few care to qualify themselves for the task they are so eager to undertake. They like bowling as a relief from the monotony of fielding, not for its own sake. It is curious that people do not reflect more seriously upon the fact that the best batsman sometimes receives only two balls in a match and hits neither of them, whereas a good bowler can nearly always rely upon at least half an hour's fun. Indeed, any bowler who is put on at all cannot be ousted from his proud position until he has sent down a full over. He has at least five balls wherewith to achieve some measure of success, and each of them is bound to provide some pleasure, if only that of anticipation. So, even from a selfish point of view, it is advisable to learn to bowl.

The right and proper thing would be for all cricketers to pay equal attention to bowling, batting, and fielding, especially in their young days. All are equally essential parts of the game. Why not regard them as equally valuable? The doctrine of the division of labour holds good in cricket as elsewhere, but every cricketer should, as far as lies in him, qualify himself for every emergency. Most amateurs take no trouble whatever with their bowling, except in matches. It would be far better if bowling