Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/88

66 we should hear less nonsense about schoolboys being overworked at cricket. Any deterioration of boys in batting or bowling, but particularly in the latter, is almost invariably put down to overwork at school, but the people who express such opinions do not suggest any corrective methods, nor do they in any way attempt to lighten the burden of the youngsters.

To return from this digression to the first principles of bowling. After understanding how the ball should be held, the next thing to learn is to bowl straight. This is not difficult—it is a mere matter of practice. It does not simply mean the power of hitting an unguarded wicket nearly every time; it means being able to bowl the ball in the exact direction desired, so that it can at will be made to pass the wicket 2 feet or 2 inches to the off, to hit the middle or the leg-stump. In fact, what is required is a complete mastery of direction. The line from wicket to wicket is a good guide for the beginner; still he should acquire not only the power of bowling mechanically along one particular line, but that of bowling along any line whatsoever.

Thirdly, and above all, it is necessary to bowl a "good length." What, then, is a "good-length" ball? To begin with, it is not the same for all kinds of bowling. Let us deal with the question practically. There are three distinct paces recognised in bowling—fast, medium, and slow. For a fast bowler a ball that pitches on a spot within from 5 to 7 yards from the batsman's wicket is "good-length"; for medium-pace the spot lies between 4 and 5 yards; for slow between 3 and 4 yards. Notice that the faster the bowling, the wider is the margin of "good-length." Of course the above estimate is rather rough. Later on it will be explained and refined upon. It is sufficient here to say that the secret of success in bowling lies in the power of commanding and maintaining a good-length. Consequently it is essential for the young cricketer to acquire proficiency in this respect. The pitches nowadays are so perfect that, unless they are spoiled by rain or the wear and tear of several long inningses, the bowler has to depend upon "good-length" more than anything else in order to get the batsmen out.

Again, a bowler must learn to vary his pitch—that is, he must be able to apply his command of direction and length. For instance, supposing he has bowled a good-length straight ball on the wicket, let the next one be 6 inches wider towards the off-side. Again, he may pitch the ball a good-length but rather