HOW TO LEARN BOWLING.

Evening Star, Issue 4027, 22 January 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW TO LEARN BOWLING.

The recent defeat of the Victorian cricketers by those of New South Wales has called forth some correspondence (a perusal of which would be of benefit to the Otago players) in the Melbourne papers regal ding the superioritv of the bowling of the Sydney team over that of Victoria. A correspondent of the ‘Argus,’ signing himself Block, makes the following suggestions regarding bowling:— The change in the Sydney play resulted from the visit of Grace s team. Coates had up to that time been accounted the best fast bowler in Sydney. He, made wise by observation, came to the conclusion that fast bowling was radically unsound, and it was easier to puzzle and perplex a batsman than to batter down his wicket. He commenced “brain bowling,” following rules which were established years ago in England; and other bowlers—notably Spofforth, Evans, and Tindal—seeing the wisdom and success of the change, followed suit. The improvement was such an established fact that after six successive defeats, the ‘ Sydney Mail ’ in December, 1874, was able confidently to predicta victory, though the team sent down was without Evans or D. Gregory, and was to fight on alien soil. That victory was obtained, and was the precursor of the two following. The ‘ Sydney Mail’ deserves well of the Colony. To teach the young idea how to play, it printed in full Grace’s hints on batting and Southerton’s hints on bowl ing. These articles were republished in pamphlet form by one of the ‘ Mail’s ’ staff, and every cricketer in Sydney was thus able to avail himself of the best English experience. In the rest of this article the term “battery” bowling will be used to describe ordinary fa?t howling. Fast bowling is a misnomer as the term is used now. Much of the bowling spoken of as slow or medium will travel as far as bowling apparently much faster.

How to Bowl.—The object to bowl is to puzzle the “ eye of the batsman.” So long as he can “time the ball” and “play a stright bat ”he is safe. Some four or five years ago, a cry arose in England—the battmg is killing the bowling, which really meant that fast or “battery” bowling bad been mastered. Patience, a straight bat, and fine turf had settled it. This led to a more general adoption of “brain bowling.” The essential characteristics of any given ball bowled are spin, curve, pitch,'and pace. Evans, Allan, Coates, and Spofforth command all these. Horan, Boyle, and Tindal vary their pitch and pace, but have no spin, and, excepting Boyle, do not understand the curve ; their bowling is not “curly.” Spin.—A good ball has two motions, a forward motion to the opposite wicket and a revolving motion of spin ; with the first motion only it would continue a steady course from the bowler’s hand to the mark aimed at, and it is easy to be timed. With spin, immediately it reaches the ground there is a change of direction called “ the break ; ” the deflection may be to the off' or to the leg, up or down, and generally not only the direction but the velocity is altered by touching the ground, A ball with a good break is at least ten times as dangerous as a ball without break. This spin or break may may be easily acquired by practice. The ball must be held with the fingers (not the ball of the hand), the lingers on the seam. At the moment of delivery a twist is given, and the hand must be made to follow the ball as the cue follows in a rolling stroke at billiards or croquet, I have seen Southerton’s hand still moving when the ball has reached the opposite wicket. With practice the spin becomes mechanical. Fast or battery bowling rarely has spin ; the strain upon the muscles of the arm and shoulder prevents the twisting of the fingers ; it may break on bad ground, never good; here it is the ground, not the twist, which gives the break. The impetus in fast or battery bowling tends to destroy the spin, the impelling power overcoming the rotatory. An illustration of this maybe seen any day on a bowling green. In driving the bias of tbs bowl is destroyed by the pace. Our bowlers must at once learn how to spin. It is a mistake to suppose that any bowler can on a perfect turf break both ways ; but turfs never are perfect, hence the enigma, one break, and the most common one is given by making the fingers twist over the ball. The only illustrations of the other I can call to mind are Barnes and Hailes, who give the twist by working the fingers under the ball, but understand slow lobbing bowlers almost invariably give the under twist.

Curve—This musJJ not be confounded with pitch. Pitch is the spot at which the ball touches the ground. The curve is the course it takes in the air—the curl. This curve materially determines the after rise or course from the ground. Further, of two balls pitched on the same spot, the higher the curve the more puzzling to the eye of the batsman. Fast or battery bowling has no curve ; the ball travels in a straight Tine, and is easily watched. Boyle, Tindal, and Coates are carvers, but the two first do not vary it sufficiently, and the batsman soon masters any one particular curve. Coates uses an infinite variety. Variation of curves must be carefully practised. Pitch is an important point, and the old distinction between the length balls and uotlengths must be abandoned. Grace, Southerton, or Shaw never hesitate to put in a full toss or a pitcher, as it is called here. They, for variety’s sake, will even venture on a long hop; and Evans, Coates, and Allan don’t decline to do the same. The batsman must never know what he is to expect. Tommy Horan’s Yorkers often come otf as a diversion.

Pace.—While variety is to be commended as in curve and pitch, fast bowling should be discouraged, for reasons already given. It is easy to play aud fatiguing to the bowler. The Griffiths and Tarrants, the Jacksons aud Mymis, have given place to men who rely upon brains or devil, not on caunou-balliuLj. W. G. Grace would probably make the fastest howler in England : he carefully avoids systematically bowling fast. A hot one comes in occasionally to puzzle the batsmen by the change, but that is all. As I said at the outset, with sedulous attention to spin, aud practice in varying curve, pitch, and pace, we shall soon have plenty of bowlers—they only want tuition,