HOW TO LEARN BOWLING.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 585, 19 February 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 >rould be of benefit to the Waikato players) in the Molbourne papers regarding tho superiority 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 co-rarnenced " brain bowling," following rules which were eatab-' lished years ago in England ; and other bowlers— notably 'Spofforth, Evans, and Tiudal seeing the wisdom and success of the change, followed suit. The itnprovemenb waa such an established fact that after six successive defeats, the " Sydney Mail" in December, 1874, was able confidently to predict a victory, though the toam sent down was without Evans or D. Gregory, and waa to fight on alien soil. That victory was obtained, and was tho precursor of the two following. The " Sydney Mail" deserves well of the colony. To teach tho young idea how to play, it printed in full Grace's hints on batting and Southerton's hints on bowling. These articles were republished in pamphlet form by one of the " Mail's " staff, and even' cricketer iv Sydney wa3 able thus to avail himself of the beat English experierce. In the rest of this article the terra " battery" bowling will be used to- describe ordinary fast bowling. Fast bow/ing is a misnomer -as the term is aftjd now. Much of the bowling spoken of as slow or medium will -travel as far M 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 tJie ■ ball " and

"play a straight bat " he ia sife. Some four or five years ngo, a cry aroao in Eng--land — the batting is killing the bowling, which meant that fast or *' battery " bowling had been mastered. 'Patience, a straight bat, and fino 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 puce. Evans, Allan, Coates, and Spofforth command all these Horan, Boyle, and Tindal vary their pitoh and pace, but have no spin, and, excepting Boyle, do not undor§tand the curve ; their bowling is not " curly." Spin. — A good ball has fcwo 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 ohauge of direction called " the break j" 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 be easily acquired by practice The ball must be held with the fingers (not the ball of the hand), the fingers on the seam. At the moment of delivery a twist ia 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 ha 9 reached the opposite wicket. With praotice the spin becomes mechanical. Fast or battery bowling rarely has spin ; tho strainupou the muscles of the arm and shoulder prevents the twisting of the lingers ; it may- break on bad ground, uever on good ; here it is tho ground, not the twist, which gives the break. The impetus in fast or battery bowling toads to destroy the spin, the impelling jx>\ver overcoming the rotatory. An illustration of this may be seen any day on a bowling green. J n driving the bias of the bowl is destroyed by the pace. Our bowlers miißt 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 Gngers twisfc over the ball. The only illustrations of the other I can call to mind are Barnes and Huiles, who give the twist by working the fingers under the ball, but understand alow lobbing bowlers almost invariably give the under twißt. Curve. — This must not be confounded with pitch. Pitok, ia the spot at which the ball touches the ground. Ihe curve is the course it takes in the air — the curl. ■ This curve materially determines tho after rise or course from the ground. Further, ■ of' two balls pitched on tne spot, the higher I the curve the more puzzling to the eye of the batsman. Fast or battery bowling has no curve ; tho ball travels in a straight line, and is easily watched. Boyle, Tindal, and Coates are curvers, but the first two do not vary it sufficiently, and the batsman soon masters any ona particular curve. Coates uaea an infinite variety. Variation of curves must be carefully practised. Pitch is an important point, and- the old distinction between tho length balls and 'not-lengths must be abandoned. Grace, Soatbertoa, or Sliaw never hesitate

to put in a full toss or a pitrher, as it is called hore. The}', for variety's sake, will even venture on a long hop ; and Evans, Coatea, and Allan dou't decline to do the same. The batsman must never know what he is to expect. Tommy Horan's •Yorkers often come off as a diversion. Pace. — While variety is to be commended as in curve and pitch, fast bowling should be discouraged, for reasons already given. Jt is easy to piny and fatiguing to the bowler. The Griffiths and Tarrants, the Jacksons and Minns, hare given place to men who rely upon brains or devil, not on cannon-balling. VV. G. Grace would probably make the fastest bowler 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, and practice n varyiug curve, pitch, and pace, we shall Boon have plenty of bowlers — they only want tuition.