The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-09-09 00:00:00

CILICKET.—No. IV.

The last note, No. HT, finished with batting, end we
claim some prescience to ourselves in animadverting
upon the science which batting had obtained over
bowling; at the same time, we think, our remarks
upon the assumed advantage of batting over bowling.
allowed of a reeervation and Must *as; that bowling,
might be so diversified as to passle, and perhaps, chi-
!tinkly assume its old dignified povtion of being the
generalissimo of the game: Unquestionably, on first
principles, bowling ought to carry the pos. It ought to
command the game; and remember, cncketers, you will
not see any great alteration or rather an introduction
of additional Fs:denim intobatiing, until bowling gets the
heela of the latter. The last great matches are singu-
larly illustrative for argument, which has been, that
bowling has to the present not kept pace with batting.
Look at the wonderful match, Surrey v. England. The
greatest mores made dam cricket has been the
fashion, fall far short of England's some in this match.
Once Sutrey and &laser
_combined, against England,
soorbd over, we behove, 490, and in 1820; when Ward
made a score of 274, the larnest indiVidnal satire on
I record, we suppose. The hiaryTebone Clubs first innings
amounted to 473. Still in 1362 we have the monster
score in the match, Surrey v. England, of 603, an
average of 46 a man or thereabouts. A marvellous
result, and if not a marvel, it clearly proves that
cricket is so far on the advance in science that it be.
heves the men who aspire to be ' the first of true
antagonistic eleusent—the Hotspurs of the field—to look
up their system and declare "war to the knife" against
wickets. One used to see a seemingly nervous player go
up to a smart round-band bowler,and appeal by humble
gesticulation to his charity or clemency. For the
future, however, the bowler will waive off all such
fancy intercession' and say, "for the honour of the
craft, we will do ot die—hang your knuckles, shins, and
funny bones." The late match deserves the attentive
consideration of every cricketer. Look closely at
Hayward a. Carpenter's play against magnificent
bowling of every sort. Hayward makes 117 runs, and
Carpenter 94, against, as we have intimated, such
bowling as Caffyn, killer, Sewell, and Stephenson are
i masters of ; and n the midst, when Lookyer'e fast
bowling coated to hold a chance, one of his" lobs"
caught Hayward's bails. The play at the match we.
have drawn upon, to support our argument touching
the bowling of the present day, namely, "that It has
been conquered by batting," must of reeve stand in a
certain degree as exceptional. No better men in
England—there are scores as good—could have re-
sisted the attack (and inferior men would have sue.
combed to the latter). Still, in drawing correct inferences
from practical results, we presume we are right in
seeking the highest standard of excellence in trials pro
and Con, in matters of physical science. That bowling
used not be discouraged, we bad a particular illustra-
tion not long since. A left-handed unknown round•
hand bowler appeared in a county match, yet the
eleven to which he was opposedwas not inferior to the
hest provincial team. Oar round-hand, left-handed
friend disposed of the said eleven in about 30 runs, to
their utter disgust and amazement. They had not
been used to "that kind of stuff." The stuff was this,
the ball came as from a " catapulta" dead upon the
wicket in five cases out of six, pitching like • flash of
lightning, or 'something slightly more material, about
four yards from the wicket, and we heard five players
observe they could not see the ball until it was upon
them. Yet, behold them coal and watchful, budging
not an inch, the eye a blaze with wilful resolution, the
foot planted like iron, the nerves braced to no more
than manly tension, yet how braced—the clean, clear
slash at • seeming off wicket-twister, and then the fall
of bails! In feat, this bowler every now and anon got
home just to "that spot" that • batsman knows to be
irresistible,. or that a rifleman knows, long before he
hears the ring of mettle that he is there or thereabout
on the bull's eye. This bowler told us plainly, in his
play, what novelty would do. Men had not been
" accustomed" to hint (and it take§ good men to be
accustomed to the Salisbury left-hand howler), but after
awhile, in the second innings,the same team made three
times the first score. So from this we argue our left
-
banded friend shonld have tried his right hand in the '
seeped inning,. We really think if bowlers are to
conquer or to hold their own with batters, they must
aeonstom themselves, not only to varied bowling, but to
bowl with either hand. The rules of cricket seem to
require supervision, or rather it seems to be required
now, after John Llllywhite has spoken, that No. 10
rule shall be 'distinctly defined. Unless this is done
promptly,. we 'hall have every amateur umpire, and '
the like., (the small "fried" professionals) "no
batting" everybody, who appear to them to be getting
" Wiltehireish.7 The Wiltshire man we speak of must
not think we are joking with him, although to tell the
truth his delivery ' was peculiarly " Wiltaher." In
taking our leave of cricket for the nonce, we cannot
avoid observing, that we think a system observed in its
integrity, of country. club, against country club, the
legitimate members of each club would in all public
matches materially enhance the interest of lookers on,
and also serve to develop the "stuff" within the
Cordon prieeiple. By borrowing a few good men or
a particular bowler, one club may have an advantage
for a match over the other, bat it cuts both ways in the
end, and the end is not • pleasant satisfaction for re-
flection. Home energies are snubbed; private feeling is,
that it is purse against purse, and after the vanity of
victo7 has subsided, the conviction is that it was
"vanity," and not true home reliance on native integ-
rity and good-will which induced them to seek ex-
traneoua aid. We would far sooner, in our proud love
of manly sports and amusements, see members of a club
do things beat on their own legitimate resouroes, and
lose every match, than see them spend their money and
barter their independence
.through getting men about
them, for a purpose, "winning every
simplYbdcause they can have a momentary Mow o er
better men than themselves, taking them in the posi-
tion they /mkt in the contest, in the broad sense of
right and fair play. Next week we will hove a little
shooting to talk about.