New-York tribune., 1890-08-06
A CRICKETER'S OUTFIT.
HOW HIS IMPLEMENTS ARE MADE.
THE PAINS TAKEN WITH BATS AND BALLS
RECENT IMPROVEMENTS.

THE PAINS TAKEN WITH BATS AND BALLS
RECENT IMPROVEMENTS.
Within the last two or three years cricket has be
| come pePuar game In this country, and this not
| enlY with English residents, but with Americans
| Doubtless the increased interest in the English ma
iiora game is largely due 10 the remarkably crcdt'a
bic showing made by thc American cevens who have
visited Ggeat Britain. IN this district there l. now q
Metropolitan League OF eight clubs. and IN thcr
matches extremely good PLAYING is often 70 be seen
There also several newer clubs which give excellent
! promise The recent visit Of tho boys from the st.
Paul school Of Now Hampshire and their splendid work
aelns' the best local players have already ctuNod
talk Of the formation of cricket clubs in several Of ouF
| largest schools,
The tools by cricket players have not hitherto
| been made any extent in this country. The de
mand Is. however. hrge and rapidly increa'-
Ing that manufactures will. doubt be started
here In England the manufacture and sale Of crlcK
citing goods IS an important industry. some idea Of
the cllOrnOus amount Of cricket played may be gath
cred from the fact that during the busy season one
| Of the two largest f;ctoric, In England turns ont
weekly nearly 1000 balls and the life Of cricket ball
is by short. for although new ball Is used
for every important match and may be demanded Tor
each innings, well-malc ball will stand two or
| three months Of hard usage. Until year or two
ago the manufacture Of balls in England was conhcd
almost exclusively 10 two firms, Dorbe and Dn'e ana
the process Of making kept secret as possible
Rcccntly woriomcn from these firms have sc' mp IN
business, with the effect Of not only doing away with
a the mystery that hung about the business. but also
| Of lowering the price At retail trcblcNcWn match
BAN used always to command seven shilllngs ana SIX
pence but a precisely similar article Is now son for
| six shings.
A DIFFICULT OPERATION.
! The making Of a cricket bali Is dci'a'o ahd
difficult operation. requiring so much l"dSNeh, ara
| skin that as yet machinery that will satisfactorily
accomplish il has not been invented. The materials
| of which the ball composed are only cork ana
verSed yarn In the centre is small square OF cork
! and round this the wor,tcd. slightly danpened, Is
| tightly wound. As the winding goes on and the ball
grows In size thin slips Of cork are added and these
again euc.rclcd with the yarn. When The rehf "e'T
ard amount Of material have been used. the bail is
subjected 70 great prcssur" in mould That gives 4
the exact form and Nc necessary - receive the cover
This cover Is made Of c0whidc specially tanned by
tho ball makers IN a way which give y S"tn'>' and
elasticity The cover Of each ball consists Of four
pieces but before being applied 10 the ball two Of
these secmcn1lshaped pieces have bccn sewn together
and pressed the shape Of perfect hcmiS 'lere
Tie sewing IS turned inside and the Joining l'ne IS so
fine az "a be scarcely visible. when two Of these
hcml- phcrcs are ready they placed N cup shaped
mou!da or vscs. ltlc smaller than the true h"li
Of a dnshed ball. A woreted and cork core Is then
nirpduccd. aud great pressure then eXcrcd 10 DrS
|
sufficient space lc between the edges of the mouldN
IA allow the first row Of stitching 10 b. done while
the ball Is thus held MI the best halls are treble
stitched" that is with three each side Of tho
Junction of 'he hemisphere. This stitching i don"
With bent swl carrying hempcn thread and Though
entirely handwori. is effected 0i'h regularity and
ncatuess that no machine could surplss Indeed. on
well made ball It s impossible TO tell wherc line OF
stitching b,Ein- and ends.
Many substitutes for the ball made IN the nbov"
manor have been tried. but none has been found
- pass ihc proper weight hardness aud clasuciy
The best an India rubber compound, Is sometimes
u-d by school boy, and for piactic, whcro expense
has g, he con .dercd. II /, wonderful however what
a length ~ time we'll made ball viii r''Nn IT. form
and ola ,city dc pitc the terrible pounding received
The grat.st destroyer If a ball Is damp "hl'h
stretches The covering aud rot, the stitching. Ac
cordinr 10 the universally recognized laws Of th'
N,ryle Cricket Club ball must BE- nine inches
IN cifounicTcncc. and not vary In weight more than
on.-quortcr OF an ounce from the standard Of o IL
ounces,
HIS GREAT WEAPON.
The bat T. r most IN potaut article OF the cricket
cr's outrt and The To which he naturally b'come'
most .ttncAcl. Many . PLAYER regards iavorts
bot with almost 10 much affection vIUhulSi
d.o- his instrument. and dings TO II A Iona
~ auy part ~ II can be made 10 hpld together.
Crcbctors are often heard boastng Of how ous they
!
tremendous scores: but q little inquiry viii often
elicit the fact that these bat, arr Ike the knife
which H.. -ciio,hoy had Kept VOL. although 4:
had had three new blades and two new handles. In
cpu: ur,ugh Mcs,rs. Darhc'- factory On the famous
Lords ground II the Marvlrbon" Cub. the writer
,aw handles -c}t - have blades mad" to i!lorn ana
blades tha, needed rcw handles. often hi. VIII
from constant Playing get bruised and cracked at
| fle edcc7, H. which case a Slip from an inch 10 an
inch ard hall wide I, cut Oh one and sometimes
each ,dc ard a fresh piece added, which is he'd on
by glue alorc \ bat that begins 10 show signs %
weakness IN any particular part Is frequently treated
to "a haudasc of tarrcd string which generally aids
greatly in pr,,ongng r us'fult;e,
THIRTY eight inches III lene'h is The extreme allowed
for . bat Of which tWcnty live may bo taken by the
bIldr or as used 10 De termed. pod. and tmrtN'n
By the hnndlc The blade must not exceed four and q
quarter inches In width. but the weight aud Other
dimensions arc left to the discretion OF the maker sr
tho Individual fancy Of the player The average
woixlh Of bat +, two aud half pound. and tho
dcsidcr.tum +, a combination of llghne,s and div
lns.powcr 10 obtain the latter the greatest thick
nc.s and con-educutly. the greatest weight o the ha'
ls placed from -lX to eight inches from the end NJ
ths point the rounding Of the back eWell7 "nt ''"
sldcrably. A bat,mau. In selecting Dat h'''h.
chosen those whose weight he likes, nex looks 80 see
| which appear 10 have the most buigc 1T 'he driving
| part II T. the aim Of the bamaSer ~ make ;hi'
,con greater than II H. and in 80 doing and In puthS
The weight exactly in the right spot consists tn 'Fi
Of tho batrn;ih"r. Tho exact spot VIII proDauN var
slightly In every bat according to the weight ana Inc
grain and density Of the wood and thus ea'h Da' "'
qnirc, AN individuality of its own.
THE TOUGH AND ELASTIC WILLOW.
| Tho oriv v,o,d used for bats Is willow. Nearly all
i. grown i'm England, and principally ID Norfolk ana
| suffolk though occasionally little i@ imported rom
| the scandinavian countries. LiGhtneSS cbi@'i'N anu
| strength are tho qualities Which make WHO" "'N
superior to all Others for tbs purpo~'' i'
and pllaLlnty also brought about It's use Tor the WHO"
| ,,.r, sr baskets etc. and the old "a ,hioned emp