Bapwrsros Lreeany: Cricker. A New Edition, by P. F, Warner and others. With 52 illustrations. Long: mans & Ca, 15s. net. 7
The last edition of the Badmiaton "Cricket"? was published om 1904, since when the opposed arts of batting and bowling have undergone a process of evolution which, in the sum of its effects, almost amounts to a revolution. Use has been made of a certain amount of the matter in the old edition, but the all-important chapters' batting, fielding, and the art of training young cricketers have been entirely re-written, while recent developments (such as the "swerve" and the "google") in bowling have been described, and new chapters have been added on the South Africans and on "Playing the Game," which is a brief but delightful essay by Mr. John Shuter on the complete cricketer's code of sportsmanship. And the historical side of the book has, of course, been brought up to date, the great matches of 1919 being included in the critical survey. The illustrations. for the most part from Mr. G. W. Beldam's admire able action photographs, are a new thing—an addition' to the attractions of the volume, for which the dead-and-gone worthies of "the great, glorious, and unsurpassable game of cricket" (Mr. F. Warner's words in his modest preface) would have nothing but praise, however severely they might be disposed to criticize the methods of their ultra-modern Successors.
Bartisa ayp Bowttxc.
Here and there lingers a laudator tompons acti, not always too old and stiff to attend the court of King Willow:
Every day when the sun shines bright The doors of his palace are painted white, And all the company bow their backs To the King with his collar of cobbler's wax. who is unwilling to accept the modern doctrine of batsmanship. But even he will read Mr. D. J. Knight's dissertation on batting as "q fine art" with equanimity, see. ing that the admirable partner of the incomparable Hobbs (we have a picture of the twain going out to begin Surrey's innings) treats all the old masters with reverence as the founders of correct style Nothing could be better, in our opinion, than his analysis—illustrated by descriptions of the strokes executed by modern masters. using all the resources of footwork—of the many-si art of batting as it is practised to-day by the classic experts. He comes, not to destroy the old principles of a sound and severe style. but to show us how such pioneers as "Ranji" have taught us new and profitable applications, by practice as well as precept, and convinced us of the disadvantages of old-fashioned pedantry. Mr. Knight starts with the hypothesis, which nobody can challenge, that the first duty of the batsman is to score nuns for his side. as gracefully as may be, but without any regard whatsoever to the "gallery" and its cheap applause. In the old days the Public School coach was too often a purist—that is to say. he crushed out individuality in his pupils by insisting that the way la which a stroke was made was the alpha and omega of batting. Would R. A. H. Mitchell, for example. have tolerated a. budding Jessop or an embryo Ranjitsinghi? No, a thousand times No!
"Bowling" is written by Mr. R. Wilson, an admirable bowler, distinguished for his unerring accuracy and keen insight into a batsman's weaknesses, He explains how and why the technique of bowling has been progressively improved in the last 20 years, naming the author of each innovation. He coucludes his dissertation with a list of eight points for a young master, which every games master should learn by heart. The first of them emphasizes the value of "little cricket" played with a fives. bali, say, and other improvised impiements. Seeing that Mr. B. J.
Bosanquet's discovery of the "google" (first called the '"Hosie ball" in Australia) originated in such devices for time-slaughter, this hint is well worth attention.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.