1939-07-03 — Page 20

HOME CRICKET

THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 3, 1939.

Adventurous Spirit Abroad

6's.

London. With the process of been described as sporting, Several, watches cricket has been treated to of these have justifled that descrip- so much adventurous play or so many tion, because the counties, doing the declaration business in such a way as to leave the opposition a chance, have seen

events in the first month of this new Acason in the big cricket sense → there are reasons for satisfaction. Apart from a period when rain and cold made progress difficult, there has been a lot of very real cricket. with much to interest followers of the sport. Even enough, in fact, to bring them back to the game in increasing numbers.

Most intriguing of all has been the evidence of an adventurous spirit abroad.

This has been plainly, shown in the number of declarations which have

their challenges successfully accepted. We have had cases of counties rattling up the runs at the rate of 100 an hour being concerned in death or glory fights, which have happily ended in glory. So long as this spirit of adventure is maintained, big cricket is sure to flourish.

For my part, writes Leslie Ames, I do not recall the first month of any season in which the public which

HITTING SIXES

There is no denying the fact that the watchers love those occasions when the ball is hit "out of sight." The bowler doesn't really object to i either, because he feels rightly or is wrongly-that the batsman who hitting the cover off the ball is more likely to got out than the one who is steadfastly defending his wicket und waiting for the runs to come.

•

This idea that the hitting of 6's is worth while should, in my view, be

encouraged from the all-round stand- point, That being so, one wonders why, after so many years of cricket, we should be so far removed from a standard boundary. Between hitting a 6 on one ground and on another there is a vast difference. Indeed, it are cricket can be said that there grounds in England where the "carry" is so long that the batsmen are more, or less scared of even attempting to hit a "sixer."

On the other hand,. there are grounds where a 6 is comparatively easy. So far as batsmen who are expected to get runs are concerned. (Continued on Page 21)

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