THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1952.
Sentence Alf Gover's Cricket Academy
Deferred
By HENRY
BACK PLAY-CUTTING
There are two types of culting, the square cuijand the late cut. Both should LONGHURST be made off the back foot, though the square cut may sometimes be made off the
The tournament for the President's Putter seemed to indicate that our dear and, we had thought, departed golf friend, the stymie, may prove a more lively customer when dead than ever it was In its lifetime.
The Abolitionists, to whose ronks I wus converted □ foily years ago, preached the simple everd "Death to the stymile," whereupon at long last the au- thorilles, bowing, as authorities In ຫາງ່າ democratic meant
to popular do. condemned. opinion. death. Or so they thought.
to
to
The sentence rende "When the ball nearer the hole lies on the putting green it may be fifted without penalty, the option of the player or the op ponent, if either consider that might interfere with or be of arcistance to the player,"
POWERFUL VOICES
front foot.
The late cut is, in my opinion, the prettiest and neatest shot in the game. It is not seen much in first class cricket today, owing to the tendency of bowlers to bowl "In" to the leg side. For it is bad policy to cut a ball moving in to you. In fact, the first golden rule is "Don't attempt to cut in-swingers and off spinners.
tempting a late cut off a ball; googly. If you do, you are from me in a West Indies v. courting disaster. Surrey match of the Oval,
The late cut is a good shot to play at the ball of medium pace, pliched short of a length and outside the off stump. The bat, already lifted back, is kept up, The right leg goes back towards the off stump
with the foo1 pointing In the direction of third man.
When the weight of the body is over the right leg, which is now slightly bent, the left leg 13 braced on the too. The balance of the body is now taken in the direction of the shot-third man and the trunk turned with the left shoulder towards the line of the ball. The bot is then brought down across the line of night, making contact with the ball when it is in line with the slumps.
4
to get in position
As the ball pitched, he started for the late eut. But to everyone's surprise, the ball chot straight along the ground,
SQUARE CUT
The square cut is used against the shorter pitched ball that la well putalde the off stump. In this shot, made with a cross bat, you play across the line of
ball, Before the ball pitches. move the back foot across and back in order to get the hat be- Constantine, undismayed, Im-hind the line of the ball. The
down mediately went
on his left hand should be in front of right knee and hit the ball with the right when hitting the bail. the "oil hole" or bottom of the bat. It looked like a billiards shot, and it literally shoved the ball away from him for one run.
The best late cuiter in modern cricket is Len Hutton. He is particularly
good at this shot when playing leg break bowlers. The ball that pitches on a good length, outside cannot always be played with the off stump, safety off the back foot in front
Just before the moment of im- pact both arms should be almost straight. As you hit the ball, turn the right hand over the left Recalling, perhaps, a similar sentence of death in 1833, sur- and let the bat travel on to a of the wleket; so Hutton will comfortable position. Remember viving which the stymie lived
that all through the stroke the often help the ball on its way by for another 118
years,
balance of the body must be unemploying the late cut. powerful
conspire to voices
the right leg. launch an appeal.
on
J. Taylor, quoted by America's leading journal "Golf World" (Ulustrated, incidental-
OFF LEG BREAKS TOO
Leary Constantine, the great
1+
With your back foot taking the weight of the body, bring the bat down in a horizontal position, Just before the moment of im- pact, speed the swing of the bat by using the wrists.
Follow through by allowing the bot to run
out its natural momentum, using the van ingred as the axis. The body balaped towards the bent right leg, but at the moment of impact will go not over it as for the late cut.
THE LATE CUT
Bent right leg, weight on and over right leg, up on left foot, trunk turned round, head steady, right fool in direction of shot, arms almost straight, right hand just coming over left,
Now I previously stated that cut off the you may at times front foot-but only to a ball It is, of course, an advanced that is very short and very wide ahot, but once you have mastered of the off stump. Remember in the mechanics of the stroke
going forward that the longer against the medium or quick
your pace up the wicket, the bowler, it is only
a matter of closer you bring the ball to you. ly, by a pleture of Sandy Herd), West Indies all rounder, unce time before you can start making So it must-I repeat must be a bacms of "devoted a
and made a remarkable shot in at-it off the leg break bowler. very short pitched
ball' indeed foot. reverential respect for the
Don't, of course, try cutting a gloricus traditions of the game ...feeble representation of the real thing...far better to allow chaos and disruption than vital principle to be sacrifleed."
A
And David Blair, who to his elcel credit in this age of specalists arrived for the Walker Cup match carrying his fishing rods, writes to Lie paper to say that he and fellow Scottish in- terrationalists will battle to the bitter end....
COMPLEX PATTERN Four style-less days at Rye revealed
a pattern more com- plex than we Abolitionists dcreseen. Rarely, in the "in- fighting" tage or golf, namely when the balls are nearing the hole, was more than one ball to be seen. The other had been picked up. And for every time that the nearer ball was lifted at
the player's request as being in
the
way, it was lifted hair a dozen times by the opponent, as being of possible assistance.
As often as not it was well wide of the hote, or even beyond it, with no question of what in the old unenlightened days wo
MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES
WILL COMPETE
IN
THE
WINTER GAMES AT OSLO
The Winter Olympic Games of 1952 will begin in just over a week in Oslo. The official opening by King Haakon on February 15 will set the seal on five years extensive preparation.. For, since the international Olymple Committee, in 1947, chose Oslo as the scene, Norway has been getting ready for the arrival of the world's top-flight snow and ice athletes.
170,000/booklets on the Games, in English, French and Norwegian, have already been sent to travel bureaux all over the world. 40,000 posters, in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German and Norwegian, have been displayed in airports, railway stations, and ship landing stages..
that can be cut off the
front with any degree of safety. Re- member the golden rule of cut- ting-you can always get down to the ball, but once down you cannot easily come up.
The mechanics
of the stroke will be the same
for the normal square cut, except that the weight of the body will be on a slightly bent front leg. The danger in cutting from the front foot is most apparent in a ball that comes back from the off side or moves in towards you. '
and England is a great exponent Cyril Washbrook of Lancashiro of the square cut. Surrey were on what could be described as playing them at Old Trafford a really wicked pitch. Cyril had opened the batting and, owing to Obviously you will be in a the way the ball was iclcking, cramped position when the ball had not
not connected at all with arrives, and invariably play the any ball had bowled at him. I ball up in the air towards gully sent down a fast one-short and or square point
position: outside the off stump. He made Obviously one would not attempt a most beautiful square cut, spinner off the giving the ball a terrifle crack, front foot, if an off spinner is only to find himself caught by. going to pitch a ball as short as point, who made the catch more that, the pull shot can be used. in self defence than anything
to cut on off
KEEP YOUR HANDS BIGH
else.
Once you are a master of the late and square cuts you will find When making any type of cut that you can make these strokes brought down on remember the bat must be to the ball that is pitched only the ball; so Just outside the off stump; move always keep your hands above your right foot back towards the the height of the ball. ball
If the leg stump and your lett towards anticipated, and your hands are latively the same
higher than you the en side. You are then in re- high, it is still possible to bring when normally cutting, and you position as In 1938; and the bat down on the ball.
have added a further scoring stroke to your bag. One last Are you getting lots of
In addition, 4,000,000 special- Oslo his other arenas which (as the site. Previous Games ly printed pastage stamps in generally provide first-rate skat were held at Chamonix, in 1924; three values, depicting a skater, ing through the sensun. But the Lake Placid, in 1832, Garmisch
ski-jumper, and a Norwegian International Ice Hockey League, Partenkirchen, winter landscape, have been perhaps bearing in mind the twice at St Moritz, in 1928, and at St. Moriiz during the again in 1948,-(London Express Blush last Games, has now decided | Service.) that events must be played on an artificially drozen surface.
Issued.
used to call a atymle. The law All this advertising is planned is the law, and may well be an to attract 10,000 or more foreign ass, but we have to stick to its Visitors,
letter, if only for the fact that
The speed-skating, the bandy Teams are coming from over final, and some of the figure-
with
No one has yet set down In words its spirit. A ball beyond Britain, Canada, Australia, New Bislett Stadium, which,
30 countries, including Great skating will be held in the huge the hole, with a slippery, down-Zealand, Portugal, Japan, room for 28,000, is also staging hill, frosty putt, will undoubted- Argentina, and Italy-the latter the ly be "of assistance" if he hit i.subsidised by a state-run foot-ceremonies.
opening and closing
GAMESMANSHIP
Many minor problems, psy.
chological and practical, arise.
Or you cre plumb in the other man's way the real, old- fushioned stymie.
How do you
ball pool.
The all tracks are in the Even the USSR and Korea Norefjell area, scene of many may still compete,
major post-war kling events.
NEW BOB-SLEIGH RUN
Far
19
But if your hands are low, It thing. is dimeult to continue the stroke practice? I hope so,
Crosby And Hope Are Not
Music Hall Golfers
"
When the Sports Editor of one of Britain's leading nowspapers recently cabled Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in America to ask them if they would compete in the British Amateur Open Golf Championship at Prestwick commencing May 26, he atarted the biggest argument since it was first decided to abolish the stymle, į..
It happened this way. Hope and Crosby both replied that they were expect ing to file entries for The Amateur.. Another English paper, upon seeing the news, expressed immediate horror at the idea of Bob and Bing playing together in the premier Amateur golf competition. The inference was that the Champlonship would become a comic musle-hall turn.
The problem of housing the Your opponent, 18 inches from 1,200 to 1,300 competitors has the hole, elects to pick up his been solved by the erection, in
the belghing, ball. You may, in the end, Oslo's suburbs of three new completely new ran was built, i "give" it to him, or you may not,villages, which will afterwarde ich running is a new sport in You are not sure. Are you accommodate students and the Norway, and there was previous- guilty of Gamesmanship it you start of a hospital. usk him to "mark" it?
y no adequate bob-rain avail- able. Before its construction, two members of the Norwegian DANDY INCLUDED
Bob-Sleigh Committee studied a number of Swiss runs, while Evenis In this year's pro- two Swiss experts gave their mark, your ball? With a
Include coln gramme
ice-hockey, advice. for him to bounce over — or by speed and figure-skating, skiing,
Naturally such a suggestion would beat 50 per cent of Bel entrants have to be recommend scratching up
the States tain's amateurs, the turf with a bobsleighing and the
Just under a mile in length, where both Crosby and Hope are
was seized on in peg tea or by gazing fixedly at winter sport of bandy,
It falls 414 ft. The gradienį the spot till your own eyes are
never less than 1 in
recognised top-class golfers, 27.2, and Right away, Professional Jimm- crossedr
Bandy is little known outside in places is as steep as 1 in 7.2. my Demaret, one of the big- Scandinavia, where it is often Or there is mud on your ball; culled winter-football", The With these preparations be boys on the "follow the sun" all- You pick it up. Is there still rules are similar to those of hind them Norwegians are ready year-round American tourna to be the same mud on it, facing soccer. Fast, and spectacular, for a first-class sporting treatment circuit, retorted with calls- the same way, when you replace there are eleven-a-side; players | An unexpected spell of mild the comments in defence of the 1? Human nature has 11s 1m-use a "bat", shaped ko 24 weather a short while ago raised famous couple. tations r
hockey stick, to drive a heavy doubts whether there would be enough snow for the akling. But then the snow fell, and now the slopes are covered with a thick white blanket.
ball..
Nordle
Oh Dear, Oh dear! Is this the "unplayable. ball" all aver The ico hockey matcher will again? Devoutly hoping not, I be played at Jordal,Amfi, Oslo's raise the cry, "The stymie is first artificial rink, which, seat- dead. Long live the stymieing 10,000 spectators, was com provided you lay it yourself!" pleted last December,
POP
ed by their own Associations,
Crosby and Hope have both He added, so it is said, "They been recommended by America are certainly good enough to in the past, so technically, there make the Brlish Walker · Cup |em be no objection, to thefr Team, and they would even win entry on this occasion. But Bri-
a few matches which would be tish golf fans and themselves a novelty for the British team", [divided.. ̧
SUMMED UP
There are a number, although (I believe' them to be in the Crosby and Hope had done a
minarity, who feel that Bing, and great deal of good for goit,
Bob together would turn the And there you have the whole Amateur into a music-hall, act. asserted Demaret, Crosby, even position summed up, has his own tournament named qualification
The And at all costs they would for The avold this even; if it meant after him. And Jimmy_went Amateur
á British refusing their entries. But this time that on to say that If Hope'or Crosby entrant must have a handicap of is a very narrow-minded view. Norway's capital has been chosen could practise a little more they not more than two, Overseas
This is the first
WHY DID YOU CROSS
ÖVER ON THE Rob Lisser
BIR?
Not so green
DID I?..
·HY PONY. MUST. DE COLOUR
·BLIND
rule
says that
Your Eyes
In a state of eye atrain“ there is zo saber her mor ere remedy than correctly fitted glassen. We have!
· had 40 years dxperienos in |Hongkong,, hosting syesight. c
I am sure that, the majority would agree with me when I'ray Bing Crosby and Bob Hops should to welcomed if they are able to compete this summer.
Crosby, two years ago at Si Andrews, showed he is a player of high calibra and even if Bob Hope did come unstuck at Royal Fortcowl Jast May, every golfer has his bad days..
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NOTICE
THE HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB
The Club's property at Happy Valley is being lent to the Hong Kong Kennel Club for a Dog Show on Sunday Saturday 9th and 10th February, 1962. The premises will close to Mem-" bers at 12 Noon on Saturday and 10.0.m, on Sunday. The Badminton Courts will be closed all day - Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th February.
A
During the Show the Private Boxes, ' Coffee' Room: Bar, Ladles'. Lounge and the
will. upper verandahi
be open and reserved for the use of Members of the Jockey. Club who attend the Show (admission $8.60 adulta and $1.00 for Service personnel in uniform and childron” under 16 payable at the Publle gate).....
Membors of the Jockey Club, attending the Show and who wish to make use of the Club Rooms and upper. Undoubtedly the entry of verandah must wear their these two are sportsmen would Member's Badge, otherwise be a fillip to British golf In-
terest
would
be stimulated they will not be admitted among thousands of the non- thereto, playing fraternity
and atten
CHINESE OPTICAL CO needs all the spare, cath it east
167, QUEEN'S ROAD, CORETRAL HONG KONG
dence figuies would, soor. At n time when British amateur golf
obtain thisla sirely rib‡ Van opportunity to throw away light-
(London, Express Servicë)
Hong
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