is absolutely necessary to use his foot in order to save runs. This
method, useful and indispensable though it may be at times, is, one is
sorry to say, becoming a little too general. Whenever possible the hand
should always be used, and only as a desperate last chance should the
foot be resorted to.
On the perfect grounds that now abound, in nine cases out of ten the
chance of overtaking a ball that has been only moderately hit is very
small, but it is worth while to pursue, even with the odds so great
against one. And one should bear in mind that the quicker one starts in
that pursuit, the more likely is that boundary to be saved, especially
as to gauge the decrease in the pace of the ball is a most difficult
matter. Grounds too must be taken into consideration, for it does
not follow that a boundary which one might save at Birmingham would
be saved at Brighton. When you are attempting to save a boundary by
_pursuing_ the ball, never try to seize the ball too soon, for you are
only more likely to miss it altogether, and your chase to be rendered
futile. Even should you succeed in grasping the ball, your effort of
stooping down and diving forward so upsets your balance that to turn
round and return the ball without unnecessary loss of time is extremely
difficult. The method that should be adopted, and one that is more
likely to meet with success, is for the fieldsman to overtake the ball,
and when a little in front, or even level with it, to stretch the hand
out and allow it to roll into the hand.
No matter how accurate one may be in returning a ball, accuracy is
of little avail unless it be tempered with speed, for even though
occasionally a man may be given out when the wicket has been hit and
he has regained his ground, yet the fieldsman will find that it is the
exception and not the rule. Without speed of return the fieldsman, be
he ever so certain a catch or brilliant a ground field, will never
reach a high point of excellence; he will be useful, but not great.
Even this useful field is not so frequent as he should be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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