Bowlers first duty - study the batsman - Ray Illingworth

By A.C. De Silva

There is nothing better for bowlers to be captained by a man who has trained his mind so that he can instantly summon information about a particular player. Obviously it takes time to build up a mental file on opponents. But if you have any idea of leadership, remember you are never too young to learn. You are never too young to learn about the batsman's grip.

The way a batsman holds the bat gives a clue about his favourite shots. Those whose right-hand is underneath the back of the handle are far more likely to be square cutters and on-side players than those who favour the orthodox grip, which encourages freer shots through the covers.

Ray Illingworth says that one of his first acts when captaining any side was to remind his bowlers that they have an equal duty to remember anything they learn about a batsman.

Greig's weakness

In the early days with Sussex, Tony Greig had somewhat of a damaging love of hitting the ball on the up early in his innings. Ray Illingworth advised Richard Hutton, the former Yorkshire and England Allrounder then, to bowl just short of a length three or four inches outside the off-stump, calculating that Greig would edge an intended drive to slip. The instructions were followed perfectly, and within two overs Greig showing suicidal lack of restraint, had nicked one to slip. In the same match, Illingworth said that he had Greig caught slashing at a bouncer.

Getting a batsman boiled down to exploiting either a physical or psychological failing. On the technical side, therefore, the captain has to recognise the limitations of his opponent, and decide whether to attack any strengths he has. An accomplished on-side player can be countered by bowling wide of the off-stump, but it is sometimes worth feeding the favourite shots and rearranging one's field in the hope of a catch.

England's batsman Derek Randall typifies the batsman who lives on his nerves at the start of an innings. His tension comes out in his inability to stand still and the apparent nonsense he says to himself while at the crease. Randall rarely made runs against Leicestershire when Illingworth captained Leicester because Illingworth crowded four men around the bat.

Then in county cricket, a bowler could keep Boycott not attempting to hit him over the top early in his stay at the crease. The way to frustrate Boycott is to deploy the field to stop the singles that are his main way of scoring before fully settled in.

Viv Richards - the West Indian maestro has shown his class in Test cricket like Boycott, is not perfect. He is vulnerable to the ball leaving him in the off stump area. Fred Trueman - the England pacie, bowling off his three-quarter run, would have caused him a lot of problems with his ability to move the ball through the air.

The most illustrious player that Ray Illingworth has come across was Garfield Sobers. He had the natural flamboyance of a West Indian but allied that to the type of bulldog grit and determination which has seen countless Englishmen through crisis.

Flirting with danger

Unlike most of his compatriots, Sobers could retain a dignified assurance when batting on a turning wicket. Yet in 1969, after Illingworth's first series as England captain, Sobers was being written off as a fading force. But Sobers was the master batsman and he avoided bad spells. Sobers had the natural flamboyance of a West Indian, but allied that to the type of bulldog grit and determination which has seen Sobers come through bad spell in double quick time.

Getting on to the Australians, the story that holds out are two dropped catches off Ian Chappell which changed his career. It was the England vs Australia series of 1970-71 where Ian Chappell had a miserable start to the Asian series.

Englishmen capitalised on Chappell's hook

The Englishmen were more than happy to feed Chappell's penchant for the hook shot and devised a scheme to take full advantage of the slashing shot he favoured. The Englishmen moved Basil D'Oliveira at third man, almost behind slip some 15 yards in from the boundary. He was placed so perfectly that several times he did not have to move when the Australian recklessly slashed at the short ball.

Having being caught out lashing and hooking, Chappell - and several of his teammates - had plenty to think about. Faced with John Snow bowling chest high from just short of a length, Chappell began to get too square-on, with the result that the ball would take the outside edge and go towards third slip.

In the fifth Test at Melbourne, Snow bowled well to find the edge - but was led down by some uncharacteristic fielding by Colin Cowdrey who dropped Chappell on 0 and 14, two of five slip chances he squandered in the match. Chappell capitalised on the let off to score 111 and rescue his reputation.

The puzzle

One of the most amusing, yet at the same time frusting products of the mental pressure in cricket are the 'rabbits' every bowler has. The effect on some batsman can be so drastic they are considering their dressing-room excuse the moment their tormentor comes to bowl. One of the external puzzles of first class cricket was the hold that West Indian Sonny Ramadhin had on Ray Illingworth.

Ramadhin got Illingworth out in ways that he did not expect. For instance, Ramadhin dismissed Illingworth in successive Test matches when Illingworth padded up at harmless deliveries going down the leg-side. To Illingworth's horrow, the bat hit the top of his pad and was deflected on to the off-stump. Illingworth was surprised to be out that way.