would be an impossibility for him to strike this ball, for it must be remembered that it is advancing obliquely towards point, and that it will have moved a considerable distance in that direction by the time it arrives opposite the batsman. But it is his business to move towards the ball, so that he can at least try to hit it. Mahomet must go to the mountain, for it is quite evident that the mountain is rapidly moving away from Mahomet. Having elevated his bat as in No. 11, the batsman takes a long stride with his right foot along the line of the popping crease, then suddenly and forcibly bringing down his bat carried at an angle of 70°, he "cuts" the ball towards point.
The late or back cut is beautiful as well as the safest and most graceful hit in the repertoire of the batsman. But he must posess experience of no mean order to guide the bat to strike the ball, which is moving by him at a double acute angle and usually at a rapid rate; for instead of facing the ball and meeting it with his bat as in the forward and square off cut, he turns his person two-thirds around towards the wicket keeper using his left foot for a pivot. Then he takes a long stride with his right towards short slip, which moves him in the direction of the motion of the bail. While these movements are in progress the batter has elevated his weapon with which he strikes the ball a blow, oblique with its course after it has passed the line of the wicket in the direction of the slips. If the bat is held at an angle of about 50° when it strikes, the ball will rebound from the turf and elude the nimble fielder. The force of the late cut is tremendous, as it combines the power of the shoulder hit with the speed of the ball. The cut is such an effective play that the snick has largely encroached upon it. We do
