shorter but not narrower. Some cricketers prefer thick handles and others like thin ones; this point must be determined by the size and length of the hand. Naturally a man with a large hand, especially if the fingers are long, will need a thicker handle than a cricketer who has a small hand and short fingers. The shape and size of the handle is a matter of opinion and suitability. I myself use a thick handle which is not too round, but must advise a cricketer to use whichever suits him best. Occasionally one comes across a man the handle of whose bat is two or three inches longer than usual, but I do not think he gains anything by it, unless he is very tall, and makes up his mind for sensational hitting; for it is certain that a tall man with a long-handled bat, if he times the ball properly, will hit it further than he could with a short-handled one, as 'the longer the lever the greater the power.' Most cricketers try to keep up their wickets as long as they can, knowing it is only a matter of time until runs come. If you try and play a series of maiden overs with a bat with a handle longer than you are accustomed to, you will find how difficult it is, and recognise the impossibility of playing as well as you could with one of ordinary length.
Some cricketers cover the handle with chamois leather, or india-rubber cases made for that purpose. I can say very little about such devices, as I have not tried them sufficiently to give a decided opinion, favourably or otherwise. I am sure if the leather or rubber case is at all loose, as I have seen it on some bats, you will not get a firm grip of the handle; what is more, it will turn in your hand, and a dangerous hit in the air may be the result. Years ago there were only a few bat-makers, now the times are altered and their name is legion. Many of them are trying to invent some new handle or blade that will make the bats drive more than they do already. What will the poor bowlers do then? I find the present bat drives quite enough, and have sometimes thought it drove too much; but then I was bowling, not batting. I have tried many of these new inventions, and have no doubt some of them will answer
