instance, if a Bowler has been forcing a man on his wicket, till he won't submit to it any longer, he may by tossing the ball a little higher and a little shorter so deceive the Batsman that he will play out, though he has been playing balls back that have been pitched a yard farther, and will very likely lose his wicket by this mistake: at the same time he must be careful to deliver with the same action, or he will be detected by the Batsman, who will be put on his guard.
The greatest proof that it is not speed alone that tells, but the length according to a man's play, with as much deception as possible, is that you will see a good slow Bowler do as much or more execution on a fine even damp or dead ground, than Bowlers of greater speed that have not equal precision. Why is this, but because many Bowlers never study the state of the ground, but deliver at the same speed and at the same place, as near as they can, on a dry as on a wet ground? On a dry and hard ground five yards would be a good length and difficult to play, but on soft and spongy ground such a ball would be hit away. Therefore it is necessary in such a case to put a little more speed on as well as pitch the ball a little further. This proves my argument that a man should not always bowl with all his strength, but have a little left for particular occasions.
I said it was not speed alone that tells, but I don't wish it to be supposed that I recommend very slow bowling without alteration; a ball must have some pace, or a man will walk into it and do as he likes, if he has got legs, though of late years those articles have not been so much exercised as of old, while padding has been substituted for their use.
Nothing tests the truth of Bowling so much as a good level ground, it will find out the bad balls soon enough, and will enable the batsman to hit them, and perhaps leave so few good ones that the Bowler will be obliged to retire, while on rough ground the same bad balls might have escaped and perhaps even proved effective. Suppose you have what I call a skimming Bowler, for
