Fast Bail balls—Wisden’s.
Medium pace—Lillywhite’s.
Slow Shooters—Clarke’s.
Medium pace Shooters—Lillywhite’s.
Fast Shooters—Wisden’s.
In speaking of Clarke’s bowling, men commonly imply that the slowness is its only difficulty. Now a ball cannot be more difficult for hand or eye because it moves slowly. No; the slower the easier; but the difficulty arises from the following qualities, wholly distinct from the pace, though certainly it is the slowness that renders those qualities possible:—
1st. Clarke’s lengths are more accurate.
2dly. He can vary his pace unobserved, without varying his action or delivery.
3dly. More of his balls would hit the wicket.
4thly. A slow ball must be played: it will not play itself.