Schoolboys told how to bat by cricketer Len Hutton, late 1940's. Film 30228

Len Hutton. This is an educational film for school children on how to bat when playing cricket. Late 1940's. Hutton taking his stance at the crease during a first class game. Switch to the school boys spectating, one using binoculars. From behind his arm the bowler delivers and his ball is met by a straight forward defensive shot by Hutton. Moving on to a large school playground, where H.P. Crabtree, in cricket ensemble, demonstrates the stance to his pupils, who all have bats. They are all shown in the correct stance, proper grip, and back-lift. A much closer camera angle portrays Crabtree's demonstration. From in front, behind, and overhead to accentuate the grip. The boys copy their teacher's movements. The grip demonstration is repeated and so is the boy's display. Back to the cricket match where Hutton is shown playing a forward defensive stroke to a straight ball. Cut to the scoreboard that shows Hutton has made 31 runs. Hutton repeats the shot to the next ball. Long shot of cricket square from the stand. Hutton's batting partner is shown using the same stroke, and this is repeated for the next delivery. Back to the playgrund where the school boys practise the forward defensive shot. This action is shown from a high overhead angle, then close-up on the ground. One boy fails to use any backlift and Crabtree rectifies the boy's error. Crabtree is shown again demonstrating the shot. This time the boys are given a hard rubber ball to use and in pairs put the demonstration into practise. Crabtree is shown delievering the ball underarm to one of his pupils. Another close-up shot of a boy demonstrating the stroke. Shot of Crabtree in the background monotoring his boys using bat and ball. Crabtree demonstrates the foot movement for offside and legside delieveries. The boys are now in groups of three. One bowls underarm, one play the stroke on the offside, and one fields the ball. Crabtree is then shown instructing the fielders to switch over to the legside for those delieveries. Back at the match the crowd is shown and then Hutton at the crease. He is shown leaving his crease to attack the bowling and the scoreboard shows his total moving up to 56. A shot off the backfoot is applauded by the seated school children. Another delievery is met with an aggressive stroke by Hutton. Returning to the playground, Crabtree demonstrates the forward attacking the shot. The shot is similar to the previous one, other than the bat follows through with the elbow pointing in the direction the ball has taken. The boys are then shown practising the stroke. Next they use a ball and hit the deliverey back to the bowler, Hutton is shown again hitting an onside boundary and the scoreboard shows his score increasing to 72. Long shot of ground from pavilion and then Hutton is shown being dismissed. The actual catch is not shown, but an Essex player on a pitch recreated the catch. The crowd applaud as Hutton returns to the pavilion, his score being shown as 73. More spectators applauding, shot of pavilion and marquees, then Hutton crossing over with the incoming batsman. The film ends and is followed by the next in the series. '2. BACKPLAY.'
On school grounds a match is about to commence. The two schhol boys intending to bat wear gloves and pads. At the wicket one of the young boy's takes guard in preparation for the opening delievery. With the wicket keeper in position behind the stumps and a teacher at the bowler's end umpiring, the bowler's first ball breaks the batsman's wicket. The batsman forelornly trudges off the square. Switch to outdoor nets where Hutton demonstrated a backward defensive shot. The camera focuses on Hutton's leg and hand movements. Hutton wears an England sweater. Back to the playground where the boys demonstrate the shot. Close-up of some of them displaying this movement. Crabtree intercedes to adjust a boy's elbow that is at the wrong angle. Close-up of boy using this action. Return to the nets where Hutton demonstrates using the stroke to an offball delivery. This time the right foot goes back and across towards the off stump, despite playing exactly the same stroke. For a leg ball Hutton's right foot does not go so far across. His elbow movement is shown from a side-on angle. The boys demonstrate the stroke in the playground to the off ball, then the leg ball. Hutton is then shown driving off his back foot in the nets. The action returns to the school cricket match where the initial batsman this time plays a perfect backward defensive shot to his delivery.