THE CRICKET FIELD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 44, 1 December 1938, Page 3

THE CRICKET FIELD

HAMMOND’S TEAM SAILS

FIVE AFRICAN TESTS. (By “Torpedo.”) The English cricketers, who are to spend the winter in the sunshine of South Africa, sailed with the reminder that they are expected to atone for the defeat which was experienced three years ago when the Springboks were last in England. In the meantime there has been abundant evidence that English cricket has revived, and the team who are to play under the captaincy of Walter Hammond will, 1 think, prove successful. It is in their favour that for the first time the five Tests, two of which are to be played at Johannesburg, two in Durban and one in Cape Town, are to be given four days with the fifth played to a finish, jf after the fourth the difference in matches won is not greater than one. These are the conditions under which the rubber with the Australians during the past summer was decided. The South African authorities are pleased by this extension of time. They greatly regret, however, that the M.C.C. have not agreed to the Test pitches being covered. Three times they pleaded for this arrangement to be carried out, pointing out that heavy rain on one day might otherwise cause the abandonment of play, but the authorities at Lords would not break what they regard as a fundamental principle of the game. There are to be two Tests in December and one in each of the three following months. This means that the players will not be back until April. The team is nearly the best that could be chosen. Denys Compton would have been included if he had not preferred to remain at home and play football for the Arsenal, and I do not think Maurice Leyland would have been left out if the tour had been in Australia. His omission is only due to the desire to give a younger player the experience of Test match cricket abroad. With Hammond there are six amateurs, including H. T. Barnett, the Gilbert Jessop of modern cricket, the two Cambridge University players, N. W. D. Yardley and P. A. Gibb, Kenneth Fnrnes, the fast bowler, and B. H. Valentine, the Kent batsman. Iho Australians pointed to Yardley as one of the best of the young players, and they were astonished that he did not appeal against them in the Tests. Gibbs was, of course, chosen as the wicketkeeper, but had to stand down owing to an injury, a lid he will be a reliable deputy for Ames. In addition he is a useful batsman.

Of the professionals Hutton, lid rich, and Paynter, in addition to Ames, should make the eleven formidable in inn getting. There is also a good array of bowlers, and there are great expectations of Wright and Wilkinson. The latter, in his first season for Lancashire, showed the highest promise, and it is hoped that he will develop into the spin bowler England badly requires. Bowlers are always allowed to make the most of their spin in South Africa, and I think both Wright, provided he does not attempt to send the ball down too fast to control his flight and Wilkinson will get a. lot of wickets. Other bowlers are Verity, Porks and Goddard.