SHOCK TACTICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 290, 7 December 1932, Page 6

SHOCK TACTICS.

At the time of writing, only a miracle such as never happened before in test cricket can deprive the English side of victory in the first test match. The most remarkable feature of the match has been the success of the fast bowlers. The selectors of the touring , side chose three of this class, whereas no previous side had taken more than two and a fastmedium bowler. England took the field for the first test with three out of these four. In 1921, a season of fast wickets, Gregory and Macdonald swept through England like a fire, and it was noticed then that the older generation of batsmen, the players trained before the war, were more at home to fast bowling than were the younger men. The dearth of good fast bowlers in recent years has also been commented on. In the old days there were nearly always several in England at one time, but of late Larwood has stood alone. It certainly looks as if Australian players do not relish Larwood's great paee and the fastish in-swinging deliveries of Voee, who is evidently like F. K, Foster, the famous partner of the still more famous S. F. Barnes. It was also complained of Foster, a left-hander like Voce, that he bowled at the batsman's body. The match was noteworthy, too, for the recovery of Australia in the first innings, the refusal of England to go for the bowling when the Australian total had been passed, and the slow scoring generally. The expectation that this series of tests will be fought out dourly is being fulfilled. It is a sign of the times that in English comment there was mentioned a hope that England, having made so good a start, would score a thousand runs. Test cricket threatens to become like a monstrously large prize pumpkin. There are still four matches to go; Bradman may return to the team and to form; and it may be recalled that more than /nee England has won the first match in Australia and lost the rubber.