AUSTRALIA'S ELEVEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

AUSTRALIA'S ELEVEN.

The Team For England—A Search For Bowlers — Macartney Reviews the Talent — Thinks Grimmett Must be a Certainty—Chances of the Medium-pacers—Wall Still the Best Fast Bowler.

The Australian cricket season has' barely started, but already country tours have been made by city teams, and officials generally are agog to spot likely talent, especially such bowlers ac are likely to develop quickly into Test match class. To date there has been no sensational find, and the following review by C. G. Macartney, given in a recent Sydney "Sportsman," indicates that the selection of the Australian Eleven will be governed by the development in club and inter-State matches of the younger bowlers who had trials against the English team last season.

There is much more in choosing the side for England than, meets the eye; and the conditions which exist in England are so different that some unsuccessful bowlers 011 Australian wickets could possibly be very effective on the other side. Alec Hurwood. This is one of the problems facing the selectors, and shows the absolute necessity for one or more members of that committee to be familiar with the weather and wickets to be expected. Will Australia produce anything big in the bowling line during the present season, is. the ruling question ? If one is discovered, will the selectors have the courage to risk speculating with him overseas? Of course, they will have in mind the disappointing performance of Alec Hurwood, from whom big things were expected in 1930, which unfortunately, were not fulfilled. I consider Hurwood a good bowler, and why he was not more successful under English conditions I cannot understand. He seemed, in Australia, to possess all the qualities necessary for that success, but they did not develop. Personally, I think Ronny Oxcnham would be a successful bowler on English wickets, but the powers that be may consider him too old. It must be realised that a player such as Oxenham would not be able to give much more to cricket after he returned from an English tour, and preference will naturally be given to a younger man, but can we find one? Up in Clouds. Lisle Nagel was dropped too suddenly last season, long before he had found his feet in the international atmosphere. I When he was clean bowled by Lar- ; wood in the first Test, he had no idea whether he was at Sydney Cricket Ground or in the clouds. There is an immense difference between an inter-state or Australian XI. match, and a Test match, and it takes some little time for new players to become accustomed to the change of air and surroundings. I have gijeat admiration for Nagel as a cricketer, and think he is a far better batsman than he showed in that Test. In the second innings of the first Test, he made strokes that could be envied by far more reputable batsmen. As a bowler of the natural off-break type, I think he would be very valuable ii» England where the opportunity for flighting the ball is greater than in this country. It would be a great thing for Australia if Nagel came up to the scratch during this season. Another bowler of the type, but much slower than Nagel, is Percy K. Lee, of South Australia, but with a maintenance of good length, his off-spinners would be deadly on a turnable wicket against batsmen who would not use their feet. Fleetwood-Smith is another candidate, but one who will have to be snappy to get there. The youthful Victorian has bags of ability if he could only keep his deliveries under control. I think he would be well advised to persevere with the left-hander's natural ball, and thus make himself a length bowler on a left-hander's wicket. He could then speculate with his googlies when hard and fast wickets are met with. Experience has proven that all googly bowlers fall into inconsistent length

and direction at times, and are easy money for quick-footed batsmen when t!:o;;o times arrive. 1 can well remember when .it was a case of "spit on your hands and take the long handle" when the leg-break or googly bowler came 011 to bowl. But many batsmen' to-day prefer to stay at homo to the slow bowlers, and pay the penalty in consequcnce. Fleet-wood-Smith has a good chance if he shows any improvement this summer. His slij) fielding would be a valuable asset to any side. The field of fast bowlers is small, and it looks like another easy win for Tim Wall, the courageous South Australian speed merchant. There is, however, Harry Alexander, from Victoria, but I don't think he will get a verdict over Wall. Ho has not eliminated that bad habit of running 011 -the wicket, and such an offence 011 English wickets would be very detrimental to our side. I have been asked whether I think there is any possibility of Clarrie Grimmett making the trip to England next year. Personally I rather fancy Clarric's chances, and feel convinced that in the inter-State games during the season he will make his presence felt. Clarrie is not of the type whose bowling suffers through over-work, and although he is well on in years he has plenty of first-class cricket in him. Grimmett was not a suc.cess against the Englishmen last summer, but he is by 110 means done. Surely we have not already forgotten his excellent performances against the enemy in 1030, when ho was largely instrumental in bringing the "Ashes" back to Australia. Every cricketer, whether a batsman or a bowler, will strike an unlucky patch sooner or later, but it does not necessarily follow tliat his career is consequently finished. It must not be accepted that Bill O'Reilly is Grimmctt's successor. I would class O'Reilly as a medium-pace bowler. Grimmett is 111 the slow class. They are so different in stylo and pace that they would be an excellent combination, and it is rarely that two slow bowlers arc used at the same time. At tlio moment I cannot see a bowlei filling Grimmctt's shoes adequately, and unless this can be done or a youngster found of sufficient promise to be in the same class after an English tour, then Grimmett must occupy the position he so ably filled in 1930. "Dainty." Another big problem that faces the selection committee is that of Bert Ironmonger. Tho Victorian veteran has been appearing in Test matches for years now, as Australia's leading left-hand bowler, yet ho has never been included in a side to' visit England. That he would be successful on English wickets is undoubted, but in consideration of his years, and the very little time he would give to the game after he returned from a trip abroad, tho selectors will choose a younger man. But tho tragedy about Bert Ironmonger is his woeful battirig and fielding. . Ironmonger should be a great lesson to all young players, particularly bowlers, to endeavour to make themselves all-rounders, or first-class in at least two departments of the game. It has always been a conundrum to me why many bowlers will not try to

apply themselves to batting, and why they will suffer being carted all over a cricket. field . for . hours in an afternoon, and not endeavour to collect a few debts with tlie bat. It is inconceivable how certain players can be- satisfied- to appear last on the batting list, walk in to the wicket, and immediately walk right out again, with a bowling analysis beforehand of, say, 1 for 90! But they seem quite happy about it. There is absolutely no excuse for bad fielding. Jt is a department of the game in which every, cricketer aspiring to firstclass honours should be expert. That Australian teams have suffered Ironmonger for so long is a wonderful tribute to his bowling. Olcliie'd should be elected unopposed for the position as wicketkeeper, and the race will be between those fighting for the second position. Charlie Walker, I expect, will be in the picture again, but those in the south are very strong for Barnett, the Victorian. However, the matches tc come will tell their tale for the 'keepers, and it may rest between the best batsmen of the candidates. Charlie Walker kept splendidly in the early stages of last tour, and at one time it was thought that he might depose Bert Oldtte'd in the Tests. However, the world's champion showed what a wide difference there was between first and second 'keeper when lie got on the job, so that any suggestion of substitution faded into thin air.