LEYLAND AND McCORMICK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 289, 5 December 1936, Page 12

LEYLAND AND McCORMICK.

Key Men in Opening Contest. Maurice Leyland, who was born on July 20, 1900, is one of eight Englishmen to make a century on a first Test appearance against Australia. He scored 137 and 53 not out, when the fifth game, at Melbourne in March 1929, resulted in Australia's only victory in the series against A. P. F. Chapman's side. Despite this fine start Leyland was selected in only three of the 1930 international games against the Australians in the Old Country, his five inninga (once unbeaten) producing but 103 runs at an, average of 25.75. Four summers ago when in Australia with D. R. Jardine's team, Leyland's figures for the five Tests were: Nine innings, 306 runs, highest score 86 (at Brisbane), average 34.

Against the 1934 Australians Leyland was the outstanding English batsman, averaging 68.28 for hit eight innings and registering three-figure'scores at Lord's, Old Trafford and the Oval. In his 15 Test matches against Australia, Leyland has amassed 1203 runs, averaging 54.68 for his 25 innings (thrice not out). The highest of his five centuries was 153 at Manchester in July, 1934. E. L. McCormick was Australia's fast bowler in all five Tests against South Africa last summer, his figures reading: 124 overs, 24 maidens, 418 runs, 15 wickets. The Victorian developed speed daily as the tour progressed. By swinging the ball both ways and varying his pace he made his tactics difficult to diagnose, and in the important fourth Test at Johannesburg he curbed the vigour of tlie African giantkiller, Dave Nourse, jun., who had played his country's record innings of 231 in the second Test, also at Johannesburg. M. W.Sievers (medium-paced), the surprise selection for Brisbane, did not get a game in any of the Tests in Africa. He took seven wickets for 299 in other matches, and provided a straight forward attack which seldom' caused embarrassment to his opponents. McCormick's feat in taking a wicket with the first ball of a Test, recalls the performance of Maurice Tate at Leeds in 1920. Although Warren Bardsley, captain in the absence through illness of H. L. Collins, lost the toss, A. W. Carr sent the Australians in, and the great left-hander was caught at slip by H. Sutcliffe off Tate's first ball. Then off the fifth ball of the over Carr himself dropped C. G. Macartney, who went on to equal Victor Trumper's feat of registering a century before lunch. Although the game was drawn Carr was blamed for his decision and never played for England again. C. V. Grimmett played his first Test on English soil in this game.