THE AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17248, 12 September 1921, Page 8

THE AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN.

Armstrong makes a moat considerable spectacle (wrote "Cricketer" in tho "Manchester Guardian" on the eve of the fourth test match): a raster bulk than his has not been witnessed on the cricket field since W. G. Graoe. Armstrong—how well the name befits his composition 1 There ia none of Noble's dry intellectuality in him: ho walks by instinct ratnei tliam by reason. He is elemental, of the soil, the eun, and the wind—no proauct of the academies. Nature has by herßelf fashioned hint—ho has just grown on the cricket field—like the grata, boineone has oatlea him a cricketing h'aistaff. The simile will not do, 'J.here ia no kind of alacrity about Armstrong, no apprehensivenesß, nothing "forgetive." Nor ia quick wit a part of him. His composition is of humours, shrewd instincts, and most likeable flesh. In one point, maybe, is he like tfalstaff; he will drive you by his large geniality out oi your revenge and turn all (P B merriment. Australia has never sent us a captain that came closer to .English companionship. He can be dour enough _at_ the right moment. Australian cricket is incarnate in him when he walks from tho pavilion hat ia hand.;, Consider the man's huge bulk as, crouching a little, he faces the bowler. He is all vigilance, suspicion, and determination. The bat in his hand is a hammer in toe grip of a Vulcan. There is majesty in his batsmanship. His method is thoroughly characteristic of the Australian game, shrewdly fusing offensive and defensive tactios. He will play patience all day if needs be, and then unloose Jessop's own battery at the first hint of a weak attack. There is nothing heretical in his style of batsmanship—he just serves you out the orthodox in hard apostolic knocks. And though he now "hath some smack of age, some relish of the saltness of time," there is at least one more test match century in him. It will be quite like him if he decides to uproot it from his interior today—he is fond of Old Trafford and the bluff humanity of the North. And we may be sure that a century by Armstrong would be worth watching. He does not give us the poetry of batsmanship, as Trumper did. "Yet that is perhaps not quite true. There ip certainly nothing of mere prose about Armstrong. If he does not get his runs with the rhymed gracefulness of Trumper, be at least gives us the blank verse of batsi manship, and there is a powerful rhythm in it»

END OF THE SEASON. LAOS OF GOOD BOWLERS. "' (Received September 11th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, September U. The match. Middlesex against the Rest of England, beginning ot the Oval en Monday, will end the cricket season. ... , The absence of high-class bowling from English cricket is shown bv the unprecedented fact that Middlesex and Surrey, the two (utmost teams in the Counties Championship, have not a bowler among the leading fifteen bowling averages, and Pnly three among the leading twenty-six.-KANGIOBA CLUB. The Eangiora Cricket Club opened its season on Saturday afternoon under ideal weather conditions. Owing to the very mild winter and the long dry spell, the ground nas in excellent order. Sides were chosen by W. E. Cookroft and' A. E. Lockhart, W. E. Barton (president) and ft. Warner, two very old cricketers, batting first, after which the president declared the season open. Afternoon tea was provided by the secretary. Mr H. Mi Ohappell. and Mrs Chappell, and was much appreciated. The president, on behalf of those present, thanked Mr and Mrs ChappeU for their tboughtfulness, and called for three cheers, which were very lustily given.