ENGLAND'S SIDE CHOSEN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22445, 5 July 1938, Page 11

ENGLAND'S SIDE CHOSEN

PLAYERS FOR THE THIRD TEST FOUR NEW NAMES INCLUDED FOR SELECTION (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received July 4, 2 p.m.) LONDON, July 3. England’s team for the third test to start at Manchester next Friday, will be chosen from the following:— W. R. Hammond, captain (Gloucester). P. A. Gibb (Cambridge). H. Verity (Yorkshire). L. Hutton (Yorkshire). T. F. SmaiJes (Yorkshire). E. Paynter (Lancashire). D. Compton (Middlesex). W. J. Edrich (Middlesex). M. S. Nichols (Essex). D. V. Wright (Kent). J. Hardstaff (Nottinghamshire). C. J. Barnett (Gloucester). T. W. Goddard (Gloucester). The chairman of the selection committee (Sir Pelham Warner) states that Hammond is making splendid progress and is certain to play. Hammond is still undergoing treatment for an injury he received in the second test. BATTING STRENGTH MAINTAINED

EXPERIMENTS IN ATTACK [By COVER-POINT.] The changes in England’s test team are surprising, and, from this distance, very difficult to follow. In spite of the loss of L. E. G. Ames, England’s best wicketkeeper-batsman, the side for the third test will be just as strong —perhaps stronger—in batting than the teams which played so well against Australia in the first and second games. The English selectors are still trying hard to solve the problem presented by Australia’s great batting strength. Many critics will disagree with their latest attempt at a solution, nevertheless.

The English batsmen who are sure of places are Hammond, Barnett, Hutton, Compton, Paynter, and the new wicketkeeper, Gibb, who has batted brilliantly for Cambridge University this season. Whether he has made sufficient improvement as a ’keeper to warrant his inclusion in a test team is doubtful. He was by no means sure of his place in the Cambridge eleven last season, but made a remarkable advance during the year. Hardstaff is likely to be preferred to Edrich in view of the latter’s failures in three successive test innings, although Edrich’s remarkable potentialities as a high-scoring batsman may induce the selectors to persevere with him.

The only bowlers who are certain of places are Nichols and Wright, who have no competitors of similar type in the provisional 13. Nichols is fast and has already recorded a good performance a»inst Australia this season. In the Essex and Australia he took one wicket for 34 in the first innings and six for 25 in the second. He failed both as a bowler and as a batsman—he is a very good batsman by county standards—in the test trial match. Generally regarded as a less formidable bowler than his team-mate, K. C. Fames, whom he has supplanted, he will strengthen the batting by shortening England’s “tail.” Wright has already done so well as a right-hand leg-break bowler that he is unlikely to be passed over. One bowler will probably be omitted from Verity, Smailes, and Goddard, most likely one of the last-mentioned pair, who are both right-hand bowlers of off-spinners, Verity being a lefthander. Verity has been described by an English critic as an “expensive luxury”—his value to a team is chiefly his ability to keep down runs, and only on a wearing or rain-affected wicket is he really hostile. Still, the same may be said of many bowlers, and Goddard and Smailes come into a similar category. Smailes is faster than Goddard and can swerve the new ball effectively. His success for Yorkshire against the Australians on Saturday no doubt influenced the selectors. He is 28 years of age. Goddard is the same age as Nichols —37. Originally a fast bowler, he failed to make much progress for Gloucestershire, and he retired from first-class games while attempting to master the off-break. He succeeded to such an extent that when re-engaged by Gloucestershire in 1929 he immediately took 176 wickets in his first season. Last year he took more wickets than any other English bowler, 248. He is a very tall man, and with his medium-paced spin bowling he gains a disconcerting nip from the pitch. He has played in only.pne test match against Australia previously—in 1930.

ENGLISH CRICKET AVERAGES BOWES HEADS BOWLERS’ LIST LONDON, July 3. English cricket averages are as follow; Batting Runs. Average. Hammond .. 1724 82.00 Edrich .. 1367 68.35. Dempster .. 912 65.14 Paynter .. 1329 63-28 Hutton .. 1091 60.61 Gibb •. 1090 60.55 Geary . • 544 60.44 Thompson .. . 797 56.92 Compton .. 1135 56.75 Valentine .. 644 53.66 Ames • • 732 52.28Hardstafl (fifteenth) 617 47.46 Bowling Wickets. Avge. Bowes . • 48 11.91 Leyland .. 33 16.63 Woodhead .. 31 16.35 Butler .. 39 16.61 Mayer .. 49 16.61 Verity .. 77 ' 17.10 Pollard .. 91 17-38 Clay .. 33 18.51