Reid “Greatest Batsman On Earth"’

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 19

Reid “Greatest Batsman On Earth"’

[Specially written for “The Press” by R. S. WHITINGTONI

New Zealand's touring cricketers came all too suddenly and unprepared against perhaps the most powerful and menacing pace attack in the world at the Wanderers’ Stadium, Johannesburg during the first week-end in February. What other country in the world owns an attack sush as N. A. T. Adcock, P. S. Heine and G. B. Lawrence?

England has J. B Statham and the "ashes” of F. S. Trueman. Australia has A. K. Davidson and the erratic G. McKenzie. The West Indies have W. Hall, but no accurate enough allies to help him apply the concentrated and continuing pressure which was mounted and substained against G. T Dowling, S. N. McGregor, P. T. Barton, J. R. Reid. P. G. Z. Harris and M. R. Chapple at Johannesburg. The average height of Adcock, Heine, Lawrence and their apprentice fast bowler H. R. Lance is just under 6ft 4in. And the one who has gained the nickname “Tiger" was the least tigerish of them all.

The Wanderers’ pitch and the altitude of the Rand, which is notorious for lack of atmospheric resistance, have always gladdened the hearts and sharpened the endeavours of fast bowlers. Fieldsmen who can throw a cricket ball 100 yards at other venues, find themselves hurling it between 110 and 120 yards with no extra effort on the fields of this "Reef of White Waters” or Witswatersrand. Attitude to Match

To confront this formidable and four-pronged attack the men in Reid's comparatively test-untried batting line came flushed, maybe a little carried away, with success after their splendid victory at Newlands and their fine score against Natal at Pietermaritzburg. Travelling with them on the train from Natal to Johannesburg I wondered whether they were properly mentally prepared and adjusted for the tremendous task they must confront if Adcock and Heine were declared fit to oppose them. My wonder and my doubts were well founded except in the case of Reid, who journeyed through yet another ordeal with his escutcheon untarnished—indeed gleaming even more brilliantly •than before. Reid’s mastery of this attack, which even batsmen such as W. M. Lawry, R. B. Simpson. R. N. Harvey and N. C. O’Neill must

have found deadly difficult, bordered upon the contemptuous.

No doubt exists in my mind as to who is the greatest batsman on earth. My only doubts are as to just where Reid should rank among the greatest batsmen in history. High in the first five, is my answer. One wonders whether Reid realised how great a batsman he is before this South African tour. There is no other explanation of his previous history. Tour Without Reid His contribution to this tour is best assessed by imagining the tour without him. What other batsman in the world would ever have thought of driving Adcock’s first ball high onto a high and windy hill as Reid did at Pietermaritzburg, let alone have performed this unique feat of arms? What other batsman on earth could have made Adcock, Heine and Lawrence, as a combined force, his plaything, as did Reid in both innings at the Wanderers? Watching him was like reading of Prometheus breaking his chains. Could the other recognised batsmen chosen for the fourth test have measured more effectively to their task had they taken the right frame of mind towards it? That may be answered at Port Elizabeth. There is half an answer In the resistance raised by Harris in the second innings, the cool correctness of Dowling in the first and the survival of the severely-restricted, half-pinioned Barton during his sixth wicket stand on the final day with Reid. Though my early beliefs are more than a little wounded. I still maintain that the requisite ability to withstand and overcome even such an attack as the one faced this week-end resides in McGregor and Barton. Their lack is in in-telligently-applied. enduring concentration. They should by now have a more lively realisation that even a batsman such as Reid cannot continue carrying a batting line.

D. G. Bradman had his Woodfull and Ponsford his McCabe, his Kippax his A A. Jackson. W R. Hammond had his Leyland, his Sutcliffe, his Wyatt and his D R Jardine.

McGregor, Barton and Guy all have batted well at times against the best bowling in South Africa. It is not ability that is wanting It is something that in my opinion answers to the name of "resolution." something that Ernest Hemingway crystallised as the “invincible spirit of man," and the negro trumpeter. Milton Mezrow, as the "refusal to go under." I have dwelt on this matter as long as I have because New Zealand can never hope to stand against the world at cricket, as her Ail Blacks have stood against the world at Rugby, without more of this moral fibre and will to conquer. Reid has it in abundance So had B. Sutcliffe. So had M P. Donnelly and the fast bowler. J Cowie. F. J Cameron and R C Motz have it. It is essential for success in test cricket. Much to Admire

But let us to pleasanter pastures There was much to admire in the New Zealanders’ performance, apart from Reid’s great and gallant contribution of 202 “uns out of 413. Cameron could be bracketed with Heine for the title of the unluckie't bowler of the test. Cameron is an artist of swing bowling. He beat the bats, or grazed the edge of the bats, of every batsman to whom he bowled, yet went unrewarded throughout 30 overs that yielded only 84 runs. Cameron's acceptance of fantastic misfortune did great credit to his country's name for sportsmanship He hardly batted an eyelid all through. May be Rudyard Kipling knew a character like Cameron who caused him to write “If.” * Motz "Great-hearted”

Motz, as always, was a great-hearted trier. Reid, as a bowler, once again demon-

strated what can be achieved by playing upon weaknesses in opponents’ techniques. Harris as a batsman was admirably brave. The fielding of Bartlett. McGregor. Harris. Alabaoter. Dowling and Barton almost matched perhaps the most brilliant out-cricket South Africa has produced and A. T. Dick once again astonished those who knew that he had not kept wickets tn ■ first-class match before he began this tour. • Except in the great batsmanship of the captain. New Zealand was outplayed at the Wanderers. So will it be again at Port Elizabeth unless the batsmen who precede and immediately follow Reid can find something in the mind and in the heart that is preventing them from measuring to test standard.

Only once on this tour has Reid gone to the wicket in the knowledge that, were he to fail, disaster must not be an inevitable consequence. Bartlett as Batsman

You may argue that the ability is not there in McGregor and Barton. My answer will be that the fast bowler, G. A. Bartlett, time and again, has proved what concentration, courage and intelligence can perform against any type of bowling May be someone should quickly recognise the consistent Bartlett as a batsman. I certainly should be proud to make the necessary introductions