F. S. TRUEMAN BACK England Combination Tried And Tested

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30759, 25 May 1965, Page 20

F. S. TRUEMAN BACK England Combination Tried And Tested

[From R. I. BRITTENDEN, N.Z.P-A. Special Correspondent:]

CAMBRIDGE, May 24.

The lack of success of young players in a season still little more than three weeks old has persuaded England’s selectors to lean on experience and reputation for their team to meet New Zealand in the first of a three-match test series starting at Edgbaston on Thursday.

If the maturity of England’s team and the comparative innocence of the New Zealanders may make it seem a little like a father’s and sons’ match the home side is rich in batting and has a bowling combination which will test the New Zealanders to the full.

Alien is likely to be twelth man for England and of the other 11, only Boycott, aged 24, and Rumsey, 29, are under 30 years of age. New Zealand’s team will have eight players under 30, two of them under 20. The English batting goes to Parks at number seven, with Titmus, Cartwright and Trueman all more than useful at making runs. The bowling combination of Trueman (right-hand fast medium), Rumsey (left-hand fast medium), Dexter and Cartwright (medium pace), Titmus (off spin), and Barber and Barrington (right-hand leg spin), gives England’s

captain, Mike Smith, a full hand. Hard to Shift Boycott, the youngest man in England’s team, has no great reputation for elegance but in nine tests he has established himself as a most i difficult man to shift In his first series against Australia last year he averaged 48.5 and against South Africa in 1964-65 he totalled 298 and averaged 49.6. Barber has improved immensely since New Zealanders saw him in D. R. W. Silk’s team and he is now a well-organised and aggressive opening batsman. Barrington has been sadly out of form this season; sadly, that is, for the New Zealanders, who feel as most do that this great test match player must soon end his bad run. Already Barrington has a tremendous test record—--4673 runs at an average of 59. Years of Success Cowdrey and Dexter would add lustre to any batting list and both have years of success behind them. Cowdrey has passed 5000 in tests and averages about 46, Dexter has more than 4000 at nearly 48. The captain, Smith, has a comparatively modest test average of 36 and that would be the envy of most New Zealand players. Parks, another dashing player, has a test average of 33 and Titmus has a figure of 20. Dark Reminder The great and gaudy personality of Trueman, veteran of 65 test appearances and well ahead of everyone in the test aggregate—with 301 wickets —was expected by many to disappear from the test scene this summer. If he is not as fast as he was he is still a fine bowler and his very presence is a dark reminder of the past Rumsey has played only once for England hitherto but he has been taking wickets regularly this season. Cartwright, who is 30, is a stock bowler who is certain to make life difficult for the New Zealand batsmen. In his first test last year he bowled 77 overs and took two for 118 in an Australian score of 656 for eight. Three weeks later he had titres for 110 from 62 overs in the fifth test against Australia.

Cartwright went to South Africa in 1964-65 but played only in the fourth test. Titmus needs one more wicket to have 100 in tests. Tremendous Task

This then is the tried and tested combination England will field at Birmingham. Perhaps it can be seen as a compliment to New Zealand that England’s selectors are unwilling to experiment or gamble in this first of a three-match series.

The selection has certainly set New Zealand a tremendous task for it is a long list of batsmen and bowlers to have to work through and England’s bowling combination looks quite strong enough to pin New Zealand down. Cartwright at one end and Titmus at the other is a depressing thought, but at least the Edgbaston pitch has no particular reputation for good or ill and New Zealand should be given a fair trial of its ability there.