W.M.Wood full Twice Regained The Ashes

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30835, 21 August 1965, Page 11

W.M.Wood full Twice Regained The Ashes

TT is often the lot of a very good sportsman to languish in the shade of a great player. J. W. Kelly, for example, could not outshine R. W. H. Scott on the All Blacks 1953-54 tour of Britain, outstanding fullback though he was; the modest genius of Gary Player often suffers by comparison with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus; and the notable decathlon man. C. K. Yang, has not and now probably never will win an Olympic gold medal. It was the lot of W. M. Woodfull to be something of a forgotten man in his own cricket-playing career. For in the years of his captaincy

of Australia, 1930 to 1934, the public had Bradman, McCabe and Ponsford to dazzle them. Thus Woodfull, who died last week, aged 68. was something of an anonymous captain, which is not to say he was a nonentity nor that Australia could twice in four years have recovered the Ashes without his presence.

For Woodfull was almost as vital to the side as Bradman. It was the quiet man, Woodfull, who integrated the diverse talents of his great batsmen and the greatly differing leg-spin of O'Reilly and Grimmett. It is a fallacy that a great team will lead itself: someone must do the steering, someone must give the orders.

Australia has rarely been short of a good captain. Armstrong, Bradman. Collins, Hassett, Benaud and even Simpson all possessed a toughness that was essential for success. Woodfull, for al! his retiring appearance, was no exception. Like a good Australian, he believed passionately in winning. In a time of great batsmen, Woodfull was great even if he built a reputation similar to that of the pres-ent-day Barrington. When Woodfull is remembered.it is as often as not as a batsman with “no backlift” (that would be a phenomenon in any player); he was called the “worm-killer” and the “unbowlable.” In short, he is remembered for his defensive ability. Woodfull was often slow, he sometimes did not hit the ball very hard and in one innings of 118, his only boundary brought up his one-hundred and eighteenth run. But he had the facility, demonstrated later and to a lesser degree by the New Zealander. V. J. Scott, of pushing the ball far enough to keep picking up runs. In the years gone by, Woodfull’s true worth has

scarcely been appreciated: in the years to come, it will probably remain largely ignored. But in the “best team” of any decade, when the opening batsmen are being considered. Woodfull’s name should be in the final three or four as a matter of course. Grand Shot The shot of the season in Canterbury golf was played recently—but the setting was not one of the leading courses and the competitor was not a well-known name in the sport. M. W. Johnston, the club captain of the Akaroa Golf Club, achieved a perfect shot while playing a round on his home course. The scene of his feat was "Upshot,” the par four sixth hole. It is a stiff challenge to even an accomplished golfer. The ground rises steeply from the tee and develops into a blind dog-leg, coverin; 225yds. Johnston, in spite of hi' handicap of 10, made ligh work of this formidable hole His ball swung round th< corner, pitched, and ran int the cup for a hole-in-one. His albatross enabled hir. to be level with the card a the turn and he finishe, with a gross 72.