S. . McCabe: One of the greatest batsmen

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 15

S. . McCabe: One of the greatest batsmen

OTHERS have made more runs, many more have batted longer, but S. J. McCabe, who died in tragic

circumstances at the weekend, will always have a special place in the affections of cricketers.

McCabe played In 39 successive test matches for Australia between 1930 and 1938 and in them he made 2748 runs at an average of 48.2 a figure surpassed only by Sir Donald Bradman, R B. Simpson, R N, Harvey (very narrowly) and W. H. Ponsford (by .01) of longservice Australian batsmen. McCabe nearly always made his runs in the grand manner. A magnificent driver, cutter and hooker, he would, in any cricketing era not dominated by a Bradman, have been quite outstanding. In some respects, he overshadowed even Bradman. More accurately, there were times when he was an even more demolishing and effective batsman.

Short but strongly built, McCabe was a country cricketer when he first appeared for New South Wales in 1928, when only 18 years old. He did well, and went to England with the famous 1930 side as its youngest member. He scored more than 1000 runs without making a single century, and bowled at brisk pace, rather in the style of W. R Hammond, quite usefully. One of his first great innings was at Sydney in the 1932-33 season’s first test in the bodyline series. “For daring and brilliance. McCabe’s innings was not approached by any other Australian during the tour” said “Wisden.” McCabe, hooking the fast fliers fearlessly, scored 187 not out With C. V. Grimmett, who made 19,

he added 68 and when he had T. W. Wall, who scored only 4, as his partner, 55 were added in half an hour.

McCabe topped the Australian batting aggregates in England in 1934 averaging over 60 in the tests, and when England toured Australia in 1936-37, he had a century and five half-cen-turies in his nine test innings. Then he averaged 84 in the series against South Africa in 1935-36.

But the greatest display in a career marked by positive methods and hard hitting was yet to come. It was at Trent Bridge in the first test of the 1938 series, and it was a most unusual match. It began with L. Hutton and C. J. Barnett scoring 169 before lunch on the first day, Barnett reaching a century from the first ball after lunch By the end of the day England was 422 for four, E. Paynter and D. C. S. Compton having added 141 in 90 minutes — figures which today are incredible.

Paynter went on to 216 not out, England to 658 for eight declared, and Australia was 194 for six before McCabe’s mastery was really felt' At the end of the second day, he had been in 35 minutes, and was 19 not out.

On the third day, McCabe took complete and spectacular command, with one of the greatest innings the game can recall. He made 232 in under four hours, hitting 34 fours and a 6. When he drove, the ball was often a red blur, his hooking was just as fierce and certain, and he defeated nearly every effort to keep him away from the bowling. His last partner, L. FleetwoodSmith, made 5 not out and

batted 28 minutes long enough for McCabe to score his final 72 runs. Everyone liked McCabe, for his cricket, and for himself. He was a fine fieldsman—he had 41 catches in his 39 tests—and a batsman of remarkable ability. His epitaph was chosen for him 3b years before he /lied. When he was thrashing England’s best bowling at Nottingham during that innings of 232, Bradman called his fellow Australians out to make sure they watched —because, he said, they would never see its like again.