THOMSON STORM

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 16

THOMSON STORM

(N.Z. Press Assn— Copyright) LONDON.

The feared thunderbolts from the Australian bowler, Jeff Thomson, unleashed for the first time on English turf this week, have incurred the wrath of many English newspaper critics and attracted a massive amount of space in the sports pages. Yesterday the stories continued and grew in size following the Australia-Sri Lanka game, in which two Sri Lanka batsmen ended up in hospital after being struck by Thomson deliveries. On a page devoted to the Australian "terror” a “Sun” writer, Peter Batt, said that [if Thomson "attempts anyi thing as unsavoury as throwling down a man’s wicket, [while he is hobbling about [injured, as he did to Sunil (Wettimuny, the West Indian [fans will be over the fences [after him when they meet the (Aussies at the Oval (today).”

Batt added: “It remains to • been seen when enough is enough as far as the extraordinary Mr Thomson is concerned.”

Writing in the "Daily Express,” John Davies said that Thomson will give a muchneeded boost to lagging county gates this year. “But are we all prepared to accept a lowering of the code of conduct that has been a tradition in the game for years?” asks Davies.

He said that the incidents • concerning Thomson at the Ova! and the circumstances which resulted were "ugly and distasteful.” While his “Aussie colleagues” gathered around injured Sri Lankan batsman, •Duleep Mendis—as cricketers 'do in such situations—-

iThomson, hands on hips, (grinned, Davies said. i But Thomson received support from a “Daily Mirror" writer. Peter Laker, who said the balls which did the damage on Wednesday were “legitimate deliveries that were unfairly given horror rating by an irate 6000 crowd.”