Verdun Scott — a Kiwi and a cricketer

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 16

Verdun Scott — a Kiwi and a cricketer

By

JOHN COFFEY

Verdun John SCotf, who died recently- in. Auckland, was this only double international in cricket and rugby-league. He made tours i,t0,1 England in . both • sports,- rand .itwould be impossible to; envisage tw!o more 'contrasting expeditions. ; . ' In 1939, as a young fullback (his favourite position)- and centre, Scott was one- of six players who misse'd .. but - on match When the Kiwi rugby league itinerary had to be abandoned -after ‘two matches because of: 'the outbreak of the .Second World War.”; ■ ' -■

Instead of .having the opportunity of becoming the first New Zealand side io beat Britain in -a test series in England since the All Golds of 1907-08,- the. Kiwis were to have a ner- ' vous passage . through, waters - infested with. ; U-boats on their trip-home in the old Rangitiki. Scott

was soon to go overseas again, with/the. army .to Egypt and Italy. But Scott returned to England- this time as an : opening batsman with the highly successful 1949.,. New Zealand; cticket team. His . talents and . tenacity. , were to be utilised to the full — Scott- appeared in 27 of . the-32/matches and, with 1572 runs. at 40.30, . he was fifth on the averages behind his' illustrious team-mates, Martin- Don-.. ' nelly,;Bert* Sutcliffe, Merv< Wallace and-John Reid.. •/

Aptly named, this - par- , ticular Verdun was to take/ his ' issue .in ‘ numerous ; battles against the' finest bowlers in the world.’ There was no more determined fighter and; so sue-

cessful were his opening stands' wifh Sutcliffe in England that -two of their eight, century partnerships exceeded 200.. Scott* frustrated .his opponents- ■-almost to the point "of • distraction, so much so that the great Australian, Bill O’Reilly, once offered: to, : throw a party if he could set a delivery;. past .'; .Scott’s defences. . ~ There were ■• •probably: those: : ’ who ; considered Scott? provided- more a c t i o n ■ with bis characteristic mannerisms than With.his batting.' Before each ball was

bowled, he would hitch up a trouser leg, • pull at a pad; pluck the point of his collar, touch his cap, flex • his ; shoulders and make ■ two or rthree thrusts With his bat towards point. ./, ... : Similarly,' on the rugby league field he was forever rolling-up or rollingdown his sleeves and heartily rubbing his hands, possibly, missing the absence of a’ cap to persistently pull.'

;'■ The' famous .Australian’ bowler and 'critic-cartpon- ■ ist, Arthur Mailey,/ : once labelled. - Scott ' -as the “Rock of ' Gibraltar” and. had unkind . comments to-, ' make about some of his --innings.'; But /even the .out-/ spoken Mailey. had to’ acknowledge Scott’s dedication and spirit in many -situations that ..were, to. say the least, difficult forNew. Zealand. . •:But -Scott was seldom fully/, contained. Rather,

the runs ' came steadily from the shots, that hefavoured, the product of courage, concentration'and his conservative back-lift. Only 'occasionally /was. there, evidence of - relaxation and .glorious' stroke production. Yet when , the New ' Zealand Cricket Almanack chose Scott as its :; “batsman, of the year” in ' 1950,, it revealed. that hegenerally, averaged about . 30* runs. an hour, la..rate . that would ■. shame : many more recent players. Throughout' : a - career ' which* was - -sadly interrupted. by the ,wpr years, Scott ■ accumulated' more

than 5500 runs at, a shade under .50,' with 16 centuries.' For New - Zealand he totalled 1889 runs at a very' respectable 37.78, his highest score being 203 against Combined'Services in England in 1949. • In.his 'll first-class seasons,.. Scott, headed the batting jC averages four times arid'only twice was he missing; from ' the top four; Otago sufered most, •its’ bowlers :having an ' averageof' .79 / / wrested from-.- - them by ■ the tenacious Auckland , .opener, . and ■it was against that province'that Scott made his other 1 double-century. He. had, started with 122 in > his. debut . against Canter.bury in 1938.

Two of 'Scott’s test irk nings have earned, proud places: in/New,;/Zealand’s cricketing history. In 1952 he came, in, first, wicket down, to. face the third delivery ' of .the- innings,

and stayed four hours and a quarter for 84 in a total of 160. His duel/with the wily West Indian spinner, Alf Valentine, as he sought; s to protect his low'er-order partners was totally absorbing. Rated even higher was his 60,. achieved in . spite of: a severely pulled muscle and the necessity to have a runner, against England in 1951. By his own standards, Scott, forced to bat at No. 7 because of his injury, /seemed to go berserk, driving magnificently against Bedser and Bailey, adding 51 in' even time with Alex Moir, and with John Hayes (Who scored three) scoring 31 in just 20 minutes. . ■

Scott also made his mark in the field, as one would expect of such an athletic sportsman. As a rugby league full-back and popular captain of .North Shore, he. earned praise for his s«fe hands, precise tackle, long kicking range, and. fine attacking, timing. At soccer he represented Auckland from the schoolboy grades to Auckland B level, ’■ and, from outsideright, had excellent' judgment with his cross kicks. Only a few years ago, Scott-, was stilh going to the .crease .with his old miltary bearing, as a member of the Auckland watersiders’ - cricket team. It was One of Scott’s work-mates on the Auckland docks wno . simply but accurately.summed up the regard in; which this exceptional all-rounder was held, and it. had nothing to do with sport. “Verdun is a gentleman . a real gentleman,” the wharfie said.