LUCKY COLLINS.

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1922, Page 12

LUCKY COLLINS.

In The Argus reports on the first j day's play in Sydney in the Sheffield match against Victoria it was mentioned (writes "J.W." in the Australasian) that off a-bumping ball Collins' luckily escaped being caught, the article alluding to the old term "Lucky Collins." Well, last season particularly, Collins, while an; undoubted batsman, had extreme luck on many occasions in being missed behind and in the slips at the start of numerous opening displays. Given all that in, however, Collins is essentially a Test batsman, and I would always like him on my side. He has wonderful nerve in a crisis, ac witness hie display in the fourth Test at Manchester, and on big . occasions ii ac difficult' a man to dislodge as anyone playing the -game. And he fights to a finish. Still, in matters oatside the game, he has also earned the sobriquet, When the Australians arrived in Adelaide on their way home Collins left behind on the pier a, cricket bag full of bats, all choice- and picked ones, representing many pounds sterling in value. He gave them 'up as lost; but when ythe South Australians arrived for their January fixture before tfte match with-New South Wales was finished, W.

Hemson, the South Australian scorer, who found the bag containing the bata, brought tfiem across with him and gave them to the. delighted and surprised owner. The other members of the team simply stood open-mouthed at his luck. "Well," said Hendry at last to Collins, "yqu are the limit, you are 'Lucky Collins' without any shadow of doubt."