THE TEST TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 106, 8 May 1933, Page 8

THE TEST TOUR

IMPRESSIONS OF TEAM

TREATMENT IN AUSTRALIA

, United Press Association—By Electric T«l#. . I crapli—Copyright. ! (Received May 8, 2 p.m.) I LONDON, May 7. Hero of the Tests," "Triumph in Faco of Abuse," '"Supreme Loyalty of Team," "Amaz* | ing Conduct of Australians," are the I headlines to the "Daily Telegraph* story by Thomas Moult upon the ar« I rival of the M.C.C. team. Tlrts writof | states that, though tlie players' lips were sealed regarding certain aspects lof the tour, their very silence mdi I cated the truth that a "body of tour* ! ing cricketers had never been called to face such difficulties in the history of tho game." • The following impressions, gathered' jin conversation with tho players, are I given:—"That the unparalleled dim"* culties of the tour were surmounted I and the Ashes regained was a great | personal triumph for Jardine. The ■term 'body-line bowling' was delib* | eratelyi used by a section of tho Aus* I traliarf Press because they did not coil* sider the ordinary term ' leg-theory * | inflammatory enough. . . . When Lar* wood's success brought about a crisis the team were unanimous that Jardine should continue to employ leg-theory; tactics. The talcs of dissension among the Englishmen were deliberately; manufactured. . . . The behaviour o£ the crowds during the Tests was some* times nightmarish and frightening. There were .moments when the player* felt that thousands would break th» fences and pour on to the field. Every, player above all emphasised Jardine 'i strengthv of character and utter fear* lessness yi the ihdst trying situation 4 cricketer has ever had to face." Every player expressed his willing* nnss to go again. Jardino nlone hinted that his is, his last tour. Wo in Eng* land have boon given no idea of the in* timidation they endured. Tho Test crowds went much further than thro\V« ing oranges on the field, Counting Larwood's strides in a chorus, forty; thousand out of sixty thousand specta* tors stood ami. unanimously.'roared an; offensive epithet of two syllables re* peatedly till hoarse. Doubtless it was to this that Jardine wittily referred irt New Zealand when he said: 'We have? just come from a country where ou'B parentage was regarded as doubtful^ and oiir ultimate destination absolutely; certain.' " INQUIBY TO BE HELD. Eric Martin, in an article in thfl "Daily Herald," says that a high] authority states that the Tests between . England and Australia may be post* poned indefinitely as the outcome of thel body-line controversy. \ Now that the team has returned . tluT M.C.C. intends an exhaustive investigation of the cir* cumstances which temporarily ruined, the enjoyment of Test cricket. The first move will be to hold a conference at which every member of the team will bo asked to give evidence. The players, almost without except tion, have returned embittered. Thcjl feel that the treatment they received in many parts of Australia, particularly] in Sydney, the home of the barrackers^ was contrary to all tho rules of sports* manship. Here are some of the com* plaints which will be investigated: They} could not leave their hotels •without! fear- of beiiig openly insulted in the' streets. They were frequently molestedl on train journeys by gangs who entered the carriages or threw missiles through' the windows. They were jeered ait' when'they visited theatres, so that lrianyj players preferred to stay in hotels, Tho' Test matches were played to tha accompaniment of a continual stoTni of booing and abuse of the foulest character. Refuse was thrown "at thai men near the boundary.- There was aa atmosphere of hostility that-unnerved some of the players, and sometime* 'threatened.to end in physical violence