CRICKET TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 11

CRICKET TOUR

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, January 20.

The Australian cricket team to tour England this year will be chosen on January 27 and riglit up to the last moment, the selectors, Messrs. D. G. Bradman (South Australia), E. A. Dwyer (N.S.W.), and W. Johnson (Victoria), will be tussling with difficult problems.

A team of 16 that is not likely to differ .nuco 'from that finally chosen is:—D. G. Bradman, J. H. Fingleton, S. J. McCabe, C. ~. Badcock, R. S. Gregory, A. G. Chipperfield, W. A. Oldfielu. E: L. .McCormick. W. J. O'Reilly, L. Fleetwood-Smith, D. Tallon, C. V. Grimmett, E. S. White, A. L. Hassett, H. W. Sievers, I. S. Lee. Of these the following are regarded as "certainties":—-Bradman, Fingleton, McCabe, Badcock, Gregory, Chipperfield, Oldfield, McCormick, O'Reilly, Fleetwood-Smith. Two regarded as next-door to "certainties" are Grimmett and White— the former in preference to F. A. Ward, a younger but less guileful and less-proved stock bowler, and White a medium left-hander—a type which has proved of value on previous tours,. THE PLACES IN DOUBT. That .leaves four positions in doubt, and there is tremendous controversy about them. First there is the deputy wicket-keeping position. Queensland, Victoria, and .South Australia each has a candidate—D. Tallon, B. A. Barnett, and C. W. Walker, respectively. Tallon's superior batting may be the deciding factor, though a balancing factor in Barnett's favour may be his supreme skill in "taking" the puzzling deliveries of Fleetwood-Smith. Melbourne experts are suggesting that Barnett and Tallon should be the wic-ket-keepers, but the selectors will cause a sensation if they omit Oldfield, who, despite his 40 years, has been wonderful-keeping and batting form this season.

There is great competition for a position as all-rounder. In the team that has been named Sievers, tall Victorian who toured South Africa two seasons ago, and played in three Tests against G. O. 8.. Allen's team last summer, has been given the post. His greatest rival at the beginning of the season was Victor Jackson, youthful Sydney player, but his form lapsed somewhat after a brilliant opening and an injury has not nelped his prospects. On the other hand Mervyn G. Waite and Graham Williams, South Australians, have improved their standing. Any one of these three could displace Sievers without causing surprise or impairing team efficiency. Indeed, Williams, the fastest of the' four allrounders, or Waite, the cleverest of them, may easily gain the selection, as relief to or partner of McCormick, the only fast bowler of Test standard in Australia. ...:■" There is a tense struggle for the last'position, generally regarded as a niche in the team for a promising joung batsman. In the team forecast here, A. L. Hassett, a young and diminutive Victorian who finished last saasbn with a dazzling average and has done well this season, has been given the position; , He could be replaced easily by S. Barries (N.S.W.), R. .H. Robinson (S.A. and formerly N.S.W.), R A. Hamence (S.A.), and R. S. Whittington (S.A). Barnes's weakness Jn on-side play, Robinson's fatal, impetuousness, Hatnence's sudden loss of form, and Whittingtpn's slight inferiority to the others may be the influences in favour of Hassett. . ../ THE OPENING PADX. There is one other feature- of the named team—the puzzle of a partner for Fingleton in the opening position. The deterioration of W. A. Brown, tried and tested opening batsman, into stodginess, last season caused alarm to his supporters arid his omission from the later Tests. If he is omitted from the 1938 team, Badcock could be used as an opening batsman, and a second fast bowler—young Harry J. Cotton, of South Australia, is the best—included. But supposing the selectors decided to omit Brown and reserve Badcock for a lower position' in the batting order, there arc two splendid Victorian openers—Keith E. Rigg and lan S. Lee (a left-hander)—to fill the position.. Lee may gain the place. There are a host of other players who are worthy of inclusion in: any Australian touring team, but unless Don Bradman, as a selector, gets one of his cricket brain-waves, they will have to await another chance. It seems that any surprise in the final selection will be only of a minor degree—a .matter of "heads or tails." It is unlikely that a player not named in this article will be chosen.