IRONICAL!

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 9, 11 July 1938, Page 13

IRONICAL!

TEST CRICKET CHANGE

DODGING MANCHESTER RAIN

HEAT WAVE RECALLED

(By "Not Out.")

It does not always rain in Manchester, though it would be difficult to convince some cricket enthusiasts of the fact. About the present hold-up of Test play there is something ironical. It was the usual practice, until a change was made four years ago, to play the fourth Test at Manchester, but ..after long experience the cricket heads of Lancashire evidently discovered a way of dodging the rain at Manchester and appealed successfully Tor a change in the rota of Tests. The Manchester Test, therefore, was made the third instead of the fourth. What it brought forth, was so remarkable a difference that the Manchester Test in 1934 was played in almost unbearable heat! It seems now that the change was so sudden as to catch the weather man off his guard, for, with the Manchester Test remaining as the third of this series, he is pouring out the same disfavour that was shown when the big cricket event held fourth place in the rota. When the Australians played thenlast Test at Manchester (in 1934) they had to take the field with the shade temperature at 85, and well before the Hay was out they were visibly affected "by the sun. At lunch time Bradman complained of feeling sick, and Wood- ' full (Australia's captain) decided not to risk him in the intense heat. Barnett substituted for Bradman in the ■ field after lunch. Before the tea adjournment Chipperfield took his leave, also apparently affected by the heat. Later it was suggested that these two, as well as Kippax and Brown, were suffering from some "mysterious germ." England's batsmen enjoyed themselves that first day—3ss for five ~ wickets. IN GRILLING HEAT. - The weather was again torrid on the second day, and again several of the Australian players were affected by it. England amassed 627 runs for nine wickets and declared, after which Australia put on 136 for one wicket, Ponsiord going cheaply but Brown and "McCabe playing their part well. The heat was again grilling on the third ,day, but Australia faced the tremendous task with determination, though some of the players did npt by any •means look up to it. Bradman did not bat until the fourth wicket had fallen, and then, when he appeared, he looked ■pale. He stuck it for just over an hour, in which he made 30. Towards the •end of the day Chipperfield left the Sick room to play his part, and held out until stumps, when the score was ,423 for eight wickets. - O'Reilly was there to resume with Chipperfield on the fourth day, to do ss he has done on other occasions (this tour not excepted)—assist in saving a follow-on. The weather was still exceptionally hot. Chipperfield made a game stand, but it was left to O'Reilly and Wall to save the followon, and right well they did it. O'Reilly (30 not out) was in for two hours and Wall for forty minutes. As if there was not enough heat in that match, a fire broke out in the grandstand, and this created some diversion before the match ended farcically, with Hendren delivering up what was termed a "comical" over. 1 MANY MATCHES MARRED. That was one experience when the •rain was dodged for an England-Aus-..tralia Test at Manchester. Most of the .matches there have been affected by rain. Indeed, there was one—in 1890 — When not a ball was bowled. There •have been fourteen others (apart from 4he present one), and only five of them ihave been finished, England having .•won three and Australia two. The last one to be concluded with a definite result was in 1905 when England won by an innings and 80 runs. One of New Zealand's teams can vouch for the fact that it can rain in Manchester. The 1931 team was given three Tests, the third at Manchester. •The players arrived there, and for three days had nothing to do but shelter from the rain and take an occasional glimpse at the water-logged area at Old Trafford. At times there were .great pools on the ground, and a busy staff did its utmost to get rid of the water, only to find the efforts in vain. Finally, it became possible to play after .^o'clock on the last day. It was then 3hat a surprise was sprung by the New ■ Zealand captain, T. C. Lowry. He won the toss, but would not take the risk of sending his side in to bat. England ended up what was described as a depressing affair by collecting 224 for three wickets. •-■> It. has not be quite so bad with most -Tests at Manchester, but the weather has done its best—or worst —to ruin iriany of the matches there. "Old Trafford is as fine a ground as any in England," Sir Pelham Warner once wrote. "It possesses a notable history, and from the purely playing point of view it is second to none. The light is perfect, the outfield is delightful to field on, and the wicket has lost its brittle and stony reputation, and is now -amongst the best in the country." That may be so, but what about the rain? WHY NOT MOVE? .:"It was admitted by Sir Pelham that "Manchester has a bad reputation for weather," and that it had lived up to its reputation on the first day of the Test there in 1926, when—on that dayonly eleven balls were bowled. It was no wonder then that Macartney made his slowest century on record in Tests. The interference with Manchester Tests has been so great that it is surprising that a move has not been made to" have Old Trafford (though it is no fault of the ground) removed from the j places where Tests are played. Why not give Brighton a trial? There should be something very refreshing about the atmosphere there. SOME FIGURES. Figures given in the "Sports Post" on Saturday shewed that the average aggregate of runs per match in England-Australia Tests at Manchester is 706.6, which, incidentally, is not high. ■ There were some other figures oi interest. The aggregate for all England-Australia Tests is 128.732. That means 913 per match, which is well above the Manchester average. The fact was also disclosed that over all Tests England has scored two more rims per match than Australia.