AFTER THE ASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 14688, 4 October 1911, Page 3

AFTER THE ASHES.

ENGLAND’S ELEVEN. STRONG ALL-ROUND TEAM The special correspondent of tho London ‘StandriV.’ referring to the M.C.C. team now’ on their way to Australia, says that every man is a serviceable bat, and there are only three—Warner and the two wicketi keepers—who do not bowl. [ “The inclusion of Hitch,” he proceeded, ! “ satisfies the requirement of the situation so far as a fast bowler is concerned. He may not —one may say definitely does not—justify a claim jo be. considered as absolutely oUr beet professional fast bowler, but, at the same time, in view of his recent successes, it is not possible to say without fear of contradiction that any other fast bowler—l am still speaking of professionals—is distinctly his superior. 31oreover, he is at that stage of his career when ho is much more likely to improve than to deteriorate. His heart is in bis work; ho is possessed op great strength and staying power, and he seems, to bowl faster every time bo plays. Time, his length is erratic at times: but even his short-pitch-id balls possess terrors for tho batsman. But, beyond all this, bo is superb as a fieldsmai, whether at cover-point or in the long-field. Quit'-: on his feet, sure of eye and hand in gathering the ball, and deadly ni his aim at ihe wicket, ho lias been responsible for the running-out of many a batsman who has never doubted his ability to reach his crease in time. Then he has made manycapital scores, and it is safe to say that, he has not yet been seen at his best as a batsman. This last matter is, of course, quite a secondary consideration, bnt it may well happen that- his dashing play will turn the fortunes of a match by knocking a successful howler off his length. There wan an outcry at one period that the team, as far as they had been selected, wore sadly deficient in fielding, but 1 think that reproach has b<cn entirely removed, although Mr Warner may at times ho greedy puzzled to know where to place his men. Several of them, however. are utility men, and iot rpcria’iris, and none iho wor--e for their adaptability. With b-.-P'iicf fieldsmen like Hobbs, Rhodes, Hitch, nud Woolley, supported by several of only slightly lesser excellence, it can no longer he s;ii.l that the side is weak in fielding. Indeed, whilst I share the general regret, thri Mr Pry and Mr Spooner have not been able io accept the invitation of the M.C.C., X doubt r a stronger ail-round team ever loft these, shores There have been teamn stronger in bowling, I grant, but this happen-? to be a rather lean year for men of outstanding merit;.as bowlers, and it is as well that what is lacking in that regard should be atoned for by general all-round capability. Whether er not our men manage to win the rubber in the test matches, 1 am confident, that (he-.-will give a good account of themselves, and there will be no justification for complaints that we havg not sent our best team. It is fo strong a combination that the on'v fair thing to say, it we are beaten, will be th.it Australia are our superiors jtr-t now in first class cricket,, and tho frank admission should not be withheld.” TWO OF THE REPS.

Rhode?, who visits Australia, for the third time, came into big cricket with a jump. He made his debut for Yorkshire at Lord’s on May 12, 1898, against the M.C.C. Taking six wickets in the match, he took 13 for 45 runs against Somerset on tho following Monday. He has been a member of the Arorksbiro Eleven ever since, and in his second year (1899) he was chosen for England—a rapid promotion unequalled in English cricket. Up to tho end of 1910 he had taken 2,550 wickets for au average of 16.51 runs, and scored 16,998 runs for an average or 27.95 in first class matches. Ho gave Victoria a taste of his quality in tho season 1903-04, when in Melbourne. He took five wickets for 6 runs. He bumped the Australians at Birmingham in a test match :n 1902. and on a damaged wicket took seven wickets for 17 runs. One of the most exciting matches Rhodes had played in wan the famous Kent, game at the Oval in 1902, when England won by 1. Rhodes was last -n. when 15 runs were needed, and ho made 6 of them, including the winning hit. George Hirst (53 not out) swung his left arm up and down like a semaphore, guiding Rhodes, as it were, when to run and not to run. Rhodes undoubtedly did scratch a bit, and he ought to have been caught by Armstrong at slip. “Old Ebor,” writing about the incident, said :

“ One of the umpires told me that Australia ought to have won, for the stroke by Rhodes referred to scut the ball into Armstrong's hands, and tha catch was not difficult.” A recent criticism of C. P. . Mead,

“ the cricketer about -whom everyone is talking,” states that he is a really brilliant fielder,- a very useful change bowler and 'a grand batsman, and that he has developed into one of the finest, if not the finest, left-handed cricketers in England. In the first week of August, for Hampshire', he made 207 not out against Warwickshire (his first double century), and on the following day 194 against Sussex. In neither innings did he give a chance. He used almost every variety of stroke, played with equal facility on both sides of the wicket, and was always on top of the bowling, never making a faulty stroke until the one which brought about his dismissal. Another feature about his effort was the rapidity with which Mead compiled his runs. Throughout his innings he averaged just over a fun a minute, and the fact that ho hit thirty-four 4’s, three 3’s, and twelve 2's is in itself evidence of his aggressiveness. He would probably have remained long enough to make 200 in successive innings but for the fact that he' was over-anxious to get to the bowling, and stepped out to a wide ball, which he only just managed to touch, and was well taken in the slips. Altogether, ho was at the wickets three hours and ten minutes—practically the same time as he occupied in making his 207 at Southampton.

A collection taken on the ground at Hie conclusion of his brilliant display realised just on £l3. Ke timed the bowling with the greatest "precision, and although.at times he was somewhat daring in stepping out and pulling balls across the wicket, he never appeared to lake a risk, and always mct the ball in the centre iof his bat. To give some idea of the rapidity of his scoring, it need only be- said' that he obtained his first 50 out of 66 in 50min, retched his 100 out - of 145 in SOmin, completed 150 in 2h SOnnn, ami left with the r-ot.il 292 for four wickets, after batting 3h lOmin. if Head strikes his English form in Australia, the onlookers should see spine entertaining displays.