AUSTRALIA’S CRICKET TEAM

Evening Star, Issue 21634, 1 February 1934, Page 6

AUSTRALIA’S CRICKET TEAM

YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE WHAT THE ENGLISH CRITICS SAY Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 31. (Received February 1, at noon.) The English critics generally regard the Australian test team as strong in batting and weak in bowling. Warner says: “ The team looks weak in bowling. We shall certainly get lots of runs. I would have included Chilvers. He is a splendid bowler. I thinls that O’Reilly is a bit stale. If he bowls as well here as he does in Australia ho will get a lot of wickets. Floetwood-Smith has tremendous possibilities.” Carr says: “ The team is as strong in batting as it is weak in bowling. It fairly shouts for another left-hander, preferably Hill.” The ‘Star’ says; “The team is a splendid blending of youth and experience. It will not be surprising if Barnett displaces. Oldfield in the test side,” Chapman.'comments: “The inclusion of the youngstei's should ensure topnotch fielding.” He expressed regret at the absence of a tried left-hand bowler. Alan Fairfax regrets the absence of Ironmonger; otherwise, he thinks the team is well balanced. Bruce Harris comments: “Australia still has a tail.” Fender, in the ‘ Evening News,’ says: “The selectors have lived up to their reputation of discarding sentiment and relying solely on efficiency. The English players must never forget that Bradman is capable of winning any match.” The ‘ Standard ’ published a bold panel on its sports page, which read: “ Jardiue is the best skipper in the world. He must be our captain. If Larwood is fit he must play in the tests. No Marylebone diplomatic shelving of these men would be tolerated. Any such action —of which there is talk from time to time—would not make for peace, but further trouble. Let the game be left to the ci'icketers. They won’t squeal.” AUSTRALIAN COMMENTS SYDNEY, February 1. (Received February 1, at 1 p.m.) The Sydney morning papers ax-e not pleased with the team for New Zealand. The ‘ Telegraph ’ says: “More surprising than the inclusion of Chipperfield in the team fox- England is the omission of Jack Scaife from tlx© thirteen to tour New Zealand. Davey is practically an unknown quantity, having played only one Sheffield Shield match. The exclusion of Oxenham is noteworthy.” The Labour daily says: “ Davey’s selection is a mystery. Possibly he was chosen to appease South Australia for its poor representation in the major eleven. Tobin appears to have been badly treated. Badcock, who is nineteen years of age, holds a number of Tasmanian records, being the only Tasmaxxian to score a double century in a first-class match. He has an average of 122 in club games this season. His scores against Victoria this season .are 25, 107, 274, and 71 not out. The morning papers’ critics generally applaud the team for England, while expressing regret that Richardson and Fingleton were omitted.

THE TEAMS NOTES AND COMMENTS [By Substitute.] The eagerly-looked-for disclosure by the selectors of the sixteen players who will constitute the Australian teanr to tour England this year has been niade, and, on the whole, the selectors have carried out their difficult task wonderfully well. It has for some time been a foregone conclusion that Woodfull, Bradman, Kippak, Ponsford,- M'Cabe, Darling, O’Reilly, and Okifield were certainties, and so it has proved. Of these players little need be said because their capabilities have been well discussed and are well known. . Of the rest the one big surprise is the inclusion of the New South Welshman, Chipperfield, especially in view of the fact that Grimmett and FleetwoodSmith have also found places as slow bowlers. Chipperfield is a slow legbreak bowler who has been used seldom by the State, and this season obtained but four wickets. He is a fairly good bat, however, and is said to, be a brilliant slip field, and it is probably this last-named qualification that has turned the scale in his favour. The young Sydney batsman, W. A. Brown, forced himself into the team by his great double-century innings in the final Sheffield Shield match, and he should be one of those of the younger brigade who will develop into a leading Australian player. E. H. Bromley, the ex-Western Australian left-hander, is another young player who has found his way into the front ranks. He has improved considerably since transferring to Victoria. He is the typo of batsman to force runs when occasion arises. In choosing B. A. Barnett as the second wicket-keeper, the selectors have given him preference over Walker because of his superior batting ability. . The Victorian is a left-hander and capable of making respectable scores against first-class bowliug,_ which in view of the fact that Australia now possesses something of a “ tail ” is, an asset. Indeed, it would appear that the selectors had in mind the elimination, or at least the toning-up of this “ tail,” and a perusal of the names of the sixteen shows very few indeed who cannot be looked to for moderate scores. Coming to the bowling, this department must have caused the selectors considerable anxiety, for whatever their choice had been it would still have left this pgrt of the Australian outcricket a doubtful quality. O’Reilly, of course, is an outstanding bowler, and though he has shown signs of tiring of late, he should, by starting afresh in England in May next, fully maintain his reputation. Ebeling is another who will probably do far better in the Old Country than in Australia, his fast medium deliveries and good length being the type of attack which is consistently successful there. Grimmet, the South Australian and ex-Dunedin veteran is being given another trip in spite of his comparative failure against Jardine’s team last year. Ho is such a determined worker that it is quite on the boards that he may regain the form which has made him feared on English wickets. He will have on this occasion the help of two other slow

bowlers in Fleetwood-Sxnith and Chipperfield, the former being of an unusual type in that his left-hand deli vei’ies turn in from the off at slightly over slow pace. It would not have been surprising had FleetwoodSmith been omitted in favour of the Sydney left-hander, Hill, who is more of the orthodox left-hand type with a spin from the leg. T. Wall is again the fast bowler, and no nxox-o consistent trundler of this kind has appeared since the last Australian visit to England. He has not the venom of a Larwood, hut is a tireless worker and a consistent performer. As occasional changes there will be available M'Cabe (on the fast side) ; Bromley (left hander of promise); and Darling (another left-hander. The fielding should show an improvement on that displayed the last Australian season. Chipperfield, Brown, O’Reilly, Bromley, and, of course, Bradman being particularly brilliant while the rest are- all sound fieldsmen. There are, of course, as always occurs, a few players who may be deemed extremely unlucky to have missed, the trip. There is, for instance, Eiugleton, whose plucky innings against Larwood and Co. and consistent displays since certainly qualified him for the place of opening batsman with Woodfull, bub the more brilliant Brown has beaten him for the honour. Another sound opening batsman was Nitschke, while Richardson, Hill, Lonergan, Chilvers, and Rigg all must have had very strong claims. The selectors wisely omitted Ironmonger and Oxenham, who, although still very fine players, are on the old side. Many critics maintained that Ironmonger should be taken and used in test matches, but to do this with a man close on fifty years of age would surely be a reflection on the strength of Australian cricket. PLAYERS FOR NEW ZEALAND TOUR. The team chosen to tour New Zealand is a strong combination, and is more than likely to prove more than a match for the depleted New Zealand eleven. At the same time, the public will be glad to see the many noted players that are included amongst the tourists, while recognising that the attraction is not nearly so strong where the names of such as Bradman, Woodfull, O’Reilly, Kippax, and others are missing. Given fine ■ weather next month Carisbrook should hold a record crowd when the New Zealand team meets the Australians. . The visitors to the dominion will be led by V. Richardson, who needs no introduction to enthusiasts. He has Australia in test cricket on many occasions, and went to England with the last team. He will be remembered as captain of the last Australian team to play in Dunedin, where he made himself very popular. . New Zealand should be delighted with A. R. Lonergan, the little South Australian, who Was a schoolfellow of Bromley in Perth. In the match between South Australia and Victoria at Melbourne this player scored a century in each innings, and has another threefigure score to his credit this season. Last season he totalled 469 runs in first class matches, with an average of 29.31, his highest score being 145 against Queensland. C. Walker (South Australia) did excellently as second wicketkeeper on the last tour of England, and Grxmmett is said to favour him greatly, for h© makes no secret of the fact that no other keeper takes his howling’ so well as Walker. So in this direction New Zealand cricket enthusiasts should be in for a treat. , , Clenx Hill, of New South Wales, now finds a place in the team to tour New Zealand. The left-hander last season finished second in the bowling averages in first class matches, taking twentytwo wickets at an average cost of 15.27 apiece. He has not done so well on good Australian wickets this season, but it has been claimed for him that ho is the type of left-hander who would be a success in England, and as New Zealand wickets are somewhat similar to those of England he should probably do well in the doxninion. On the few occasioxxs when he has had a suitable wicket he is said to have bowled very well indCH.’ C. Nitschke, of South Australia, scored 695 runs in first class matches last year, with an average of 46.33, Ins best score being 105 against New South Wales. This season Nitschke has had a run of useful scores, including 130 not out, 82, 76, 55, and 44 not out. He is a bright batsman who can play the steady” game when it is required. The vice-captain of the side to tour New Zealand is K. Rigg, who has already taken his place m test cricket, and 'was, of course, a candidate again for the English tour. Last season Rigg scored 341 runs in first-class matches, his highest score being 166 against South Australia. This season he has nut together some useful scores, including 123 94, and 92, but towards the latter end of the interstate matches he struck a rather lean patch. H Chilvers was one whose claims have been fairly well brought under the notice of the selectors. Last season he took eight wickets in first-class matches at an average cost of 12.75, and this season has had several good performances to his credit, including six for 62, three for 48, and three for 67. He is a slow bowler who is noted for his accuracy and his sharp turn from leg. Fingleton, whose claims for the English tour have been referred to, scored 648 runs in first-class matches last season at an average cost of 38.11, his highest score being 119 not out for New South Wales against England. L. Nagel is the bowler who came to lio-ht so sensationally for Victoria against the Englishmen last season and won his way into the test team. He has not done anything startling with the ball this year, but last season took eleven wickets at an average cost of 24.45.

C. Andrews, of Queensland, has been a consistent run-getter this season, and last year scored over 300 runs, with an average of just over 22. Badcock is a Tasmanian batsman, of whom 'big things are expected. In first-class games last season he had an average of 30.50, and scored nearly 250 runs. E. L, M'Cormick. the Victorian bowler, has been used hut little by his State this year, but last season took fourteen wickets at a cost of 24.21 apiece.