CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11827, 7 January 1933, Page 10

CRICKET.

LEG - BOWLING • THEORY

ENGLISHCAPTAIN’S VIEW

LAUNCESTON, Dec. 16

At aninformal' 1 Reception t-o the English cricketers this * morning, tlie president of the Northern - Tasmanian Cricket Association,-- Mr Martin, referred to the; leg-theory fast-howling tactics. Mr Martin said there was no reason-to squealLlf ‘McCabe, Fingleton,; and Cummins could’ deal. 'with that style of bowling,; other Australian -cricketers might- be expected to do‘so. “ - H

Janline, in reply,.said the leg.theory seemed top have < originated in, the'Australian newspapers. His .team did'not know - , much, about,it when they arrived,, but had heard a lot since. Exactly the. same ytyle of attack had' been tried, without ' number in matches ranging from country cricket to games on .the -village green. - ‘Perhaps, 5 s he added, “we have been a little more iortunate or wiser in the placing of the field to. suit ..this, type of attack. There is nothing dangerous, and wo hope that it wil gon on -being successfull.

In writing .in,the London “Morning Post” on August 22 last in regard to the leg-theory bowling of Bowes, the Yorkshire, player, the manager of the English team now in Australia, Mr \P. F. Warner, wrote as fqllows.:—“Bowes mn s t alter his tactics. He bowled with five men on the on-side, and sent- down several very short-pitched balls, which repeatedly bounced head high and more. Now, that is not bowling; indeed, it it not cricket.: If .all-fast bowlers were to.adopt hi s methods' the M.C.C. .would be compelled to step in and pen alise a bowler who bowled the ball iless than halfway up the pitch. Yorkshire will find themselves a very unpopular- side- if there %-a. repetition ot Saturday’s methods. Moreover, these things lead to reprisals, and when they begin goodness knows where they will end. ... I appeal to all who contrdl Yorkshire cricket, to the president of the.club, to the committee, to the captain and to the men like Shellffe, to see that things are altered ... I have written, I hope, honestly and fairly and I am certain that I echo the opinion of all who care for cricket and who wish to see its high traditions and prestige maintained.’’

In the match referred to- D. It. Jardine was the captain of the- Surrey team that was playing Yorkshire and it was in his presence that Hobbs made his protest, fwhic-h .brought forth support from Mr Warner. There is nO evidence that- Jardine- admonished' Hobbs' for making his prot est - “A POSITIVE DANGER!” There is- a- priceless par in IT. S. Altham’s “History of Cricket” : “Blackham’s. wicket-keeping in 1882, for positively the best Australian eleven that ever visited England, was once again the theme of universal admiration, and: H e wa s actually -spoken of ih one quarter as a positive danger to the well-being of cricket, encouraging as hei did by his example the abolition of long stop!” It was in that year Australia won the famous “Ashes” Test by seven runs. Of Blackham’s work on the 1880 tour Altham states: “Once more did Blackham’s wicket-keeping astonish a,!], who saw it, and the way that day after day on all sorts of wickets he stood up to all his bowlers was a revelation "to English cricket. In the Test at the Oval (in which England lost five wickets scoring! 57 to wm) he -and' Alfred Lyttelton together gave the finest exhibition of the art ever known.”, BONUSES FOR TEST PERFORMANCES One of the big liquor-manufactur-ing firms is. offering bonuses to players of both Aides in the cricket Tests -between England anl Australia. It offers £lO to the Australian howler with the Tests, provided that the century is made’within 150 minutes: £lO to the English bowler with the best average in the Test series, provided the winner plays in at least three . Tests and takes no fewer than 10 wickets: £lO ti the Aristralian howler Wth the same qualifications: £5 for every hit over the fence : £1 for every catch taken- and 2s-for eve-ry hit t-o the boundary. None of the four players who scored centuries in the first Test came within the - time-limit iflg for the £l.O bonus, but S--L Ale Gabe missed it by oll iy l 1 mixm es ’ ■ BRADMAN, a bDUOK.” 'Great was of the Melbourne cricket parently of the crowd Poo tvhen Ahstralia’s wonder batsman, Bradman, was bowled for a duA in the first innings of the second • the Englishmen. Tne anSneer said that 'Bradman. hiV first ball, a fart one, over 1m sHonlder on to tin. nSnagei ibis'is not very clear, bat tiiere are many queer yays of get out in' cricket, • and even the Bi-idm'ant of. the world sometimes mm mistakes, which is some consolation to the “rabbits” who take another “'duck” as‘ a matter of course. The, announcer- ; said ; that the crow. were dumbfounded when they satv Bradman’s -wickets upset-. Remarks fnch as “It’s a tragedy” and “It’so an. international calamity” were heard on all sides. .. . ,

TOO OLD AT ? A:Are cricketers too old at 30—or 32 or'3s? Judging by an English critic’s despairing references to leading players of the Australian team, cricketers are in a state of hopeless sem ility when in the .30’s. But let us hear from one of these poor, decrepit veterans:— Alas! the toll of the envious years J My day is over, and set my sun. With grief that is too deep for tears, I face the truth—-I am 31. • ) I gaze at the world through bleary eyes. > And. pains rheumatic rack me through, How hard it is to .realise That once T was glorious 22. And yot, it seems, few r years have sped Since T—yes, pitiful I —was great. I could then make centuries on my head; But now it’s hard to get- 98.

On the wings of memory hack I fly, I wield again a conquering blade. My form is lissom, clear my eye, Of fast leg bowlers I’m unafraid.

The red blood tingles within my veins.

I’ve conquered the world at 2-1 . . . Those agonising rheumatic pains! My wings collapse, and the dream is o’er.

I’m 31. and a feeble wreck. My hands are palsied, my cheek is pale. A crop of wrinkles around mv neck Tell but too truly their own sad tale.

I still play cricket, and Fate is kind— I still make centuries ere I'm bowled. But- a voice comes whistling on the wind: • r Too old! Too old Too old ! TOO OLD r —“Oriel”, in the “Melbourne Argus’’. DR. JOHNSON ON THE TESTS. As competition editor of the "Weekend Review,” Mr. J. O. Squire, the poet, set readers the task of composing an estimate in the manner of Dr. Johnson of the chances of the English Test eleven in Australia. The following entries won the prizes:— FIRST PRIZE, Hearing the doctor speak with his wonted enthusiasm of our players, Goldsmith was provoked to remark that a volume of “Lives of Cricketers’’ might- be worth bringing out. "Well, sir,” said Johnson, "why not? A good, cricketer is better than a bad poet.” Boswell: “Why not make it verse, sir?’’ Johnson: “A prodigiously good idea, sir. I have begun to compose an Australian Oampign.’ The Ethiopian and the far-darting Sutcliffe shall be the heroes.” Boswell: “But the Nawab i 3 not an Ethiopian, sir.” Johnson: “Sir, I believe I know my business as well as you. I shall moke him a turbaned Turk if I choose.” He went on to declaim :

“ ’Gainst Sutcliffe, ’neafifi t.h’ Antipodean sky. In vain their horrid arts the native* plyWhile Ethiopia’s giant strokes enrage The servile vulgar of this latter age. Lo, Hammond comes, and curses fill the air. Dingoes turn pale, and dark bushrangers swear.’’

“Sir,” said Goldsmith, ‘‘can a dingo turn pale?” ”1 know very well, sir,” said Johnson, impatiently, “that the dingoes, or people of Australia, are dark complexioncd, - hub the unities demand that they shall turn pale.” He then let us know that ho intended to enshrine the deeds of each player, and had already composed couplets celebrating the triumph of the team. But, sir, said Goldsmith, “suppose they are beaten?’* ‘ Johnson: “What WhiggDh cant is this? A team that contains such men as Sutcliffe'and the Nawab cannot he beaten.” —W.GSECOND PRIZE. If, sir, your contention be that the Australians have acquired a nice management of the bat and an un common facility with, the hall, I shall not contest the point. The young dogs have, I concede, very superior abilities, demanding the admiration of the instructed and the applause of the multitude. But if you should maintain that they will defeat our men, then, sir, I tell you this is miserable stuff. You are to consider, sir, that His Highness the Nawab of Patandi combines the elegant sinuosity of the Last with the classic virtuosity of Oxford; that Sutcliffe and Hammond have attained to the sumijvit of human powers at this pastime, and that Mr. Brown (though I fear the dog is from Cambridge) has so varied an address as to raise my opinion of the faculties of the man. Mr. Bradman, I allow, is a batsman of no common skill, and MrWoodfull has a pertinacity, a sullen persistence, to which I am willing to pay. tribute. But, sir, , depend upon, it, they will wish to hide behind their pavilion rails when Mr. Allen and Larwood are howling at them. Sir, they will cry for mercy, and I hope they will get none. ; He who anticipates, nay, he who contemplates, the defeat of his compatriots is a scoundrel. Let me hear ho more of this. We shall win, and there’s an end on’t.—F. W. Fordham,