THIRD TEST

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11832, 13 January 1933, Page 5

THIRD TEST

LONDON PRESS IN CRITICAL • • MOOD. ’ *'• ADVICE TO TOURISTS’ SELEC- • • TORS.* ; (U.P.A by’Elec: Tel. CJopyrijjiit.) ir. ’ LONDON; Jan. 11. Tlio Oaily Tclcgi'apli’s cticket critic says that-if the English batsmen do not play the Australian spin bowling at Adelaide better than they did in ■Melbourne, there is l little prospect of an English victory, unless Jardinc counteracts spin with spin, risking the batting strength bv replacing L«r wood or Voco by Mitchell, or Brown and Verity.

The Daily-Herald suggests that Tate should replace Rowes,.and adds: "The scant use made of the great-hearted Sussex bowler amounts almost to a boycott’. 1 >

Demanding strengthening the batting; the Daily Herald• sugests ; tb Payuter should take first knock with Sutcliffe:

NEED FOR SPIN BOWLERS. ■ (U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Com-eight ) (Roc. Jan. 12, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 12. if. C. White writing, in the Morning Post, says that on 'the Adelaide wicket it is possible to spin the ball especially at the .end of the game. Re thinks it advisable to have two spin bowlers, preferably Verity and Mitchell. Ho is doubtful as to Mitchell’s success as the Australians jump out to him and smother his break, but he is confident that Verity would fully justify liis selection. 'Flic Ramsbottom , Club announces that Grimmett lias declined its offer.

ADELAIDE GROUND CLOSED

DURING PRACTICE

J A RHINE OBJECTED TO BOISTEROUS RECEPTION.

(U.P.A. by Eli/-. Tel. Copyright)

ADELAIDE, Jan. 12

An objection by Jardinc to a rather boisterous reception when lie went iu to bat at tbe practice nets, and to the over-enthusiastic attentions of the crowd when tbe English team loft the ground after practice, has led the Adelaide cricket authorities to take the unprecedented action of closing tlie ground during practice to nil persons other than players and those whose presence there is indispensable. To-day the gates will be locked to the public and a police guard will bo posted. Even pressmen will be unable to gain admission.

‘WOODFUL” PLAYS UP

LONDON, Jan. 1

Roars of laughter filled the Olympia Circus last nighlt, and there were shouts of ‘Go on England 1 Keep joul tail up!’ when tour elephants played a two-aside Test Match 1 . ‘Jardinc’ wore a harlequin cap, which ‘Woodful’ knocked off. after which he threw a bat at the spectators with liis trunk. The crowd yelled, ‘Shame!’ when ‘Pataudi’ was out for a ‘duck’ from a ball howled with tbe trunk through the bowler’s forelegs. “NICE YOUNG MAN.” BO WES ’S MOTHER FE ELS FO R BRADMAN. LONDON. Dec. 31. “I hope that Bradman does not feel too badly about it. He seeing a nice young man.’’ sari Bowcs's mother interviewed at her residence at Armicy. over the Australian idol’s fall for a duck in the first innings of the Second Test. “My son doesn’t like to talk about what be lias done. All ho says in bis letter is that be hopes to earn bis place in bis side.” JUST DUMB! LONDON. Jan. 1. Headed “Just Dumb,'’ Tom Webster's cricket cartoon iu the “Daily Mail” depicts a dazed British lion squatting before scattered stumps, while an earnest-minded, bell-toppcr-ed, bespatted Briton observes to the traditional sports follower: ‘I don't miud performing animals; it’s nonperforming animals 1 don’t care about”. ANKLE INJURY. VOCE UNDER -MEDICAL TREATMENT. MELBOURNE. Jan. 5. Bill Voco, the Notts loft-lmnd bowl ci' and one of the mainstays of England’s leg theory attack, has suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury which kept him out of tho game against S.A.

He will not go with the team to Bendigo, but will remain in Melbourne for medical treatment.

MRS. BRADMAN’S FUND

MELBOURNE, Jan. 3

Two members of the Austalhui Board of Cricket Control, Dr. Allen Robertson (chairman), and Dr. Ramsay Mailer,' were the originators c-f the shilling public i subscription to buy a memento for Mrs. Bradman of Dou Bradman’s great innings in tlm Second’Test. ‘ ' ■ r 1 •They discussed the matter at the Melbourne Cricket t,Ground,, and hit-, or- 'took it up with 'prominent mem-, hors oKtlic Melbourne Cricket Club, which ! that body decided to sponsor the appeal, atid to .give it a push-off tho committee opened the list with £lO 10s. ' • Mr. -Hugli Triunble, secretary of the MlC.CLmadc immediate arrangements for subscription boxes to he placed at all entrances : to the ground, 1 and, in addition, two members.’ -of ’ hist. office, were deputed to move among • the crowd during the progress of play.

_ -won’Tstay j

taTe still under contract

RIELBOURNE, Dec. 31

Referring to-day to the report that an offer of a position had'•been made to him by a Sydney boot firm, and that ho might settle in Australia, Maurice Tate, the Sussex Bow'lcr, said that although certain conversations’ had taken place, he did not regard 'them in the light of a definite offer. Tate said that only a few months ago-he entered into a renewal of his contract to play for Sussex, and that contract still had about two years a.nd a-balf to run.

ON THE LEG STUMP

SHOCK BOWLERS’ TACTICS

CAREFULY PLACED FIELD.

RO UND-TABLE CONFERENCE SUGGESTED.

Tho latest development in modern cricket is what is known as the "legstump attack,” and nothing lias happened in the game in recent years which has aroused more criticism and more misunderstanding, writes “Old Boy,” in the Melbourne Argus. It is the outcome of the eternal struggle between bat and ball. The batsman, always favored byj the laws of tbe game, making, ever-increasing scores, bad to be checked, and the bowler, keen to regain control of the game, had to devise some means of

thwarting his natural enemy. Even before the war a young lefthanded bowler, F. R. Foster, of Warwickshire, had developed a virulent attack which was devastating, with the result that in the Five Test matches in Australia in 1911-12 lie took 32 wickets at an average cost of 21.62 runs, and' gained for himself a high reputation, the outcome of sheer merit.

Foster did not escape the allegation that he bowled at the batsman's legs, hut In his book he declares emphatically : "Never once did I bowl at the leg of the batsman. My objective was always the leg stump.” Foster was not a fast bowler, and although batsmen often found .their ribs, or hip, or thigh rattled with the ball, there was no complaints. Soon after Foster’s day the war began, and it was not until 1921 that Test matches were resumed, and by that time cricket had to be devolped. IS IT UNFAIR V WJieji Test matches were played again, the spearhead of the Australian attack was the fast attacks of E. A. McDonald aiid J. M. Gregory, and while they undoubtedly bowled at the leg stump there was no suggestion that they bowled at the man. They did not exploit the leg field "death-trap.” but sent tbe ball along at top speed, attacking the wicket from all points. In that period W. W. Armstrong and C. E. Kelleway exploited the leg theory ‘for the purpose of slowing down the scoring. Gradually batsmen developed a coun-ter-resistance and the leg play became an acknowledged fact. It meant tbe loss of those Beautiful off strokes which had delighted former generations, and the “square” and "late” cut were seen much less than the pull and the hook. Still batsmen were on top. and the bowlers, at their wits’ end to know what to do, developed the leg stump attack to the full. They packed their field round a batsman’s legs and bowled at the leg stump. As the pace devcolped accuracy in direction was impossible, and length became a mere matter of chance. In fact, when a short ball was bowled it proved so menacing that it was cultivated, until to-day we see more short-pitched balls than ever, and these whizz past a batsman’s cars most disconcertingly. That this form of attack has completely altored* modern cricket cannot be gainsaid; but is it unfair? If a bowler directs the ball at great pace—it is said that tlie ball bowled by Larwood at his fastest travels at the rate of 90 miles an hour —straight at a batsman’s body or liis head, with menace to do him injury, these can be no question that it is unfair, and, moreover highly dangerous; but if the batsman is covering his leg stump, as so niauj do nowadays, is a bowler not entitled to bowl at the wicket, and particularly at the leg stump? Is he not entitled oven to bowl so that a batsman must play the ball or step back/ Has the batsman not the protection of his pads—-seen and unseenanil of liis bat? Has he not footwork and headwork to call to his aid? These arc questions which must be answered. I do not believe that any bowler bowls at the man to injure him, but I believe that lie attacks the leg stump, and that as a result batsmen are hit.

The short-pitched hall. however, bowled at a great pace, cannot-pos-sibly hit the wicket. It cannot serve any useful purpose, except to intimidate the batsman, and, moreover, it is highly dangerous, and when it is bowled deliberately it is menacing. COMPLAINTS IN ENGLAND. Cricket writers in England—and among them Mr. P. F. Warner, the co-manager of the present Eughsh team —have denounced this form of attack, and have declared that it will ruin cricket. At present no Australian bonder dias practised this style of attack against the- English team, and it is an open secret that W. M. WoodfulL the Victorian and Australfcnilian Eleven captain, has refused to allow his bowlers to <idopt it. If this lefe-tlieorv bowling is fair ior one side it is fair for the other, and some of the members of the Board of Control have urged that Australia must fall into line, that either leg theory for fast bowling be forbidden or be exploited all round. 1 It is stated that the matter is "certain to bo discussed at the Imperial cricket conference in -London in 1934* • but it seems ridiculous to postpone consideration until then.. In view oi all the circumstances it would he well that a conference shouldl he held

forthwith. If Messrs T*. F.- : Warner and R. C. N. Palairet, as. managers, and D. R. Jardinc, as captain, could (me’et three Australian! representatives, say Dr. Allen Robertson. (tho chairman of the Board of Control), Mr. W. L; Kelly' (manager of the Rst Australian Eleven), and W. MWdodfull (the captain of the Australian I team) in conference, much good would result. J. B. Hobbs is travelling with'the English team,-and it was his objection in the match between Surrey and Yorkshire 'in England a few mouths ago which first brought the matter under!'nib tice, and Be might he co-opted with, possibly, W. W. Armstrong, of M. A. Noble as an additional Australian representative. Cricket is too good a . game to be spoiled by devious methods, and in this conference the cricket public would have complete confidence, I am satisfied that a cable message’ to the Marvlebone Club asking for authority to grant this conference would 'result in consent being given, and that the matter would Bo settled forthwith. There is nothing in the laws of the game to affect the question, which is ouo of ethics and-sportsmanship.