Don Bradman Discusses The Grimness And Wiliness Of Grimmett

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6841, 23 April 1932, Page 13

Don Bradman Discusses The Grimness And Wiliness Of Grimmett

A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY, FOR YOUNG BOWLERS TO TRY TO EMULATE

HLARENCE VICTOR GRIMMETT once said on a gramophone record: “Although they call me grim and wily, I am really a nice likeable little^cliap.” knew Clarric, as we do, ■vou would understand the humour in that sentence, writes Don Bradman in the Sydney “Sun.” Watch him walking down the street. One might imagine this slimly-built and short fellow to he anything but what he actually is. Confer on him the title ot the “world’s greatest slow howler’ and nobody would disagree with you (except perhaps Clarric himself). It is only natural that he would disagree, for a more modest, unassuming cricketer never breathed. ~ “Scarlet” or “C.rum (to use some of his nicknames) is, as they call him, grim and wily. , . ~ _ Have we uot seen him over aftci over, day after day, and match after match toil in the hot sun, bearing the brunt of the howling for Australia, yet never wilting nor complaining/ I love to sit in the pavilion and watch him bowling to a man who is well set and playing good cricket. Every time Clarric walks back, getting ready to deliver the next ball, one can almost sec him thinking out something new or planning out just how he intends to try to get this man s wicket. Scientific Side. I don’t think any howler has ever made such a study of bowling as Grnnmett. A few moments conversation n soon convince you of this. He via explain scientifically why a ha I to which overspill lias been imparted will

There is no player to whom I would rather go when seeking genuine sincere advice than Clarric. Go to him yourself in all good faith and he in turn will honestly and conscientiously, give vou what he considers the best advice and help you all he possibly can. _ One of the main reasons lor Grimmett’s continued and outstanding success is his consistency. Bowling for the first time in a match, cold and stilt, against two batsmen well set, I have seen Clarric come on and bowl four consecutive maiden overs. This feat woulu be remarkable for a medium-paced bowler—for a slow bowler it is amazing. That immaculate length, ball after hall, is tantalising to the batsman, who is anxious to make shots but can’t. In desperation lie often hits out wildly, but always with fatal results as the inevitable reward. He Is Versatile. Grimmett bowls almost a round-arm hall, thereby giving it an extremely low trajectory, and is much faster through the air than the ordinary slow bowler. He can bowl fast or slow- leg breaks. In the second Test match against the South Africans he showed us what a master of flight lie is by a marvellous performance, which left the South Africans nonplussed under perfect batting conditions. It was almost a perfect example of using the wind when bowling. He alwavs bowls into the wind to get the full benefit of variations in flight. . ~ , . I think the best ball Grimmett howls is that one which is apparently a legbreak, but goes, straight through and zips off the pitch at tremendous speed. It has left, dozens of batsmen guessing. One 'plays for the leg-break, but too late, sees the ball pass inside the bat to he bowled or given out l.b.w. Although others may not agree with me I do not think Grimmctt’s bosey is so well concealed as that of some other slow bowlers I have met. Peebles and Mailey arc just two names that come to mind. , I do not wish to infer that Clarric does not bowl a good bosey. It would be foolish of me to do this seeing that lie has repeatedly baffled such a batsman as Jack Hobbs. Rather do I wish to infer and stress the excellence of the other bowlers in this art. Clarric delivers the bosey differently, altogether from his leg-break and from ibis fact alone, it is easy for a watchful batsman to detect it. One cannot afford to be careless, but must he on the look-out for it all the time. Brain Tells. We all wonder at the stamina of this little ball of energy. He bowls all day and never appears fatigued. I think, in this respect, his short run, always flic same, helps him a good deal. He never has to think about bowling a no-ball. Those feet automatically go in the same place every time. Other howlers could do well to follow Clarric’s example here. Occasionally it has been said that Grimmett docs not turn the ball so much as he should. Perhaps those who know Clarric best would not make this remark. He definitely can turn the hall quite a lot.if he wishes. The fact that he does not always do so is only further proof of his hrnin ruling his bowling. , , The ball which turns a yard rarely gets a wicket. The ball which just turns sufficiently to miss the bat does get wickets, and Clarric knows it only too U He is a model of consistency, which other young bowlers could do no better than try and emulate if they desire to become successful.

drop quickly in the air. He will tell you that a ball will swerve in the air because of the spin imparted to the ball, which way it will swerve, and why. He has studied these tilings and applied his knowledge to the very best advantage. For many years Grimmett met with little or no success. A less determined man would have given up the fight. Not so with Clarric. He stuck to his task, gradually increasing his efficiency and always increasing his know-ledge of tactics, etc. To-day wc sec the result. Clarric only needs a table and a ping-pong ball or a tennis ball, and he is a real entertainment. It is remarkable the spin he can impart to a ball, making it turn at various angles.