Larwood Won't Play Against Australians

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7493, 18 June 1934, Page 7

Larwood Won't Play Against Australians

Reported Answer to Invitation r t Likely to Mean His End in County Cricket

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Monday, 12.45 a.m. LONDON, June 37. The Larwood controversy has assumed disturbing proportions. Larwood intends to make an exclusive statement tomorrow, telling the public everything about his movements and intrigues in Test cricket. The Sunday Express, in a many-headlined front-page article, says: “The English selectors have a bombshell; they intend to invite Larwood and Voce to play in the Test at Lord’s, but Voce learned on Saturday night that Larwood had decided under no circumstances to accept the invitation to play against the Australians. This is likely to mean the end of Larwood in county cricket and may be followed by Carr’s resignation.”* Voce, interviewed by the Sunday Express, claims that he has been Larwood's closest friend since they played on the village green. “He has a bitter,remembrance of Woodfnil’s remark in Australia, ‘Two teams arc playing, but only one is playing cricket.” Larwood has never forgotten and will not play against a team led by Wood full. He feels that political influence was used with Marylebone against him and Jardine to make the selection of the team agreeable to the Australians. “The English people want Larwood to bowl,” declares Voce. “How can they compel the selectors to pick a team representing the spirit of England ? The cricket public will be disgusted that we have given in to the Australians. ’ ’ Lord Hailsham states that the suggestion of political pressure being brought against Larwood playing in the Tests is so absurd that it really needs no answer. “I happen to know,” he says, “that Larwood’s relationship with the ruling authority lias always been most cordial. A recurrence of feeling is most deplorable, particularly in view of the fact that the Australians had the best of us, fairly and squarely, at Nottingham.” .