A NOTED 'KEEPER

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 10

A NOTED 'KEEPER

W. A. OLDFIELD’S SERVICE PERFORMANCES IN TESTS HALF A CENTURY OF INTERNATIONAL GAMES AUSTRALIA’S “OPENING TAIL.” In the first cricket Test at Brisbane this year W. A. Oldfield, Australian peerless wicketkeeper, allowed only 27 extras in England’s aggregate ot 614 runs; and at the same time added another six to his huge list of Test victims, caught or stumped. He had up to then dismissed 8b batsmen in England v. Australia Tests, breaking the record previously held by the former English ’keeper, A. A. Lilley. Oldfield, now 39 years of age, first came into prominence with the famous A.I.F. team in England, just after the Great War. He began his Test career in Warwick Armstrong’s 1921 team to England as deputy to H. Carter. Oldfield was first ’keeper for Australia in the 1926, 1930, and 1934 Test teams to England, and up to the first test at Brisbane he had played in 34 Tests against England, making 1053 runs at an average of 25.0. In fact, friendly critics sometimes call him the “opening batsman” of Australia’s tail. All told, he has represented Australia in 50 Tests.

Oldfield's fine display in the Brisbane Test was in keeping with consistently sound performances in every series over a period of 15 years. In the first Test in South Africa last year he allowed the South Africans but 13 byes in a total of 530; and in later Tests did similar great work, as well

as making scores of 40, 44 and 29. When the Australians toured England in 1934, Oldfield began by snapping up four batsmen in the first Test. Then in the second he bagged three victims, “silently and with courtly grace.” In this same Test England compiled 440 in an innings, including 12 extras. And all those extras came from leg byes, for which the ’keeper w'as not responsible. In the third Test, England made 626. Oldfield allowed only six byes. Instances like that could be repeatedIn all, Oldfield, the last of the Australian Imperial Forces team now playing first-class cricket, has appeared in no fewer than 50 international games, and the efficiency of his wicket-keeping and his sound batting are shown by the following figures:—

Highest score against England 65, against West Indies 38 not out, against South Africa 56.

Byes Allowed. Runs scored by opponents and byes allowed in Tests in which Oldfield was wicketkeeper:

The above record does not conclude his performances in the second Test at Sydney where, at the time of writing (Tuesday) he had not repeated the form which he made so prominent at Brisbane.

Runs Scored. Mchs. Ins. N.O. Runs. Av. v. England . 34 55 13 1053 23 v. W. Indies ... 5 6 2 £0 22 v. S. Africa . 11 12 1 221 20 Total 50 73 16 1364 23

Catches and Stampings. Cght. Stpd. Total. v. England 55 30 85 v. South Africa 12 12 21 v. West Indies - 6 7 13 Total 73 49 122

Runs Byes allowed by opby Oldponents. field. England .... 19,324 3J3 South Africa .... 3,564 72 West Indies 1,773 42 Total 24,661 417