FROM THE PRESS BOX

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1934, Page 2

FROM THE PRESS BOX

> HOBBS WATCHES THE TRENT f ' BRIDGE TEST. d Everyone, I > think, will agree that 4England had the worst of the wicket ((writes Jack Hobbs in “The Star,’’ ''London). The toss Ineant a lot at Nottingham i'las things turned. r But J am not complaining about (that, or suggesting that we might have jdone much bettor if we had won it. Tl'Us* fact ,iS' that the. Australian team T, hadAb'owlet's .better, able, 'to utilise a worn wicket than our bowlers. - -•Those-great attackers, Grimmett and O’Reilly, did more on the worn wicket than anybody on our side could have hoped to do. •'T* Thbso two bowlers represent something England docs not possess. We • must admit the truth. How Grimmett still manages to howl over after over through a. day without seeming to tire to me is one of the ~ mysteries of life. So much for two great match winners. --■• ' Another thing' that contributed materially to the victory of Australia was the great catching of Chipporflcld at first slip. Some of his efforts looked nothing short of miraculous. When this is put with his innings of 09, it must bo admitted that Chip- , perffeld, in his first test, was of amazing value.

1 have no hesitation in describing Chippprfield’s appearance as a groat personal, triumph. Another whose work In the field always held the eyes was Bradman, He saved bags full of runs at long log and mid-off by clean, swift handling, sure position taking, intuition and accurate returns.

Having men in the field like Bradman and Chipperfield helped to mould Australia ’s good start. Then, behind the wicket, Oldfield was great. He made two catches on the last day at a moment critical for England.

His hands remind me of the Bank of England, because they are so safe. The - way in which Oldfield stumped Geary in the first innings was nothing short of masterly.

TlionV'h Amos <ii< 1 extremely well behind tln*.wh-kc-t for England, Australia Mirpaxsed n i in. i his depart mr-nl.

Their whole work in (he field was more precise than that of England. Australians always throw better than we do, and J maintain that their arms are stronger than English arms owing to their greater share of sunshine. In tliis department, as in batting, England were expected in do bettor than they did. OTHER HIGH LIGHTS. If. E. S. Wyatt, who was unable to turn out, received scores of messages of commiseration on his hard luck, none of which die appreciated more lhan Wood full’s. —A. E. R. Gilligan, in London •' ‘ News-Chronicle.’ ’ » • # fr * What a Crowd! Next came an amazing scene. At a signal the crowd standing round nearly, a rjuarter of the ground suddenly rushed forward in a packed mass over the grass to the rope round the boundary, .It reminded me of one of those mass population moves from a film. There w’ore hundreds of them. Down they squatted. Up rushed the police, and by dint of Rugby football manoeuvring the people wore pushed back about a yard. P>nt they had won their point. What a crowd! —J, B. Hobbs in “The ■Star,’’ London. * « * * Out of Luck. Fireworks. Right away Fames bowls Woodfull: and I wish it had been another batsman. But Woodfull had both feet in front of the off stump when the ball flattened Jils leg stump. He is out of luck and cannot do anything right.—C. B. Fry, in London ' 1 Evening Standard.” > * * * « The Runs Don Saves, I reckon Don Bradman has saved nearly 40 runs this morning. Apart from sheer saves, the batsmen dare not run in his neighbourhood to strokes such as the winged god Mercury could not prevent. — C. B. Fry, in London ‘ ‘ Evening Standard. ’’ * * * * A Great Enthusiast. Silting with me in the Australian enclosure (at Trent Bridge at the first

tesl) was f’nptaln G. A. Hancock, wellknown to thousands as rhe commander of the Channel steamer Canterbury. He is a great cricket enthusiast. He has good friends among the Australians, and he is spending his leave among them. “I shall be back on the bridge on Thursday,” he said, “with some very happy memories of a wonderful match, played in such keen hut friendly spirit, the spirit in which cricket should lie played. 1 am so fond of watching cricket that when my time comes to retire I shall arrange to go to Australia with England’s test team.” —Tom Clarke, In the London “Daily Mail.” * * » • “Well Played. Stanley! ’’ It was in the Trent Bridge test; McCabe slammed the first ball of the day, from Fames, for -I. Evidently Australia meant to gel runs quickly. Off the last ball of Fames’ second over McCabe got another boundary between fine and square-leg, which took his score to 87. Both batsmen were taking short runs, too. After popping one up near the two short-logs, while facing Geary, McCabe, having a go at an off-ball, was caught at first slip by Hammond, off Fames. McCabe had sacrificed his chance of a. century in the interests of his side. I think he would have got the 100 fairly easily, so I. can only say: “Well played, Stanley.”—Jack Hobbs in “The Star,” London. ♦ ♦ * « Chippsrfield and Brown. I am afraid that Ohipperfield and Brown may prove greater thorns in the flesh than some of the better-known names (writes D. R. Jardino in the London “Evening Standard. ”) The former’s success must have delighted Iho heart of that, fine cricketer and judge of the game, Warren Bardsley, who, I understand, pressed his claims with true insight. Brown impressed mo a lot. His bat is as straight as was J. W. Hearne’s; lie bids fair to go in first for Australia for a number. of years. . . . the loss of the rubber might in some ways be no bad thing if it quietens the controversy. Nor, it might be added, would the winning of the rubber by England, for the same reason, he no bad thing.