CRICKETERS RETURN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20721, 14 November 1930, Page 13

CRICKETERS RETURN.

AUSTRALIANS' HOMECOMING, BREAKAWAY BY DON BRADMAN,COMMERCIALISATION OF SPORT. [from otnt fnvtr corb esponden r.'l SYDNEY, Nov. 6. The great team spirit, which, everyone agrees, won for the Australian cricketeP3 the ashes, has not been quite bo marked since tho team's triumphant return to Australia. But there has been only one breakaway, that of tho hero of the side, Don Bradman, holder of more cricket records than it is possible to count on the fingers of both hands. It seems to bo' universally regretted that tho Board of Control, at tho request of private firms that' were interested in publicity, should have permitted Bradman to leave the team immediately it reached Fremantle, and from then on to be treated as a man apart from tho rest. Yet' such has been the case, for sinco he reached these shores Bradman has been in the control of a private motor firm, which in Sydney this week presented him with a new model car. This company has arranged everything for him and it is even suggested in a cruelly sarcastic way that a representative of the company has seen him safely to bed each night, tucked him up, as it were. Public Enthusiasm. The cricket authorities have played no part in his receptions, which have lacked nothing in enthusiasm as far as the public is concerned. Bradman himself provided a commentary on his separation s from other members of the Australian eleven when ho broadcasted a talk from a Melbourne wireless station soon after he had reached that city by 'plane, the rest .of the team being then on the water. It had been staled that officially cricket heads would not take part in the reception at the aerodrome. Evidently this proved fo bo the case, for at the end of his address Bradman appealed to tho secretary of the Victorian Cricket Association to get into touch with him by telephone. Bradman said that from tho time of his arrival in Melbourne h 6 had been endeavouring to find the secretary, but lie had failed. If he was listening-in, would b6 pleaso ring the station? As the broadcast had been arranged by the motor company it was doubtful whether the secretary was listening. Bradman evidently sensed the public feeling, for during the broadcast he was at great pains to explain that he had acted as he had done for the benefit of the unemployed. Ho said that tho motor company had imported only five models of the car that was presented to him. Four of these had been presented to the Lord Mayors of the capitals of Australia and were to be raffled for the benefit of the unemployed. His anxiety was to help that causo and he appealed to everybody to purchase tickets in the art unions that had been planned. Commercial Flavour. Bradman's main reception in Sydney last night was privately arranged by the motor company and a charge was madft for admission to the Town Hall, tfcs total funds to go for the unemployed. The firm by which Bradman is employed in Sydney—dealers in sporting goods—said that it was in full accord with what was being done. This has led to the suggestion that the whole thing flavours of commercialisation of sport—and the commercialisation of success in sport. Officially Bradman's team-mates have nothing to say about the breakaway, and, while not begrudging Bradman any of the honours he has received, they have made it plain that in their opinion "this sort of thing" is not' in the interest of cricket. The manager of the team has said that Bradman "was taken out of his hands by the Board of Control" and he has hinted that he is going to protest. All this notwithstanding, Bradman and the rest of the team have had a wonderful reception, and they were sorry when the time came for breaking up the party at Melbourne on Monday. They have been an exceedingly happy crowd and the. tributes they have paid to the captain have been remarkable. Woodfull is regarded as the greatest captain an Australian team in England has ever had and that is saying a great deal. However, he is given credit for moulding the side into a team that' was capable of doing the thing that, was least expected of it when ib sailed—winning the ashes. Fine Team Spirit. The chief reason for our success was the fine team spirit," said .Woodfull.. "The players never mentioned one State against the other. It was an Australian team only. It was noticeable when * player had a particularly lean time, immediately he gained success, he was congratulated much more heartily than perhaps those who had had a phenomenal run." It should be said in fairness to Bradman that he, too, has emphasised that it was the team spirit that won the ashes. He has not addressed the people in any boastful spirit. In fact, in all his speeches he has praised the other members of tho team and he has said very little about himself. His praise of Woodfull has been unstinted and Jie has nothing but praise for his team mates. It is quite clear that he has returned unspoiled by his phenomenal success and maybe what has happened was in a way forced upon him. Perhaps it was undertaken unthinkingly. Anyway, he is still a popular hero, as he deserves to be, for, after all. he has really done nothing to detract from his wonderful record, And when he reappears on the Sydney Cricket Ground to-morrow in the second Sheffield Shield match of the season he is bound to receive a sincere ovation. A week later all the test team will gather again for the Ryder benefit match in Melbourno against The Rest..