FOLLOWING IN BRADMAN'S FOOTSTEPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22670, 6 March 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

FOLLOWING IN BRADMAN'S FOOTSTEPS

ROSS GREGORY, who was captain of the Gardenvale State school cricket team, Melbourne, that won the A group of the primary schools' competition in the 1930-1931 season, has advanced rapidly. He and Badcock are of the few batsmen, including Bradman and Jackson, who, in recent years, played test cricket when aged 20 years. Clem Hill, of another generation, was in a test team when aged only .19 years. Gregory afterward attended "Wesley College, and while still at school he played for the Colts team. His first representative match was in January, 1934, when he played for City Colts against the Country Colts. He made 22 and 50, and took two for 53 and none for 17. In December, 1934, he played for the Victorian second eleven in Sydney and made 39 and 1 (run out) and took two

for 48 and none for 25. In that same season he had an average for the Colts of 21.36 in 11 innings, with S3 his top score. He gained a place in the Sheffield Shield team in December, 1935, and made 60 in Melbourne against Queensland. His bowling figures in that match were three for 46 and two for 66. Other first class figures in that season were: —Bo' and 18 not out and 1/101 v. South Australia, 12 and 23 and 0/19 and 0/17 v. New South Wales, 59 and 1/31 and 2/80 v. Queensland, 2 and 4 and 1/99 v. South Australia, 1 and 5/69 and 0/9 v. Marylebono team. In that season he was fourth in the Victorian averages with 258 runs (average 36.85), and he took 10 wickets for 459 runs. Senior Last Year Gregory left the Colts to play with St. Kilda last season, and, with 15.5 not out as his top score, he had a batting average of 41.4 with that club. This season he has been most successful with the bat:—l2B v. England, 85 and 12 v. South Australia, 14 for an

Ross Gregory Practised For Hours with a Cricket Ball Tied to a Clothes Line Australian eleven against England, 46 v. Queensland in Victoria, and 75 and 20 in the match played recently in Queensland. A little below average height, but sturdily built, Gregorj' has one of the best pull shots in the game. He also cuts the ball well, but ho has yet to strengthen his off-driving. He bowls slow leg-breaks, with a good topspinner, and has fairly good command. He is also a fine fieldsman, and as he possesses a cheery personality and an ideal temperament, it will be surprising if he docs not find a permanent place in the Australian eleven. A Lad's Hero When Ross was a boy in knickerbockers Don Bradman had already becoino famous as a record-breaker and as Australia's greatest batsman, and naturally ho was one of Ross' heroes. Many of you know stories of how Don Bradman practised cricket in every spare moment when he was a lad. Ho would throw a golf ball against tho brick portion of an old tank and~~hit the ball on the rebound with a limb torn from a gumtree. Boss showed the same enthusiasm almost from tho tiino when he was big enough to hold a bat. Whenever he bad the opportunity ho would go quietly through the front gate of his homo with a bat and ball, waylay some passer-by, and ask him to bowl.

Never Became Tired It was always the passer-by who became tired first. Ross never became tired, even on boiling hot days. His mother would often come to the gate to find him, and would thank one of Ross' new-found friends for his share in the boy's game. Later Ross practised by tying a cricket ball with cord to a clothes-line, and hitting at it for hours. His mother, who felt that Koss had "cricket in him," did not really mind much when the woman who came to do the laundry had to ask her aid to untie about 50 knots before the clothes-lino was ready for its proper use. When his father made a pitch for him in the backyard Ross was delighted, and almost every day, after school, ho would bring friends homo with him to practise. When Ross was playing for the Gardenvale State school wise coaches saw in him a future champion. When he went to Wesley College ho played so well that he was chosen for the Colts' team before he left school. He then joined the St. Kilda district team, and when he was aged only 19 years he was chosen to represent Victoria in Sheffield Shield matches, and ho was fourth in the batting averages.