The Fight for the Ashes

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7967, 25 November 1911, Page 16

The Fight for the Ashes

England’s team for Australia Review of the “Young Bloods. FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. LONDON, September 29,—T0-day there sailed by the Orvieto from Tilbury, the cricket team selected by the M.C.C. to essay the task of wresting from Australia the famous “Ashes.” Reviewing the team dispassionately, one would be inclined to say that it was on© of the most solid combinations that has ever left England. It is a splendid batting side without doubt, and it contains a dozen men who can be put on to bowl with every prospect of getting wickets, it contains two very capable wicket keepers, and though there K some element of weakness in the fielding department, it is on. the whole a splendid all round combination, to which Englishmen are looking with a quiet confidence to revenge the Test Hatch defeats suffered by the Home team in Australia , four years ago. A glance at the team’s averages with bat and ball shows that in batting at any rate the team is a. splendid one. There is not a really weak batsman on the side, unless Smith and Strudwick be regarded in this light. Strudwick, howover, has averaged nearly 22 for the past season, and Smith has shown himself capable of making a century, so even this pair cannot bo despised as willow, trielders. Barnes, of course, is seldom seen nowadays in first-class cricket, but we know him to be au excellent bat as well as one of the best fast medium bowlers of the day. Here are the men’s averages: BATTING.

Some of the team aro "eld friends'' of the Australian public. Of the new men first mention must bo made of the | amateur John William Henry Thomas j Douglas—a fine cricketer and a very "hot member" with the gloves that are not used in cricket. Mr Douglas is a very steady batsman possessed of plenty or j>atience and a very sound defence. He can, however, hit freely when occasion serves, and is a really high-class fastmedium right-hand bowler, who can stand any amount of hard work. As a fielder he is, at present, somewhat uncertain, hut is improving rapidly, and bids fair to make a first-class slip. From Frank Eov.botham Foster, the popular and energetic captain of the champion county Warwickshire we, in England, expect great things. He is a fine dashing right-hand batsman, a splendid fielder and a very dangerous lefthand medium pace bowler, with an easy action and a puzzling swerve. He was one of the all-round successes of the past English season. Of James Iremonger, of Notts, it may be said that whilst he has not sustained his reputation as a batsman, he is still a very sound batsman, and has developed into a very useful fast medium bowler with plenty of spin. Joseph Vine, of Sussex, is one of those treasures among cricketers—a batsman whom nothing seems to disturb. He has an exceptionally fine defence and can hit hard when in the mood. He was in wonderful form during the early part of the past season, and was the first to complete a thousand runs. He is also a very fine leg-break bowler, and a splendid 1 performer in the field, especially the i long-field. j Ernest James Smith, of Warwickshire, I who will understudy Strudwick behind I the sticks, is a first-class performer in I that position,’ and is moreover quite a good right-handed bat. I John William Hearne, of Middlesex—--1 the last choice and the “baby” of the team —is a worthy scion of the cricketing house of Hearne, and one of England’s i rising stars. Ho is a sound bat, and on his days one of the most difficult bowl- | ere we have. He bowls right-handed and is partial to the leg-breaks, which he varies with “googlies." At times Hearne is a bit erratic, but when he is able to find Ms length, batsmen have to watch him very carefully. Of Charles Philip Mead, of Hampshire, it can safely be said that he is one of the best, if not the best, scoring lefthanded batsmen of to-day once ho gets going. He is, however, apt to be shaky j at the start, and his pose at the wicket :is not pretty. But once under weigh he I has a sound defence, and any number of 1 scoring strokes. During the past season Mead scored more runs and ran up more j centuries than any other first-class player I in England. As a bowler he is not so good as formerly, hut he is still a fair slowmedium change, and is a first-class field in the slips. Frank Edward Woolley, of Kent, like ; Mead, is not a good starter, but once [ he gets going he is as fine and free a left-handed bat as one could wish to see. He is particularly strong in the off side. As a left-hand slow bowler he reminds one of Blythe, and on certain wickets is just as destructive. I Septimus Paul Kinneir, of Warwickshire, is the third of Captain Warner’s left handers. He is usually a very steady | and at times a painfully cautious bats- | man. Occasionally, however, he has been [ known to let himself go and the results : have not been satisfactory to the bowlers opposed to him. He has a fair variety of strokes, and his 268 not out was the highest score of 1911. As a field he is fairly good, better perhaps in the slips than elsewhere, and he can send down a good ball when called upon. He lays no pretension, however, to be deemed even "promising” in this department. John William Hitch, the Surrey fast bowler, is a perfect demon for work. Ho is an energetic and untiring field, and

at short leg has no superior in England. As a howler he is at times very expensive, but he is worth his place in any team, for if. he cannot take wickets he can save runs, and as a batsman is certainly not to be despised as his three figures innings against Somerset, at Taunton, proves.

Of Manager Tom Edward Pawley everybody who knows him speaks most " highly. He is a "John Blunt," but he is highly popular in cricketing circles, and he is a born organiser whose work has contributed materially to the financial success of the Kent County C.C. At a pinch Mr Pawley might lend Captain Warner a hand. . He used to be quite a good bat and a very useful fast, bowler, but at fifty-two it is quite probable that his hands have lost their cunning to a great extent..

Most Times in an Inns. Runs. inns. not out. Avge. Moacl 2562 233 5 54.51 Kinn+itr ... 1629 263* 3 49.36 Warner ... 51 2123 244 46.15 Hearno .... 41 1627 234* 3 42.81 1614 200 2 42.47 Hobbs .... 60 2376 154* 3 41.68 Gunn 1577 143 1 38.46 Rhodes .... 2261 128 5 38.32 Wool'ley ... .... 47 1700 148* 2 37.77 Vine 1848 180 1 34.38 Douglas .. .... 46 1278 176 3 29.72 Iremonger 34 855 83 4 ’ 28.50 .... 40 827 115 6 24.32 ....• 46 629 74 17 21.66 .... 42 630 100 I 15.58 Barnes .. — — 41 18 13.66 •“Signifies not out. BOWLING. Ovors. Mdns, Runs. Wkts. Avge. 162.1 29 523 28 18.68 952.1 183 2864 141 20.31 Woolley ... 616.5 137 1814 85 21.34 Hearns .... 619.3 87 2245 102 22.00 914.1 168 2817 117 24.07 414.5 43 159J 64 24.84 Douglas ... 646.5 93 2049 82 24.98 Baru'ea 152.5 39 - 350 • 14 23.00 Iremonger 1209.4 ' 366" 2637 101 26.1u Mead 213 42 713 21 33.95