"BARRACKING"

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12042, 21 January 1925, Page 3

"BARRACKING"

EXPERIENCES IN AUSTRALIA, GIIiOGAJr pfiEASED. Right from the start of my tour of this-great country I cannot call to mind iany harrackirig that was not spiced with humour. The Australian spectator has such a way l of., saying what he wants to say that there is onlyone -way in which''to take him; that is ths Aght spirit in which htj sallies are given (says'ArthurXrilligam the English cricket captain,- in, ‘‘Smith’s. Weekly”). The little" banter we experienced in West Australia fitted ua out for our next stage of the long tour; that stage was Adelaide. Well, what .happened there? »My experience ip that city I shall never forget. ", , . A harraaker who liked the wav we took the-comments of the «.crowd\during our game against South Australia sent me- a beautiful travelling mg of the heat -wool; into which.rpy initials were worked in .the M.O.C. colours. I appreciate the gift from the bottom of my heart, and the man who sent it to me is still anonymous.. THE SUTCI4PFE INCIDENT. " Then there was the Sutcliffe incident at Brisbane.- That ' did a lot to help to promote good- feeling between my men and the Australian spectators. t Herbert Sutcliffe was giving back a a good as he got- from, the scoring-board squad -in Brisbane. 5 They • liked his" way, and eventually* came to the jgonclußion that he was a good fellow. Then they could -.. not do enough for him. They treated him to champagne and leapt on to the field to present him with a case of pipes. ' ■ I am told that this incident is unique in Australian criojtet. It was certainly a- grand thing. What I like ahout/the Australian crowds- is that they 'understand the game; they‘understand the finer points" of tho game. - Nothing misses them. And when you have crowds like that’watching cricket, you may depend upoti it that, barracking is not repulsive: ' - A most wonderful, -experience was the first test play-ed in Sydney. There the crowds were extraordinarily well ordered end well behaved. From 47,000 people you could expect some barracking. There was a mass of. faces —what a sight it was? • And yet, at the end of the day,! you would hardly know that a,single soul had been preso quiet was the crowd. It was really wonderful. “CHEERED MY MEN.’,’ The spectators were most unbiased, and not only did they cheer the Australians, but they cheered my men just as much. "Whenever there was a fine bit of fielding or "a fine, stroke the crowd applauded spontaneously. And even when any of my team reached, 10 or 20 runs, the same cheer went up. Ah, it was splendid! I confess that I expected barracking in Sydney. After the Fender-Wilson incident at Sydney in 1920-21,; I Vas, in doubts as to whether the crowds would not be* in two minds about how to treat ,ue.' You know what I mean. But I feel sure now, that the incident must now be forgotten. . { My own words at the beginning of the tour were: “We haven’t a single squeaker in this team,” and I am, sure the, Australian crowds are convinced of the truth of this. How humorous and warm-hearted are, the spectators In this country I I recall at this moment an -incident in our match with Victoria in November. You remember that last day: there was only two hours’ play and

Victoria was fighting.. against the clock. .It was a glorious struggle. I bowled practically throughout the two hours, and when one of the batsmen: treated me roughly a spectator roared out : “Put yourself on at the other end as well, Guly,” and another asked: “Haven’t you got any other bowlers?” As a -matter of fact, 1 had not, as botoh Woolley and Heame Were on the injured list then. : • KEPT HIS PROMISE. In the same'.contest occurred that Kilner incident,!. When Edgar Mayne, the Victorian captain, came out to bat, a spectator called out to Kilner,' who was about to bOVel: “If you get hiin out this over I will give you a pound.” .- , As you know, Kilner got Mayne 'with his second or third hall.. The crowd abound 'that spectator made him keep his;-"promise. They -shouted for Rilner. to come across :to the fence, the pound note was thrown in, and Kilner placed it in a safe pocket. Mi conclusion,'! must say that I expected . Australian barracking to be a thousand! times worse than it really is. I am agreeably surprised and happy about it all, 1 ,