TWO KEEPERS NEEDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26473, 29 May 1947, Page 11

TWO KEEPERS NEEDED

ENGLISH CRICKET TOUR TALK BY AUSTRALIAN TEST PLAYER “I am surprised that when you send a team to England you include only one recognised wicketkeeper and rely on a utility man as a second wicketkeeper,” said Mr Ben Barnett, the former Victorian and Australian test wicketkeeper, in a talk to cricketers in the YMCA Hall last night. “No matter how good a wicketkeeper is, he is liable to get a finger broken, and I believe it essential that in future teams New Zealand should give consideration to the inclusion of two wicketkeepers.” Mr Barnett’s talk was arranged by the Carisbrook Cricket Club, and was one of the most interesting heard by cricketers for a long time. It was accompanied by a series of films, taken by Mr Barnett during his tours with the Australian cricket eleven, and the speaker who was welcomed by the president of the Carisbrook Cricket Club Mr G G. Austin, explained at the cutset that they were a personal record of tours he had undertaken with Australian teams in England. The enjoyment of the audience of over 300 was enhanced by the racy and humorous commentary which was given by the speaker. Remarkable Test Game

The films were introduced by a number of shots taken by Mr Barnett when the Australian players visited Windsor Castle in 1934 and were received by King George V and Queen Mary. Views of the jubilee procession in 1935, which were taken by a friend, were also shown, and then followed films covering the Australian team s tour ot England in 1938, beginning with the embarkation of the players at .Melbourne, and culminating in the remarkable final test match at the Oval It was in this game that England declared its first innings closed with seven wickets down for 903 about 5 o’clock on the third day after Hutton (364) had bettered Don Bradman s world record score for a test match of 334 and then dismissed Australia for 201 and 123. As a comparison in the rate- of scoring, Mr Barnett mentioned that Hutton made his runs in just under 12 hours, while Bradman got his earlier record total in six k°The speaker said that the first intimation Australian players had of their selection was when they read of it in the press or heard it over the air Then followed an official letter from the Board of Control, telling the player that he had been selected and a dvi spg him to be medically examined. This proving satisfactory, the player would get a second letter, enclosing a contract with about eight pages of foolscap matter, telling him what he must do and must not do. It was not permitted that a player’s wife or any member of his family should be in the country in which he was playing, nor during a tour was a player allowed to give any information to the press. Before the departure of the team for England came a third letter, continued Mr Barnett, and this contained a cheque for £IOO, with which he was told to fit himself out. Personal Sketches

Mr Barnett gave personal sketches of the various members of the Australian and English teams, and “Clarrie” Grimmett he described as probably the best slow bowler the world had ever seen. Of FleetwoodSmith, he said: “When the good Lord was handing out ability to spin the ball, He gave Fleetwood-Smith more than his share. When he spun it, he spun it like a shot out of a gun, and I think he was the most difficult bowler to whom I ever kept wickets.”