ENGLISH TEAM

Southland Times, Issue 21897, 24 December 1932, Page 5

ENGLISH TEAM

MATCH AT HOBART PLAY HAMPERED BY RAIN TASMANIA TWO FOR 13 (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 7.55 p.m.) Hobart, December 23. The second match between England and Tasmania commenced at Hobart to-day, but play was hampered by rain soon after the commencement. Tasmania won the toss and batted, but started disastrously, losing the captain (Atkinson) for none and Badcock for four. Two wickets were down for 13 when heavy rain drove the players to the pavilion. At 2.35 rain was still falling and play was abandoned for the day. Scores:— TASMANIA First Innings. Atkinson c Ames b Allen 0 Badcock c Ames b Verity 4 Green not out 9 Burrows not out 9 Total for two wickets 13 RAIN STOPS PLAY SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH. (Rec. 7.55 p.m.) Melbourne, Dec. 23. Heavy rain rendered play impossible in the Sheffield cricket match between New South Wales and Victoria. QUEENSLAND v. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 11.5 p.m.) Adelaide, December 23. In the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia, Queensland in the first innings made 134 (Benstead 33, Marshall 33, Oxenham 5; Tobin took three for 48 and Grimmett five for 55. South Australia in the first innings have lost two for 166 (Richardson 26, Nitschke 94, Lonergan not out 44). SECOND TEST PROBLEM FOR AUSTRALIAN BATSMEN. (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) London, December 23 The newspapers are beginning to pay attention to the second test. The Daily Express says it is the business of Australian batsmen to find a way of combating the deliveries, of Larwood and Voce. One would think Woodfull, Ponsford and the rest knew all there was to known about the bowling. The writer believes they do, and that the Sydney failures were due to England’s bowlers being at the peak of their form and to the surprising timidity of the batting. LARWOOD STRAINS SIDE CONDITION CAUSING ANXIETY. (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) London, December 23. It is reported that Larwood strained his side in the second innings of the First Test at Sydney, since when he has not bowled. His condition is causing anxiety, and there is some doubt whether he will be able to take his place in the Second Test, but he is having a try-out on Monday. STAN McCABE AUSTRALIA’S ALL-ROUNDER. ADVICE TO CRICKETERS. Class all-rounders in cricket are very rare these days. For some years Charlie Kelleway, fine bowler and dour bat, filled the role in the Australian Xl—and filled it with distinction. He passed on out of big cricket, and, as is peculiar to the sport, another rose to take his place. It is young Stan McCabe, who, at the age of 21, is easily Australia’s finest all-rounder; a fine forcing batsman, fine medium-pace bowler, and a first-class fieldsman, says “Not Out” in the Sydney Referee. McCabe has won that place after a hard fight. He went away as a 19-year-old colt with the 1930 Australian team, and on the opening part of the tour registered failure after failure. But the Oxford game saw the turning point, and McCabe went on from success to success until to-day he promises to be almost as big a menace with the bat to England as Bradman himself.

McCabe is a product of St. Joseph’s College, a school more noted for its footballers than its cricketers. He made his debut with the college team in 1924 in an auspicious manner. The 14-year-old youth had not attained the dignity of long trousers then and he went to the wickets to the accompaniment of good-natured banter from the stand. But the occasion wasn’t too big for the short-trousered youngster, who hit a four off the first ball he received. It is interesting to note that he opened his Test career in a similar manner. Throughout his career McCabe has shown this quality very clearly. He has what keeps many cricketers from attaining top honours—the big match temperament. On the American tour with Mailey’s team he is said to have become a great favourite with the crowds by reason of his fine display of restrained and scientific hitting, and his 187 not out in the first Test with England is history. Secret of Success. And now let McCabe tell what he regards as the secret of success in cricket:— “The cricketer who has aspirations to the high honours of the game must be prepared to work hard, to study the game and his opponents, and to keep himself fit. “Firstly, let me deal with batting, I would advise every batsman to search for his weaknesses, and haying' found them, concentrate on eradicating the faults. There is only one way to do this. At the nets get a bowler to repeatedly send down the ball that worries you until you have mastered it. Never mind being bowled at practice. Just try and reason why you were beaten and set about correcting the stroke. “Treat every ball strictly on its merits. Forget always the reputation of the man bowling to you, and if the ball merits being hit to the boundary, hit it there. But never under-estimate a bowler. That is always a fatal error. Take each ball as you find it. “Always watch carefully the placing of the fieldsmen about you and always have a perfect understanding with the man at the other end. Let your calls be decisive and definite, and you won’t be sent to the pavilion in the annoying manner of ‘run-out.’ Study the Opponent “The bowler's task is much the same. He must be prepared to practice assiduously, attaining a perfect length and control of the ball. He must spend hours attaining these fundamentals of bowling successes. Bowling to a spot on the wicket at practice is a good way to attain this. “And just as the batsman studies the bowler opposing him, so must the bowler study the batsman, seeking always a weak spot in his defence and

experimenting to find it. Bowl always with your head as well as your arm. Don’t play the new batsman in by bowling off the wicket or the one type of ball to him. Give him a full assortment and make him play them. “The outstanding bowlers are the ones who are always experimenting with new deliveries. Look at the hours of hard work Clarrie Grimmett has put into making himself the world’s leading slow bowler. Take a lesson from him in this regard. “In the field be ever on the alert. Nothing looks more wretched than to see a fieldsman rooted to the spot until the ball is past him. Be on your toes all the time. Endeavour to anticipate the stroke and remember to watch your captain continuously for he may wish to move you an all-important few yards. You see, you must think whilst fielding, too. "Finally, I would say to all aspiring cricketers: Always be ready to learn. Never let failure get you down, but just find the reason why and remedy it. A big heart is a great asset in any sport and particularly so in cricket.”