L. Nagel Hailed As Next Best Australian Bowler To W.J.O’ Reilly

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 19

L. Nagel Hailed As Next Best Australian Bowler To W.J.O’ Reilly

New Zealanders will recall the name of tall, swerve-bowler Lisle Nagel, flashing into the cricket headlines a few years ago with a sensational performance in Melbourne that won him a Test cap. Now he is again doing enough damage to warrant attention by the Test selectors —and doing it consistently. If an Australian side had’to be picked to meet England this season, there would probably be a deputation to Lisle Nagel, beseeching him to return to big cricket for the occasion (writes J. P. Millard in The Herald, Melbourne. An Australian eleven nowadays would not be complete without this genial giant. Although 34, he maintains his devastating form with remarkable consistency, and stands out as die best of his type in the Commonwealth, and second only to O’Reilly among bowlers of all kinds. Nagel followed up his six for 38 against Northcote in the opening District round by wrecking South Melbourne on the following Saturday with seven for 14. WIND HELPS SWERVE On both occasions he bowled into the wind, which he prefers, as it helps his swerve. Hostile as Nagel was, South’s batsmen, with novice-like touch, contributed to their ‘own downfall by the old mistake of forsaking their natural game. Evidently they made up their minds to play Nagel with a dead bat, and to try to score off the other bowlers.

But it did not work. Swerving out in the air, to swing in from the off with great nip off the pitch, or whizzing straight through with his well-disguised

faster ball, Nagel was almost unplayable on a good wicket, from which he extracted life. TWO FOR HO IN TEST In his only Test, Nagel did well enough to warrant another chance. Bursting into the first Test in Sydney in 1932, as the result of his eight for 32 against an Australian eleven at Melbourne, he took two for 110 in England’s innings of 524. This was nearly as good as Wall’s three for 104, or O’Reilly’s three for 117, and better than Grimmett’s one for 118 in the same match. , . __ , To devote full time to busmess, Nagel retired from first-class cricket five years ago—prematurely. In 1935-36 he went to India in Frank Tarrant’s Australian team, led by Jack Ryder. Last season, when he topped District bowling averages, he bowled so impressively in the Marylebone Cricket Club centenary match that Test batsmen declared he still had no superior as medium-fast in Australia. To players, Lisle Nagel is “Long’un,” or one of the “Three Musketeers,” twin brother Vernon and Hans Ebeling being the other two. Lisle, now one of the directors of a city motor house, plays golf at Woodlands, where his handicap is down to 13. He also turns to tennis during the week-ends. He was born at Bendigo on March 25, 1905. Ebeling, who is resident representative of a leading oil company at Ballarat, has dropped out of the game as player, although still on the M.C.C. committee.

Vernon Nagel, assistant manager of the truck section of a big firm, is on a business trip to Tasmania, but may play for Melbourne again early in the new year.