Defending the Ashes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 485, 15 October 1928, Page 7

Defending the Ashes

Personnel and Prospects of the Test Teams

(Written Specially for THE SUN By "PATSY*' HENDREN , Middlesex and England.)

NO. 2. AUSTRALIAN FORM

Tt has become a habit to pick holes 1 English cricket. Our critics are * severe and although there have 'robably been occasions when their Strictures were justified, the position # the came to-day. I believe, is strong and encouraging. We hold the “Ashes/* came within an ace of beating the <outh Africans last season on their nwn puzzling matting wickets, and we have been far too good for the West Indies this summer. We cricketers are properly, I think, proud of these achievements and I personally have creat faith in English cricket. 5 Curiously enough, Australian cricket is in much the same conditions as our own. Perhaps the game here is in a slightly more settled state than in \ustralia. I spent last winter at Adelaide and during my stay of four jnonths I saw most of the inter-State players. From the impressions I then gained, I do not think there will be many changes in the Australian eleven. \s in this country, there have been niany attempts to belittle Australian cricket, but they, too, have many promising players, and in enthusiasm *nd in the deliberate attempt to promote the game on the right lines they leave us in the rear. Australia may be better off in those players who may be regarded as potential test match cricketers, but possibly it is easier to see an embryonic champion in Australia than in England. TRAINING YOUNGSTERS In this country we do not notice the young player until he reaches county cricket and, even then, we do not attach great importance to him until lie does something entirely out of the ordinary. In Australia things are much different. They' are not satisfied to wait until a youngster makes good In a class club side, they go out of their way to find him while he is at school! When a boy is found who shows promise of making good, the State association takes him to the ground in one of the big towns where he is given practical advice, not by any old person who happens to be about, but by the big players of the State. It is not unusual to see a bey bowling at the nets to one of the great Australian test players. Further, that test player makes it his business to pass on his own impression of the boy. Then if he shows any sign of making good, the youngster is asked to attend the nets perhaps once or twice a week, and from that stage he is perhaps drafted into one of the Saturday afternoon club sides. Certainly he is never allowed to go his own way and possibly be lost sight of. Nor is he asked to merely bowl and never get a chance with the bat. He is really tutored in this branch. Even though he may show signs of being an outstanding bowler, that does not relieve him of having to practice batting. This is one of the reasons, perhaps the greatest reason, why Australia usually manages to find a side that can bat down to number eleven. I am not exaggerating when I say that many’ hoys of Australia are looked upon as potential test match players and are watched and trained with that intent PROMISING PLAYERS Thus, it can be seen why Australia Invariably has a lot of promising material coming along and, at the present time, they are better off than usual. You will see why I consider

that Australian cricket is on the up grade, as it always will be. I do wish that some of our great players would do as they’ do in Australia; go out to the youngsters and pass along the knowledge \vl\ich will do the game good. There are few of us who would not have been better, or, 1 should say’, reached our best long before we did, if only the experienced men had taught us before we were called upon to play in serious cricket. Perhaps my being engaged to go to Australia every winter, to act as a coach to youngsters in Adelaide, is sufficient proof of the serious way in which Australia tackles the job of bringing along her young play r ers. Sooner or later we in England will adopt this Australian idea of starting early with our players and we shall ground our youth in allround play. Both countries are on the upward grade. England has the greater number of promising players, because she has more to select from, but Australia can claim the advantage in the number who are almost sure to get into test teams. I do not know the team that will fight for Australia in the first test match of the next series. I rather fancy that wo shall find most of the old hands in the side. But, if they fail and it is necessary to call upon younger blood, then I fancy that Australia will unearth one or two men who will not let them down. NO FAST BOWLERS It has been stated that Australia lacks fast bowlers. How true that may be for the games this winter we must wait and see. You can never be too sure about that and there are still several men who have never been to England who may worry our men with their speed. So far as young fast bowlers are concerned, I fancy that a youth called Tobin, who belongs to South Australia, will surprise some people. This y’outh is only 1 8 years of age and stands about six feet high. Already Tobin is decidedly fast and makes the ball “get up.’’ When he has filled out and gains his strength he is going to be well up to tlie Australian standard. He will be at his best perhaps in four years’ time. Then there is another young player, A’Beckett, of Victoria. I fancy that here is another who is going to make good with the ball. Probably these two, like some of the men I mentioned In my previous article, are going to be ready for the next series of matches that are played in England. I have not the space to go through the list of promising young batsmen who impressed me last winter in Australia. All I need say is that, on this account, Australia has no need for worry. They will always have batsmen who can be relied upon to get big scores. There are also two excellent wicketkeepers in the making in Hack, of South Australia, and Davidson, of New South Wales. There is one thing we can be certain about; Australia will never be weak in any branch of fielding. I am not overstating when I say that Australia, in this department, is just the opposite of ourselves. They consider it to be of equal importance as batting and bowling, and every player has to be as intensively trained in fielding as in anything else. Article No. 3 will deal with “Men England Needs.”