AUSTRALIA’S BID FOR “ASHES.”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18627, 24 July 1930, Page 9

AUSTRALIA’S BID FOR “ASHES.”

On Eve Of Fourth Test. RAIN FALLING AT MANCHESTER. United Press Association—By Electric Teiegra^n—Copyright (Received July 23, 12.35 a.m.) LONDON, July 23. Steady rain has been falling at Manchester for four hours and signs of continuance, but the weather experts predict a clearance before the test begins. Owing to the heavy rain, the match for Sunderland has been abandoned. ENGLAND’S HOPE. SPIN BOWLERS FOR BRADMAN. Bradman’s phenomenal batting naturally has dissipated the English selectors’ confidence that England can retain “The Ashes” (says “Burwood” in the Dominion), and it is not surprising to see that the bowling department has been strengthened for the fourth test match.

Larwood, Geary and Tyldesley have been dropped in place of the Essex fast bowler, Nichols, and the spin bowlers, Robins and Peebles.

In making these changes the English selectors have shown sound judgment. New Zealanders will be pleased to see that M. S. Nichols, the Essex express bowler, who visited New Zealand with the M.C.C. team last season, has at last been given his English cap. Nichols is the stamp of bowler who can run Marathon races, and who will rock them in at a good pace even late on the second day. With broad shoulders and hips, the Essex man is really fast for the first few overs, and is fastmedium all the time. For Essex in 1929 Nichols scored 1025 runs at an average of 27.70 in county matches, and secured 87 wickets for 2216 runs, an average of 25.47 per wicket. R. W. V. Robins, the Highgate, Cambridge University, and Middlesex player, is 24 years of age. “Robins,” says “Wisden,” in reviewing Middlesex’s performances in the county championship, “although distinguishing himself in all three departments of the game in the previous year, when in first-class cricket he scored nearly 1400 runs and obtained 90 wickets, had been up at Cambridge until the season was half over, and thus could not render Middlesex any considerable amount of help. His participation in the county programme being limited to eleven games, he then scored less than 400 runs, and his 35 wickets cost over 30 runs apiece. Last summer, happily, he found himself able to assist in nearly all the Middlesex matches, and, in addition to making nearly 900 runs, he bowled his legbreaks with such skill that he obtained 90 more wickeds than in 1928, and these at an average of 13 less than those of the preceding season had cost.

“While the assistance of Robins as soon as he left Cambridge was generally expected, the re-appearance of Peebles came as something of a surprise to the general cricketing public. This young bowler, after figuring in two or three of the early Middlesex fixtures in the preceding summer, had dropped right out of the side, and seemed unlikely in the extreme to realise the claims made for him, when, without experience of first-class cricket, he was chosen for the Gentlemen v. Players match at the Oval in 1927. Last season, however, Peebles participated in 27 out of the 28 competition fixtures, and, showing excellent command of length, as well as making the ball turn, he secured over a hundred wickets at an average cost of 19.5 runs. Robins, for Middlesex last season, secured 125 wickets for 2525 runs, an average of 20.20 runs per wicket. As Mr Cotlin, in the “Evening Standard,” truthfully remarks, it is indeed difficult to understand why the English selectors dropped Robins after his good all-round display in the first Test match.

Peebles showed good form for the Gentlemen against the Players last week, capturing six wickets for 105

With such a batting array as Duleepsinhji, Hammond, Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Chapman, Leyland, Robins, Nichols and Tate, the Englishmen should take some digging out if the wicket remains firm.

Duleepsinhji must be regarded as England’s star batsman to-day. He hit up a century in each innings for the Gentlemen against the Players last week, scoring 125 in the first innings and 103 not out in the second knock.

It will all depend upon what humour Don Bradman is in. One never knows —he may decide in the fourth Test to go after his record score of 334. But if Bradman fails this time, the English bowlers will have to reckon with Woodfull, Ponsford, Kippax, Fairfax, McCabe, Richardson and Oldfield. A lot will depend on the toss, of course, but in any case some very heavy scoring should be seen in the fourth Test.