ENGLAND’S FUTURE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21156, 1 October 1938, Page 16

ENGLAND’S FUTURE

Fast Bowler as Reserve to Fames No Batting Qualms As to England’s side for the fotore, I think we should have no qualms as to the batting, although soon the selectors will have to look out for two left-handers of class to replace Paynter and Leyland, both of whom will shortly be past their prime, comments R. E. S. Wyatt, English captain in 1930 and 1934. Such players as Hutton, Compton, and Edrich should prove of great value to England for many years to come, particularly as they become more experienced.

1 Our bowling in the tests has been good without attaining very high class. What we need for the future are a really good, fast bowler as reserve to Fames and a really good attacking stock bowler of the Tate variety. Bowler of Class Wright has shown himself a spin bowler of class, and there are others on the borders of the English eleven, such as Wilkinson, of Lancashire, and Smith, of Essex. But I should like to see another left-hander besides Verity in the limelight. A second Wilfred Rhodes would be a priceless asset. Walter Hammond has captained th? side well, managed his team with astuteness and good judgment throughout. His wonderful innings at a critical time in the Lord’s Test showed that the cares of captaincy had little, if any, adverse effect on his value as a cricketer. Regarding the Australians, O’Reilly, once again, has been a tower of strength, though he was undoubtedly handicapped by the absence of a Grimmett at the other encl. Apt to be Erratic Ward has hardly come up to expectations, and Fleetwood-Smith, while

bowling very well at times, has been apt to be erratic.

Bradman, however, with his wonderful consistency, again proved himself the most reliable batsman in the world.

There is every prospect of England being able to send a fine team to Australia in quest of the “Ashes in 1940, though I feel that, on present indications, we shall suffer the usual trouble of lack of bowling of a really high standard.

However, great bowlers have been discovered in a shorter period than two years.