ARCHIE MACLAREN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16923, 23 December 1922, Page 10

ARCHIE MACLAREN.

A GREAT TEST CRICKETER. (By J.W., in the “ Australasian.”) If, as we all ardently hope and de sire. Archie MacLaren is leading the Englishmen in to-day’s match against Victoria, he will receive such a rousing welcome as will make him conscious of the fact that Ins great batting deeds and sporting qualities whit? in this country in the years gone by are cherished memories, and have not been forgotten. One can safely assert that no English captain who has visited Australia has been as well liked b\ our own cricketers as the lead©** of the present baud of Englishmen, Archie MacLaren. There is no deny ing that there is a strong line of demarcation in many aspects dividing the perspective of noted English and Australian cricketers, a question purely of environment.

But what particularly appealed to all of us who name into close touch with the Scotch-Lancastrian was that in many of his ways and in certain of his savings os he was at times rather free of speech- -he more nearly approached our standards than any other English captain in my time. K? some, of course, that may he considered rather a left-handed c.ompli merit; hut it is not so, as it is a

sincere expression of regard, and in no wav derogatorv to tho English outlook on cricketing life, traditions, ftv. 1 historv. Furthermore, T feel positive that when reading this article Archie MacLaren may smile, but it will not. be a smile of derision. T will. further, and unhesitatingly affirm that there was never a keener or better English captain soon in Australia nr h truer sportsman. Tn common with Australian cricketers, he ployed to

keenness, judgment, sporting qualities, and batting skill all old Australian Test players especially have an abiding admiration for MacLaren, who m fiis person was symbolic of all that H best in English cricket.

And who among us will ever forgot bis wonderful hatting when a. member of Stoddart’s team in 1897-8, the se*.t son in which he and tho Indian prfnce batted so beautifully and charmingly, and were tho batting English heroes vieing in quantitv of runs made and quality in making them with Clom Hill and Joe Darling, who were giants in the land. There was a wonderful difference in tho style of tho two Eng lish right-handers to the two Australian left-handers, but there was little in effective ability. It is but seldom that a batsmen of MacLaren’:* age figures in first-class cricket. On the first of next month ho will have reached his fifty-first birthday. and i? naturally considerably past bis bat ting prime. He possessed a most graceful style with the bat. his poise being nicely balanced, ready for either attack or defence, and he was master of all strokes. He was an expert m tbe art of placing, and bad no hesitation in lifting the ball over the off fields’ heads. But his master stroke I consider, tv«s his back cut.

I well remember when playing in the fifth Test at Sydney against Stoddart’s team in 1898 fielding at third man to MacLaren when Jones was bowling, and he led me a merry danc«. The ball would be almost past the wicket, when he would chop it just where he pleased, and fielding in that position was no sinecure when the Lancastrian was at the top of his form. The only other batsman that at all equalled MacLaren in the execution of that stroke was the wonderful little Syd. Gregory, who also had an uncanny knack of placing the ball outside the slips’ reach.

MacLaren could make runs anvwhere, and on all classes of wieketaHe was invariably at his best on ths Sydney ground, the slightly slower pitch prevailing there in the days gone by suiting his batting to a nicety. Like the late Victor Trumper and the Indian prince, his hands, eves, bodv, and brain were in thorough accord, with the result that he executed gracefully every conceivable kind of stroke, with no apparent effort. In the season alluded to. he scored a double century against New South Wales, making 142 and 100. which at the tinicwas a record for first-class cricket m Australia. If MacLaren possesses a retentive memory he will have a vivi”? recollection of his first appearance cn the Melbourne ground, when in 1894 as a member of Stoddart’s team, he played a beautiful innings against Victoria for 228 out. of a total of 410. Tt was certainly a brilliant introduction.

Tn 1899 in England T saw a great deal of MacLaren. who captained England in four of the five Tests. Old ‘W.G.” led England in the first Test, at Trent Bridge, and was so heckled by the crowd that it signalled his last appearance in first-class cricket. The demonstration against (he champion from the “ Nottingham Lambs ” came somewhat in the nature of a surprise to me. ns T had been led to believe that they were not- guilty of such un • sportsmanlike acts in the* Old Land But one lives, and learns. The exit of the old man. however, in mv opinion, although he was fifty-on a years of age. was not in the best interests .of English cricket, as the Colossus was still a mighty cricket power in the land, and bad wonderful personality. However. tLnt belong* to a bygone age and need not further dwelt upon. Thfe leadership thus fell upon MacLaren, and whi’e he did not bat with) fhe power and effect of other davs. he played one beautiful innings against us. It wnm in the second Test, at Lords, that •■© batted so brilliantly. Tt was a. question of saving tbe follow-on, and lie did so by a grand exhibition of forceful and scientific batting. Scholastic duties had prevented him from taking any part in first class cricket previous to this game, but notwithstanding his lack of match practice, the innings wa* that of a master. I have seen him play many splendid innings, but to tin* - brilliant hand of 88 not out 1 unhesitatingly award the palm. Tn our last Test at the Oval on that tour, Archie MacLaren was seen in a different light, but quite a sportsman’s one. The Englishmen had batted and made 576. which created a record for Test matches in England. Time was thus the essence of the contract. The closure could not be put in force so early then as now. and many of the batsmen had to sacrifice themselves in the interests of England, it becoming a case of get runs or get out. Well, we followed on. and although three centuries were made in that match by Tom Hayward, F. 8. Jackson. and Syd. Gregory, the greatest individual feat was Lockwood’s bowling in the first innings, when he took seve.i for 70 odd. on a perfect pitch—a mag nificent performance. Lockwood, »• great bowler, had n. bad knee that year, and it wav again in this game. In the secon 1 innings he bowled round the wicket, cutting up the pitch just at the spot to suit Rhodes’s deliveries. Darling objected and Lockwood was stopped bv MacLaren. "When T was batting with

dear old Charlie M’Leod in the secon 1 innings. 1/ockwood was dead to th v oriel, and asked to lie taken off. None of !l„' other bowlers was effo«. live until Rhodes found Lockwood’s

spot, and he was asked to continue. The day was humid and hot, 89 in th» shade—real Sydney heat—and V* could stand it no longer. After continuing for a time, Lockwood said To me, ‘. T must have a spell, so I will bowl round again.” That settled ft. and long before the day ended the lion hearted bowler broke down un i had to retire. But in spite of the fact that he was easily the best bowler on the side. MacLaren would not let him cut up the pitch. He has made five centuries in Test cricket, four in Australia and one m England, his 140 at Nottingham - : n 1905 being the highest of the serf©*He has played sixty-onc innings for 1931 runs, for an average of 33.87. Only two men. Victor Trumper an 1 J. B. Hobbs, have made more Test centuries; and ordv three batsmen, all | Australians, in Clem Hill. Victor ■ Trumper and Syd. Gregory, have ex- [ reeded his aggregate. Another lin*j that binds MacLaren to Australia is ■ the fact that in 1898 he married an , Australian lady. Miss Kathleen Maui© | Power, daughter of Mr Robert Power. ■ of Toorak. Tn welcoming him once ; again we hope to see him make many 1 runs in his old inimitable stvle. and I that the tour of the young English- • men under him will be the means of i unearthing future Test cricketers.