Cricketers With Nerves Often Prove Ghastly Failures When in a Big Match.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18305, 5 November 1927, Page 7

Cricketers With Nerves Often Prove Ghastly Failures When in a Big Match.

(By CAPTAIN L. W. BALLANTINE.) • (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, July 31. The second of the three trial matches to be played this season provided as little food for reflection as the first, though certainly more cricket was available at Bristol than at ShefheiflProbably the North v. South match -would have been of greater use than England v. the Rest, for the \*ery reason that the spirit of competition ■would have been greater, and the temperament of the players would have been more largely brought into play in such a match. It is temperament that needs developing. It has frequently been seen that cricketers who have been eminently successful in county games have been ghastly failures in test .Tames. Temperament .baa been wanting in

“ big ” cricket. For “ temperament ” substitute “ nerves,” and there is much similarity in the two terms in cricket. I have often thought that, man for man, an English eleven has been superior to an opposing Australian eleven; but as a combination the Australians are better test match players. Naturally, men from overseas seem to have passed through a severe nerve-hardening process, end it is reflected in making a catch, in returning the ball to the wicket and in the judgment of running between the wickets. The Australian does not spare himself in. endeavouring to attain excellence in those departments, and probably it is because there is such very keen competition amongst the Australians in the matter of gaining selection , when there is a talk of a team being

chosen to visit England. I am afraid that in England that extra anxiety for a tour through Australia does not exist. Never has it been possible to send a truly representative team overseas. When Trumper Failed. There is, of course, such a failing as over-confidence. Those who remember Victor Trumper in his early days in England probably realised that it was this over-confidence that led to his downfall when first appearing in England, and much the same might be said of Johnny Taylor and Tommy Andrews, of later Australian teams. But these Australian cricketers never lost that over-confidence, though, of course, Taylor became “almost a passenger” as a batsman able to get runs. I cannot recall the name of a notable Englishman who suffered particularly from over-confidencte, but there have, been many cases of the nervous Englishman in “ big ” cricket. Quite recently, I heard it said that “ So-and-so.” because he had been consistently successful, could not get a hat large enough to fit him. That is the kind of cricketer that I would encourage, if such there be. I have in my mind the case of a certain young South African cricketer, who when he first played in representative cricket was particularly successful, and it was said Qf him that he had a very swollen head. Good judges said, “ Yes, and let him get a head twice its normal size,

and he will have to live up to it.” This particular South African did live up to it, and he set a higher premium on his ability as he went on, and he succeeded proportionately. The teams which represented the North and South, and England and the Rest, although some players were making their first appearance in such big games, did not appear to be wanting in temperament or nerves, nor were there instances of the over-confident cricketer. I could not understand upon what lines the teams for the Bristol match were chosen. Of course, the very best men had to be chosen in order to test others, but to call the match a test trial was a misnomer. There were some who did not want a test. If Hobbs or Sutcliffe failed, there would be no question of leaving them out of the best type of match, unless some other reasons asserted themselves. In the case of Sutcliffe, it seems that the bigger the occasion the more equal he is to it, and there is no doubt that England possesses, if not brilliant exponents of the Macartney, Trumper and Ranjitsinhji type, certainly the good, reliable batsman for which England has been noted for all time.