CAPTAIN FOR ENGLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 148, 26 June 1934, Page 8

CAPTAIN FOR ENGLAND

WYATT’S LEADERSHIP, SIDELIGHTS ON CAREER. Very early in the cricketing career of Robert Elliott Storey Wyatt, it was discovered that he was essentially the crickter for a big occasion, and his qualities of leadership this season, allied with his success with the bat, led to his being chosen, after an interval, to again captain England in the first of the Test matches against the Australians, but, unfortunately for him, an injured thumb in the trial match kept him out of the Test. It is pleasing to note that Wyatt has been able to accept the leadership of England for the second Test, now in progress. Born on Alay 2. 1901. at Alilford, in Surrey. Wyatt, as a boy. learnt his cricket at Alilburn Lodge School, Esher, and, on the family moving to Warwickshire in .1.911, he went to King Henry VIII. School at Coventry. I n his young days he received some valuable coaching from his father and developed Ips game while playing with Coventry and North Warwick Clubs. His performances attracted the attention of the Warwickshire Committee, and he was invited to play for that county first in 1923. but, with 68 as Ills highest score, averaged only 16 ia forty-three innings, while his thirty-live wickets cost over 31 runs apiece. Not until 1926 did he make any pronounced advance, but in that year he Scored over .1000 runs, with an average of 35, and obtained eighty-six wickets for 28 runs each.

At the end of that season he was selected to go to India with the M.C.C. team, captained by A E. R. Gilligan, who. on his return, spoke in terms of great praise of Wyatt’s batting, predicting that he would play for England. He did not do much as a bowler, taking only thirty-three wickets, but he made five scores of over 100, obtained 1813 runs (with an average of 53), and came out second only to Sandham. During that tour ha accomplished the remarkable feat of scoring 124 and doing the hattrick on the same day. Still further improvements came, in 1927, whim he was second in the Warwickshire averages with 51, but his bowling fell away somewhat. The fol lowing winter lie went to South Africa with the M.C.C. team, made two scoreof over 100, and with an aggregate of 794 runs in all matches, averaged 56. He played in all five r i'e.-t matches, his best, score being 91 in the second. Ln the summer of 1928 ho was ;>i rhe top of his form for Warwickshire, scoring over 2000 runs -the first man ever Io accomplish this for the county - playing six three-figure innings and, witih an average of 63, heading the batting table. AII hough he did not make so many run.', in 1929 he was actually a hotter cricketer. He exceeded the hundred on seven occasions for his county, and was again at the top of the batting averages. His great triumph came in the Fourth Test match nt Manchesi : against the South Africans—his first appearance in a, representative engagement in Englund—when, with F. E. Woolley, he took part in a thirdwicket stand of 245 runs, and himself scored 113. He thus enjoyed the distinction of being the first amateur since the. war to make a hundred in a Test match. At the ('nd of the season he accepted the invitation of the AJ.C.C. to make on? of the team to visit the West Indies, and in the representative matches batted four times for an aggregate of 96, his highest score being 58, while his average was 24.00. His four wickets cost ovQr 31 runs apiece. In the 1930 season he captained Warwickshire, and scored 1604 runs, with an average of 4.7, and was again a tower of strength to his side. He scored four 100’s, but his thirty-three wickets proved very expensive. He was chosen to captain England in the Fifth Test against Australia, and made 64 and 7, and took one wicket for 58 runs. In the 1931 season Wyatt made nearly 1400 runs for Warwickshire, and registered three separate hundreds, while, bowling to appreciably more purpose than in the previous summer, he took fifty-six wickets for 28 runs apiece. He played twice against the New Zealanders, and for Air. H. D. G. Levcnson-Gower’s eleven made 82 against our men. In the winter of 1930-31 he had toured South Africa with the M.C.C. team, and in all first-class matches scored 767 runs, wit han average of 31.95, while in the live Tests he batted nine times and had an average of 22.77. He made .138 in the first match against the Western Province, at Capetown. Still captaining the AVarwickshire team, Wyatt played some fine innings in the 1932 season, and bowled well in several matches. He rook four’for 21 in one game against Derby»hin', and five for 32 in the match against Worcestershire. He headed the averages, scoring .1347 runs, with an average of 42.09. made two separate hundreds, and took sixty-four wickets for 27.59 runs apiece. Wyatt was appointed deputy-captain of the last M.C.C. team in Australia, and took part in the five Test matches, batting nine times, putting together 327 runs, with an average of 46.71. He was twice not out. his highest score being 78. In all matches he scored 883 runs, witih au average of 38.39. Wyatt headed his county averages last year, totalling 1592 runs, with an average off 51.35, four three-figure scores standing to his credit. He captained the team in a mature manner, denoting the valuable experience he gained in Australia, and, apart from his worth to the side as a leader and batsman, his keenness in the field set an example to his men. He played in two Tests against the West Indios, having an average of 16.50. Although he has never quite reached expectations as a medium-paced righthand bowler, Wyatt, with his ability to swing the ball and, at times, make it turn has always been a useful change, likely with the new ball to break up the partnership or get a wicket or two. On his batting no two opinions can be held as to its soundness. Very watchful, he possesses excellent defensive strokes, and can hit hard on either side of the wicket. He rarely fails to punish anything in the nature of a loose ball, and is specially good in the placing of his strokes. He is an untiring and efficient outfield, modest in regard to his own doings, and of rather a retiring disposition.