ENGLAND’S TEST ELEVEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 194, 15 August 1936, Page 4

ENGLAND’S TEST ELEVEN

THE RISE OF A. E. FAGG LIKELY TO PARTNER WYATT AS OPENING BATSMAN England has already chosen 11 of the 16 cricketers who are to tour Australia this approaching season. Two of them were practically unknown at the time of their selection —Lawrence Fishbrook and A. E. Fagg. Fagg is perhaps best known to the Dominion and is being tipped as a likely partner for Wyatt as opening batsman. Born on June 21, 1915, A. E. Fagg, the Kentish batsman, has earned a place in the English cricket team for Australia, which opens its tour at Perth on October 16. While at the Payne Smith school, Canterbury. Fagg fared so well during his final season that he hit seven centuries and took 50 wickets. These achievements resulted in an engagement, the following summer, on the Kent County staff. Good work for the club and ground and Kent II soon brought recognition, and at the early age of 17 he was tried for his county against Warwickshire, at Birmingham, on July 13, 1932. In his only innings he scored 15, followed by 30 against Leicestershire at Maidstone, where he opened the innings. Season 1933 witnessed the process of aclimatisation, and in 18 innings his best score was 50. But in 1934 soon brought about a notable advance. A j score of 111 in mid-May against Somerset gave him the necessary confidence, and, becoming a regular member of the team, Fagg linished up with the capital figures of 1235 runs, average 32. His strong defensive play and range of strokes all round the wicket were a rare tribute to the coaching of E. Humphreys, the professional who spent a season in Canterbury. New Zealand, same years ago. He was the old Kent opening batsman, and, incidentally, took part in the raid on Zeebrugge. Last season Fagg again averaged 32, but his runs increased to 1835, and his sound methods appealed to all critics as an opening batsman who might well play for his country at some future date — and now he has “arrived/’ Fagg, who has played club cricket for Beverley C.C., of Canterbury, has, always been an opening batsman, and it was as a small boy of nine, while watching Frank Woolley, that the : call of cricket became insistent. How- • ever, he really had cricket in the i blood, as his father was also an open- i ing batsman, besides being a wicketkeeper. With Leslie Ames and W. H. V. Levett available. Fagg’s opportunities of keeping wicket for Kent are naturally limited, but this is no hardship. as he really prefers to field in the slips. Nowadays nearly all county cricketers wisely devote their winter energies to business. Fagg, for example, is employed in the wireless and electrical trade, but he also finds time to play soccer for the Kent league side, Canterbury Waverley. Although the statement has appeared in print there is nothing in Wisden’s to indicate that Fagg is a left-hander. Seventeen (as in 1932-33) will be taken to Australia. Meantime 15 others besides Fagg have been selected: G. O. B. Allen (Middlesex), captain, R. W. V. Robins (Middlesex), W. R. Hammond (Gloucestershire), M. Leyland (Yorkshire), H. Verity (Yorkshire), L. B. Fishlock (Surrey), J. Hardstaff (Notts). G. Duckworth (Lancashire), T. S. Worthington (Derbyshire) and W. H. Copson (Derbyshire), E. R. T. Holmes (Sur rey), K. Fames (Essex), C. J. Burnett. (Gloucestershire). J. M. Sims (Middlesex) and W. Voce (Nottinghamshire). An addition wicketkeeper has yet to be added. The commencing dates of the time- I limitless Tests are:— December 4: At Brisbane. December 18: At Sydney. January 1: At Melbourne. February 26: At Melbourne. On the 1932-33 tour of Australia Jardine’s team won four international games to one. Australia winning only the second at Melbourne. Bradman did not play in the opening engagement at Sydney. In 1934, in England, the Australians won the rubber. They were victorious in the first Test at Trent Bridge, and the fifth at Kensington Oval. England was successful in the second, at Lord’s (Hedley Verity putting up the world record of 14 wickets in one day), while the third, at Manchester, and the fourth, at Leeds, were drawn. BOXING FIXTURES August 15 and 17: Wellington amateur championships. August 17: Hutt Valley amateur championships, at Petone. August 22: Rainsford (Australia) v. Nichol!, at Invercargill; Rayner v. Hall, at Blenheim; amateur tournament, at Masterton. August 24: Semi (Suva) v. Nichol (Australia), at Auckland. August 25: R. Aitken v. Dunn, at Petone; A. Hughes v. Delaney, at Gisborne. August 29: Reeve v. McMahon, at Pahiatua. August 31: Delaney v. Rayner, at Blenheim. September 1: Annual conference, N.Z. Boxing Association at Wellington. September 1,5, 7: Dominion amateuf championships, at Wel.ington.