ALAN KIPPAX’S RETIRES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 246, 17 October 1936, Page 4

ALAN KIPPAX’S RETIRES

GREAT SHEFFIELD SHIELD RECORD ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S BEST Though Alan Kippax is playing for Waverley District Club (N.S.W.), and will continue to do so, he will take no further part in representative cricket, for either State or Australia, says a writer in the Sydney Referee. He tells me that this is his definite decision. A beautiful batsman. With the exception of Don Bradman no batsman ever achieved such a high degree of success for New South Wales as he has done. W. L. Murdoch, H. Moses, V. Trumper, M A. Noble, Warren Bardsley, C. G. Macartney, and J. R. M. Mackay, were top players, but the Kippax deeds thrust theirs into the background. Kippax took part in a greater number of Sheffield Shield matches than any other New South Welshman, viz., 61. In these he scored, on the average, just about 100 runs per match! And this is the man the Board of Control refused permission to join the Tarrant team for India last season! It was one of the biggest mistakes any body in Australian cricket ever made. The Sheffield Shield record of Alan Kippax is outstanding. It would be colossal but for the Bradman achievements. Kippax played in 61 Shield matches—-unlike some other stars, rarely missing a match. In these he had 95 innings for 9 not outs, and scored 6096 runs at an average of 70.88. On the average, Kippax scored 28 runs per innings more than C. G. Macartney, and 23 per innings more than Victor Trumper. Though he has retired, Kippax is still a commanding batsman, unsurpassed in point of style by any of the younger men. That he was seen on.y twice in Australian teams on English tours shows how easy it is for selectors to make the strangest of blunders. In the Sheffield Shield alone he made twenty-three centuries, those over 200 being 315 not out against Queensland, 260 not out, 212 not out, 271 not out and 217 not out against Victoria, and 248 against South Australia. He is to broadcast the test matches for the British Broadcasting Commission this season, but is not doing so for any Australian station. At the opportune time—not too far distant —the cricket authorities in New South Wales should add name of A. F. Kippax to the those it has honoured with monials.