ENGLAND'S POST-MORTEM ON HER CRICKET FAILURE

Wanganui Chronicle, 19 August 1950, Page 5

ENGLAND'S POST-MORTEM ON HER CRICKET FAILURE

Reactions From Tests With The West Indians; Pessimism Mingled With Hope

LONDON, Aug. 18 (Reed. 6 p.m.)—While post-mortems are progressing on English cricket, soccer fans are preparing to invade their local grounds this week-end with one of the earliest starts to the football season on record.

Though many profess themselves downhearted by England’s third test defeat at the hands of the West Indians, F. R. Brown, who will captain the M.C.C. to Australia and New Zealand, is in no such mood.

“I refuse,” he declared, “to be worried. When I woke at 8 a.m. (on the morning of the fourth day of the last Test) and heard the rain teeming down, I realised we would be up against it, and, sure enough, we were. This was the first ‘sticky dog' on which I have played since the war, and I am certain that had the West Indians caught the Australians on such a pitch the result would have been the same. Everything has gone against us this seaason, but we are far from despondent.

“We shall battle every inch of the way in Australia. It Is ridiculous to say we have no chance there, just because we have lost this Test rubber.”

The West Indians, naturally, are delighted and their supporters produced a spate of calypses. After champagne all round for both teams at the oval, the West Indians opened two cases of rum which had been held up by the Customs when they arrived in England last April. They held a party and everyone in the team was given a two days’ break to celebrate. Their next game is against Gloucester, beginning on Saturday. “But,” said Goddard, their captain, “I could not care less what happens there. The boys deserve a celebration.” The newspapers united in congratulating the West Indians, declaring them a fine side. NOT TO BE DOWNCAST. The Manchester “Guardian,” in a leading article says: “England’s sup-

porters should not be too. downcast, even with Tests to be played against Australia in the winter. Misfortunes, such as injuries to leading players and being caught on a rare Oval sticky wicket, have cost England dear. The West Indians had the whip hand because they included two splendid slow bowlers who exposed mercilessly the reluctance of most English batsmen to use their feet.”

Bray, in the “Daily Herald,” maintained that it was no disgrace to be beaten by “this magnificent West Indian team.” J. M. Kilburn, in the Yorkshire “Post,” bluntly declares that England was not “god enough” and though there perhaps are slight grounds for a hard luck story of unrepresentative teams and misfortunes of weather, the excuses are slight and would be better not advanced.

‘lf, on our home grounds, with hundreds of players at call, we cannot hold off a challenge of a touring party, dignity surely demands congratulations to the conquerors and self-effacement for ourselves,” he has written. He adds: “There is no point in evading the truth. There are at the moment only four or five players of undoubted international stature at England’s disposal. Five players do not usually make a winning team and the problem of the hour is to arrange supporters in the strongest possible combination.”

NOT A GOOD TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA.

Of the team to go to Australia and New Zealand, Kilburn comments: “When that team is finally chosen it will not be a good team. It is doubtful if the whole resources of the country could produce a team good by comparison with its predecessors. It may, however, prove a happy team, a lucky team and even a winning team.”