CRICKET.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19010, 29 July 1933, Page 17 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

HEADLEY’S BATTING.

FORMER CENTURY DESCRIBED

A QUICK-FOOTED PLAYER

Delightful glimpses of the sooring of a century by George Headley, famous young batsman of the West Indies cricket team, who scored 169 not out In West Indies’ first Innings In tho Test match against England this week, are given by “ Cricketer” (.Neville Cardus) In the Manchester Guardian. Tho Innings described is that In which Headley scored 129, out of 309, for the West Indies against the M.G-C. Appended are extracts from the description.

On a bright ' May -morning, the cricketers of the West Indies came to London eager for their first severe engagement this year, under the eyes of the stately and authoritative pavilion of Lord’s". They had -the privilege of first innings on a fast wdeket, and as Roach and Iload walked forth to bat the breeze fluttered bravely the West Indians’ pretty colours on the flagstaff—mauve and green, with a au-aint emblematical picture of a palm tree.

The beginning was sad, for Hoad hit across a well-tossed ball from Allom and was bowled; the score was only nine. Now came the celebrated Headley, walking to the gleaming middle with the slow deliberation of Bradman himself. He quickly showed his quality, by means of a grand ondrive made on swift feet. He moved his right foot across the stumps and forced the ball ’away with a strong right forearm, the body falling naturally and vitally into the hit. This stroke was enough—it told the tale of class. A single chord struck by a Horowitz is likewise enough; we need not hear him play a whole sonita to get the proof. Touoh of Skill,

The runs which. Headley proceeded to make, after that first revelatory touch of skill and personality, were merely a confirmation, a blossoming of a fundamental seod or root. He Is a small man—by the, side of Bowes h : o looked diminutive, and he has. a slight and likeable suggestion of bandlness about his pads. He moves his right foot over the stumps to nearly every ball —a sign that he is definitely modern. The difference be-

tween post-war and pre-war orloket is mainly a matter of the importance put on the use of the left and right foot during the playing of a defenslye stroke on a hard wloket, Headley did not all at onoe take possession of the soone. Roach, who Is a busy, confident cricketer, hit a/ "bumper" from Bowes off his faoe for two. But Bowes did not exploit leg-theory; his field contained the conventional number of slips. I do not think we shall boo much of the so-oalled body-line bowling at Lord’s this season—especially when the other side has a Constantine. . . At lunch the West Indies were 112 for two, Headley B 3 not out. He had not so far played demonstratively; some of his strokes were, so to say, only half-hit. But the dlsoernlng eye could always find the signs of a reliable technique; the very quietness of hla play, combined with Its sureness, was meanaolng. I got, an aoute sense of slow fires ready at any moment to flash out oonsumingly. After the Interval Headley made & oonsequenoe of swift-footed strokes all to the on-slde; one swinging hit almost deoapltated the umpire. Headley Is essentially an on-slde batsman; but between squareleg and long-on his hits are uncommonly clean and variegated. Also he has a capital straight drive. And seldom, If ever, does he lift the 'ball Into the air. His helpmate in a valuable third-wloket stand was Inniss, who

was called up from Oxford University to take part In this important game because of casualties among the West Indian team proper. For a while Innis was content merely to stop the ball which he did with the diffident concentration of a novice. But after a while he began to reveal hints of a pretty cut through the slips; on the whole, though, he seemed willing to look upon the idea of soorlng strokes as a,vain and unmannerly assertion of egoism. Attack Laoked Distinction.

The first hour following lunch produced 60 runs, and Headley made 34 of them; the! accurate bowling of J. G. White was responsible for the slow tempo, but the cricket was interesting, for Headley constantly played the ball well and characteristically. He Is not wholly acclimatised yet, but to-day you could feel his form and personality opening out In the sunshine. Apart from White’s length, the M.'C.C.’s attack lacked distinction —F. R. Brown was unable to pitch the halt where he aimed at. Headley liked him very much. Headley demonstrated that he oould cut when Hearne sent him a short hall; the stroke made his soore 93 and it sent the ball to the boundary In a second’s flash- Inniss also achieved a out hereabout, from the only loose ball wheeled up by White for a long time.

It can be taken as a faot that While is bowling well If the quiok feet of a Headley cannot discover a 'half-volley. Bradman is the only batsman I have ever& seen positively hittir)g White and causing him to wonder where to pitch the next ball. But then Bradman is the greatest batsman of our day, excepting Hammond when Hammond is in the right mood. Headley reached his hundred, out of a total of 187, in three hours and a-quarter. In sounds a long time, but after lunch Inniss seemed always to be getting the bowling nursing It tenderly and with care. Headley batted with the aspect of a cricketer who was quite certain he was going to make a century on the occasion of his first appearance at Lord's. He never faltered, never seemed to see “anything In it." And as soon as he had obtained his century, he played brilliantly for a while. He drove a fast ball from Bowes straight for four off his back foot; then he drove another fast ball from Allom straight to long-on—a wonderful hit, with tiie left foot prancing and the bat Just one quiok flash and oraok, beautiful and warlike. He was oaught at the wicket trying a cut off a high ball. The great crowd rose at him as he came home to the pavilion. He and Inniss soored 149 for the third wicket in two hours 20 minutes.