VICTORIOUS AUSTRALIANS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 585, 13 August 1909, Page 4

VICTORIOUS AUSTRALIANS.

Now that tho final Test Oricket Match of the'present tour has endcd, leaving the Australians in possession of "The Ashes," the critics are beginning to make play with their comments • on ■ the' relative merits of teams and playerd. We shall no doubt in this connection'hear a good deal about the glorious uncertainty of the game. The form of : the Australians certainly has been a surprise. •• The; teflm at the outset did not inspire very great con-, fidence in its supporters. It was felt that while it possessed great possibilities as a batting combination, its bowling strength was very problematical. At the outset of the tour the worst fears of its supporters seemed likely to be realised. After winning its first two games against Notts and Northamptonshire, it succumbed to Surrey and M.C.C., a.nd then drew with Oxford. The First Test followed, and England triumphed with the (substantial margin of ten wickets. At this stage of affairs things looked'blue indeed for the colonials. Their downfall in the succeeding "Tests" was freely; prophesied, and' interest in the games waned considerably. The truth appears to be, howevor, that the team had not yet "found itself." It had not yet got out of the experimental stage. The captain and selectors had not yet been able to judge the true form of the. players; the order in which they batted to be&t advantage; the strongest com-; bination - they could select under given conditions of weather and ground, and the opposition to be faced. All these and other nice points had yet to be learned, and the learning was slower on account of the new blood in the team- But that they have been learnod may be gathered from the rearranging of the team and the improved form shown. Since their defeat in the first Test the colonials have played twenty-two games, and have not been once defeated. They havo won ten of the number; including two Test games,' and have drawn twelve, two of which also were Test games. Although their play has been uneven, in some,of the minor matches, thoy have oh tho whole well uphold the reputation of Australian cricket. It is noteworthy that two of the younger players, Raksford and Bardbley; liead the list in tho Test batting aVerageß, which may be taken as a hopeful sign for tho future. Thumper's many admirers will be delighted to see him again high up in the list; while the veteran Gregory has covered his detractors with confusion by his consistently good showing. Armstrong!, of course, who heads the batting averages for all matches played, ha 3 been the mainstay of the team, his fine performances, with bat and ball being the feature of the tour. Laver, who Went Home to manage the team, again proved a welcome addition to' the ■ strength of the colonials, and hCiids the list of bowling averages in the Test games. With tho oxceptipn of Sharp, the tour failed to produce anything Remarkable in 'the Way of flow blood amongst'the English representatives. The brunt of thq struggle'fell. on the shautdorn'of old mid mcporiimcad playcia. It ie. ncto-

worthy that only two men on the side of England played in all Test matches, namely, MacLaren and Lilley; while altogether 25 players were given the opportunity to distinguish themselves in these games. Possibly thoro was too much chopping and changing to secure the best results, but it can at least bo said that no effort was spared to test the best material available. '