THE LAND OF THE REAL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 12

THE LAND OF THE REAL

IN CRICKET AT LEAST. The Swerve In Australia. Since tho average Australian pitch is so good and gives 110 help to the bowler (excepting always, of course, the "sticky" wicket), one is led to wonder why Australian bowlers in the past have not used the atmosphere more, why they have not cultivated the 6wervo. Of course, in lingland it is a comparatively late development. Occasional bowlers may have swerved years ago, but they wero few and far between. It is only recently that the nature of the ball has been understood, so that it may bo explained, and the delivery and grip taught, that peculiar grip between the thumb and first and second lingers of tho seam which by this moans is kept during flight at a constant angle to tho line of tlignt. In the period during which knowledge of the swerve has developed bo considerably in England 110 corresponding development has taken placo in Australia. Why is this? Tho usual answer is that it.is impossible to swerve in Australia, bccauso the atmosphere does not allow it. Probably this is duo, it is said, to its dryness, lightness, in short, to its non-resisting character. And in support of this view it is pointed out that George Hirst and Blythe, particularly Blythe, have been unsuccessful there. Against this it might be said that it is possible to swerve in Australia, for ithas been done. Noble and Laver for many years have bowled a swervo. It has not- 'been with them a very decided or definite kind of ball. Neither bowler has been quite sure when the swerve would come, nor could ho get it without some help from tho wind. Their lhethodß wero not those used now in England. Laver's swervo was a spin swerve, obtained, baseball fashion, by spinning the ball, one side thus being made to' travel faster through space! than the other. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Ki and Noble both certainly swerved. This casts doubt on tho truth of the general statement that swerving is impossible mi Australia, An argument that appeals more to cricketers nt tho present time is tho fact that Whitty now undoubtedly swerves in Australia. Last season, during the visit of the South Africans, ho developed a most decided swing, quite as much, it is said, as Hirst in England. Tho answer to the question why this kind of bowling has not developed in Australia within the last five years seems to bo that it has not yet been thoroughly exploited there. Before last season tho only attempts made were in accordance with methods linsuitcd to the peculiar construction of a cricket ball, or at least not especially suited to it.— I'. R. Lo Couteur, in "Cricket." Trumper and Some Others. Tho "Sydney Bulletin" offers the following remarks upon the play and players in tho first Test match:— "The Australians knocked a tonifio hole in their fielding manners in tho first Test match at {Sydney. So bad in ratclics was the Australian E'cven's field work that the average 'barraekor' would almost have been justified in howling 'schlenter,' as he usually, does when tilings seem unreasonably bad and awkward. If Australia is to retain its. grip upon the ashes, n big buck-up .on tho part of the fielding will be urgently lii'ces- . sary. A team that gives away I lie .glory through sheer carelessness, as the Australian Eleven did in the first Test, : s bound to get left in tho end. "Trunipcr's effort in tho first Test lifted his tally in Test matches to 2121, put together in G6 innings, avd placed him in a niche that very few players reach. Standing on his record of six ccuvai ice in Test matches, Trumper looms up a regular Goliath among cricketers. "Captain Clem )i 'l's battm* was th* soundest on the Aus.'x-Hiaji Bi'lo dtiting tho first Test, and tho 4(i and 65 (111 aggregato) i-ugge-st that the lessening of the poundage, v-inch but la'ely inei-easpd his girth, lias been conducive to nimbloness and clarity of vision. Trumper, however, thanks to the only century in the match, leade l the aggiegatj of Ixtli tennis with 127 (113 and U); while Boy Minnctt also passed the three-figure limit, by compiling 90 ami 17, On Anstralia's behalf, Whitty and Cotter, wilii 0 and 0, and G and 2 respectively, wero the only men who failed lo put up double figures. Even reliable Sundries piled up doubles for Australia, with 2G and 20, and aided the M.C.C. with eight and 23. "The batting efforts of the yonngstors, J. W. He,true and If. W. Fosler, were tho sliiniug spots for the M.C.C. in tho first Test. Ilearno's Tl) and 43 were forcibly banged together, while Foster's little contributions of Bfi and 21 were put up in an elegant style. The patient and funereal .1. H. llnbbs took a. loug time lo compile G3 and 52, and (he balance of the train played with a great dreariness, which suggested that they wero under the impre-ssion that cricket is n game in which the batsman allows the leather to smite the bat. As a matter of fact, the bat is supposed to smite Ihe leather: but till the M.C.C. realise this fact, cricket will continue to' be deadly dull*"