BALL GAMES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 198, 16 May 1919, Page 3

BALL GAMES

t> THE BEST AGE (By a Contributor to the London ■■"Timed.") There aro many matters connected with ball games wtych provide interesting topics of discussion. Two which are most entertaining are the "comparing of generations" and the question of the time of life that a player i 3 most likely to excel at a game. The former is especially amusing and especially useless in the cases of cricket and lawn tennis. It is great fun for a number of enthusiasts to try and pick a world's test match team against "Mars" from 18801911, for instance, presuming each of the players to be at the highest pitch of skill ho reached during that time. So, many cricketers have claims; each of the 6eleotors generally has his own heroes and no ono ie likely to convince the others. One will.produce reams of figures froni "Wifldcn to prove his case; another will hold that a test match temperament and a habit of success in test matches, liko that of the great F. S. Jackson, prove more than any eoason's records. Or, iagain, what hope of unanimity can bo reached, but what a wealth of reminiscence is forthcoming when the followers "of, lawn tennis get on the subject of the various eras of the game. There are the.out-and-out supporters of the pioneers,' the Kenshawe, Lawford, etc., of that brilliant exponent Lewis, of Pym, that mighty single player, of the Baddejeys, of the Dohertys, and of tho modern?. The age when a player has excelled, or is likely to excel, is an equally interesting discussion. But here,, again, it is complicated by so many issues; such as the character of the game, 'the effect of country, climato, and early education, and many other things. It is noticeable in the caso of cricket that, of late years, as tho game has developed, the age of greatest proficiency is. as a whole, more advanced than in the 'seventies and 'eighties df List century, while forty years before that it was, in many instances, farther on in life. An analysis of the test match teams at the Oval in the famous game in 1882, when Australia won by 72 runs, shows that tho following was the ages of tho twenty-two 'players:— England. Age. England. . Age. Australia. Ago. Dr. W. G. A. C. BannerGrace M man 28 Barlow 34 H. H. Massio... 23 Myett 30 W. L. Murdoch 27 A. P. Lucas ... 25 G. J. Bonnor... 27 Hon. A. Lyt- T-. Horan 27 telton 25 G. Giffen ' 23 0. T. Stndd .... 21 J. M'C. BlackRead '..... 23 ha:n "....■ 27 Barnes 30 T. W. Garrett 24 A. G. Steel ... 23 H. F. Boyle ... 31 A. N. Hornby 35 S. P. Jones 21 Peate 26 F. E. Spofforth 28 Tho ages in the 1912 match, at Lords, were as follow:— England. Age. Australia. Age, J. B. Hobbs ... 29 C. B. Jennings '28 W. Rhodes .... 3i C. Kelkwa-y .... 23 E. H. Spooner 31 C. G. MacartC. B. Fry 40 ney 25 P. F. Warner ,38 W. Bardsley ... 27 F. E. Woolley 25 S. E. Gregory 42 F. B. Foster ... 23 D. Smith 27 J. W. Hearne 21 T. J, MufcE. J. Smith ... 25 thews 28 S. F. Barnes ... ,36 G. B. Bazlitt... 23 H. Dean 26 S. EL Eirwrr ... 25 W. J. Whitloy 25 H. Carkeek ... 34 The average age of tho English side in 1882 was 27 odd, that of Australia 26 odd, and of the two combined teams a fraction under 27. There were six' players under 25, nine between 25 and SO, seven of 30 and.over, with A. N. Hornby the eldest at 35. In 1912 tho English sido averaged a fraction under 30 and tho Australians a fraction under 28, and the combined ages 29. There were four players under 25, eleven between 25 and 30, fivo between 30 and 40, and two of dfl and over, Mr. S. R Gregory, being tho eldest with .12. Tho great batsman, as one would rathet expect, will be found as a rule to bo at his best at a later period than the great bowler, more- especially the* fast bowler; and the years round about 30 (perhaps in modern days just ove* 20) 'may bo taken more or less as the batsman's prime. ' Dr. Grace's greatest years were between 1870-1878, from the ago" of 22 to 30, although he of course was magnificent right into tho 90's; Mr. Fry never •had a more wonderful neason than tho very wet one of 1903, whon ho was 31. The Jam Sahib of Nawanagar excelled most perhaps from 1899 for a few years onwards'. Hβ was 27 in 189EI. Hobhe perhap* readied his zenith just )»fore tho war, when he was just, over 30. Many other examples might be given, but there aro exceptions, for \ instance 'Mr. Clement Hill was a. wonderful batsman at 20, and so was J. W. Hear-no in the early twenties.

As examples in- bowling one may take Tom Hichardson. who was nt his best from 1893 to 1897. He wns (hen 23 to 27. Lockwood was at liis best a little older. Mr. Neville luioi reached his fastest when only about 211, and Mr. Kortrisrht was at bis best at about 25. J. T. Hoarne, with his gloriously easy action, lasted for many years, but he was never better tlian between IS9I, when ho was 24. and 1808. Bhodes as a bowlaexcelled round about 1900, when ho wa» between 20 and 25. The great modern example of a bowler'shewing his greatest proficiency over 30 is S. F. Barnes, $over was there a more beautiful spectacle in cricket than his "nowlin?, for poso of Ixidy, action, and delivery were perfect, as well as the deadly effect. And when he was doing such wonders from 19121914 he was ncarin? his fortieth year. One of the (rreatest all-round feats of cricket was the 6eason of 1906, when George Hirst, who was 35 on September 7 of that year, scored over 2000 runs and got over 2CO wickets T«nnls. Lawn Tennis, and Rackets, in lawn tenuis it is probable that the ago of greatest proficiency is, in this country, greater tiuin in the early days; it is even uioro noticeable that our international competitors, especially Hi America, develop their full powers earlier than wo do, but do not keep them as a rulo so long. We have no M'Loughlins, Williams, or Goberte at 20. We have no good player tts young as Mile. Suzanne Lenglen, although, in past years, Miss Lottie Dod was very young and exceedingly good when she won her first championship. In the men's singles Mr, William Konuhaw v> us little over 20 when hft fitst won in 1881. His great rival, Mr. Lawford, was nearer 4fl' than i! 0 when bo won in IRB7. Mr. E. J) , . Doherty was 22 when lie won the tat of his four championships in 181)7; Ills brother. Mr. H. L. Doherty, was 25 when he won the first of his live in 1902; Mr. A. W. Gore was 33 in ''Ml, when he was successful, and ho won again seven and eight yei>T6 later. Mr. N. Brookes's two victories w«ro at the nge of 29 and 36; Mr. A. F. Wilding was 28 at the time of the first of his fcur consecutive victories in 1910. Mr. Lawford, Mr. Gore, and Mr. Brookes havo been the oily winneie over SO. and Mr. Gore the enly one. who has ever won, or is ever likely to win, at the ago of U&, ns he did in 1909—a wonderful feat, even admitting that it waf, not a great year. At single rackets £he best age lies almost indubitably between 25 and 30. and the avorago age of tho winners of the amateur championships works out at 27. Thoi'o havo boon 17 winners between 20 and 30. Air, I l '. l)onies-Lo«gworth; Mr, H. 1C Foster, Mr. E. H. Miles, Major (now GeneralTShoppard. Mr. E. Al. Baerlein, and Mr. B. S. Foster nlono lmvc won when over 30. One of Mr. DamesLongwortii'e thrco victories was when he had passed hie fortieth birthday. In doubles tEo game can bo played to a much later age, nnd wo remember a ijoubies not many yjaars i'go in the ohatfipionship wion Mr. Affies nnd Mr. Dnmesjjongworfh met Major Sheppnrd und Mr. P. Ashworth. All four players wire over a.

Tonnis needs a very long apprenticeship. Moreover, a. combination of technique and head work ie essential, and the fciueuulai , strain in enorrarae, T>ut the tax on tho mind is not so great. It is nutural, therefore, that the highest development should como later in. life. In the matches for the championship in modern conditions the average ago of the vinners works out almost exactly at 32. Only two men 'have won a championship match under 30—namely, Tom Pettitt, at the ago of 25, and Mr. Gould, at 2ii. All the ethers Lavo been Ufl and over, and Latham won tho last of four victories when ho was 42, He, George Lambert, Charles Kfutndors, and Fairs nil showed their greatest skill when in the early SO's, iw also did Mr. Heathcote. • tho Hon. Alfred Lyttolton, and Mr. E. H, Miles amongst tho amateurs.