A LUCKY CHANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 7

A LUCKY CHANCE

THE BOWLING TWINS

SOME SMALL SCORES

(By "Not Out.") ; Lisle E. Nagel, who has gained worldwide cricket fame by his sensational performance against the English team ■at Melbourne yesterday,.is by no means a. "discovery." He was ''found" some time ago, and he has had. a good deal of experience, with not a ■ little success, as a Victorian representative. Playing for his State in five matches last season Nagel took nineteen wicketa at an average of 25.05. He makes runs on, occasions, and ia the first-clasa

matches last season he averaged 11.55. Both he and his twin brother Vern play for the Melbourne Club, and they com-' bine to make a very strong attacking combination in pennant cricket. Tho brothers are so much alike in appearance that their closest friends are often mistaken as to their identity. On tho field the only "way to distinguish them, except when they are bowling, their styles being somewhat dissimilar, is by the fact that they usually wear caps of different colour. They are good bowlers, both fairly fast, and with their great height of about 6Jft they can niaka the ball fly. Some followers of the game in Melbourne regard Vern as a better bowler than Lisle, and on performances in club cricket there appears to be some justification for this opinion, Vern having had some exceptional figures at times. However, tho Victorian selectors have shown a preference for Lisle, and he has acquitted himself well. When the team was chosen to represent Victoria on the recent tour to Brisbane and Sydney L. E. Nagel was again given a place, but he was unable to make the trip, and that let Don. Blackie into the side. Lisle Nagel had had an attack of influenza, and he was troubled subsequently by an injured arm. He was .chosen again to represent Victoria against.the Englishmen, but the injury prevented him from accepting a place in the side, which was then given to his twin brother. Vern's appearance for his State against the Englishmen was not attended with successful results, his bowling bringing in only one wicket at a cost of 86 runs. Prior to this he had been the most successful bowler in pennant cricket, and in one match he took eight wickets in eight overs at a. cost of only 11 runs-—a startling performance in senior cricket in Melbourne. Lisle JNagel, apparently recovered'completely from his injury, gained a place in the combined team ("An Australian Eleven") for the present match through the dropping out of the New South Wales players, so that by a lucky chance he has forced himself into line as a candidate in the final running for Test honours. Although reports suggest that there was nothing much wrong with the w le ket, one is inclined to the belief that it was giving a fair amount of help to the bowlers, as was the state of the weather. Taking the scoring ri e ht -through, from the beginning of the match, the wicket certainly appears to have been more favourable to the bowlers than to the batsmen. This opinion is expressed with due consideration of the fact that England's batting strength was,reduced a great deal by the nonmclusion in the team of Jardine, Hammond, and Ames. There has been many a batting debacle at Melbourne and numerous collapses far worse than that of the Englishmen yesterday are on record. Only last season the South Africans were completely routed on the same ground B ack in 1903-4 season Victoria (batting one man short) was dismissed by the English team on tour at that time for 15 runs. ' In a Test at Melbourne in the same season England was dismissed for 61. Many year! ago a Tasmaman team made only 18 ruia against Victoria. In Tests there have been occasions on which England and Australia he aade smaUer Thp ™ T? ci at .^bourne yesterday; The match now in progress is not a