A CRICKET TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1934, Page 6

A CRICKET TOUR

TEN THOUSAND MILES

WITH THE AUSTRALIANS

JOURNALIST'S KEVIEW,

In nearly fivo months after I met the Australian cricketers at Colombo we havo travelled more than 10,000 miles together and sampled the hospitality of twenty-three'hotels (writes Tom Clarke in the "Daily •Mail").

I feel able to reaffirm what I wrote after our first meeting—that they are as good a group of "ambassadors" as ire, havo over seen from down under. Prom Woodfull, the captain, . downwards they are a decent, happy, generous, and. very human company, and they have coma well, through a nono too easy adventure. What are they like off tlio field? Take Woodfull. He has not the colour of some gayer members of the side. There is the reserve of the."manse in him. ■ .. A quiet game of bridge is his chief relaxation. He is a man of principles and character which influence the whole side, and I can endorse what one of his colleagues said of him: — "Bill has been marvellous this tour, He has accepted success and failure with the same calmness. Ho has not had the best of health. He had set his- heart on a peaceful last 'tP.ur to crown his cricket career, and, in spite of all controversy, he has always ad? hered to orthodox tactics. He , lias done everything' he could to let bygones be bygones." 1 DON BKADMAN. "Don" Bradman remains, quite apart from his cricket, the outstanding personality. I have studied him often .is I have walked and .talked with him. He is a', tonic. There is" the elusive juice of genius about this puzzling young man. There is a reserve and concentration. He goes off on his own much more than the others, He has wider intmv ests-r-music' and pictures, books and business. Ho has the poise that pre.v vents' him getting petty and angry, about the ignorant attacks that have been made upon him. Women are attracted to him as with all men gifted with' thq instinct for power. Next time he comes to England he will come as captain, ■ - ; The two newcomers who have-, proves themselves on this tour are.Chipperfield and Brown. Away from the tenr sion of big matches, sitting at _ tea in a country hotel, or having a night at thq-pictures, they are models o± unsophisticated modesty, _ Chipperfieid is. twenty-six and was out of a job in Australia when news came of his selection for England .He looks more like a pocket edition of a university professor than athlete and he still goes about as if he had not got over the biggest surprise Me has U given him and as f ho were looking' for someone to apologise to for his Sl4Ho Swill find a good job, awaiting him in Sydney when he returns and will thus be able to march on to mm cricket triumphs without anxiety about his material welfare. Twenty-one-years-old Brown, with the whimsical Irish face and »° gt enviable waist-line, who, they say is o-oing to be a thorn in England's side as an opening batsman for many yeais tS come, is still a delightful, carefree boy, taking his cricket with eager zest and practising in his bedroom daily before breakfast and before retiring strokes to beat the bowler. • •I have enjoyed the breeziness of Bill O'Reilly, one of the "star turns of the tour, and.the camaraderie of doughty Stan McCabe. -~.. At Leeds on the way, to the hotel, after that torrent of rain had robbed Australia of-victory we, came across a •large -poster: . ■'-,-'■ "Don't waste, water,. ;, . • O'Heilly's.'attention was. drawn to it"Sez you,",was ; hi3 comment. "Tim" Wall is the mildest mannered demon bowler I' have met. His passion is gardening. Great cricketer that -he is, I picture him in my mind, not on the pitch, but betiding over his gladioli in his lovely Australian garden. . .Ebeliitg is a quiet, dry stick, but full of fun and character, and a good man for a party. The dashing cavalier Fleetwood-Smith, whoso bowling success has been overshadowed by the presence in the side of Grimmett, makes friends everywhere and refuses to take cricket except as a game. He always claps his hands with the crowd when a batsman slogs him to the boundary. I think we shall see him in England again, as well -as Bradman, McCabe, O'Boiily, Brown, Chipperfieid, and Darling. SAYING. FAKEWELL. At least six are saying farewell' to Test cricket in England. No more shall we see "Woodfull'the unbowlable''; no more the grim Ponsford; no more "old man of the soa" Grimmett; no more the delightful bat of Alan Kippax; no more Tim Wall -.and his famous long run; and'no more the little- gentleman with his magic play behind the wicket —Oldfield. • Three others are doubtful. Young Bromloy, one of the nicest lads on the side, has been too much handicapped by ill luck with his health to show his real form. Ho has not been able to benefit from tho experience of tha tour like- some of his colleagues. .. 'All the newcomers have been thrilled by the tour. They have seen half the world and England under fnirly opulent conditions. In addition to fares and travelling expenses they receive £600 and an allowance of £J2 10s a' week while in .England to. cover taxicab fares and incidentals. I heard a waiter at ono hotel say to a player who was ordering refreshment at* dinner. "Pardon mo, sir, but you are only allowed one shilling for 'drinks' at menls," I understand tho waiter was right, One thing you must not do if you are entertaining tho Australians is to put heforb them cold salmon or chicken. They have had enough of it in English hotels to" last them a. lifetime. They could do with more butter, a particular -Australian weakness, like tea. . "BLACK VELVET," . Somo of them havo discovered a refresher called "black velvet," but it is taken very sparingly because of the expense. It is a mixture of champagne and stout. Talking of finance, there1 is some leowny to be made up if the tour is to bo as big a ' success as was expected. It is probable, however, that Australia's share will bo round about & 50,000. At least half of this goos in expenses, leaving £25,000 profit, which is distributed among clubs and cricket organisations in the various Australian States. The two lawyers picked specially to tako charge of tho tour (Mr. Harold ■Rtishby, the manager, and Mr, W._O. Bull, the treasurer) have done a difficult job well. Quite apart from ordinary routine their correspondence has already passed the 5000 mark. At Aldershot the other day a youth sprking autographs said to mo:' — "These Australians are different from the Wpst' Indinns whn. wnre here last yenr. ,They are. a]l"while," "What did'you expect?" I asked. "I suppose they'hfivfi not' all com? to Aidershot," he paid. I hope one result, nf this tnur will be that we shall begin to understand the Australians better than that.