Cricket Debacle

Evening Star, Issue 20053, 19 December 1928, Page 12

Cricket Debacle

THE BRISBANE TEST PROCESSION OF BATSMEN INTERESTING COMM ENT. ♦ Among many reasons advanced for the collapse of the Australians in the lirst test with the English cricketers at Brisbane is one that the players of the home side in the main were obsessed by the hopelessness of the position for the final day and their own inability to play the bowlers. All-were out to such ridiculous shots as to suggest that their hearts were not in the job. There wore, of course, two members of the team wbo did not bat in the second innings, which for an hour on the final day was a procession from the pavilion to the wicket and back. Then there was Woodfull, who played right through the innings. He aione knew how to smother up, ami again showed what a great batsman he is on a damaged wicket. The wicket was bad, three hours of heavy rain early in the morning having scaled Australia’s fate. • Woodful, by the way, is the fourth batsman in test cricket" to carry his bat through an innings. Among other notable individual feats of the match was that ol Hondren in reaching his 1,000 runs for test cricket FIELDING PRACTICE. The following points about play on the last day of the test indicate what •ijio proceedings were like; —The early 4alivorics oy Tate and Larwood flow about the batsmen’s ears; Woodfull was hit on the leg by Larwood and Hendry was struck nastily by a rising _ ball from Tate. At 43, with two wickets down. White took a Hand in the bowling for the first time in the match, and then it was that the procession started. Hendry completely misjudged a ball and snicked it gently to Larwood, fielding in the slips ami close to the mat. Rydex played a couple of balls from White and then sided one from Tate to Larwood, fielding at mid-on. Bradman, after scuring 1 for a drive, spooned a ball fn r White to Chapman at silly point. O’..field spent a. few moments in Woo-Boh's com- ■*’ pany, and then went the -i.me way as Ryder, hitting up Tato to Larwood at mid-on. Woodfull aloiio.-sfois playing tji« bowling, but naturally his scoring .rate was slow. Griinmctt stayed for eleven minutes for 1 before spooning White to Chapman exactly as Bradman had done. Ironmonger had one mighty hit at While, and was caught by Chapman in the outfield. As there were no more batsmen to come, tlio English captain pocketed tlio ball as a souvenir of bis first test victory in Australia. While look seven wickets for 4 runs in (3.3 overs, two of which wore maidens. BONSLUIID'd [VIEWS. “Chapman proved a great tactician, and when he got a grip on the game he never lot it go,” said W. H. Ponsford in making comment on tlio match. “In this game at every point ho proved himself a great leader.” Wliilo the Australian hatting was disappointing, Pousford pointed out that, in view of the treacherous wicket no other end was to bo expected. Tlio bowlers ■were able to do almost as they liked, and the Australian batsmen were at their mercy. The batting of Woodfull was tlio one bright feature of the play, and Woodfull never looked like going out. The English batsmen earlier in tho game bad saved their side well, but tlio English bowlers did wonderful work. Larwood made a groat debut in test cricket in Australia. His bowling started the Australians’ discomfiture, his hatting was of inestimable value, and he finished upon tlio final day with a feast of catches. Although the first test was lost badly, the Australians, in Ponsford’s opinion, arc capable of making a better fight, and they are looking forward to the remaining matches with the highest hopes. The Englishmen had the best of whatever Jack was going in the first test, but, even so, they thoroughly deserved their win. COMMENT BY NOBLE. “it was a gloriously complete and thoroughly deserved victory,” is tho manner in which 31. A. Nobio sums Up tho match at Brisbane. People cherished tho fond hope that tho storm bad been harmless to tho ground, but an inspection of the wicket before tho final (fay’s play dispelled that hope, and disclosed that the wicket was just arriving at tho sticky stage. There was scarcely any wind to temper the blazing sun which sliouo with pitiless ferocity, caking tho top of the. wicket. It was softer underneath, telling nnmistakeably that the worst fears would bo realised. Tate, though not turning off the pitch, was lifting venomously, sometimes head high. Ivippux endeavoured to force Larwood to the outfield, but mistimed, and was caught by the bowler. Hendry, attempting a sixer, did not get far enough under it, and skied one to second slip. Ryder tried to lift Tate to long-on, and Larwood took a good catch very high. [Woodfull played a line, resourceful filings under adverse conditions, keeping the good ones well down. He established the possibility of keeping out the English invaders. Rain was opportune for England, as jU prevented the Australians from getting muebneeded practice against tho English shock merchants. No doubt England was markedly superior in every department, and played all over Australia.

The loss of Gregory and Kelieway after the second day was practically negligible for purposes of comparison in the light of Australia’s general failure. WHITE NOT DIFFICULT. Dealing with the bowling which he had to face on the iiual tiny, W. M. Woodfull, who carried his bat through the innings, stated that Tate made line pace off the wicket, and at times got up awkwardly. He was on the spot the whole time, and gave away nothing. Hammond bowled only ono oyer, and was turning the ball back .from, the off appreciably. White, who obtained the astonishing figures of four for 7 off thirty-nine balls, should not have been so successful. Ho camo very slowly off the pitch, and could be played defensively with comparative ease. He occasionally sent up a ball which could be hit by using one’s feet. To play such a bowler on such a wicket the batsman must either got right out over the ball, even if it means leaving his crease, or go right back on the wicket. With regard to the state of the wicket, Woodfull expressed the opinion that, although it was soft, and the bowlers were cutting it up from the start, it had passed its worst stage, for at no time did it play like « real Melbourne sticky wicket. One of the visitors said it was the worst wicket ho had seen, but, Woodfull stated, he will view things from a different angle before he leaves Australia. It was not to be imagined, however, that the wicket was a nice one, for it certainly made the ball stick. up sharply. It differed from the sticky wicket in that the ball did not. appear ti lose quite as much pace as is usual on • sticky wicket of the worst type. The ball, apparently, stayed as it was after coming in contact with the pitch. In consequence, unless a batsman got right over the ball ho completed his stroke too early, and skied it. This was apparent in the day’s play, for all the batsmen were caught, many of them falling into just this mistake. FORGET IT! “The cold fact remains that. we must forget this match, with its disappointments and tragic consequences, twdclft thft tost M

though we were starting afresh,” writes A. A. Mailoy. He considers that only once during the match did Australia appear to bo in a favourable position, and that was when Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hammond, Mead, and Jardinc were out in the first innings for 217 runs. That Australia subsequently had bad luck in the disability of Gregory and Kclloway cannot bo denied, yet she was iu a very precarious position before these two players were put out of action. There I . no doubt that Australia would have made a better fight of it had these players been able to see tho match through, and tho victory probably have been much sweeter to the Englishmen. Tho result of tho match proves that in White, England. possesses a bowler • who is very hostile on a rain-damaged wicket. It will bo interesting to see how ho will fare on a good wicket. While he will not have the same terrors, Mailey still thinks he will worry one or two of Australia’s batsmen who have a reputation of being forceful cricketers. “ With Gregory out of action, Kelieway doubtful, and other players in the melting pot, the Australian selectors are faced with a very difficult task,” says Mailey. “It is the opinion of many that the fielding and bowling must be strengthened for tho second test, but how to improve one department without weakening the other is a problem, tho solving of which most of ns would not care to take over,”