ENGLISH CRICKETERS

Evening Star, Issue 20057, 24 December 1928, Page 9

ENGLISH CRICKETERS

t NEWCASTLE GAME DRAWN P : f BETTINGTON IN FINE FORM r Press Association—By Telegraph— Copyright Newcastle; December 22. The Newcastle-Hunter River team, .in its first innings, lost nine-wickets for 350 runs (declared). England replied with 281. The match was drawn. The Englishmen received a surprise whe.. the home team declared when nine wickets were down. The man who did not get a strike was Btarratt. The Englishmen received a greater surprise when they discovered' that they were 69 short of ' the home side's score at the end of the match. The slow bowler, Bettington, had a very successful day. He captured lour wickets for 96, besides taking three catches. At one stage his bowling average was three for 11. He was also responsible for much line fielding. That he did not, get more wickets was -not his fault. Several ridiculously easy catches were missed off his bowling. For ' example, Larwood • was • twice dropped, and Bettington find Hendren and Ames tied up with his accurate length. He was given a great ovation on returning to the pavilion. Bettington seems certain of inclusion in the next test team, and it seems equally certain that a couple of others will make their way into big. cricket shortly. , Tate stated that he was agreeably surprised by the quality ot the bowling, batting, and fielding. Chapman uttered similar statements. The wicket was perfect. There were about 10,000 spectators.^ Details NEWCASTLE-HUNTER RIVER. First Innings. . • Osland c Tate b White ... ... ... 70 Cummins b Tate 3 Moy run .out .... ... ... ... ... 18 Henderson st Ames b Hendren ... 60 R. H. Bettington b Hendren ... 53 Barbour b Freeman— 22 Davis c White b Freeman 37 Bramble c Hendren b Freeman ... 10 O’Brien not out 19 Oakes st Ames-b Freeman ... ... 22 Hill not out 17 Extras ' 1 Nine wickets for, 350 Bowling Analysis.—Tate, one for 54; White, one .for 71; Freeman, lour for 118; Geary, none for 45; Mead, none for ,00; Hendren, two for 25. ENGLAND. First Innings. Chapman c Cummins h Hall ... 19 Tlyclesley ibw b Bettington ... ... 13 Mead b Bettington ... , 0 Ames c Bettington b Oakes 30 Freeman Ibw h Bettington 0 Hendren b Hill 2 Tate c Davis b Oakes 49 .White c Osland b Bettington ... 12 Larwood c Bettingtqn b O’Brien 92 Geary not out, ... ... 23 Duckworth c Bettington b Oakes 18 Extras ... ... ••• 17 : Total 281. llowTing- ’Analysisi;—•-Hill; 1 two ’for 55; Henderson, none for 17; Bettington, four for 96; O’Brien, one for 59Oakes, three for 22; Moy, none for 15.—Australian Press .Association, ■ YOUNG, COMPETENT BOWLERS ’ WANTED Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright 'LONDON, December 23. The ‘ Observer’s ■ special critic says: “In cricket, as everywhere, wo ever reap .what,wo sow. For many years it seemed to us that the last person to he considered in Australia was the bowler. Matches of undetermined length, with eight ball overs and an' ar I '’dally prepared wicket, carefully preserved from the rain, left the bowler like a slave chained to the galley. The root of the trouble in Australian cricket is the glorification of the batsman for the -attraction of the spectator and the humiliation of the bowler to serfdom. Possibly Australian associations had not thought out the effects. They 'cannot be blind to them any longer. They could not expect the events of 1919-25 always to recur. The last team sent to England was manifestly deficient in bowling. Nothing shows the barrenness of bowling more than reliance on Blackie and Ironmonger, both beyond the middle age. Australia’s primary duty is to search for young, competent bowlers and give them experience, even if they are below the previous Australian standard. , The strength of Chapman’s company rests on the post-war players. Sutcliffe, Hammond, Jardine, ,Chapman, Larwood, Duckworth, and' Tate are largely post-war players.. The average age of these seven players is 28£ years. Larwood pre-eminently represents the triumph of youth to every cricketing country. England momentarily has- great batsmen and great bowlers. The captain is a successor to Strudwick for alertness in the field. He is a gallant leader, who is never depressed nor afraid, and is not oyer talkative.” —Australian Press Association.