Test Prospects

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 35, 25 February 1937, Page 5

Test Prospects

J. B.

HOBBS)

"DOUR STRUGGLE" Hobbs Not Too Confidedt About Enffhmq CHANCES WEIGHED

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(Copyright in all eountries. Rcprodus* tion in whole or any paxt fOrbidd««*J (Eeceived 25, 11.15 ams.) f MELBOUENE, FsB." K, The prospects for the comint Test are the most interesting ia cricket history. There is not a \ room avallable at any hotel witWB-. miles of the city and people hav« been talking ahont nothlng elsO since Australia won fhe lagt Test at Adolaide. Tha weather is Hft* coming settfled since ihe rain ai last week-end and a genuine Mefc bounxe wicket is promised, wfcieX means that lfe will be ltrslp before lnnch on the first day, after whick ' it will tono down, though if Is never «a easy as the Adolaffis wicket, f The toss means so mneh that eondto tions cannot be absolutely equaL It is quite potosible that eithSr side will toe# three or four wickets before Innelu However, I cannot help thinking that it is better to win the toss, because, *» you lose a few wickets early, you get them back relatively easily when you* opponents bat in the fourth innings. The thing that has impresaed m# since the Adelaide match is the wew derful optimiem of the Aultralian puto lic and how seriously they take Test matches. I warn them not to t*le> current form as gospel, beeause ihe English team has not been fuBy repre* sented since Adelaide. and they have been concentrating on this Test.

Gandidly, X am not as confldent of England winning the fifth t» X was of their suecess in the fonrtk Test. X feel that we have 1ms chancs of winning if we ioee the toss than tho Australlans if they lose it, because they haye more dangerous bowlers for the fourth innings, Maybo some of onr fellows will fissf the beneflt of the relaxation . ainee Adelaide. They certainly need te^'hfi at their best, because Anstralia will probably have the strongott . slevwa against them. ' .} •' I expoct England will "field the same team as in former Tests. ' There is chance that Worthingiton or Sims may displace Robins., Badcock is hy far the most matured of the youngsters we have seen. He should never hav© been left out of the Australian team. He hau paee at the start hut is inclined to bdwl short, making the ball rear xouhd the betss men's shoulders, I hope there is not going to be any rough stuff in thift match. If it does come from one side I jsee no eause fo» complaint if the other teain retaliates. I sincerely hope that there will be naf unpleasant iiicidents. (Recent press reports hav© hinted at the possibility of body-line howling creepihg in tfie final Test.) I do not anticipate fireworke in the final match. On the contrary, I am afraid it will be a very dour affair. X hope it wiU he played ouf without rain intervening.