BARRACKING

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1929, Page 6

BARRACKING

CRICKET CROWDS. DUCKWORTH A VICTIM. SYDNEY, January 3. The English cricket team now touring Australia has had more than its share of barracking from Australian crowds, and the barracking •of U. Duckworth, the English wicket-keeper, one of the greatest artists in this position Australia, has ever seen, has been described as one of the most disgraceful episodes in the history of Australian sport. Commenting on the second day. of the Third Test’match at Melbourne tho “Sydney Morning Herald” said: Duckworth seemed to have incurred displeasure because of bis frequent appeals. Moreover, he is stdl being erroneously hold responsible for the Kippax incident at the Second Test in Sydney. After he, fields the hall ho is barracked. Either lie is ironically cheered, or insulting epithets are hurled at him. To-day lie was hooted and then counted out, after appealing foi a catch on the leg side, off Larwood. There was no justification for the demonstration. In I act, it is time Australian crowds ceased their hostile shouts when an appeal is made by a visiting player, intor-felate or Intel national. For any one outside the arena to express an opinion on what is clearly an umpire’s decision is nothing mole or less than impertinence. It is quite possible that the habit has been encouraged by the many eulogies of the conduct and the cricket knowledge of out; crowds, eulogies expressed not only hv .our own authorities, hut by visiting players and officials. One can only regard some of the barracking that is indulged in as emanating from a distorted sense of sportsmanship. Tate responds to all barracking. He enjoys turning the joke on himself. Duckworth is of a different temperament, and merely keeps on giving the spectators a courageous display of wicket keeping artistry. That isyvhy one wonders at the hostility that is shown towards him. It would be, perhaps. understandable, it the insults value from a lew among tho crowd; Imt that is not the ease. Whole seclions from all round tbe arena join in the abuse in sheep-like style. On Saturday Ryder, the Australian captain, had some policemen moved from in front of the sight hoard, and the crowd laughed—at the expense of the policemen. Then, when Sutcliffe wanted a similar step taken, the crowd jeered—at the expense of the batsman. Do these incidents savour of squealing in adversity, a tendency to which nonsportsmen are prone?