A TEST PROBLEM

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1932, Page 6

A TEST PROBLEM

AGE AS A FACTOR

AUSTRALIA’S “HANDICAP

MELBOURNE, December 12

On the .surface, it is not a good omen to tsee three bowlers in their forties among th e thirteen players invited by Australian selectors for the second Test match, but the influence of the afactor on future Test teams is not as nerturbina a:s qua London ciitic sug-

gest , , Writing in the ‘‘Daily Express, ’ London, William Pollock says : “i)n e of the • troubles of the Australians is the age factor, not, more than five or six of th ( . men playing now will have an outride chance of coming to England. Somehow, somewhere, Australia will have to find an almost entirely new team. I believe Woodfull, PoiUsforcl, Kippax (Richardson have batted f<ir the last time at Lord's and that we will not sco Grimmett here again.” Tn 1934, when the Australians me to visit England, Woodfull, Kippax and Pon-sford will still be younger than thirty eight—the present age of Sutcliffe, England's 'highly .successful nmgetter. Hobbs pulled his weight :ii England’s eleven at the age of forty-sec n. Age comparisons of the seventeen m e mber s of th e English team and Duleepsinhji (who withdrew because of illness) and eighteen Australians who are most, prominent in lest discussions are:— 40 AND OYER. Australia (5) —Ironmonger (45), Qxenham (41), Grimmett (40). 40 TO 30. Australia (5) Richardson (38) ; TTootlfu 1, Oldfield, Kippax (35) ; Ponsford (32).

England (9) —Sutcliffe (38); Tate (37); Ley land, Jardme (32); DuckwnfTh, -Wyatt (31); Allen, Mitchell, Paynter (30).

UNDER 30

Australia (10) —Wall (28) ; Nngei (27); O’Reilly (26); Bradman, O’Brien, Fingleton (24); Darling, Hu’d (23); McCabe, Fleetwood-Smith (22). England (9)—Hammond (29), Larwood (28) ; Ames, Verity, Duleepsinhji (27) ; Bowes (24); Voc e (23) ; Patauul ,(22); Brown (21). Even .if it happens that the 1934 team .includes none of the players who have reached 35, there i.s already a good nucleus in the young t r brigade, with another season to be played in Australia before the selection.

Other members of the under-30 group ai - (. A. Jackson (who scored a coutury in Brisbane on Saturday), H. Alexander and L. Nash, the Victorian fast bowlers, and such batsmen as K. Rigg, K. Lonergan and H. 0. Nifschke.