CRICKET CROWDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 128, 4 May 1925, Page 5

CRICKET CROWDS

HUMOUR OF AUSTRALIANS.

HOBBS’S OPINION QF BAE r raokers. (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received May 4, 1(1.5 a.m. LONDON. May ,5;. Hobbs, tho English cricketer, iri a third article on the recent tour of the Englishmen to Australia, comments on the Australian passion for cricket, which was evidenced by the enormous crowds at the tests. “The crowds thoroughly know the game. Their sense of humour depends on how yon receive it; they can amuse or irritate according to a man’s temperament. If you get in their bad books, heaven help you. The best thing is to laugh w r ith the barraclcer; if you loose your head he will worry you to death. Any new player would find the barrackers’ humour rather trying, but would eventually get to bear it quite cheerfully. The only barracking that annoyed mo was the crowds cheering when we justifiably but unsuccessfully appealed. They do it out of sheer devilment, but I wish they would not.”

The newspaper Standard says that if any proposal is made regarding the toss it is preferable that it should emanate from the Australians, who never winced when Jackson won it five times in succession. It is well to remember that in 109 tests Australia has won the toss only once mure than England. On these figures it asks; “Is a change worth while? It is an axiom that luck levels itself. Let. us rather concentrate as sportsmen and cricketers op the development of players capable of winning when the toss is lost.” j. The Evening News declares that if any serious proposal for compensation for losing the toss reaches Austrajja it will raise a smile. “Had England won 70 per cent, of the tosses in the whole of the series we might say something, hut to propose an alteration when the spin of the coin is against us is neither particularly sportsmanlike nor diplomatic. We are out to play the game by practically declaring tho Australians toss better.”— Sydney Sun cable. FIRST CENTURY OF THE SEASON,

* Received May 4, 8.5. a.m. LONDON, May 2. The cricket season opened in cold and showery weather everywhere. Playing for Leicester against Sussex, King made 114, securing the first century of the season- —Reuter.