MAILEY ON O’REILLY

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 37, 13 February 1937, Page 14 (Supplement)

MAILEY ON O’REILLY

In view of the success of W. J. O’Reilly in recent years and of the rise to fame of L. O’B. FleetwoodSmith, the following comments by Arthur Malley, published before the 1932-33 Tests in Australia, are ot more than usual interest:— “To the question whether W. J. O’Reilly is a possible Test match bowler my answer is that while being a handy bowler, he has not convinced me that he is the type. “He is too fast to be a slow bowler, and if he were to take, say, Grlmmett's place, there would be something missing in the Australian XI attack. “O’Reilly’s flight is more disconcerting than his break, and on a good wicket he breaks very little. If at all. from the leg. “This Is proved by the fact that time after time good-length balls pitched on the middle stump are played to the leg side. If these broke, to any extent, from the leg the ball would naturally find Its way

across to the off, as it does wh-n Grimmett bowls his leg break. "O’Reilly is difficult to score off and consequently will always appear to be a good bowler. He bowls u splendid lengtn and varies his pace well He has a better chance of retaining his place in the Australian XI as a medium pace bowler than as a slow bowler. "Against the Englishmen he might be a rival for inclusion to Ironmonger but I tttink as a slow bowler pure anci simple, Fleetwood-Smith’s claims demand more considsratlon.” A w*.ek later (April 9, 1932), the following paragraph appeared:— W. O’Reilly, the New South Wales bowler, bowled splendidly against South Australia, and his figures, five for 68 and live for 59, were gained from as good bowling as one could wish to see from a slow medium bowler. O’Reilly kept a fine length, turned a little from leg, and made pace from the pitch.- “Not Out” in the Sydney Referee comments thusly: “O’Reilly is one of the spin bowlers of a type for which Australia once Was famous and the sort we have been looking for.” A. A. Mailey has his doubts, deeming that O’Reilly does not flight the ball sufficiently to make good in the very best company.