CRICKET'S GOLDEN AGE.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 14 March 1927, Page 6

CRICKET'S GOLDEN AGE.

MEMORIES OF GREAT MEN. "Yes, I think I had the good luck to live in the Golden Age of cricket from 1890 to 1904. Some great players rperesented both England and Australia during that period, and the swerve and googly had not ruined bowling as they certainly have to-day. The present low standard of play will not improve until the lost art of spin bowling has been recovered." The above views were expressed by Mr II. Trumble, manager of the Melbourne Cricket Club's team, at present touring the Dominion. For upward of 15 years Mr Trumble regularly represented Australia in test matches, and was aclcnowledged in his day to be one of the world's greatest all-round players. 4'Whom do you consider the hest players you met during your cricketing career?" the veteran was asked. "Well," he replied, " I have always considered the late Victor Trumper the greatest batsmah who ever lived. It is liard to go past W. G. Grace, who was a master hut I have always reclconed that if Trumper and Grace wfire together, Trumper would get 75 and Grace 50 while trying to score. Of course when I iirst met Grace he was in the 'forties and was much heavier than he was as a young man. H.e mtist have been a wond-er when he could jmnp down the pitch .and drive a good length hall." The Genius of Lohmann. "And wliom do you consider was the world's greatest howler in your day." was the next question put to the Australian Eleven veteran. "George Lohmann," unhesitatingly replied Mr Trumble. "No bowler of any period has enjoyed quite such a command of pace and spin as the Surrey man." He always acknowledged that Lohmann had* five difTer'ent halls at his command and oue never lcnew which one was coming. Barnes was uiidoubtedly a great howler, but he was not the equal of Lohmann, who was dangerous on all classes of wickets by reason of his subtle changes of pace. which made the batsman imagine the same ball was coming, only to flnd it different. 1 "Do you consider bowling is as good to-day as in your time?" was the next question. i ■ ! . 5 Weakness of Modern Bowling] "Bowling at the present time is deplorably weak,' Mr Trumble replied. "Some one discovered some years ago that he could make the ball curve in the air, and at once all the young bowlers started acquiring the new art. Then someone else invented the googly, and there was a craze to howl this particular delivery. Swerve and googly bowling are unquestionably responsible for the failing off in the standard of bowling, as these deliveries have never been as dangerous ° as the genuine flnger spin, which will beat ' Ihe very hest batsmen "