THE AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9384, 2 March 1909, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

Probably no Australian is better qualified to give an opinion on the prospects of the Australian Eleven at Home than Dr. L. O. S. Poidevin. He knows both English and Australian cricket well, and is but lately returned from the fields where the team of 1909 will be tested. Dr Poidvein takes an optimistic view of the team’s outlook, always remembering the uncertainty of cricket. The batting is very strong. It is true Trumper and Hartigan have to justify their inclusion (fancy Trumper having to justify anything 1), for they have done little in Dig cricket this season. As a matter of fact, “though Dr. Poidevin does not mention it, there is doubt about Trumper’s health, and Hartigan won his place on the strength of one innings—his century against Jones's team. Noble, on the other hand, is a greater bat than ever, and Gregory goes to England “with better credentials than in any six previous tours.” Ransfoid and Baydsley are in rare form, and Armstrong, McAlister, and Macartney are fine batsmen. On paper, the batting seems to Dr. Poidevin to be, a great improvement on that of the last team. The bowling is the department about which there is _ most discussion, but Dr, Poidevin will not have it that it is weak. That of the lastjteam lacked variety. There were four medium-paced righthanders alike in style and methods, and a batsman who got “ set ”, * 0 Home was “at home” to all. This time, besides Ootter, Noble, Armstrong, Hopkins and Laver in an emergency, there are two lefthanders, Whitty and Macartney. Here is certainly plenty of variety. “Tome, the bowling sounds very well indeed, and if those new men fall into line with English conditions, as we might reasonably expect them to, the bowling may not be, after all, such a serious ‘flaw’ in the team’s equipment. The end of August may see a revision of the present public estimate, ‘strong batting, bowling.’ At all events, the bowling department in its potentialities lends great encouragement to our hopes of remaining ‘top country.’” Much, of course, depends on the weather. A wet English summer is very disconcerting to new batsmen accustomed to Australian sunshine and fast wickets, but against the possibility of failure through this, must be placed the fact that the bowling is better adapted to soft wickets than was that of the last team.