CRICKETERS AND HISTORY.

Shannon News, 27 August 1929, Page 3

CRICKETERS AND HISTORY.

AT MANSION HOUSE. CHAPMAN TELLS OF THE TOUB. ("Sun" Special.) LONDON, July 18. For the first time in history an English cricket team was entertained at the Mansion House, when A. P. F. Chapman and his team were to-night the guests of »the Lord Mayor of. London. Representative erjeketers of thr-ee generations attended the banquet. The tables were decorated with red and Avhite carnations. The guests included Lords Chelmsford, Desborough, Allenby, Plumer, Ullswater, Forster, Tennyson, Rosebery and Gorell; the South Africans, H. O. Frielinghaus (hon. manager) and H. G. Deane (captain), Messrs Mallett (who arranges Australian cricket tours in England), Donald Mackinnon (chairman of the Victorian Cricket Association), the Oxford and Cambridge University team 3, and the captains of the Eton and Harrow College elevens. GRACE'S BIRTHDAY. After Avelcoming the guests and passing round the loving cup, the Lord Mayor (Sir Kynaston Studd) said that it was peculiarly appropriate that the function coincided with the late W. G. Grace's birthday. Cricket expressed the ideals of the British race and helped to bind England and the Em- ft i pire. Lord Harris, in proposing "The Team,'' coupled with the captain, Chapman, pointed out that no English team had ever before been entertained at, the Mansion House, an honour done only to the Australians 60 years ago. Twenty-two elevens had visited Australia, but he did not remember such world-wide interest having been taken in them as that which followed the present team. England had gone through a most depressing period, . which had brightened only in the final tests of 1926. Was that/'only a flash in' the' pan? Was England decadent! The success of Chapman's team put new heart into them, and convinced them that, young England Avas resolute to maintain the prestige of England. ENGLAND'S PRIDE. Cricket was so essentially " the people's game that they had been dismayed when England seemed incapable of holding her own. The promptitude with which ths Press supplied a waiting world with news constituted a wonderful tribute to the game. They took a just pride in having grafted on . several sound stocks excellent fruit, which rivalled the best they could produce in the mother soil. They had done well to;: maintain the interchange -of visits, and would be hard-pressed to maintain the reputation which Chapman's team had re-established.

Lord Harris referred to Hobbs's and Sutcliffe's skilled, stubborn display which won the third Test, and to White's untiring, accurate. bowling which won the fourth. He read a letter from the Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald) declaring that only the most urgent business prevented his attendance. He had followed with the keenest inteiest and pleasure the doings of the last team in Australia. "FACED FEARFUL ODDS." Mr A. P. F. Chapman rose toj-ospond - amid prolonged applause. He said the ■<- invitation to the Mansion House came at the right time—after an extraordinary strain of. the Fourth Test match, when the team needed a bit of a lift to realise that the people at home were very interested in the tour. No member of the team deserved special praise. Hammond had made a wonderful stand; Tate showed extraordinary 'guts,' bowling by the hour in.the boiling heat; Duckworth faced:fearful ods, and went on to the field not heeding repeated cres of "Quack!- Quack!" from ladies and gentlemen watching the game. Thanks ware due to Mr Donald Mackinnou for his warm welcome. He alwavs gave them hope. Nobody thought England had got an - easy row to hoe in 1930. He considered that losing the Ashes wfis a good . thing for Australia. If they had won at Brisbane they might not have tried the youngsters Bradmai;, .Wall, Fairfax and Jackson. It would be a wonderful fight in 2930. They would make England go all the way.