FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 956, 26 April 1930, Page 15

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

TOURING CRICKETERS ON ENGLISH WICKET AUSTRALIANS ARRIVE LONDON, Thursday. The members of the Australian cricket team reached England yesterday. They were welcomed at Dover by Lord Harris and Colonel Troughton and at Victoria Station, London, by FieldMarshal Lord Plumer, president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, and other prominent cricketers. The Australians seem to be full of confidence that they will recover the ashes. The prospect of a soft wicket for the opening match at Worcester, commencing on April 30, probably was in Mr. P. F. Warner’s mind at a welcome to the team at Australia House. He recalled the days of King Canute, saying tax-gatherers went to Worcester and were annihilated with battle-axes. Tie hoped it would not dismay youth as personified by Bradman and Jackson. The Englishman would be delighted if either came out as a rival in wizardry of the wonderous Victor Trumper. The visitors had a brief practice at Lord’s this afternoon. The bowlers did not attempt any strenuous efforts in view of the slippery nature of the ground and the soft pitch. Nevertheless most of the men found their land legs very satisfactorily. The batsmen shaped well. McCabe is improving. After watching the practice on a. -wicket which was almost a mud-heap Colonel Trevor writes in the “Daily Telegraph”: “Grimmett clearly retains all his powers. He can spin a googly and what is more unusual he can make his low delivery effective.”