SPECIAL TEST REVIEW

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 374, 4 March 1937, Page 5

SPECIAL TEST REVIEW

BY JACK HOBBS.

ENGLAND’S FAILURE.

Side Was Frankly Not Good Enough.

Press Association—Copyright.

Received 1 1.30 a.m.

Melbourne, To-day.

In a special copyright review, J. B. Hobbs says that England failed to .regain the Ashes because, frankly, the side was not quite good enough. Bradman is more than one man in a team. The Ashes were lost and won on the third day in the fourth Test. If the English batsmen, that Monday, had pushed home the advantage their bowlers had gained, England could still have allowed Bradman to get his 270 and yet pulled off the match.

The English batsmen never struck form. There was no firstwicket pair to give the side a good start. Sutcliffe was sadly missed, and passengers were carried in every Test.

Another cause of England’s defeat was the absence of a tiptop spin bowler. I cannot see England ever doing really well in Australia until they find one. It was our batting that failed. We had to rely too much on about three men. In a way the toss decided the issue in every game. I wish something could be done to nullify its effect.

Australia, however, had won the final Test before the rain came. Yet in one way Australia was lucky to get away with the Ashes. Their side was short of bowling until the last Test, while rain won them the third Test when England was two up.

The umpires gave complete satisfaction, but perhaps the happiest feature of the Tests was the excellent behaviour of the crowds. Barracking was almost eliminated.