CAPTAIN TO SUCCEED BRADMAN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 47, 25 February 1939, Page 4

CAPTAIN TO SUCCEED BRADMAN.

W. A. BROWN SUGGESTED

GREAT LEADERSHIP OF THE QUEENSLAND TEAM SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCHES

When Queensland finished Victoria off by administering outright defeat, : they completed the most successful Sheffield Shield season they ever had, comments "Not Out,” in the Sydney Referee. Moreover, for a change, only one non-Queensland player was included in the winning team. The rise of Young Queensland in this way will mean very much to Australia if it be continued in the next few years. They are producing bowlers—the most pressing need in this country for bouts with England. The part of W. A. Brown as leading batsman and captain has been outstanding. In Sydney a few weeks ago a shrewd judge, looking into, the future, said that "Bill Brown is shaping like a future Australian captain.” 1 think the prophet is a student of astrology. Signs were showing last summer that Queensland’s best team was on the up-grade. Brown had settled down into the leadership, and developed his own balanced, measured stride with the bat. The discovery of another first-rate fast bowler in J. Ellis has been important. And we may say the same of slow bowler W. Tallon, who has had some better days than any of his predecessors. In the use of Tallon, the skipper has shown commendable discretion. The bowler himself has been fighting fit, and confident. All bowlers of his type have bad days when batsmen are aggressive and sound, picking the ball unerringly, jumping in with discretion, and hitting with vigour. But W. Tallon got through such days creditably, and finished with impressive efforts in the last two home matches to secure 4 for 80, 2 for 87, and 5 for 77. Besides, he is no lame-duck with the bat, nor yet a disciple of stodge. Good Variety in the Attack These men with Christ, Cook, and

Dixon make up a variety and class in attack that mean throwing no runs at batsmen while keeping a touch of danger in their work. The only totals of 400 or more against Queensland were 462 and 557 by South Australia, with Don Bradman scoring 225 and 186 not out. In getting results from the bowlers, Brown, as captain, has been careful not to keep his fast bowlers going until they are fit to drop. He has managed to keen them comparatively fresh and keen. Ellis did not come into the team until after the New South Wales match in Brisbane. His bowling in Sydney impressed everyone. For one so inexperienced in first-class cricket, he bowled with devil and judgment while preserving his direction and length. One hopes to see him included in the team for New Zealand. Over there wickets are not helpful to fast bowlers who depend mainly on speed. A tour with the Australians; should benefit him. Christ has been used more as the stock bowler than anyone else. A lefthander of his type is well fitted for this role. The degree of his success has been hardly in keeping with the merit of his bowling. He turns the ball a little from the leg while flighting and keeping his length. He looks a bowler who should be very difficult on a bad wicket—the sort on which Rhodes and Verity were so destructive. He also looks one who will keep an end going with something like the mechanical accuracy of Verity. Christ would be still more helpful to Queensland were he able to keep an end going with the bat, when that is necessary. The side has its tail. Don Tallon’s influence in the team has been very strong. He secured 33 victims as wicket-keeper, in five matches, excluding that at Brisbane against South Australia, in which W.

A. Brown took his place while injured. In successive matches he got 8,2, 2, 12, and 9 wickets, catching twenty and stumping 13. Phenomenal! His wicket-keeping is one ot the features of the Australian season. It will be remembered for very many years for his wonderful feats of taking twelve wickets in the match against New South Wales and seven in one innings against Victoria. His agility and certainty in getting to and judging catches wide on either side against fast bowling have been of rare merit. Don Tallon made one century, 115 against South Australia, and contributed a number ot useful scores. He was born in 1916, and has his best batting in front of him. His wicket-keeping this season—as was also the case last season—put that of his rivals from olher States into the shade. C. W. Walker, tor South Australia, has taken 16 wickets, nine caught and seven stumped in four matches—quite first-class work. B. A. Barnett has managed only six victims, three caught and three stumped. New South Wales 'keepers took nine catches (F. W. Easton five and S. Sismey four), and made no stumpings. Brown's Batting and that of Colleagues W. A. Brown fell short of a thousand runs aggregate in the Sheffield Shield by ten runs. He made 990. In all first-class matches, however, he is the only batsman to make 1000 so far. He is the only Queensland representative who has ever done so. His innings are: 67, 84, 61, 99, 12. 174 not out, 95, 168, 1, 81, and 215.