CRICKET—PLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 478, 20 August 1948, Page 17

CRICKET—PLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT

CRICKET »CONTROVERSY: ‘ TEST "MATCHES IN AUSTRALIA, 1946-47, by Cliff. Cary. Foreword by Alan Kippax. T. Werner Laurie Ltd., London. ‘Through the British Council. a N the wealth of interest to cricketfollowers in this book by an Australian commentator on the tour of the last M.C.C. team the item that will probably attract most attention is the author’s criticism of Bradman. Mr. Cary recognises as enthusiastically as anyone Bradman’s genius as a cricketer, and finds

much to admire in him as a man, but, giving evidence in . support, he considers that Bradman has been over-hungry for runs and records and money, and in some respects has not been the best of team-mates. Mr. Cary is not the first Australian authority to criticise the national idol in a book. In his opinion, Bradman was too grim as captain in the 1946-47 "To Bradman, even in the first series after so many years of war and suffering, there was apparently no room

for care-free cricket in an Anglo-Australian test," As play progressed at Brisbane .in the opening test, "It was apparent to all in close contact with the players that Hammond and Bradman had completely divergent views on the meaning of cricket goodwill." In the second test, with the Australians in difficulties, Barnes kept on appealing against the light till the umpires called off play, and at the end of the season Barnes in a broadcast frankly disclosed his motives. "We could have played on, but it was a test match and we just had to win. I realised something drastic had to be done... ." There followed. a detailed account of what that something was. A second subject that will leap from the pages with exceptional force is: Mr. Cary’s criticism of the umpiring. Many people believe you shouldn't criticise an umpire. He is in the best position to see what has happened, and anyway, it isn’t sporting. Mr. Cary finds serious fault with the umpiring on this tour, and says it told pretty heavily against the visitors. Local rebuking of critics amused him as an Australian, for he doubts "If there is any country in the world to equal us for our outbursts against official sporting decisions." For example, Rugby League referees in Sydney have been threatened with mob violence a number of times, and in Victoria umpires in Australian rules games haye frequently been escorted from the ground by the police, who have even been known to draw revolvers as a safety measure, Mr. Cary .throws light on what is called the "doping" of wickets, and what he says about the unpredictable nature

of Australian wickets (at any rate in this particular season) under the influence of the weather. It is curious that a word so commonly applied to the treatment of men and horses should be used of the good earth, and still more curious that, unlike such drugs given to the animal body, cricket "dope’’ can produce opposite effects. At one and the same time, it can stimulate the batsman and depress. the bowler. The practice is not by any means confined to Australia, In this chronicle of cricket, however, there is much that is pleasant. Mr.-Cary has studied the game closely, and loves it. To him the spirit is ever so much more than the letter. He has an eye for character as well as technique, and is generous in his praise. There is a lot of back-stage information. The M.C.C. agreed to the tour "against its botter judgment," and Hammond and his men regarded it as a goodwill mission. Hammond did not centain the team well. He |

was weighed down by responsibility, bad health, and private worry. But he was a good ambassador, and in this he was well backed by his side. "Individually and collectively, the team was perhaps the most popular sporting combination ever to come from England." Unaccus- } tomed abundance of food caused some of the players to put on weight. After seven years of English rations, they couldn’t resist the good things offered to them. Mr, Cary gives us a good deal that is well away

from acute controversy, such as analysis of players’ methods, the really romantic story of J.’ M. Gregory’s rise to fame, and a study of English and Australian captains down the years. Some readers will find these chapters on captaincy the most. fascinating in the book. On form P, F, Warner was never quite an England player, but Mr. Cary, after quoting the opinions of Noble and Iredale, brackets him with Noble as the best captain ever. It only remains to add that the illustrations, which are all of action, are

many and admirable.

A.

M.