Field and Grandstand

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 649, 7 December 1951, Page 13

Field and Grandstand

"2 oe 6 Nae APRS *. Age 6 Wee Fee ON "LONG INNINGS, the Autobiography ot Sir Pelham Warner; George G. Harrap and Co. English price, 15/-. ELUSIVE’ VICTORY, with F.-R. Brown's Team in Austtalia, by E. W. Swanton; Hodder and Stoughton. English price, 12/6. CRICKET WITH THE. KANGAROO, by G. '. F. McCleary; Hollis and Carter, London; Dymock’s Book Arcade, Sydney.

Reviewed by

A.

M.

te LUM" WARNER ‘does not . rank among the greatest players (though he made stacks of runs in the best company ), but his position in the game is unique. He was born in the West Indies and is partly. Spanish. Before he had played in a test. match, he Was invited to captain England in Australia, and his team recovered the Ashes. When nearly 47, he led Middlesex to victory in the county championship. Prodably no other man has played cricket in 80. "Many countries, or written so many ‘books about the game; sixteen are listed here besides this one. In his retirement he has kept very close to cricket, and he is said to have taken Lord Harris's

place as the most prominent of the game’s Elder Statesmen, recognition of which has come in a knighthood and the presidency of the M.C.C. That Long Innings should cover much history already dealt with in other books was unavoidable, and it is good to have the connected story of a life devoted to cricket, with a very brief interval for the

law, and a record of war service. [he autobiography is a history of cricRet over 60 years. Sir Pelham was born into the golden age of English cricket, when the amateur reigned in his glory of ‘prowess and status, and test match selectors had a choice of good fast bowlers. In his story there is too much social chit-chat about his travel and wide circle of friends, but skipping is easy, and here and there are real plums. His love of dancing leads him to recommend it as good for cricket. Having sat for hours at times watching cricket in New Zealand and England, without seeing a batsman leave his crease to attack, I agree that all cricketers should be taught to waltz. Technically well, equipped, with a mind of his own and a clear muscular style, E. W. Swanton, cricket correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph, makes a good job of reporting the tour of the English team that did not recover the Ashes but broke the "longest sequence of success in the history of cricket," before Australian crowds that positively longed for English victory. The most interesting chapter is the first, in which Mr. Swanton reviews the tour, and considers the conditions of the game in Australia and the disposition of Australians. He took the trouble to see city club cricket, which is the nursery of the game, and compares it with the English set-up. I commend this chapter especi-

ally to all interested in cricket trends and policies. The action pictures are admirable. Cricket With the Kangaroo is a highlight history of Anglo-Australian cricket by an English enthusiast old enough to have been inspired by the visit of the Australian team of 1878, For the record, which runs to 1948, he draws,partly on his own memories. Here you may read of the origin of the Ashes; of Spofforth’s methods; of "Ranji’s" first test; of C. T. Studd, cricketer and missionary; of Jessop to England’s rescue; of Trumper’s "amazing genius," and so on. This last makes it clear why old hands rank Trumper as the greatest Australian batsman and why he was loved as a man. It is a book’ for old men in the chimney corner, and to show youngsters that there were strong men before Agamemnon.