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THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 14, 1989 .
PICKING ENGLAND'S TEAM Suggested Eleven To Play Against West Indies
W.H.V. LEVETT AS 'KEEPER
IT is not, I believe, customary to approach the di- version of England team-picking before Oak Apple Day each summer, writes R. C. Robertson- Glasgow, nor have I the powers of divination attri- buted to Madame Tabouis; but, if some upheaval of Nature were to plunge me into the position of sole selector of the England cricketers to play the West Indies to-morrow, I would present, not for argument, but for interest, the following team (in order of batting):-
1. Hutton (Yorkshire).
2. Paynter (Lancashire).
3. Compton (D.) (Middlesex).
4. W. R. Hammond (Gloucestershire),
captain.
5. Leyland (Yorkshire).
6. Hardstaff (Nottinghamshire).
ting in this three-day match. K. Farnes, the best of our fast bowlers,
F. R. BROWN
This team would
appear to have I omit, as he is at present engaged in something of a "tail" in batting, but I the teaching of future cricketers. think that critics tend to attach undue consequence to this debatable failing, Glance at some old and great winning England teams, and note how often the rearguard was composed of men whose chief use of the bat handle was for the knocking in of displaced stumps.
for
In the absence of Ames, still not quite sound enough in the back wicket-keeping, I would unhesitating- 8. W. H. V. Levett (Kent), wicket-ly pick W. H. V. Levett, who, when
7. F. R. Brown (Surrey).
keeper.
9. Perks (Worcestershire). 10. Bowes (Yorkshire).
11. Goddard (Gloucestershire). 12th man, Verity (Yorkshire), to dis- place Perks if the chance of a wet wic-ly an added tang of brilliance, a sort
ket were strong.
given the chance, has shown over and over again to the satisfaction of those who play with and against him-the real critics-not only a skill at least the equal of any of his rivals but frequent-
of flair for hostility, which, to my mind, places him above them. Further, when the occasion demands it, he can be a correct and stubborn batsman.
On the fringe of this team I would
Chopson (Derbyshire), and Gover (Surrey), all fast to fast-medium bow- lers; and among batsmen, in reserve for the positions of number five and number six, B. H. Valentine (Kent), and Gimblett (Somerset), the latter being also available, in a three-day match, as opening batsman. I do not think that Edrich has so far 'done enough to earn consideration.
This is not necessarily a team that I should pick to play Australia or South Africa in a five-day or a "timeless" Test match, but it is one selected to oppose the especial methods and men-place Butler (Nottinghamshire), and tality of its opponents in a three-day match. Verity, against the best bats men in the world, and in a long, drawn- out battle, I consider to be the greatest slow left-handed bowler that we have, but on a true pitch, unamenable to spin, I would omit him, relying in his absence on the less accurate but, to the comparatively inexperienced batsmen, more puzzling wiles of Leyland, who has, possibly, done all too little bowl- ing in his career. On a pitch likely to suit Verity I would omit one of the opening bowlers, Perks, as Hammond could provide that short period of new- ball bowling before handing over the attack to Verity, F. R. Brown, leg- breaks and googlics, and Goddard, slow medium off-break with variations of his own.
HAS HIS RIVALS
F. R. Brown has his close rivals; but, at the moment, neither Wright of Kent,
nor Wilkinson of Lancashire, both of whom had success in the South African tour, is available. Brown, cer- tainly is valuable in form and accuracy, but any who saw his greater periods of attack against the West Indies at the Oval must acknowledge his danger to batsmen of all classes. There is Mit- chell (T.B.), of Derbyshire, a wonder- ful artist on one day; on the next, too often, an expensive liability; more- over, we want Brown's powerful bat-
H. VERITY
INSIST on
Genuine
PERFECTION
a
H. K. C. C.
VICTORY -
At Chater road Hong Kong Cricket Club beat Civil Service by 7% sets to 11⁄2 in "B" Division of the Tennis League.
E. E. Story and J. J. Ferguson (H.K.C.C.).
beat J. A. Bendall and W. J. Skin-
6-2
6-4
6-3
B. O'M, Deane and W. H. Jowitt
ner
beat I. and B. Agafuroff
beat S. Peck and J. Bicknell
(H.K.C.C.).
lost to Bendall and Skinner
drew with the Agafuroff
beat Peck and Bicknell
T. J. Gould and T. C.
(H.K.C.C.).
beat Bendall and Skinner
beat the Agafuroff
beat Peck and Bicknell
4-6
.0-0
6-3
Monaghan
6-3
61.
6--3
K.I.T.C. v. RECREIO
At the Kowloon Indian Tennis Club ground the home team were beaten by the Club de Recreio 6 sets to 3.
S. A. and S. S. Hassain (K.I.T.C.). beat W. A. Reed and M. A. Oliv
eiro
lost to A. M. Silva and F. E. V.
Ribeiro
beat H. Gonsalves and A. M. Re-
6-3
4-6
medios
6-1
M. A. Khan and F. Khan (K.I.T.C.). lost to Reed and Oliveiro lost to Silva and Ribeiro beat Gonsalves and Remedios
46
1-6
A. Rahim and G. M. Khan (K.I.T.C.). lost to Reed and Oliveiro lost to Silva and Ribeiro lost to Gonsalves and Remedios.2-6
1-6 .1-6
WATER POLO FIXTURES
At the Water polo League meets ing held at the Victoria Recreation Club last night it was decided that the League start on June 26,
The week has produced match which, in an imperfect world, is as near as we can arrive to perfection Middlesex v. Gloucestershire at Lord's the latter winning by three wickets in a game where no innings totalled less than 207 or more than 239 (seven wic- kets). Moreover, skill and determina- tion abounded. Goddard, who rides on the crest of triumph, and W. R. Ham- mond, contributed most to their team's victory, which followed the defeat of the champions on a Yorkshire ground. But the inc ase in Gloucestershire's subsidiary strength is to be noted; for it was not thus in the days of Dipper, Parker, and Dennett, nor in the earlier years of Hammond. This advance owes much to the acumen and foresight of B. H. Lyon, their former captain, now prevented from playing regular cric- ket. Neale, who batted with culm and discretion for 34 in the second innings, the wicketkeeper-batsman Wilson, small of stature, strong in purpose, | C.B.C. Scott, a fast improving opening bowl S.C.A.A.
the ler, all played worthy parts in scene. That master of the drive. Bar- | V.R.C. fiett; had done his work in the week's Y.M.C.A.. "double" with an innings of 90 which
The draft rules to govern the league were submitted and ap- proved.
The following is the programme for the season:-
FIXTURES The following are the fixtures:
June 26
the men of Bradford will long remem- V.R.C. ber.
QUEER DECLARATIONS
Y.M.C.A. Chung Shing
Chung Shing
It would seem almost churlish in the middle of so many matches so finely S.C.A.A. fought to comment on the matter of queer declarations of innings closed. V.R.C. But some notice is necessary. There are two kinds of declaration, that which arises from enterprise and from chances wisely but generously estimat- ed, and that which I may call
the
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It was stated in these columns yes- terday, in connection with South China's swimming gala, that the S.C.A.A. team beat Royal Navy by 5 goals to 1 at water-polo. We have been asked to state. that the team beaten was not the Royal Naval re- presentative team but A Royal Navy team.
"freak" declaration, caused, in the main, by the desire to entertain and attract the crowd and by the urge to acquire the full 12 points when either the weather or the course of the game is obstructing that object. I am con- vinced that captains of county teams would be wise to consider the full im- plication of a "freak" declaration, such a one as was made in the recent match between Essex and Glamorgan. First, even in these days when County clubs must live under the shadow of over- drafts, is it in the interests of the game artificially to inflate excitement and at the same time too "steal march" on those countries whose cap- tains reject this "method? . Secondly, consider a situation to which the "freak" declaration might at least in theory, lead. Imagine a pitch of in- dolent perfection and the weather set fair; two teams, each weak in bowling, strong in batting two captains, each greedy for 12 points. So they agree each to declare his first innings closed at say, 150; then proceed to play the match for 12 points. “But they'd never do such a thing you will say, I won-
der.
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