THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 20, 1939.
WEST INDIES TOUR
IN RETROSPECT
LONDON, AUGUST 31.- did not anticipate having to write retrospective comment on the West Indies team and their tour for publication on the eve of "Saint Partridge." However, there it is; the birds have flown, so I am left with mo option, writes our Home correspondent. They were an always interesting covey, and they played the game with out quibble or cavil, making our reputed best play all they knew how.
But for the mysterious inability of Martindale to get wickets, although apparently performing all the move ments a good fast bowler should, in all three Tests, and the failure of Constantine's bowling, at Lord's, I really believe they would have won a Test. There was a' period during the first Test when English stock was wobbling. A brace of quick wickets then by Constantine and there might have come a fatal slump. But it just wasn't his day, and that superb on slaught by Hutton and Compton on the second afternoon simply crushed the West Indies out of it.
ously delayed start of half an hour on the third day at Manchester when they began at 11.30 a small quantity or sawdust was only once re- quisitioned for the foothold at one end, and never to dry the ball with
|
SPORTS PARADE
IN the course of the past week I have, spects of most of the senior criektst
touched briefly on the
clubs.
proi
Only civilian club not, đénft with is
Civil Service Cricket Club. Any in- formation on Royal Navy, as regards cricket or anything else, is due of the question but I hope to have some dope on the Army's attitude towards Lea- gue cricket together with some of the falent they have available,
Civil Service, never particularly rich in players, are going to have a more difficult task than ever to field a decent first, elever.
R. H. Griffiths, a very stylish, if somewhat unsuccessful bat, is at pre-
back
are
plus unavoidable delays for rain, came to England's aid, not for the first time, and so W, I. have yet to
sent on leave and is not due lower our colours on our ground.
Grant made a lasting name for him- until December, while B. C. K. Haw- self as a fielder in that extremely diffi-kins, who has been known to make runs and take wickets when they cult area, between backward short- leg and mid-on, to field in. Take all were badly needed, is also in England.
These losses in themselves the regular positions all round this
serious enough but when one considers is the area where the ball comes
that F. Baker, easily the finest bowler most at all manner of paces, and an- gles. Many a catch is dropped, which in C. S. C. C if not the Colony, Has looks a "sitter" from the ring, be-been mobilised with the H. K. N. V.E cause the fielder had judged it was a and D. McLellan, one of their most well-hit ball, whereas the ball had been either mistimed or had been struck from on or near the splice. On the other hand, some hits through this region, in this Long-Hop Age, really hard ones, and no mistake about it. Grant began the tour by a hat-trick of catches in the first match
are
MARTINDALE'S FAILURE For Martindale's astounding bag of only forty-six wickets for 34.5 runs each on the whole tour I can offer no explanation at all. That his pace was slower than when he was here on the last tour is certain. But pace is a very long way from being the Alpha and Omega: of this part of the whole art of cricket. I never saw him lose direction or length, while his loose ones and long hops were as rare 48 in our county cricket they are frequent. His yorkers had, for him, a disappointing habit of just missing the off-stump and hitting the wicket- keeper, who, of course, doesn't count. No, Martindale 1939 has got me beat. I am generally able to find some kind I did not think Headley was so good of an excuse, for or against, for the a batsman this time as he was when uncertainties of our great game, but England's bowling and captaincy were on this occasion Martindale's failure stronger on the previous West Indies was just one of those cross-word puzzles full of Greek or Latin words, or, worse still, words spelled as no- body ever spells them.
GRANT'S CAPTAINCY AND FIELDING
in.
useful all-rounders, is an officer the HKVD.C. and will be tied up with manning exercises on most week- ends, it will be appreciated what an extremely difficult task those respon- sible for turning out Civil Service teams, are going to have.
have to be carried by A. E. Parry, last
From what I can' sec, the team, will
at Worcester, and ended Hammond's- innings with agrand catch, while lay-year's skipper, J. Er Richardson; and ing flat at the Oval, in the last match. wicket-keeper-batsman W. H. Col- So it can be truly written of him that ledge, while Norman Whitley, he maintained his form throughout.
HEADLEY
tour. At all events, he did not "take" me to the extent he did others. It did not seem to be noticed how his most profitable scoring strokes were not "stopped," as they might have been, or how some of our bowlers gave On the whole, Grant made a good those strokes quite their fair share not captain. He came near to pulling off of sustenance. But whether or that which only M. A. Noble had Headley's batting has deteriorated, his achieved previously-viz., to put Eng-eyesight and footwork have not, and land in and win. But that scandal- (Continued at foot of Next Col.)
It's the mellowness of BOOTH'S Dry Gin that makes it so much to be. desired in cocktails. Such mellowness comes only from treble distillation and maturing in sherry casks and BOOTHS DRY is the only GIN which receives such care in its mak ing. It is not to be wondered at that the 1st prize Cocktail in the Inter- national Cocktail Competition was inade with Bboth's Dry,
THEY MIX REAL COCKTAILS WITH
BOOTHS DRY GIN
Sole Agentsi
CALDBECK, MACGREGOR
CO., LTD.
who made tremendous strides Inst season' as a swing Bowler, is also available" and should be very useful.
to discover are V. C. Bond, the left- Only newcomers I have been able handed bowler who turned out for Club seconds last year, and a young schoolmaster who is reported to be equally adept at cricket and Rugby. AB, I believe, the latter is only about 22 years of age, the chances are that he will follow the course of so many* similarly placed who have gone be- fore him, and play Rugby:
The Civil Service team for this year then, will probably be composed of the following players: —–—– A. E. Perry, J. E. Richardson, W. H. Col- ledge, A. T. Lay, F. E. Lawrence, D. Hollidge, N. Whitley, V. c. Bond, and J. Barrow.
*. *
IMPACT COUNTS
GRAPHIC GOLE
OPEN VS. CLOSED, FACE
CLOSED--
OPEN --
TOE OF CLUB
POINT'S
DIRECTLY
TOWARD GROUND
FACE OF CLUB
19 LOOKING AT SKY
By BEST BALL
5-23
The majority of golfers use the open face method of play. It seems the more natural method but this should not be interpret ed as meaning that great skill carinot be gained by the closed face method. As a matter of re- cord, it can; in fact two of the best golfers of a few years ago, and who are still playing good
the golf, used
closed method. They were Jess Sweetser and Leo Diegel.
a
When Sweetser was right, it was hard to find a golfer to equal him. His iron shots burned straight path through the air to the pin consistently through eigh- Even teen or thirty-six holes. when seriously ill, as he was in 1925 when he won the British Amateur there was no stopping his depelly RECURREZ,
While the positions of the club face at the top of the stroke vary in these instances of play, there is no variation when the ball is reached. It is here that uniform- ity occurs when results are good, for unless the clubhead is aligne at right angles to the ball as it travels along the line of fight; it is not likely to follow the straight and narrow path.
Friday. Putting Styles.
son when he was the outstanding for ward of the Battery.
He will be seen on the left wing. The three inside positions will be TEAM chosen by Eastern Athletic occupied by Interporters, with F. Association to represent the Rest Fowler of the Club leading the at
Gosano and A. V. of the Colony against the Haiphong tack
and B visitors on Sunday is, apart from be-Courtney as his inside left and inside ing a representative one, fairly strong right respectively.
on paper.
It is interesting to note that two junior players have been given a chance, both having displayed good form for their respective teams.
Gardner, who plays for the Electric team, will be seen on the right wing and is a fast forward. He would be an asset to any senior team, while Flanders, of 30th Battery, R.A., (is the other junior player,
we
He represented the Army last sea-
he takes home with him the first place in the season's batting averages. Un- less, of course, Hutton, and the pro- verbial hospitality of festival bowlers, do something phenomenal to get past his 72.70 for 30 innings, six not out.
From this team as a whole should read and see a good deal more of R. S. Grant, V. Stollmeyer; J. E D. Sealey, L. N. Constantine, and C. B. Clarke, with V. H. Stollmeyer, K. H.: Weekes, and L. G. Hylton nékt-as- suming always these have the time to play regularly, I cannot believe that Martindale's sun has set, although it has to be remembered that he will be 30 in November, and that members of his race age earlier than we' do. Cón-. atantine will be 37 on September 21, and is returning for moré League cric- ket next season. “Somehow I cannot imagine Constantino as having retired from the game.. Such an accomplish- jed player and cheerful body should be
permanent part of it.
Bright will occupy the pivotal pasi- ton with E Strange at left half.
who Blackburn and Bone,
have played together for the Police, will be the backs, while Duncaŋ of Royal Scots will be between the sticks.
NO CROWDS IN
THE MORNING.
You women bowlers have a real break! You can bowl in the motri- ings, when there are no crowds and alleys are always avallable. Get up a party for morning bowling!
A HONG KONG
BOWLING ALLETS
Lookhart Rd.