ALEC BEDSER'S · · COLUMN
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1954.
AMONG THE UMPIRES ARE SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF ENGLISH CRICKET
Allow me to introduce one of the great
cricket. He is not a player but an umpire.
characters of English
Unique, I think, is the word for Alec Skelding.
Crowds all over England are familiar with the tall bespectacled figure, his mop of Know white hair, the military precision of his gesture when he signals a boundary and his cream cricket boots,
Yet when 1
WILS j fast Sellars, Yorkshire captain, com- bowler some twenty years back promised with "The Umpire's for Lelcestershire lie usext box- ing shoes to bowl in ceri dry days!
Players keep alert for Aler's quiet asides--invariably made in n fog-horn whisper audible from alip to tong on. No day's play would be deemed to be Anished without his removing the balls and raying: "And that, gentle. met, concludes the entertain- inent for the day,"
SKELLY'S ELEGY
But that is only one sitte Alre's character.
Lament.” And so It has ree mained. Here's the Boal verse:
"So now you willow wielders. And
volley catching Fielders;
You who stand there at the wicket
you
Injured Dinorenice - 'Didn't snick 11
Bowlers who are apt to squeal At a negatived appeal; Think of umpire Jack or Jim; Think kindly please-and pity
texim...
1 doubl if it is generally
known that Chester still holds
a remarkable record though
was made before the First World War.
He is the youngest player to
SPORTING SAM
By Reg. Wootton
Give Wales A Chance
To
A
Stage A Test
Says DENIS COMPTON
Much as I enjoy playing at Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Lord's and the have scored a century in Eng Oval, I always feel sorry that the regular Test grounds are so far away from the
lish county erleket. Before he lost his right arm in 1917 he was one of the most promising | all-rounders in England.
"were
cricket-loving folk of the West Country.
People living in Worcestershire, Somerset, and Glamorgan-all with first- class county sides cannot watch Test cricket anywhere nearer than London Nottingham.
I am certain that they would give enormous support
any Test coull be fixed nearer their homes.
мом 2
markable accuracy of length and direction
On luis return from the war he took up umpiring on the Warner advice of Sir Pelham and looked so young when he
ON THE AWKWARD SPOT reported for his first match that ad-
He always scoms to be right the Kateman refused him He could be ||~ We are all opt to take umpires
Insumcient accommodation on that most awkward spot, not termed the Hard Of The White | for granted, But what would mission. "Umpires in those days" Coat. Many
out many of the smaller short enough to hook or cut, not the ocrasion happen to the
Says Frank If the
Invariably rules Rame
oldish men
whn sported watch rounds, but what about Swan-
far enough when be reads la verse. 1a jumpires were
up to drive, but corrupt? They
compelling the half-cock stroke. work major
chains and heavy moustaches. I WILH given the play
cnormous part in
War Wooller, the Glamorgat He reminds me very much of somewhat pedestrian
was only in my early twenties." tille of cricket's success and we should
captain, tells me that the Swan-Verity, who literally
Wore "Duties, Trials and Troubles of never forget the fact.
THE KING
sea ground can hold up to 50,000 patch on the pitch hy repeut- Cricket Umpires." It begins:
and that, with little dißculty, it edly dropping on the same spol. Chester became the king
of could be enlarged to take In one match C.S. ("Stewie") umpires, acknowledged the another 10,000.
Dempster of New Zealand was over. Ne has three
AI the moment
the hitch so impressed by Verity's ac- world
might not be considered
ideal curacy that, at the end of his for Test cricket, but, } the side's Innings, he took a plato Glamorgan authorities
were out and covered three different given the slightest hope for spots on the pitch which Hedley thinking they might be offered
"Portrayed by must cartoonists
BAN STADOzC7,
him a boozer."
REMARKABLE RECORD
In particularly grateful to latring them and particularly to Frank Chester. When I was a young- -sel Italer he passed on tim which 1
buve never forgotten.
With red prabonels.
Eicky". but Brian
Denis Compton
"Skelly's
It's Said He Took The
Hardest Punch
Louis Ever Delivered
By
ARCHIE QUICK
They used to call him the Black Uhlan" but all his Max war service was as a paratrooper, not a horseman, Schmeling was the idol of Germany when he beat Joe Louis and became the first German Heavyweight Cham- pion of the World, but he returned to Berlin in ignominy after he had been knocked out by the "Brown Bomber" of Detroit in their second meeting.
It is said that Schmeling was the only man who ever raised a feeling of hatred in the otherwine placid Louis and that the knockout punch in the first round which left beetle-browed Max writhing and screaming
the canvas was in agony on
the hardest Louis ever delivered.
now
E
lives
#1
lot
Schmeling was over Crete mi he said, "but I do not expect to him fight outside of one of the Invnders from the air ever see and he
Berlin Germany." where he does
vi
Schmeling told me that there reterecing. met up with hi
were Hanover on
a number again recently
of promising in the country, his way to Dortmund to offeiate young fighters
but they were tough rather than in a contest and the years have
skilful, not changed him.
in
like about
Our
rules:-
事 Work as a two-man lewen anet not ux Two separate
umpires.
2. Use common-sense as well us the lows.
3.
Don't worry if you make
{ mistake. While you worrying you might make other!
Bro
-
a Test, they would move might- ly to make both the ground and the pitch worthy of the honour.
Tour arrangements are made thut I could not so far ahead see any hopes for Wales having Africa, a Test against South CUB
Australia or the West Indies,
To
LETS HAVE
SOMETHING SPECIAL!
than with a discerning palate, whisky is not merely Scotch'. He looks for the finer points and marner his preference... White Home, Every drop is perfected and mat uted until it is as fine a whisky
* CTCC CRIC out of Scotland. All good things have a name;
ог
in Scotch the name is White Horse.
in
A
had worn away with the three different length balls ho used. Bob Appleyard is unusun) thet he bowls everything right-hander carl, except the leg-break. When the shine is on outswinger the ball, he mixes and inswinger,
Afterwards breaks and leg-cutters. In addi- bowls of-
tion his change of pace is moet perplexing to the batsman.
he
Possibly Bob does not bowl the leg-cuiter as well as, say, Alec Bedrer, or the off-break as well as Jim Laker, but, taken all round, he is a class bowler, the type who would serve very useful purpose in Australia.
-(Landon Express Service)
SPORTS SURVEY
our next three visitors, but New
STILL at Zealand are here in 1958 and
India the following year.
It is not often players have a laugh ot the umpire's expense. But when Paddy Cor- rall stood in his first match the Oval be joined in an appent for a catch at the wickel! Need- less to add,, the batsman given out.
Puckly hard! been Leicester- shire's wicketkeeper and the years of habit were too much for him when he heard the snick.
And now a word of congratu- lation to Cliff Gladwins, Derby- shire's genial glant who recently
completed his 1,000 Orst-class wickets with his medium to fast bowling. Cliff and I were at the crease on that unforgettable occasion at Durban In 1948 when England beat South Africa
by a leg bye with the last ball of the match.
can
Cu made
Denise,
By "ALL-ROUNDER"
GOING
If Glamorgan were promised a Test as an experiment against top class football S
either of these countries, their reaction would be so enthusiastic that they might enter real com- petition for further and regular
Testa.
Ior
1
STRONG. | No. 1 bat, Mike Smith, has just George Wilson, the Valo of completed an uromial "hat Clyde centre half, has been intrick" of centuries. Ho reached
twentythree figures in his first years, and has again re-signed Varsity match against for that club. He was "capped" bridge last week; had previously centre forward against hit 102 in his Arst Trial at Wales and England in 1935-36 Oxford,
and also season, and got a "hai trick" when making his debut for the against England. He was
pre-
against Gloucester- University viously with Clyde and Thirdshire. He plays for Leicester-
shire.
What
Lanark
WORLD'S FASTEST BOWL-
scored 104
NO LONGER STRANGERS
The first time Godfrey Evans had ever seen
A CROP OF GOALS. bowl was when Bob ran up to Bob Applyyard
ERT
The claim is mode that is probably a record in Soccer deliver his first ball at Notting-23-year-old Michael Thompson, was achieved last season try Stourbridge, is the "fastest Hamsteels Colllery Welfare Club big In Durham. They scored 259 Former
Test
won all their matches. But they
on the reason
ham!
I doubt if Test cricket many instances keeper and bowler being
strangers.
Bob
of a wicket- such
air,
world".
A
besthe
English Match player Dick Howorth Coals and quite naturally watched him take six wickets for no runs all clean bowled showed an unlucky £13 deficit against Himley and said: ile in FIRST DEFEAT FOR FOUB certainly, very quick through (YEARS. When Kynoch Youth Club beat Bloomsbury Youth Another bowler In the mingham district to achieve dis- match by 122 runs to 66 it was tinction was Fred Coombs, who the first defeat sustained by Bloomsbury for over four years! In that time they had won out- cent of right seventy-five per John their matches and drawn opening rest.
trick or mamer-
took seven
THEN MINE'S A
WHITE HORSE
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Д
wickets without run being scored off him in the local
Boys'
recovery NEVER
at
ngade Buc.
In fact, it was not until the Test that Godfrey and Bob were introduced to each other. No situation, however
Not that Godfrey takes long get the best of Cliff's to weigh up the peculiarities of humour. When he passed any bowler. He has kept to so I cannot think of Dudley Nourse, the Springbok many that skipper, on the way to the any bowling
him wicket
asked Dudley
"What, ism that would surprise
Appleyard's
A have you got to smile about?" And
the classic from the chest illness which
one time threatened to finish Langridge has reply: "Cometh the hour, cometh the man."
his cricket career after his batsman for Sussex for over 20 tremendous first full season of years now, but he has never Through those last desperate 1951, when he took 200 wickets, "bagged a pair of ducks" yet in minutes Cliff kept addressing stands out as one of the most county, match. He is the only me as "My little champion."
inspiring examples of courage No. 1 first-class batsman in the
In adver- country with such a record. and determination REALLY AMAZING
sity.
PUPIL NOW STAR.
When including the accident Because of an
Many experts.
Bill Bowes, Bryan Bayley was a master at Stuart Surridge has Yorkshire coach, practice of lifting
believe he is a better bowler "prep" school at Bognor been out of the Surrey team. apart from Neuhaus. We Meanwhile ship apa
Regis before the War he had a Peter
May is de now than three years ago.
nine-year old pupil of promise have some good amateurs though
if ho who may do well in the art putising as captain and
Bill's comment to me recent- | although he went in last in the can only maintain his present ly wast"Or all European Championships and I form in Australia next
winter cricketers,
English batting and bowled slow left next to Hedley arm. believe we have a light middle-he will score a sackful of runs. Verity, Bob is the dinest 'pure' weight who can best your clever His power off the back foot is bowler have ever seen. Bruce Well,
really amazing.
"He uses his head all the The leading German boxing Another promising youngster time, on a pitch that helps him promoter, Mr Joachim Gottert, to tell you about is Michael he will run through most sides. paid this tribute to Schmeling Barnard of Hampshire.
He is and, even when the pitch i "Not only is he doing a good job 21 and a fine soccer player for not helping, he won't often be of work by his clever handling Portsmouth, too. Perhaps he is collared. He's too clover for of big fights, but he is putting onother double International that."
per
"What He is still us taciturn as ever, still making the
boxers," he said, "is that they that excuse
one hundred the Louls punch which knocked go into the ring
cent ft. him out was low, still the same cen
There is nobody however, at the moment capable blue chin, highway HE owner of
a European Champion- cheek bones, overhanging eye- brows and low forehead.
Д
He
so much as some
is much fleshler, but has not run to seed other old warriors I know.
"POLITICAL REASONS"
Schmeling Is of the opinion that Hans Neuhaus is as good as any heavyweight in the world today, but that for political he will never get the chance of challenging for the title in the United States.
reasons
of
}
in
in a lot of coaching for Ġerman | Ilko Willie Watson of the
"I think he has a good chance
beating Rocky Merciano," boxing,"
THE
WEEK-END
"How to get a deck a
chair and read all about the Queens
home coming y
GAMBOLS
My!, the sun's too hot
future.
Bob Having ployed against recently I can testify to his re-
by
Barry Appleby
SUNDAY
REALLY FRA" BONFIRE ON
HOW
Mr Bayley is now Secretary of Worcestershire and he ro cently saw his ex-pupil score a century against his county. It veyed the news to the playe was also Mr Bayley who con- one David Sheppard--that he had been selected as captain of England against Pakistan.
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