1937-10-22 — Page 32

THE CHINA MAIL

NEVILLE CARDUS REVIEWS THE HOME CRICKET SEASON

CAPRICES AND PUZZLES

OF THE GAME

GLAMORGAN'S RAPID ADVANCE

(By Neville Cardus Cricketer) THE county cricket season ended in a general burst of glory, with here and there a sniff of naphtha in the sunset. It was almost irritating to learn of the way one or two failures in Australia last winter were flinging their bats about and scattering the bowling right and left. Little free batsmanship was exhibited against New Zealand in the Test matches.

A PSYCHOLOGIST, NOT A CRICKETER, IS NEEDED TO EXPLAIN WHY MANY OF OUR FINEST COUNTY MEN SEEM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR FEET AT THE MENTION OF A TEST MATCH. FISHLOCK AND HARDSTAFF ARE OBVIOUS- LY SPLENDID STROKE-PLAYERS IN EVERYDAY CRICKET, THOUGH BOTH ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SELF-CONSCIOUS WHY WERE BOTH OF AT THE SIGHT OF A LEG BREAK. THESE BATSMEN, WHEN FACED BY O'REILLY AND HIS FRATERNITY, SO OFTEN OBVIOUSLY "OUT BEFORE THEY WENT IN”?

But the whole of English cricket is not governed by the win- at-any-price tactics of Test matches. We do not regard our county cricket as a sort of arsenal working overtime in readiness for war. Probably the standard of technique amongst county bowlers is nowadays low. It must be, else how should Sims and Smith, of Middlesex, be placed at the head of the country's bowling averages? Neither of them would be chosen to play for England.

Once on a time only the mas- ter batsman could hope to score an innings of 300 in a first-class engagement; such an aggregate called for the genius of a "Ranji," a Grace, a Hayward, a Trumper, a C. B. Fry. But the of other month R. H. Moore, Hampshire, made 300 in a day- and nobody would claim that R. H. Moore is a master.

It is diffent-indeed to asses cricketer's value at the present time, especially a batsman's. There is not one great fast bowler in the land, and only one slow left-handed bow- ler of class; and there is not one leg-spin bowler with half the ability These are not of LC. Braund. opinions, but facts. Hence the colossal scores and the furious driving and cutting Let us be glad, of course, that batsmen have seized their opportunity and, throw aside the old "stay there and wait tactics. Let us hope, too, next year the bat will be forcibly put to a long-hop and half-volley, even if it is bowled by an Australian

PATSY

ENDREN

in his last match at Lord's, with the crowd exalted to musical numbers.

But Yorkshire prevailed-at the inch by force of ch you like, but character the shape of grimnes

Yorkshire team of great personal teamwork genius, the secret under a captain who insists in an old-fashioned way that a captain The Lancashire season came to should lead and not follow a disappointing

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