1938-02-25 — Page 20

SECRETS OF

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 25, 1938

CRICKET

LENGTH IS CARDINAL IN BOWLING

O'REILLY ILLUSTRATES THE POINT

SPOFFORTH, TURNER, TRUMBLE: BASIS OF

THEIR TEST GREATNESS

(By J. C. DAVIS)

SUCCESS

NO orator of cricket could be more eloquent in lauding the rich quality of length in bowling than the unspoken demonstration last Saturday on Adelaide Oval by W. J. O'Reilly. Without length, bowling cannot be great. The example of O'Reilly in Australia is destined to be as impor- tant in bowling as that of Victor Trumper was in batting. It is impress- ing on fellow. Australians that, while abnormal break, excessive speed, and ability to make the ball swerve are all right in themselves, they are of little value without true length.

BILL O'REILLY HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO BE A KEEN STUDENT OF HIS ART. HE HAS DEVELOPED TO HIS PRESENT DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE ALONG THE SAME LINES AS THOSE FOLLOWED BY SPOFFORTH, GARRETT. TURNER, NOBLE, BOYLE, PALMER. TRUMBLE. GIFFEN, AND GRIMMETT, TO QUOTE SOME. OUTSTANDING BOWL- ERS OF NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA, AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

SUCCESSFUL IN

ENGLAND

Spin Bowlers

Worth noting is the fact that in the 1930 and 1934 Australian teams in England, spin bowlers alone se- cured one hundred or more wickets, viz., Grimmett (twice), Horni- brook, O'Reilly, and Fleetwood- Smith. The figures are:

Grimmett

„Hornibrook-

O'Reilly

1930

Runs Wks.

2425-144:16:84 1913 .108 18.57 1934

ོ'.༤༢༢རཾ,

1903 118. 16.12 Fleetwood-Smith: 2150 119 18.06 Grimmett

2246., 115 19.53₫

The South Australain Cricket As- sociation had been afraid to use the roller for fear it would bruise and kill the grass. They were dumbfound- ad when they saw Southerton's pre-

parations. He got them to borrOW the Corporation roller. Then he took one of the four horses by the head. and led the team right across centre of the ground.

the

"Perhaps it was not singular that on a wicket that had received so little preparation, I should have been able to claim an analysis of 220 balls, 40 maidens, 12 runs, and 14 wickets at my first turn with the ball

The men mentioned had in greater measure than O'Reilly the current example of bowlers of great powers the early Australians in English rivals like Alfred Shaw, Fred Morley, William At Adelaide when I bowled my Barnes, and others, and the later men had crops in earlier fellow Australians.

But it may be said of O'Reilly that he has risen above his con- temporaries in New South Wales largely through his own initia- tive, brains, and determination. Fortunate. for him he early dis- covered that all the wiles of flight Trumble," and break were of no avail with- George Giffen, out that good length which we all precision. can appreciate in an instant.

and

has

ever

Frank Iredale coming to light with one of the most fascinating innings of his career. Here came one of the most extraordinary bursts of bowling on a perfect wicket one seën.

When Turner Surprised

Adelaide StarsTM CHARLIE TURNER, THEN 36 YEARS OLD, BOWLED 261 BALLS FOR 25 MAIDENS, 35 RUNS AND 16 WIGKETS.

He had Clem Hill strictly on the defensive, though the left-hander was then at the top of his wonderful form. The South Australian eleven includ- ed George Giffen, Jack Lyons, and Jack Reedman, besides the two left hand celebrities.

Armstrong, Noble,

It is the value of

We had one memorable example of this quality in bowling in 1896, Char- IN ADELAIDE ON SATURDAY

lie Turner was in his waning years, O'REILLY SENT DOWN 184 BALLS

losing FOR 11. MAIDENS (EIGHT-BALL still a great bowler, though

the OVERS) 18 RUNS AND FIVE some of the marvellous nip off

pitch that was his some years earlier. WICKETS:

New South Wales and South Austra This reads like one of those won-lia were playing their Sheffield Shield derful old feats accomplished by match prior to the Australian Eleven Clem said to me after he had been Alfred Shaw in England before leaving for England. Clem Hill had bowled by Turner, "That's the most ches became so highly developed. shown us glorious batting for 206 and marvellous piece of bowling imagin

inable on The story behind this feat by O'Reil- Joe Darling an impressive 121

a billiard table wicket. He The New Sonth must have been a miracle in England ly is the story behind most of the the first innings. wonder things done by Spofforth, Boy Wales bowling was trounced. How-on his three tours."

428, Turner, Ferris, ever, the home, team le, Palmer, Garrett.

At the time Clem rated it as the finest good-wicket bowling he had ever faced. There was not a loose length ball.

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The upshot was that New. South Wales won by nine wickets. Iredale making another brilliant 80 and Harry Donnan 67, both not out, after Alick Mackenzie had been run out for 20.

first ball in a match in the Colony the wicket was sandy and broke up quickly; now it is as firm as-con- sheet of crete and as smooth as a glass. The credit for this transforma- old Sussex player, who obtained some tion is largely due to Jesse Hide, the

clay off the mountains near, by and worked it into the soil at a remarkable expenditure of time, trouble, and elbow grease."

Albert Trott's Bowling

Discussing the art of bowling in its broader angles, Alfred Shaw touch- ed on some of the great Australians he had played against, or studied while umpiring later in his career.

said:

He

"In my opinion Albert Trott's great- ness as a bowler is in but small mea- sure due to his part of power of imparting a swerve or curl to the ball before it pitches. The secret of his success is that he is always trying to do something first a fast ball, then

slow one, then one with a break from the off and again the swerve from leg. As an umpire it has al- ways been a genuine treat for

me to watch Trott bowl, and to note his ingenuity in trying to get the bats- man out. It is the 'infinity variety' of hit bowling that explains Albert Trott's success.

NORWICH'S HOME VICTORY

The wicket at Adelaide is no friend to the bowler. Alfred Shaw, in the reminiscences, tells us some very in- teresting things about its early stages. "My first practical experience with an Australian wicket was at Adelaide. on November 17, 1876," said the great, old Englishman, "Remember In a Second División League foot- ing the quality of the Adelaide wickets ball match, Norwich beat Chester- now it is curious to recall the notions field, at home, by the odd goal In of wicket preparing that prevailed when I first appeared there.

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