1939-05-17 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 17, 1939.

CRICKET NOTES

M.C.C. & OVER-PREPARATION OF WICKETS

Character Of The Game

So Cricket is at the Cross-Roads again! "Tis an old song. This time, however, the singer is new. No less a one than Don Bradman, whose interest- ing article in the current "Wisden" promises more than it fulfils.

Starting with these mysterious Cross-Roads as his text, he fails to tell us where they are, or to prove that our dear old game is really encamped at wherever they may be. These past forty years I've heard, or read, writes E. H. D. Sewell, much the same lament, and still the Game goes on.

Bat

there knows about the preparation of one of these fifty-fifty surfaces that, apparently, is to enable the bowler to make four balls per Eight-Ball Over break, while the other four won't do anything the bowler wants them to do, but will be the very thing the batsman dreams about! For, if any- body gets hurt on this Isle of Wight

For matches that matter from fifty-fifty character as between which I exclude Tests to-a-finish and Ball, and yet not dangerous. When, few grounds can accommodate in any-may one inquire, has any groundsman thing approaching comfort the crowds ever produced, knowingly, a danger- that wish to see the play.. Countyous wicket? This year Middlesex clubs that were supposed to be in play Hampshire in the Isle of Wight. extremis a dozen years or so before One wonders what the groundsman the war are still with us. Over thirty-five years ago I shared with Messrs 0. R. Borradaile and C. P. M'Gahey the toil of composing the circular, and addressing an endless stack of envelopes ta people who existed both in and out of

Essex, telling them how inexplicable it was to us that they were not members of the Essex County C.C., and how, un-wicket the Hampshire committee has less they hurried up, it would be too late, and that simply the county club couldn't carry on without them. In all weathers I bore boundles of these optimistic yet withal rather pitiful missives to the nearest pillar box. How the postmen must have hated us! That was 1901-3-4. The Essex County C.C. is still with us, and has been going very strong of late with- out quite half of the recipients of those annual cris du coeur as mem- bers.

already accepted responsibility, us note.

let

The over-prepared wicket gets the amount of notice that it does because it is the easiest way out by way of explanation whenever there is a tall score or a particular match is drawn. Apparently it does not matter if the groundsman is blamed. His does not appear in the averages. But 110 blame attaches to length-less, flight-less bowlers, stroke-less bats- men, and dull, unimaginative. take- no-risk captaincy. All of which had as much to do with what has happen- ed as had the super-perfection, alleg-

names

An amazing action picture of Johnson, the West Indies_fast bowler, during the match at Gravesend against Ames'. XI. right).

(Copy-

WEST INDIES OPENING MATCHES

Words Of Wisdom But, if Bradman has started this ed, of the wicket. Why there should dies met a team captained by Ames innings with at least an indifferent be all this blaming of the groundsman

no

con-

London, May 4.-The West In-Grant, the West Indies captain,

the Army at Aldershot yesterday. Both siderably in the one-day game against bowlers wero having their first match-

extremely good impression.

fully. The pair took their team within Sealey and Cameron batted-delight-

sight of victory. Cameron and Grant left at 130, but the West Indies passed Army's total with three wickets the twenty minutes to stre

stroke, he hit the ball with the mid- is not clear. Were there long the Kent and England wicket-play in England, and they made an dle of the best part of his bat when scores pre-war, or in the lást cen- he wrote:-"But I rather doubt whe-tury? Was there a rumpus when keeper, at Gravesend yesterday, ther the big issue is limited or play-Yorkshire made 887 against Warwick- Although the weather was fine the ed-out Tests. I think the first con-shire in 1896, and when Archie Mac- sideration is the mental outlook of Laren hit 424 against Somerset in tourists must have suffered badly the individual, who can, if he chooses, 1895, or when the Players hit 502 spoil any game by his interpretation for eight in fourth innings at Lord's, of its character." Most amateurs or when the Gentlemen made 500 for and every professional should learn two wickets against the Players at those words by heart. Those batsmen | Lord's in 1903? There was not, The who, knowing they are short, if not reason was that they played real cric- devoid, of strokes, let their perform-ket in those days, and we were not ances at the crease be governed by living in an age of cant. "safety-first" law; those bowlers who, lacking length, flight, and changes of pace, do little else but waste time bowling (?) very short, or to a so- called leg-trap, or who try to bowl

that ball which is supposed to "run away from" the bat-these are the fellows who "spoil any game,' and who certainly have been damaging cricket for many years past.

The Fast Left-Hander

The West Indian team is due

to

2

8

26

26

30

16

from a cold wind, and it was not

A few lusty hits by the tail-enders surprising that Ames's side scored

filled in the brief period remaining be- 278 for six wickets in two hours fore the arranged drawing of stumps.

THE ARMY and forty minutes before declaring. M. N. Harbottle, b Williams A feature of the game was the alert B. R. M. Hayles, b Williams ness of the West Indies in the field, and P. M. Nelson, b Williams their smart picking up saved many C. Cockayne-Frith, e Barrow, runs. Of the Indies bowlers, Johnson Stollmeyer (fast left hand) impressed most. Con- G. S. Grimston, b Cameron stantine, though not so fast as in pre- C. W. C. Packe, c Hylton, b Stoll- vious years, kept the batsmen fairly meyer quiet. Fagg showed good form. and Rev. J. Steele, not out Ames and Woolley, never neglecting a M. D. P. Magill, st, Barrow, b scoring opportunity, put on 86 in three- Stollmeyer

fully, gave the West Indies quarters of an hour for the third stand. R. G. W. Melsome, b Hylton Barrow and Stollmeyer, batting care- A. J. Turner, b Hylton start by scoring 91 for the opening

a good E. S. Cole, c'and b Hylton.

Extras stand. The tourists finished 58 behind with seven wickets in hand.

Total AMES'S XI Fage, b Clarke

land to-morrow, so that I hope next week to be able to comment on how some of them have shaped in that sometimes misleading area, where nets prevent cricketers from getting enough fielding practice. I am particularly The siting of four or five slips or method of Johnson, who, I have read, interested in the bowling style and of four short-legs is a sure sign of is a fast left-hander, and of Hylton, (1) bad captaincy; (2) lack of bowl-whose belated inclusion in the team ing ability. Yet it is seen daily

was due, unfortunately, to public cla- throughout every season and is warm-

nour. I confess to having much faith ly applauded by certain writers, who then, failing to note the time wasted in fast left-arm bowling, if it is good.

33 I. Barrow, c Hayles, b Steele because of these positionings, proceed England has not produced the like of W. H. V. Levett, c Gomez, b Jackson 19 J. Stollmeyer, b Steele George Hirst and Young of Essex Woolley, b Stollmeyer since their day, now over thirty years Ames, b Constantine ago. Voce, of Notts, and Clark, of Todd, b Grant Northants, have been the nearest ap-R. E. Evans, b Constantine

that they Wright, not out proach, but it is obvious

na G. Osborne, not out have often been included in the tional side more for the sake of var- Extras iety than anything else. Neither was so fast as Hirst, or anything like his class.

to slate M.C.C., or some county's committee, because the pitch was over- prepared! If (1) and (2) above are present, does it really matter how the wicket was prepared? Since the war (1) and (2) have been seldom absent from the Higher Cricket.

Total for six wickets (Innings declared closed). Freeman (A. P.), Watt, and Lewis

WEST-INDIES

Rhodes. Barnes, Blythe, Mead, Hirst, Faulkner, Richardson, J. T. Hearne, to name only eight bowlers,

I shall pay as much attention as if they could reappear in this coming possible to the workmanship of both did not bat, season's cricket would occupy the first Johnson and Hylton, since, should these eight psoitions in the bowling analy two prove to be class, and Martindale J. Stollmeyer, run out sog on September 1, and their

runs not have turned the corner, the sucI. Barrow, b Lewis per wicket would be, on average, no

cess of the tour, from the West In-J. E. D. Sealey, b Lewis higher than they used to be

Prodians' point of view, will be assured. G. Gomez, not out bably much lower, considering the *Lemur-like activity and adhesive K. H. Weekos, not out difference between the batting in their catching we expect from those fellows Extras day and now,

as a matter of course." Their batting strength is a secondary consideration Impracticable Resolution when our dearth of bowling is remem- bored. We must console ourselves by The parrot-cry about over-prepara-hoping Bowes and Nichols will be tion of wickets has resulted in the quite fit, that Wright will make” nor- passing of a wholly impracticable re- mal improvement, and that the season solution at headquarters. The grounds will bring forth the "discovery" that men are asked to produce a pitch of is long since duc,

-

WEST INDIES

G

130

9

50 H. P. Bayley, 1.b.w., b Magill

0

116 J. E. D. Sealey, Hayles, b Steele 62

6 K. H. Weeks, b Steele

24 J. H. Cameron, 1.b.w., b Magill..

47

2G. Gomez, not out

14

5 R. S. Grant, run out

7 L. G. Hylton, b Steele

8

—

E. A. V. Williams, not out

16

278

Extras

4

Total for eight wickets Johnson did not bat.

100

BOWLING ANALYSIS

87

The Army

39

0.

M.

R.

W

4

15

4

18

5.7 0

20

10

43-

5.1

16

2

10

1

0

West Indies

15

21 Johnson

54 Williams

8 Hylton..

16 Stollmeyer

Cameron Total for three wickets

225 Grant C. B. Clarke, T. Johnson, E. A. Mar- Gomez tindale, R. S. Grant, L. S. Constantine, and G. Headley did not, bat.

Steele ARMY V. WEST INDIES

Magill London, May 5-The form of Wil- Melsome. liams and Hylton, two of his right hand Turner medium-fast bowlers, pleased R. S. Cole di

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