1955-07-23 — Page 17

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1955.

ENGLAND'S TERRIBLE CATCHING

.

AT OLD TRAFFORD IS STILL THE TALK OF THE COUNTRY

Says BRUCE DOOLAND

England's terrible catching in the exciting Old Trafford Test is still the talk of the cricket pavilions of the country. Time after time I am asked the sixty-four dollar question-how can this dropped catches epidemic be cured?

Frankly I don't think it can. This kind of thing just hits teams—even Test teams in cycles. Last winter England threw the Brisbane Test away by drop- ping as many as 14 holdable catches. The critics Bewailed the team's butter fingers, but couldn't give reasons for it. The lads who are normally accepted as good catchers. were putting them down-just as they did at Old Trafford this time.

After all there aren't minny beller folders in the country than Tum Graveney and at Manchester, from all accounts, he held a couple of "binders." Yel Tem also managed to miss two or three relatively easy ones as well. And in Australia last your the same England team that dropped

everything at Brisbane held everything in sight for the rest of the Test series, The sume HorL of thing coul very well happen this summer.

This Illogical process in catching can be seen in every team. The South Africans dropped about us many as Eng- Jun ni Manchester. And have seen Australians behave in the same way--though K feel that the general standard of fielding in Australia is consicler- ably higher than here in Eng landi.

And every

That is accepted. boy tries to maintain Australian holding traditions of swift move mint, keen catching, and strong throwing.

sure

Tests. They.rested a lot, trained sensibly, and were kept in penk

for the important condition

Back here at home veensions. neither can hope for that sort of treatment.

Brian of course, by Is helped,

[ om Australia's weather. The heatStatham misse

this last. Test match because he risked his out there keeps muscles soft and ma

don't and you

gel sta į struined my muscles too free

He did that besweatered and frozen as you soon.

partly to do so often over here, where help his County and partly in players joyalty to his team mate, Geoff have frequently heard advised not. to take any chances Edrich, whose heeft match it sof pulling a musele by stretching was.

fou tar Well, you can't held brilliantly with the brakus on.

I would say that it the Selve- 11ors want to improve England's Belding the only really practicat way is to get the team nucleus together for the season, per-

their Counties suade

to play them only is enough match të letợn Then, in practice, and organise an intensive team pro- gramme of fielning, catching and What appalls me, though, in exercises designed to develop

greater speed the complete aetion. English crickel Indifference with which so many 'teams regard this vital depart But I'm afraid that won't ment of the game. In County keppen here. For the Counties

AUSTRALIAN METHOD

and faster Yu-

SPORTING SAM

By Reg. Wootton

Sir Gordon Richards And His 'Breakdown' -The Facts...

By CLIVE GRAHAM

For the past 25 years the best-known figure on the racecourse has been that bandy-legged, tousle-haired jockey with the big brown eyes and the broad, disarming grin-"Good old Gordon," as he came to be known by the crowd..

Glowing with health and good humour, affable, amiable, modest about his own achievements, generous towards those of other men: he never seemed to vary from one day to the next.

to

more

TRCES--

belt made life harder,

nerve-racking, without doubt.

The winning of and he won 4,870 out of 21,834, 14 classics wás, including

his If however, way:

long-lasting for n gpassion.

was retained horse, say, he would east doubts as to the possibility of winnky. advise running elsewhere rund then ascertain whether connee- tions of "i" or "2" would TE- quire his services,

'GOOD DAY'

It was for his services to racing and not his Jockeyship

by that he was knighted

the Queen in 1953. He relates that ithu first words *addressed to after the him by the Queen

hod accolade were: "I see you a good day yesterday." (He hat ridden three winners.)

Quite certainly the fact that his muscles "went" ugnin cost Brian £75 in a Test tec

where he would In his autobiography published meeting ai England, possibly, the Test.

today Gordon Richards reveals riding, a week ahead, TRY BRAND NEW OPENER

the dimculties

and By persuasion, cajolery, he experienced, not only in becoming, but inhard-headed common senso, he England's

balting opening

won many of his races over the problem is the other hot tople being a national sporting idol.

The strain

at times was telephone. In this of the week. Everybody fcels

unbearable, he says. On occa he that Don Kenya will not getston, his rigid self-control would another chance. Willie Watson, come near to breaking-point. the Yorkshire teft-hander who

There were limes when he INFO much in form. is con- sidered the most likely man to could not bear the gestures with which Fred Darling would get the job. But if this situa-emphasise his talk. " had tion existed in Australia, We run away or T would have wouldn't work in this way. We shouted at him."

pick a youngster and would

HIS HERO hope to "make" him,

He hero-worshipped After all England have been

Fred cricket, I suppose it's under-pay their stars

shilly-shallying about

this Darling, whom he describes as standable. Six day

days a week of

Of|ly expret them to appear #x

since "the Ever

most ruthless of trainers

The most surprising omission the game is a tough grind

ale attractions in every posible opener problem

Cyril Washbrook dropped out.

... and the greatest."

from his book is the £ sign. I which, eventually, wears

could not find a single cypher of match. That perhaps is why

From time to time the whole of

Tom Reece. the man whose

this type the enthusiasm as well as the England's dekling generally will

in all the 266-page the recognised batting strength play on the billiards tables con- feet. Runs und wickets are the neur

and Austro- ure the never really

These legitimate

of story about the greatest with so diametrically main coinage and in the field, it lia's. This over-dore of ericks, has been tried and rejected for trasted

gamesmanship were all part of most highly-pald English jockey the

Australian this botting pusition. The

luck on the Turf,

essential seems, you just do your

armament, of all time. after month, is also the

method would be to cut

close friend. Gordon Gordon's In Australia the approach is tarie repson why

50 muny ot

and 11y to bui' some youngster began to notice and be ex- vely different. In the first England's new fist bowie.s ars

to the job.

asperated by Tom's habit of place every boy knows from his suffering

from stresses

I felt that Peter Richardson, widdling his thumbs whenever curliest school games that he will strams right now. never make any team of im- Take Tyson and Stathom, for the Worcestershire left-hander, the old chap sat down to relax. The sight of people reading portance unless he can field well, instance. They managed to keep would have had the job by this

time. But gather the Services | newspapers, the noise of some- No matter how well he buts or it in Australja because they bowls he

between have not been inclined to allow one eating, the sound of waves must be able to flekl, i were used sparintil

him regular playing time and he breaking on the shore: all these could provoke him into a tan- husn't found his normal form.

trum of nervous #li-humour, which he sought desperately to conceal.

out

best.

and natural-

ou shing

unci

£30,000 Graver Goes Back For £10,000

By PAT REEKIE

There is, to a good business man, an awful difference between a buying price and the price at which you are willing to sell. By these standards Lincoln City must be

loose was a

once on

Next in line among the younger ones may well be Ar- thur Milton, the Gloucester-

He was more than shire opener, He wouldn't be the verge of a nervous break- bad pick. He has had a lot of down, and so depressed in July cricket now, he opens regularly, of 1950-when he had his worst is bang in form and, what Is attack--that he cancelled his more, is a fast moving fielder

riding engagements and went with a safe pair of hands. The home to lie in bed, convinced old brigade have been tried and that the future held nothing. found wanding. Why not give a chance to a younger lad?

courses"

to

He could ring the changes too. When engaged for a horse, he might say to the owner: "I'm pretty sure that I'll beat you. Why not keep your horse to such-and-such meeting-and I will be able to ride him for you?"

Tuses

1

This Record Attempt

Business Has Got

A Bit Out Of Hand

Says JACK CRUMP

** Pare Many

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LONDON

"These record-breaking attempts have got to stop,” says Jack Crump, secretary of the British Amateur Athletic Board. He made this comment after his inter- the race at vention had regulated the conditions of Croydon, when Gordon Pirie tried to beat the world's re- | Sole Dinributors: cord for 2,000 Metres.

the world's most business-like Soccer club. Six months put in Johnny Wardle as well as days, ceting, and realised then he added on reflection, "but we must see what steps we

Tominy

mended.

}

#

CAJOLERY

"I do not mean that we have the power to stop it,"

Pirie ran into

'ALL GUILTY

"We can say to people

that on | suddenly committees, many of whom are him. the promoters of meetings, that we do not think these organised record attempts are in the best interest of the sport,"

Margery, his wife, put out the toelful story that he was suffer- As for bowling, if Bob Ap-ing from auri-stroke. At the end pleyard is not fit to come back of the month, against his it would not be

if wishes, he was persuaded surprising the Selectors played on the start race-riding again.

He had 11 winners in four principle and horses for

at the important Good- Tony Lock at Leeds. Brian | wood ago they sold their centre forward, Andy Graver, to Statham, of course, is bound to that his illness" was mostly a

can take. Leicester City for £30,000. Then they bought him return if his muscle trouble is self-delusion.

These nervous strains were back and the price, I am informed, was £10,000,

That will mean

for Alec Bedser the penally Gordon's suIC- months Negotiations had been going on for some

"The will to win, going out again. must say cess-recipe:

on the job, since Graver was relegated from Leicester's first team.

that I have rarely known such and concentration

A big crowd was not exactly disappointed, even though the They were inalised over the words reached another milestone | widespread regret that the Big at all times."

record was not broken-bit this telephone from Torquay, where when they paid Aston Villa Man of Surrey did not have Bill Anderson,

match at Manchester. It the Lincoln £25,000 for Tyneside - borh Roost

A jockey's year is hard- He

not reminded me that there

the real sport. It de- Thompson (writes Roy Champions rarely

it, that dloes scem, doesn't manager. Is staying.

tracted "come back packed into nine months. From

are rules which make times un-

from the value of the "We have been trying to get Feskell).

Monday to Saturday, the top | acceptable for record purposes rest of the programme, Graver back for some time,"

Tiders fellow a dawn-to-dusk when there is deliberate In recent years Preston have and do well? Mr Anderson told me, “but first given £20,500 for Eddie_Quig-

routine: morning COACHING HINT

exercise making — and in the Croydon we had to get the price down to ley, £18,000 for Willie Forbes,

travel to the race- "race" this was blatant.

have done our best to popularise our level!"

£15,000 for Sam Buird, £10,000

then ting, ride the races,

the sport but the record-attempt Too many bowlers think that

Half-miler Derek Clark, who for Derek Lewis, and

place £8,000 all they have to do is to bowl, home or move to some

business has got a bit out Graver said after signing: for Fred Romscar,

for the next day's must be credited with a won-hand. It could ruin athletics." "I am happy to

But the job doesn't finish there. Convenient

ho back at

the way derful effort in

Geoffrey Elliott, former Pole Lincoln, I would rather be in Thompson,

who was on the After delivering the ball the schedule.

Sunday has to be spent with organised the meeting, ran off

Vault Champion, was pleased the first team of a Second Villa transfer list at his own howler automatically becomes a

with the way his damaged Division club than in the second equest, inspected a house befelder who must get back ben handy reach of the telephone, the track after setting a very

Plans for the coming week have fast pace for most of two laps-ankle stood up to the first test hind those wickets for u posto be made or re-checked.

Then Eric Shirley, fore the deal way complcted.

steeple since it was chipped. He won A He left Newcastle for

return and Villasible

Gordon Richards,, with his chase expert, took up the run- five years ago, at at £15,000 fee, fast bowler with a long follow-maxim always in mind, exceed- ning to keep the pace hot, and the RAF ulio with 12ft. Gin, "I am much happier and more Brian Jackson, the inconfident," he said. can't always do this ed the normal demands of duty, Bailly England cap, through une gained when he partnered the but even he should always be In collaboration with a smali surance clerk from Ilford, burst.

for any staff, he ticked off his choices into he now joins in a postwar man

club ready to search for top-class inside for-team, Tom Finney.

1, 2, 3 for every race in every

be

team of a First Division club,"

[Leicester, of course, will be In the Second Division next season.]

PRESTON SPEND

Preston's

THE

ceaseless

WERK-END

and has

GAMBOLS

DON'T SO, GEORGE, THE MEAL'S READY

NOW WHERE's He GONE

LATER

Just coMTI

throw-in.

run out,

"bek-up"

by Barry Appleby

GEORGE, THE DINNER'S ON THE TABLE 5

WON'T BE A MINUTE, DEAR

LATER GEORGE, THE DINNER'S GETTING COLD)

MUST WASHI MY HANDS

pace-

the lead to beat Pirie to the mile, only to pull up

50

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OVIKE A HACLAIRE

is

We have all been a little

guilty admits Crump. "We

of

Then he reflected, "I suppose I shall have to be satisfied with second place in the AAA Chum- plonships," adding in his usual Jacular, but critical, way:

"Do

you know any other country where they let foreigners got away with their national titles?" Frankly I do not and it is, perhaps,

doubiful whether Elliott can expect to hit his best at this time to beat the Nor- wegian, Hermund Hoghelm, who bas jumped 13ft, din.

-(London Express Service)

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