Fourth Innings with Cardus by Cardus Neville;

Author:Cardus, Neville; [Neville Cardus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 898196
Publisher: Souvenir Press
Published: 2012-03-01T16:00:00+00:00

SOME THOUGHTS ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA 1956

INFLUENCE OF AGE AND INJURIES

THE absence of Tyson from the England team at Nottingham will spoil the drama of the occasion. With their minds still vivid with impressions made on them in Australia by Tyson’s pace, the Australian batsmen must surely have been rendered taut of nerve and determined not to retreat an inch this time, at least not perceptibly, from his line of fire. But the absence of Archer would be as damaging to Australia’s attack as Tyson’s is to England’s. I am not certain that Archer, fit and in form, would not sustain a searching quick attack longer than is nowadays within Lindwall’s power.

Lindwall, in fact, and Miller too, are likely to be deployed in short thrusts with the new ball. Archer, a younger man, can bowl at a sharp penetrating speed over a long period; and he is not entirely dependent on the new ball’s seam. Lindwall, of course, has resources of experience and can bring into play other factors than pace. For half an hour or so at the beginning of an England innings we can be fairly sure that Lindwall and Miller will launch an attack of red-hot, red-balled violence. After the burden of increasing years has made itself felt on either of them, the Australian reserves of bowling on a good wicket should soon be exhausted by batsmen fit to play for England. Ian Johnson seems unable to spin the ball with the snap that compels a hurried stroke, and so far Benaud has not convinced us that he is a more dangerous leg-break bowler than he was in 1953. Davidson is a tolerably good left-handed bowler if he is allowed to obey nature and aim at pace and good length. But unless there is a metamorphosis at Trent Bridge, sudden and magical, the Australian attack promises, for the most part, after the new ball has waned, to have an amiability which might have bored Hobbs or Sutcliffe or Washbrook or Compton, and amused Eddie Paynter.

We must bear in mind, I suppose, that Australian cricketers often grow in stature in a challenging scene; at least, tradition tells us they do. But there was no noticeable structural elongation amongst any of them when challenged not long ago by Tyson and Statham. And nobody yet has found evidence that the batsmen in Johnson’s command are firmer and straighter in defence against a fast ball, or more mobile of feet coping with spin, than the major Australian batsmen were who, in two consecutive rubbers, faltered repeatedly and lamentably not only against Tyson and Statham but in turn against Bedser, Wardle, Lock and Laker—against, in short, all sorts of bowling, fast or slow. If England are unable to win this summer’s rubber, the reason will be, I fancy, not that Australia are the better team but that England are worse—if my meaning is clear.

In 1909 an Australian team came to England and lost two matches, one to Surrey and one to the M.C.C., out of their first five engagements.

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