Hedley Verity by Alan Hill

Author:Alan Hill [Alan Hill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing
Published: 2012-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

England batted first and made 440 on the Friday and part of the Saturday. When we batted the pitch was firm and dry. At the fall of the first wicket I went in and just happened to be in very good form. I had made 36, including seven fours and three in succession off Verity, and I was anxious to go on the attack.

It so happened that my captain, Woodfull, begged me to be less aggressive because, apparently, he feared I was going to throw my wicket away. In endeavouring to carry out his wishes I did restrain myself and in so doing, ‘held’ a shot against my better judgement and was caught and bowled by Hedley.

Over the weekend it rained and Australia had to continue batting on a rain-affected pitch. Had I been allowed to continue batting on the Saturday in my own way I am in no doubt that we would have easily saved the follow-on. If we had saved the follow-on, England would have had to bat on that sticky on the Monday. The course of the match would have been changed and Hedley would never have got the chance to bowl at us in our second innings, which enabled him to put up such a wonderful performance.

Criticism was, however, heaped upon Bradman for his spectacular tactics in Australia’s first innings at Lord’s although Neville Cardus was thrilled by the ‘terrible power and splendour’ of his batting. Percy Fender said: ‘Bradman gave himself no time in which to accustom himself to the pace of the wicket, and went for all the bowlers, except Bowes, as if he had been there an hour. Verity was hit for three fours in succession in his first over and Geary conceded 14 runs in another over. Bradman and Brown scored 50 runs in half an hour, but it was too good to last.’

‘Bradman’s innings came to an end with, for me, a sickening suddenness; mischance brought down the young eagle,’ wrote Cardus:

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