Imperial Valley press., 1934-08-23

fans would term a pitchers battle,
their winning margin being pal
try 562 runs. ss@
Although separated by upwards
of 1000 miles of ocean I can hear
the moaning at the bar-at the
Falstaff Bar, at Tony's Bar, at the
Cock and Wren, and Crown and
Keys, and all the others.
And I can see the London papers.
They will be turned over 10 the dis
aster. P. G.. H. Fender, who looks
like Harpo Marx and who, accord
ing to the way he signs his stor-
les, is "surrey's most popular cap
tain since the war; will have
something like this to say:
"Our batting was terrible. Our
fielding worse. The pitch was
sticky. The wicket was pitchy. 1t
was dismal. Sheer dry-rot The
placing of the players was atrocious.
Had I been in command the right
gully would have been in Silly Mid
on and the Silly Mid on in Long
Leg
Jack Hobbs, the Babe Ruth of
cricket, who is also one Of the
trained seals covering the matches,
will undoubtedly explain that the
wicket was "not only pitchy and
sticky, but it was fluffy as we'll,
offering the Australian googliers
every advantage, and England sore
ly needed Harold Larwood and his
body-line- theory bowling
1t was Larwood, Motifs country
bowler, who became the most dis
cusSed man in the British empire
when he was not asked to join the
English side at the start of the
tests months ago. Harold WASH u
asked because he insists on bowling
the body -line-theory which is notn-
ing more than fancy name for
dusting 'em off. When a batsman
became too familiar with Harold S
deliveries Harold would simply wind
up and let one fly at the batSman s
head. Alarmed. the batsman would
back off to a respectable distance.
whereupon Harold would ship one
down the middle and kiock the
wicket down.
You've heard and read discussion
of noted sports figures in this coun-
try but it was as nothing to the
furore raised over Harold. Parlia-
ment debated the body-line-theory.
So did the house of lords. Lectur-
ers lectured on Harold. NeWspa-
pers devoted entire front pages to
the discussion, and We'd with one
another in Offering Harold the tre-
mendous price he demanded to tell
his own story. But he didn't play,
the cricket fathers at lords ruling
that Harold IS busting 'em off bus
mess wasn't cricket. 1t got the
batters out too fast. Why, with
Harold pitching-pardon, bowling
batter was lucky to get meas
ly 35 or 90 runs, which. in cricket,
is equivalent almost to striking out.
Australia S victory is likely to
have a great influence on the fu-
ture handling of athletic teams.
Certainly the manner in which the
Australian squad was handled was
unique. Before leaving their home
land the players were obliged to
sign contract which forbade
speaking with anyone save men,
bers of the squad On the tour
they ate alone in a private dining
room, over the door of which hung
great sign:
Australian cricket team. Please
do not enter. Do not speak to the
players"
The members Of the team were
not allowed to walk about the
streets Of the towns they visited, or
attend the theatre alone. Where
one went the entire team and man.
ager had to go. This, it was ex-
planned, was to prevent any leak
age of the teams plan of war. The
saddest case TO result from this
silent policy was that of the Lon
don newspaperman who was sent
by his paper to accompany the Aus
tralian team on its long journey
from down under. In doing this the
paper thought it would scoop its
rivals with daily features from the
boat. But the players were unable
to speak a word to the journalist,
and so all he got from the trip was
l.. 4