by The Professor » Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:02 pm
On this day in 1937 Australia and England had a day of rest; so let's see some hear from some accounts of the first two days.
First of all lets go for a journalist with a little hindsight. This is William Pollock writing in the 1940s for the English Daily Express which sums up the state of affairs in the Australian camp. "Stories and rumours began to fly about. The Australian team was at sixes and sevens... Captaincy was affecting Bradman's cricket... I heard people say Bradman's popularity was in the balance at the time, though I didn't believe it." Even with the benefit of time Pollock was more scathing of day two's pitch than he was impressed by Australian bowlers saying: "You didn't want cricketers on that pitch. You wanted the Crazy Gang, Mickey Mouse, Einstein, and Euclid."
Neville Cardus, an English cricket writer without the hindsight of Pollock, gives a more scathing contemporary view of Bradman's performance thus far on the tour "Bradman began as though riddled with fallibility." Even when he did get 82 in the previous test Cardus was less than impressed saying he was out to a "stroke not fit for public view, it spoke of little hope, little resource." Despite this Bradman seemed to have the majority of the general public on his side as Cardus states that Bradman walked out onto "an island green in the sunshine...amid a roar which told not only of hero worship but almost of supplication." Once out, however, Cardus could not help but feel particularly smug: "I felt the spirit of defeatism in the Australian ranks, I thought, in fact, the rubber was ours now." It was not merely for Bradman that Cardus held antipathy but also for the whole of the team, describing them as "tame and feminine. Even the running between the wickets suggested hungry men starving to death for crumbs of singles." Cardus' language changes very obviously when he begins to write about day two. Of the first dismissal he writes that McCabe's first dismissal "came up as though jerked by invisible elastic to the top of Stan Worthington's bat... Never before have I seen a wicket so spiteful or eccentric." I am unsure if spiteful or eccentric are meant to be compliments here or criticism of the pitch. In contrast to Pollock's Mickey Mouse jibe Cardus was far more prosaic on the day two pitch: "I could scarcely believe my eyesight as I saw the ball's preposterous behaviour. It described all manner of angles and curves; it was here, there, everywhere, spitting, darting, fizzing. One good length ball would rear to the batsman's chin; another exactly the same length, would flash into the blockhole like a stone skimming over ice...I doubt if any Australian batsmen could have stayed in for ten minutes." Never one for hiding his bias, Cardus was brimming with bravado for his captain's decision to declare "He was caught in a difficult position ... Which called for the daring gambler's throw."
Bradman's point of view shows a remarkable lack of confidence for someone who we now see as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He states "My own captaincy came in for a good deal of criticism. There was certainly a section of the public who thought the cares of captaincy were undermining my efficiency." On the exploits of the second day Bradman is very open about the state of the pitch describing it as "the worst I ever saw in my life". Despite the fact others were doubting his captaincy you can still see that he has faith in himself. He described his moment of declaration as "the appropriate psychological moment" and the rest of day two as "a sensational battle of tactics". It is clear to see that Bradman saw the game as one that is won in the mind as well as with the bat and ball. Even when he had the upper hand he was still filled with self doubt. He was concerned England "were losing wickets too quickly" and also goes on to say "Every moment, I was afraid Allen would see through my tactics."
England's captain, Gubby Allen, had also zoned in on Bradman's lack of confidence writing in his diary that "Bradman seems very jumpy and I should say, not at all well, and if we can keep him in that frame of mind we ought to win the rubber."
After starting with a Daily Express journalist let me end with one, that I think sums up the incredulity of bringing in two nightwatchmen "There was a yell of laughter as the first pair revealed itself...O'Reilly and Fleetwood-Smith, of all batsmen."
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."