EW Swanton: Technique puts Australians streets ahead (30 July 1997)

Wednesday 30 July 1997

Technique puts Australians streets ahead

E W Swanton Personally Speaking

IF it were not clear enough after Old Trafford it is manifest now that Australia are, as usual, a well-equipped side, intelligently led and reflecting in all aspects that attitude of tough mutual confidence that is their natural characteristic. It is as I have known it in peace and war as long as I can remember - incidentally expressed perfectly by Matthew Elliott, a more positive edition of his redoubtable fellow-Victorian, Bill Lawry.

England XIs of conspicuous talent have confronted Australia successfully in the past and will do so again; but our side will need all the luck if the trend of events is to change course at Trent Bridge and the Oval. What we must hope for is two true pitches, with no suggestion of interference, and displays of resolution by a side slightly reshaped.

The most mature of our batsmen have played some splendid innings for England, but none of them is in his best form and a revised order is plainly called for. As for the bowling attack, I can only suggest that the better the pitch the more is balanced spin surely called for.

TALKING of batting I hardly suppose that next week`s ECB blueprint will go into details of technique, but how one would like to see a central school of coaching, whether run by the board or possibly deputed by them to MCC.

The art of batting is based on simple essentials, as Ricky Ponting showed so admirably and to such effect. Do you remember the young Indian, Saurav Ganguly, coming in at Lord`s last year in his first Test and scoring a beautiful hundred with a full back-lift, bat swung in the vertical plane top hand in control? He made it all look enviably uncomplicated. What would we give today for a Peter May or a Colin Cowdrey who, taught on first principals were making hundreds for England at Ponting`s age?

By the way, Lord Cowdrey of First Slip was one tongue-in-cheek suggestion: after all he did hold 120, the most for England bracketed with Ian Botham.

THERE is natural pleasure in Tonbridge circles that Cowdrey - introduced last week in the House of Lords by two cricketers, Field Marshal Lord Bramall and Lord Kingsdown - is to be known as "of Tonbridge".

Lord Cowdrey has always been closely involved in his old school, most recently as Master of the Skinners` Company, its governors. Historians may amplify the connection. It was the Tonbridge nursery which produced the great professionals, Woolley, Blythe, Fielder, Freeman and others who were the backbone of Kent`s first golden period, followed many years later by a second, the chief architects of which were Cowdrey and Leslie Ames.

The new lord owes his elevation beyond knighthood to John Major`s vision of "Sports Ambassador". This is a concept backed by the Sports Council, whereby on a national scale Cowdrey would recruit distinguished sporting figures to bring sport more to the heart of education in state schools. I hope New Labour regards this as politically acceptable.

THIRTY years on, Bradfieldians, the holders, and Tonbridgians will on Sunday next, be contesting the final of The Cricketer Cup on the Bank of England ground at Roehampton.

The milestone is of wider significance than this popular competition, between old boys of leading schools, since its success prompted an immediate proliferation of knock-out cups and leagues in the south.

Whereas most clubs in the Midlands and almost all in the north had traditionally thrived on league and cup competitions, previ- ously in the south there had been none. Hitherto, southern resident clubs, almost all of whom belonged to The Club Cricket Conference, adhered to its golden rule of fostering the game "on non-competitive lines". How odd that phrase seems today. And how deeply may we sigh for a closer adherence to the old tough but amiable spirit.

The first success last year of Bradfield, Ben Brocklehurst`s old school, was particularly appropriate since the owner and chairman of the magazine has been responsible for starting not only the The Cricketer Cup, but the National Club Knock-out for the trophy first donated by Derrick Robins, The Village Championship, and the Lord`s Taverners` Schools` Trophy.

I well recall how we burned the midnight oil deciding on the schools to invite, when The Cricketer Cup was extended from the original 16 to 32. When it came to the original entry for the National Club Knockout in 1970, it was the even more difficult matter of accepting 256 (ie eight rounds) from close on 400 clubs, who returned entry forms featured in a single issue of the magazine.

The Cricketer Cup has been contested hotly, but (with just one exception in the early years) fairly and without rancour since 1967, in which year Repton Pilgrims, led by Donald Carr, in the final, beat Radley Rangers under Ted Dexter.

It is one of the virtues of the cup that it brings together with players of less renown Test cricketers, county men and Blues. Twenty-two participants have played for England, including six captains, 60 for their counties. There were 25 Cricketer Cup players in last year`s first-class averages.

Tonbridge, with seven wins in 30 years, have been the most successful school, Malvern following with four wins, Oundle and Winchester with three. Jonathan Sale on Sunday leads a side lacking Richard Ellison, who is unfit, the strength of which depends somewhat on the availability of several on the fringe of county sides. They may well be pressed by Bradfield, captained by the ex-captain of Hampshire, now one of the brightest and most percipient of media stars (apart from one bee in his bonnet), Mark Nicholas by name.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)