Peter Roebuck: Timing is perfect in the rise of Elliott (1 June 1997)

Sunday 1 June 1997

Timing is perfect in the rise of Elliott

By Peter Roebuck

ANXIETY could be detected in the batting of Matthew Elliott as Australia`s second innings began in Bristol on Wednesday. All eyes were on his partner, Mark Taylor, but the Victorian had his own battles to fight. Although his place was not in doubt Elliott yearned for time at the crease in which to recover poise and rhythm. He had hardly faced a ball since arriving in England; had not played in the one-dayers in South Africa either; had been sent home for goodness sake. It had been a long road into the team. Such men know the value of runs.

Considering his inexperience much is expected of Elliott, 26, this summer, almost as much as he expects from himself. He is a crucial man at the top of the Australian order. At home and in South Africa they are talking about him, and he has not yet scored a Test hundred.

A superb innings in Sydney and a scintillating effort in Johannesburg were all it took to convince observers that a considerable force had arrived, another Bill Lawry perhaps, with whom the young man has much in common. Elliott pulled off the front foot, drove handsomely, defended capably and appeared to the manor born. But he had not batted in weeks and his first Ashes series was about to begin.

Small wonder Elliott was eager to put his game together. And, though he was raised in the bush whose inhabitants have seen fire, rain and draught and survived, Elliott is inclined to worry. Although he talks with the slow drawl of the country he has an energy about him that does not permit passivity at the crease or in life. Always he is seeking to improve, not least because he had so long to wait and has so much to do before he can be satisfied.

Skilful and committed, England will find Elliott a formidable obstacle this season. After misleadingly taking guard in Melbourne, Elliott began his innings near Kyabram, a town located in the fertile fruit and milking areas north of the big smoke. Born into a schoolmaster`s family, he lived for sport. "That`s what you do in the country," he said on Wednesday.

After school Elliott was obliged to go to Melbourne to pursue his cricket. His career did not follow the gilded path. Instead he fought his way up by weight of runs, through grade cricket and into the Shield squad. His slow rise helped because "I was happy to keep chipping away. I had to figure out my game against spin. When I was picked I was ready."

It took a pair of authoritative and substantial centuries against New South Wales and West Indies last October to secure a Test place. Not that he was universally welcomed. Some mourned the dropping of Michael Slater. Indeed Elliott saw a placard denouncing his selection as he prepared to play in Brisbane. "I wanted to walk across and tell the bloke what I`d done. I was averaging 50 in Shield cricket. I`d had to score back-to-back hundreds. Nothing had come easy. I`d earnt it."

Trying too hard, Elliott failed at the Gabba but kept his place and was batting splendidly in Sydney when calamity struck. A collision with Mark Waugh ruptured his knee and left him in plaster for several weeks.

Elliott was devastated: "It almost broke me," he recalls. "I`d done everything they`d asked me to do. No one will ever understand what I went through in those eight weeks. They can`t realise how much I`d put into playing for Australia."

A freak accident had imperilled his career. Fortunately the selectors sent him to South Africa and Elliott promptly played a second compelling Test match innings, scoring 80 in 102 balls at the Wanderers. Now he arrives in England as a batsman of high accomplishment. So far he has not found Test cricket overwhelming.

In hindsight he is pleased he did not burst prematurely into the Test team. "Other people`s perceptions are the greatest danger," he observes. "Suddenly you find yourself on a bigger stage and think you have to change. If you can survive this then you`re halfway through. I was lucky because I knew myself and my game before I started."

And then he went to bed. Next day he made a century as the Australians saved the match against Gloucestershire. It was enough to clear his mind, enough to prepare an impassioned cricketer for the challenges ahead.

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