Clem Hill's Reminiscences

Warner keeps flies away In the second Test at Melbourne, which the visitors won by 185 runs, Warner was bluffed out. He had been stonewalling. Eventually Trumble brought a fieldsman up to silly point. This was the first time I saw a man in that position on a good wicket. The English captain stood this for a while and then had a lash at a ball, mishit it, and was caught. The day was hot. Warner had a small bottle containing a lotion and a sponge. In between overs he would apply the fluid to his face. Jim Kelly, the wicket-keeper, was curious. ‘What’s the idea, Plum?’ he asked. ‘Oh, I’m only trying to keep the flies away’, said the English captain. ‘That’s all right for you’, said Kelly, ‘but I’m getting the damn lot.’ This was the match in which Trumper on a sticky wicket played his great innings of 74, to which I previously referred. Tyldesley, the English batsman, had wretched luck in the third Test in Adelaide, won by Australia by 216 runs. I have not seen anything more disappointing to a batsman. He glanced a ball from Hopkins wide to leg, and Kelly, throwing himself at it, took a most remarkable catch. Tyldesley had not scored. In the second innings he had reached 10 when he hit a short one from Hopkins square to leg. It went like a shot out of a gun. Noble, fielding near the umpire, threw up his hands to protect his face. The ball struck them and went into the air. Noble, recovering from his fright, caught the ball at the second attempt. England won the fourth Test by 157 runs, and Australia the fifth by 218. This match brought to a close the successful career in international cricket of Hugh Trumble. He had announced his retirement and did not play in the first Test. He was persuaded to represent his country again, and in the last match took 7 for 28 off 6.5 overs – a remarkable performance. For the second time in Test matches he did the hat trick, and he is the only bowler who has ever done this. He dismissed Warner, c and b [caught and bowled], off his next ball. Bosanquet was caught by Gehrs, and Lilley was out lbw to the third. ‘Tibby’ Cotter, the first fast bowler in the ranks of Australia since the retirement of Jones, captured 6 for 40. He was a bowler very much like Larwood in build and speed. Like him, he got his pace from his body swing. Warner’s Tour of Australia 75