Clem Hill's Reminiscences

89 Larwood; S.P.Kinneir, a solid left-hand batsman; J.Vine, a useful all-rounder; J.Iremonger; and H.Strudwick and E.J.Smith, wicket-keepers. England won the Ashes by four games to one. A very important factor in the defeat of the Australians was the friction with the Board of Control over the appointment of a manager to accompany the 1912 team to England. The practice was for the players to appoint the manager. The board took away this authority from the players, and that started the upheaval. Subsequently the board gave way to the extent of allowing the players to name the manager on the condition that it was not Frank Laver, who had been player-manager in 1905 and 1909. The players insisted upon the selection of Laver. The board now sends a manager and treasurer. The outcome of the trouble was that Trumper, Armstrong, Ransford, Cotter, Carter and I declined to accept the board’s invitation to go to England. ‘Plum’ Warner, who was captain of the English eleven, and tried to bring peace into our camp wrote: ‘Men cannot show their best form in an atmosphere of trouble, uncertainty and misunderstanding.’ Australia won the first Test in Sydney by 146 runs. The trouble developed between then and the next Test in Melbourne. Our players lost their keenness. They were distracted by the bickering with the board, and no player can do his best in those circumstances. Having said that much, I hasten to add that I do not wish it to be concluded that Australia would have won the rubber if there had been no disruption. What I say is that we would have put up a much better fight, and might have kept the Ashes. The Englishmen were strong in batting and bowling. 56 The outstanding player of the series was J.B.Hobbs. He topped the batting averages with 82. With Rhodes he made 323 runs in a first wicket partnership in Melbourne, and this still stands as the record. In the absence of Warner, through illness, Douglas became captain. A more determined cricketer or greater trier never walked on to a cricket ground. He was not a top notcher, but an all-rounder full of grit. He was so tedious when batting in the second Test in Melbourne that somebody suggested getting a constable to arrest him for loitering. A member of the Melbourne Cricket Club made a bet that more trains would pass in an hour than he would make runs. The trains won by 23. In the third Test in Adelaide I fell for a trap laid for me by Foster, the bowler, and Smith, the wicket-keeper. If a ball were pitched on my leg I always walked out of my crease to glance it. This time I missed it and Smith had the bails off in a flash with me out of my ground. I never fell into that trap again. A wicket-keeper, if he is intelligent, can be the most useful man on the side to the captain. He, unlike other members of a team, can see whether a bowler is making the ball turn or swerve. He can judge whether the batsman is inclined to The Years 1909 to 1912 56 With draws impossible in timeless matches, Australia would have to win the Ashes to win the rubber!