Gubby Under Pressure

prepared to bowl a whole over without trying some silly experiment which always cost four, and he will try the “dapper” of his which succeeds sometimes in England but in this country averages four. Voce, as at the start of last trip, is pig fat and his form rather worries me. He must play in the Tests as Ken doesn’t seem able to bowl more than medium pace. He [K.Farnes] is a nice chap and I am sure he will give no trouble, but he always seems half asleep both on and off the field. Voce has been charm itself ever since we sailed and will do anything I ask him. Howard is charming and going to be very good, as I have said before, but I wish you had been here this time, as it is a cricket brain which is badly needed at this moment. Someone who could help Hardstaff, Fishlock, Farnes, Fagg, Sims and Copson: in fact all the newcomers who look like children floundering about on the field. With Bob injured we want another No.1 badly, but I don’t know who could have done better than those who are here unless they had better brains. All the wickets, bar the one at Perth, have been even slower than when we were here four years ago, and it looks as though we shall have to play Verity and a leg-spinner in all the Tests. The side for the First Test looks like being: Barnett, Worthington, Hammond, Leyland, Ames, Hardstaff. Robins, Allen, Verity, Voce, Fagg or Copson or Fishlock.’ The defeat by New South Wales still rankled and he finds room at the end of the letter to bring up his disgust at some of the umpiring decisions which turned the game against them. ‘We were unquestionably cheated out of the match versus New South Wales, Barnett, Fagg, Allen and Hardstaff all suffering in the last innings.’ Of course, Allen could not resist the opportunity to complain to Warner about having to play in every match so far and ‘do a lot of bowling as we have bowled so badly’. But was it absolutely necessary for him to bowl so much? During this period of martyrdom for the cause, Allen bowled an extraordinary 89 eight ball overs, more than Farnes (40) and Copson (40) put together. It was also far in excess of the use made of Voce (54) and the only other bowler to come anywhere near Allen for overs bowled over the five matches was Sims with 85. The other spinner, Verity, was used sparingly for a mere 43 overs. One gets the impression that, at the first signs of his bowlers appearing ineffective, Allen dismissed them to the outfield and took the ball himself to show them how it should be done. Leading by example is one thing, taking over completely as a means of showing the others up as under-achievers is another. And when all this physical work is coupled with picking the team and then directing its actions on the field, plus showing the manager how to do his job, and then making all the speeches while being the acceptable face of English cricket, as well as making valuable business contacts, it comes as no surprise that by the time of the fourth game in Melbourne the strain was beginning to tell. Analysis of team selection suggests that at least some of Allen’s playing workload could have been avoided. For example, in that fourth game both Farnes and Voce were chosen, so there was no need for another pace bowler, and Allen’s twenty overs could have been used by Verity who had been rested. The cricket 39