Gubby Under Pressure

and 256 [G.O.B.Allen 68, F.A.Ward 6-102]: Australia 234 [J.H.W.Fingleton 100, S.J.McCabe 51, W.Voce 6-41] and 58 [G.O.B.Allen 5-36, W.Voce 4-16]. England won by 322 runs. Australia were left 381 runs to win, but were dismissed in 12.3 overs. Fingleton’s 100 was his fourth consecutive century in Test cricket. Allen was spot-on with the earlier forecast of the make-up of his England eleven for the First Test, although it seems he exercised the authority given to him by MCC to make the final decisions for selection. ‘Choosing the team was not easy, but after much argument I got the side I wanted. Robbie was splendid and backed me all the way. The other three wanted Fishlock instead of Hardstaff, and Farnes instead of Voce. I must say Farnes has out-bowled Voce in every match and he is very unlucky not to be playing, but with Robbie practically a non-bowler and with the certainty of an easy-paced wicket I thought Voce would stand up to it best.’ Allen included Sims in the twelve players actually nominated, suggesting that he believed the wicket would take spin, although he never intended to play him. Bradman had to make a decision about a replacement for the injured W.A.Brown and Allen’s selection bluffed his opposite number into choosing an extra bowler rather than a batsman. Not that the subterfuge impressed anyone, as the general view was that all Bradman and his team had to do was turn up and the result in Australia’s favour was a foregone conclusion. Half the world away in London, Jardine remained convinced that the only way to beat Bradman and Australia was to resurrect ‘leg-theory’, and he wrote in the London Evening Standard , ‘It is little short of amazing to read that Voce has not yet bowled to a field comprising more than two square legs.’ Goodwill tours and public relations were of no interest to Jardine if England were going to have any chance of regaining the Ashes and he declared, ‘Gestures are all very well in their place, but best left to politicians who delight in them.’ When the Test started it looked for a while that Jardine might be right. Despite all the efforts of MCC and the Australian Board, once the players walked into the Test arena, winning had become the name of the game and political correctness someone else’s responsibility. At least Bradman seems to have thought so, for in McCormick Australia had a really fast bowler at last, one able to direct a few short balls up into the English batsmen’s ribs, and above, with two short legs waiting for catches. Bradman was clearly confident that he could get away with this without retaliation. So far on the tour, Voce had not been anything like the bowler of four years before, and Bradman knew Allen was under instructions to keep everything sweet and avoid upsetting his hosts. Allen’s glee at winning the toss was swiftly turned to despair. McCormick’s first ball to Worthington reared up to strike his hand, then rebound onto his chest and fly over his head into the hands of Oldfield, the wicketkeeper. Fagg came in and was hit in the stomach by the third ball he received, ducked a few more, before he too was caught by Oldfield. Then Hammond came and went for his first duck of the tour, caught off another short rising ball up into his chest and England were 20-3. Leyland and Barnett weathered the storm and, after eight overs, McCormick took a rest. What might have happened if McCormick had come back and continued with the same attempts at intimidation will never The cricket 43