Gubby Under Pressure

was denied and Fingleton went first ball to Voce. Six appeals against the light later, after practically every ball, to Allen’s ever increasing annoyance, the umpires sent everyone back to the pavilion. Rain later in the evening was obviously going to make Australia’s task more difficult. Harris wrote that while he was chatting to Verity in the lounge of their hotel, Allen came up and said to his bowler: ‘Put your left arm in a sling, Hedley, and go to bed early.’ More rain at five in the morning sealed Australia’s fate. Conditions were ideal for Verity, but before he could start, Allen had to finish off his uncompleted over of the day before. Badcock went second ball of the day and, after two more overs, Allen had Sievers and Bradman as well. With the ball kicking up off the rain affected wicket, Voce and Allen completed Australia’s rout by lunchtime, all out for 58, and Verity was not needed at all! Allen had every reason to feel pleased with himself and proud of his team. ‘Last time I wrote you we were in the middle of the Test match at Brisbane and I remember I said I thought we had the best of the position. It was a wonderful match, full of ups and downs, but we gradually pushed ahead and would, I am sure, have won whether it rained or not. The wicket was turning a lot on the Tuesday afternoon when I was batting and Verity must have got them out by degrees on the last day. Though I say so who shouldn’t, I suppose, my 68 was far and away the best and most timely innings of my life and I enjoyed every second of it. If I had got out for, say, ten it would have meant that they would have had approx two and three-quarter hours batting before the rain came and only about 275 to make to win.’ Allen was critical of Bradman’s captaincy but does not say why, and nowhere in his letters during or after the match does he mention the bowling of McCormick. Was Allen reluctant at this early stage in the series to draw attention to Bradman’s flagrant breach of the understanding that was supposed to exist between the two sides, in the hope that he could convince Bradman to change his methods? ‘Personally I think Don Bradman captained the side very badly indeed: he is far from at his best with the bat and I should say in health also. If only we can keep them down we are certain winners but I am frightened of this good Sydney wicket and it is my unlucky ground. Voce bowled magnificently on the Monday, but the Australians showed no fight in either innings after Don was out. That is the worst of having relied on one man for so long. O’Reilly’s bowling in the second innings confirmed my theory that he has gone off a lot. Some say he never bowls well at Brisbane but I don’t think he can bowl his leg breaks nowadays and that, as with Ian Peebles, means the end.’ There is one other footnote. Shortly after this match, according to Farnes’ diary , Allen was ‘promised £475 if he would divulge the composition’ of England’s team for the Third Test provided the contact ‘won the first prize outright in the forecasting competition that a newspaper was running’. Allen rejected this strange and corrupt offer, but he does not mention it in his letters home. 11 At Ipswich: 12 and 14 December, 1936. Not first-class. Queensland Country XI 300 [T.Allen 118, J.G.Maddern 62] and 124: MCC 406 [W.R.Hammond 109, S.Faulkner 4-82]. Match drawn. MCC were left 19 runs to win in five minutes, but did not start their second innings. The cricket 45