Gubby Under Pressure

Australia’s second innings. Bradman’s 270 has remained the highest score by a No 7 batsman in Test cricket. Total attendance at this match was 350,534. The Third Test started on New Year’s Day in Melbourne and Allen has little to say about it. Not surprising perhaps, because England lost by 365 runs and if Allen had held his nerve and taken an even bigger gamble on a declaration than he risked at Sydney, the result could have been reversed and he would be taking the Ashes back home to England. Wisden says ‘Bradman won the match for Australia when he won the toss’, but that is an exaggeration. The decision to bat first was not as straightforward as it seemed, with the wicket still damp after early rain, and when England held Australia to 181 for 6 on the first day, winning the toss did not seem to have been an advantage after all. However the dismissal of Bradman for 13 was controversial and an embarrassment for Allen, thanks to a foolish and thoughtless action by Robins. When Bradman was asked in 1983 by David Frith, editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly , to write a piece about the most memorable of all of his many matches, he chose this 1936/37 Test at Melbourne for several reasons, one of which was being caught by Robins, after the fielder had changed his position as Verity ran in to bowl. Apparently realising that he was not where his captain wanted him to be, Robins had swiftly moved ten yards closer to the batsman from his original position alongside the square-leg umpire. Bradman says he turned the ball off his thigh without bothering to deflect it downwards because in his mental image of the field placings made just before Verity began his run in, there was no fielder nearby. Robins must have been delighted to have made amends for his dropped catch in the Second Test, but at close of play Bradman remonstrated with him over the incident and received profuse apologies. Allen appears to have been too mortified to mention the affair. Perhaps the most damning of Bradman’s memories of the Test was his assertion that, if Allen had declared earlier on Saturday evening, Australia would have been easily beaten. The start of play had been delayed on that second day after heavy overnight rain. The two captains could not agree about the resumption of play and the decision was turned over to the umpires who, after two more inspections, decided play could begin after lunch. The Australian innings lasted little more than half an hour and England came in to bat at 3pm on one of Melbourne’s notorious sticky wickets. Cardus wrote ‘I could scarcely believe my eyesight as I saw the ball’s preposterous behaviour. It described all manner of angles and curves: it was here, there, everywhere, spitting, darting, fizzing.’ After losing two quick wickets Hammond and Leyland coped with the extreme conditions remarkably well, taking the England score to 56 for 2. But even two such experienced batsmen could not defeat the unpredictable wicket and both were gone at 68 for 4. Aghast at the thought of having to start the Australian second innings on that wicket, before the end of the day’s play, Bradman admits he quietly advised his bowlers not to take the remaining wickets too quickly. Even so, England lost five more wickets for the addition of a paltry eight runs. After failing to hit a ball too wide to reach, having wasted nine precious minutes without scoring, Allen eventually saw through the ruse and marched off with Voce at 76 for 9 saying ‘I’ve had it’. According to Jack Pollard in A ustralian The cricket 50