Gubby Under Pressure

The letters 75 too wild at present. Though I say so myself, I played a very good innings of 65 and I really believe I have discovered the way to deal with Grimmett. He doesn’t seem able to bowl if you don’t let him throw the ball up in the air. Every time he bowled his slow one I came out after him and he had to bowl quick at me and then he can’t turn the ball an inch either way. Fishlock played him splendidly and looks like making a lot of runs if he uses his head and curbs his impetuosity. Our ground fielding was fairly good but our catching was lamentable and it was that that got us into trouble. Badcock was dropped 2 sitters and was plumb LBW before he had made 25. He is going to be a good player but I don’t fear him at present especially if there is a leg-spinner about. Robbie fracturing his most important finger on his right hand, when fooling about at fielding practice, is a disaster as I don’t believe it will be well enough for him to spin the ball before Brisbane. Duckworth put a finger out the same way during the match and that would not have been a very serious matter as he will be able to play in 2 or 3 weeks but the same evening Ames came and told me he was anxious about his back. These 3 bits of news all within a few hours was not much fun and the moment Ames mentioned his back I was convinced it meant that he would not play on the whole trip. Since then it has done nothing but get worse and what is even worse he has given up hope himself. I have packed him off by boat to Melbourne in the care of Robbie to see some doctors as it is too quick to send him home but I am sure there is no hope and I shouldn’t be surprised if he is on his way home by the time you get this letter. It has left a terrible gap in the Test XI and is a really serious blow. I have not told the press how serious I think he is as I don’t want people to become unduly alarmed until I know for absolute certain, so you can see that my worries have started pretty early but I love the job because I am so fond of them all, and wouldn’t get out of it for anything. Don’t be alarmed if I don’t get many wickets for the first 4 or 5 weeks as I am not going to bowl flat out as I shall have to play in every match until Robbie is fit again, and don’t want to be dead by the time the 1st Test starts. Besides, I am going to attend to all the speech making and other boring things during our first visits to the various towns as I am going to insist on being left absolutely free during the Tests. I am sure the reason why every English captain out here has failed at cricket since the war is because he has been worked too hard and I am going to refuse not being allowed to have a chance of doing my best. We played 10 rubbers on the train yesterday, Allen and Hammond v Sims and Hardstaff and finished 360 up. I have hardly had a losing session at bridge since I left England but the standards has been pretty poor, some auction some contract, and my partners have cost me a lot of money. Actually I made all the mistakes yesterday. Play starts immediately after lunch again but will probably finish soon after dinner tonight as we arrive at Port Augusta at 6.0 tomorrow morning and I have to make a speech at 7.0. I think it is ridiculous but it can’t be helped. To show you what an absurd programme has been arranged this time, mind you without us ever being consulted, we have on the first day at Melbourne the following - 10.30 Victorian Cricket Assoc (speech by Allen) 11.30 Mayor (speech by Allen) 1.0 Commercial Travellers lunch (speech by Allen) Practice in the afternoon (for Allen if still alive) 5-6 attend Amateur Athletic Club (Allen only but a speech all right) 6-7.30 Cocktail Party (a lot of drinking by Allen) 8.30 Russian Ballet. I am going to go through with the whole thing, as I have already said, but Howard and I are going to make a full report on the whole subject when we get home, as in future everything must be submitted to MCC for approval. We have 6 nights in Melbourne the first time and I have only 2 free ones (Sunday and Tuesday). In Adelaide we have 6 nights and I have only Sunday free. I enjoyed the 10 days in Perth but did very little except go up and see the Ambrose family. I only went to one cinema and that was an official visit, so you can see I was kept pretty busy. However I did manage to slip away for 2 days in order to go up to Kalgoorlie to see some goldmines, but I was worrying about what was happening in Perth and I don’t think I shall leave the side again for a bit. In the 50 hours I was away I motored 786 miles and went down four goldmines, Yellowdime, Southern Cross, Great Boulder and Lake View. It was terribly interesting and