Gubby Under Pressure

The letters 83 but he said, which worries me a bit, that the external cartilage may be weak. I am not going to tell anyone that as it might cause alarm and we have had enough injuries already. Personally I think it is all nonsense as do the two masseurs, both very good, who have seen it and I am sure it will be all right. Last time I wrote to 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 up’s and down’s, but we gradually pushed ahead and would, I am sure, have won whether it had 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 10 it would have meant that they would have had approx. 2 hours batting before the rain came and only about 275 to make to win. 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 2nd 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 now-a-days and that, as with Ian Peebles, means the end. Bill and Betty Walleson, who came out on the ‘Orion’ with us, arrived back here from New Zealand this morning which is good as I like them both enormously. Dick, Pauline, the Wallesons and I are all dining together tonight and are going down to Palm Beach to lie in the sun and bathe all the next 2 days. The W’s go off to Adelaide on Thursday and return to Melbourne for the 3rd Test. Must stop now and get dressed. Am going to wash my head which you know takes ages and change the studs into a clean shirt. Have had thousands of telegrams from all over the world and have had to order up a typist for Monday morning to deal with them all. Have just been speaking to the Aunt Bee and Aunts Marcia and Milli thanking them for theirs. Also had one from Charlie Lamb from somewhere up in Queensland, which I shall have to answer. Later Air mail goes today so I must finish this off before going out to golf. I am playing this afternoon with Jack Hobbs, Reg Bettington and Denis. Yesterday I played with Dick and Bill Walleson and went to a rather amusing movie called ‘Sing Baby Sing’ with them in the evening. No more news. My knee is a lot better and I only hope to goodness it stands up to the strain of the Test match. It has been raining for the last 12 hours on and off. Very best love to you and Dad. Please give my love to Pat, Dickie, Geoff and Gil as I shall never have time to write to them. Also please thank Dad for his cable. I had 1000’s of them and have just spent 2 hours with typist trying to answer some of them. Best love Obbie Letter Fifteen Ushers Hotel Sydney Dec 21 1936 Darling Dad, I am afraid this will have to be a very short letter as I am dead tired having been in the field all day and bowled a lot. Having deliberated for hours I decided to declare our first innings at 426 for 6 closed and it went right for us. Voce again bowled magnificently and though we might have got them out a bit cheaper 80 was good going. Rain looked so close at hand that we all thought that we must make them follow on but the rain clouds seemed to have disappeared and the wicket was lifeless. We would have been in an impregnable position tonight if Robins had caught Don Bradman about 4.50 this afternoon off me for 24 at short leg. It was a ‘sitter’ and I have got a horrible sinking feeling inside me that it may cost us the match. What is even worse is Don was playing terribly badly at the time and he may now play himself into form and worry us for the rest of