Gubby Under Pressure

Ballet cast. However, he is a kind old boy and I wouldn’t offend him for anything. I am sorry to hear you have had a mild attack of ‘flu’. You were lucky that it was so mild as I hear some people have been very bad with it. I cannot remember when I last wrote to you or Dad and I cannot therefore remember whether I told you about my flight to Tasmania. I made a point of asking Lord Somers, who is President of M.C.C. and out here now, for permission so that no one could grumble at me when I got home. By flying I was able to leave Melbourne on Friday evening at 7.0 and arrive in Hobart at 9.35 in good time to play cricket the same day whereas had I gone by boat and train I would have had to have left on Wednesday at mid-day in order to have been there in time. I have never done anything more comfortably and enjoyed it enormously. One of the pilots was a son of one of the N.S.W. cricket executives and he invited me into the pilots cabin where I remained the whole time being shown how to fly and navigate the machine. In a Douglas air liner one can talk almost as in a car and we sat there laughing away, drinking tea, or smoking at 10,000 feet doing 185 m.p.h. I did nothing of interest in Hobart, but who ever has done as nothing ever takes place except a lot of drinking and I have gone t.t. again until after the 4th Test. We arrived here on Thursday morning and beyond making another awful speech at the Commonwealth Club that day at lunch and dining with Ian Hayward who was at Cambridge with me, I have done little except go to the movies and bad ones at that. By the way I went to a film called ‘Dodsworth’ in Melbourne and I think it is one of the best films I have ever seen. Every character is so natural and so very well acted. Don’t miss it if it hasn’t already been on in London. There is very little cricket news except that Fishlock has now had a bone broken in his right hand and I don’t suppose will play again until we reach New Zealand. However he still can’t bat and his break-down will not mean the Ashes. I am beginning to get anxious about the 4th Test, which will have begun by this time next week, not because I think anything has happened to lessen our chances but just because I am so desperately keen to win. In fact two things have brightened our chances: Bradman has a slight strained leg and batted rottenly against us yesterday and Fleetwood-Smith looks like being left out because he is bowling so badly and is not properly fit. I know I am boasting but I have played two really good innings my last two visits to the wickets and I am now really full of confidence on Australian wickets for the first time. Grimmett who used to be my undoing so often I now love to see come on and I have given him a lot of stick. Until this trip I have always feared leg spin bowling and I wonder whether it is just in this country that I can now play it or whether I shall be successful in England in my own small way. Late Monday morning It has been raining hard ever since about 2.30 and I am told play is improbable which is a pity as so many of the team need practice. I am dining with Bradman and his wife tonight. Give my best love to Dad and thank him for all the letters and paper cuttings. Very best love Obbie Letter Twenty-One Adelaide Oval Feb 1st 1937 Darling Mumsie, I am afraid this will not be a very interesting letter as I am trying to write while the Test match is going on and my nerves are terrible. We have done pretty well so far but have not yet got into a certain winning position and I do hope we can do that. We need at least 450 this innings and we are at present 190 for 3, Barnett not out 98. In my opinion we put up a wonderful performance to get Australia out for 228 especially as we had to get Bradman out twice. He was more palpably caught at the wicket off me than anyone I have ever seen. I just don’t know how the umpire had the gall to give him not out as he turned the ball so much. However it didn’t make a great deal of difference as he only made 10 more. Wyatt is now out caught at short leg so I must stop and go and watch. Later We had a really bad today losing all our advantage and will now have to put up a The letters 88