Cricket 1911

November 18, 1911. RUGBY FOOTBALL AND CRICKET. 577 CRICKET. Cricket in Australia. INTEREST IN THE ENGLISH TOUR —“ BARRACKING THE AUSTRALIAN CROWD. B y P. R. LE COUTEUR. INCE I last wrote, the M.C.C. team has arrived in Australia, has announced itself fit and well, has impressed cricket experts who have watched it at practice, and, finally, has commenced most auspiciously in its first game against South Australia. All of which is very satisfactory to cricket-lovers, no less in Australia than in England. One wonders whether the English public appreciates the extent and intensity of the interest which the visit of a representative English team creates in Australia. For the next fewmonths it is the one general and universal topic. Go where you will—in the crowded streets of the cities, in the quiet suburbanhomes, in the black- blocks bush—you will hear conversations in which the names of Warner, Foster, Rhodes, Hobbs are prominent. It is no exaggeration to say that to nothing else is attention so universally directed as to this team. Politics—always inclined, to tell the truth, to be dull and verbose in Australia—are now put well into the background. The captains of the opposing teams are far more important than the leaders of the Government and of the Opposition. Certainly the reports in the papers of the windy speeches of Federal members will be printed on obscure pages, while the cricket reports will take the place of honour. Many will be able to tell you the names of all the members of both elevens who do not know the names of half the members of Mawson’s Antarctic Expedition, or perhaps even that there is to be such an expedition. For weeks past the average cricketing Australian has been consider­ ing each member of the English team, and calculating what he will do under Australian conditions. A Melbourne evening paper, knowing the general interest, printed in large type on its front page, with quite unconscious humour, “ English Eleven leaves England. Magnificent Send-off. Warner’s pockets picked.” Wherever the M.C.C. team goes it will meet with a truly warm welcome. It will be criticised, for the Australian does not consider that his duties as host preclude him from criticism. And on the other hand it will be admired. I have been surprised to find a most erroneous general impression in England about Australian crowds. It seems to be generally believed that at the least they are very difficult to deal with, and need to be humoured. Some people have actually asked in all seriousness whether it was true that empty bottles were thrown at players of the opposing side! The idea seemed to be that it thirsted for its opponents’ blood. Reports frequently appear in English newspapers about the “ barracking ” at cricket matches. This impression is distinctly unfair. It would be an interesting task to examine into the origin of the error. Very probably it has been fostered by the unfortunately ambiguous use of the word “ barrack.” In England it has a much more dyslogistic sense than it has in Australia, where it is synonymous with “ supporter.” In Australia a man is said “ to barrack” when he cheers on his side (an Australian would say the ’Varsity supporters at Queen’s Club or Lord’swere “ barracking”), while inEngland he “ barracks” only if he cheers on his side with obviously disagreeable intentions towards the other side. As a matter of fact in England the meaning has been twisted so far in this direction that one speaks rather of “ barracking” opponents. So the word has come in England to mean gibing, in the nasty, objectionable sense. It is quite possible that this ambiguity, aided by the scanty cable reports, has helped to develop this com­ pletely wrong conception of the Australian crowd. But probably this is not the whole story. It is possible that cricketers have been to Australia who have not attempted to understand the people there, and adapt themselves to the conditions. For the conditions are a little different—not much so, it is true, but still slightly different. It is difficult and risky to speak generally of an “ Australian crowd.” In the reserved parts of the ground one finds the same conditions as at Lord’s, or at least very similar. Obviously the above remarks are not intended to apply to them. In the unreserved parts one finds the same mixed gathering as in England. But if its characteristics are different from those of its English counterpart it is in this direction; it is more alive and alertly interested in the play. One might say it identifies itself more with tbe game than an English crowd; it feels that it itself is taking part. An English cricket crowd rather gives one the impression that it has come to see a spectacle, and be entertained. An Australian crowd has come to play. It can be readily understood, then, that the spontaneous cries of ‘ Get a bag,’ and so forth, which greet the unfortunate fieldsman who has dropped a catch, are not indicative of illwill, or bad feeling, or of anything but personal disappointment. It is the English ‘ damn,’ plus some humour which arises when the imagination plays with the suggestion. The crowd is essentially humourous. Imagine a broiling hot day of over 100 degrees in the shade, the ground hard, the fieldsmen hot and tired, the bowlers bowled out, and tbe batsmen triumphant. Fifty after fifty appears on the scoring-board. Then, during one of those lulls characteristic of the game, a voice is heard advising the captain to “ put the umpires on.” It is a well-worn joke, but it is always funny. This, I think, is characteristic of the Australian crowd. A player must obviously laugh with it—if he is humourous he cannot help himself—but he is merely foolish if he allows himself to be annoyed. He may be certain that it will be ready to cheer him heartily the next moment, should he so deserve. An Australian crowd will grudge applause to no one who has won it. The score of 563 against South Australia gives the tour an excellent start, and will, of course, give the team confidence. Foster’s rapid scoring and Warner’s skilful cricket no doubt gave great pleasure. It is important to the side, also, that George Gunn has struck form. He isperhaps the most interesting batsman inEngland. To a slow bowler he is the most interesting. His unorthodox habit of coolly walking down the pitch and covering the wicket while the bowler is still in the act of delivering the ball, is disconcerting. Many batsmen attempt it, but few succeed as he does. It results in a curious division of the bowler’s attention, with a bad effect as a rule upon his length. The fast full-toss at tbe body, which he usually attempts on such occasions, seems to have no effect upon him, and goes to leg for four. I believe that he is the batsman on the English side most to be relied upon for breaking up Hordern’s length, if the left-handers are not allowed by their opponents to do so. Books Received. “ The Amicus ” Souvenir of the M.C.C. Cricketers in Colombo.— Illustrated. Compiled by “ Ubique.” Colombo : Amicus Office. Price, 10 cents. [12 pp., quarto. Contains Open Letter to P. F. Warner, A Peep into the Past, Tit-Bits about the Visitors, The Ceylon Team and Averages of the Two Teams.] Annual Reports, &c., of Balmain C.C., City and Suburban C.A., Glebe C.O., Mew South Wales C.A., and Paddington and Peter­ sham C.C. Mr. P. F. Warner’s Team in Colombo. A Souvenir. —Compiled by E.W.F. Colombo: Ceylon Sportsman Office. [12 pp., octavo. Illustrated. Contains brief biographical particulars of the tourists, notes on the members of the All Ceylon Eleven, and scores of previous matches played at Colombo by English teams.]