Lives in Cricket No 28 - Keith Carmody

74 of 190 gave Australia a chance but, after Whitington (61) and James Workman (63) began with a century opening partnership, England squared the series with a 41-run victory. Carmody was run out for 14 and, after the two openers, only Hassett and Pepper scored more than 20. Although Carmody had shown versatility with his stint behind the stumps and his modest 42 had been top score in the Australian first innings, neither sentiment nor a position on the selection committee guaranteed his inclusion for the Third ‘Test’. Leading the RAAF in two one-day games at Lord’s in late June and early July, his 43 against the South was respectable, though overshadowed by Miller’s 78 not out. But he scored just one in an overwhelming 183-run defeat of the (British) Army. Rejoining his own Army representatives for an Australian Services rain-interrupted two- day match against Yorkshire at Park Avenue, Bradford, his innings of 10 led the Australian press to conclude he wasn’t living up to his great potential. A ‘fine outfielder with a perfect throw-in’, he was ‘a lovely strokemaker, but still lacks judgement in deciding which ball to play and which to hit … As a result of a poor display against Yorkshire, K.Carmody is now fighting for a place in Australia’s third Victory Test team.’ Keith survived for one more ‘Test’ – at Lord’s on 14, 16 and 17 July. While Australia’s only change was Bob Cristofani for Charlie Price, England chose three teenage batsmen with recent reputations as outstanding schoolboy cricketers – Donald Carr, John Dewes and Luke White. This radical selection decision could be regarded as sensible blooding of promising talent, complacency after the victory at Bramall Lane or an example of southern, public-school bias. Mark Rowe has pointed to the failure to draw on the resources of the northern leagues, now a pool of seasoned Test and first-class players. 30 A significant qualification of the implication of prejudice on this particular occasion is that one of the most successful contemporary Bradford League bowlers, Derbyshire’s George Pope, refused an invitation to play at Lord’s after taking five for 58 and three for 69 in the Bramall Lane ‘Test’. With Dewes dismissed for 27 and nought, White for 11 and four and Carr four and one – and taking no wickets for 23 in nine overs 30 The most important wartime league has been described in detail by the present writer in a study of the Bradford League: Cricket’s Wartime Sanctuary: The First-Class Flight to Bradford. The Victory ‘Tests’ and the Long Road Home