LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

110 Chapter Fourteen Tour Manager and Law 26 England had recovered from the disasters of the last Ashes tour in Australia and come back to beat India 5-0 in the summer of 1959. Now they faced the much tougher prospect of a tour in the West Indies and MCC asked Robbie to go as manager. He knew this was going to be a tough assignment, not only because the previous tour in 1953/54 under the captaincy of Hutton had been unpopular, but also because the newly independent islands were now trying to forge a political and economic federation to match their cricket unity, with the racial issue just below the surface. These factors were creating tension throughout the Caribbean as they jostled for position: Robbie was determined that the tour should run smoothly both on and off the field. The selectors decided to give Peter May a young squad of players, none over 29 years old. Six had never toured abroad before and the whole party appeared to be more likely to respond to firm and sensible direction. Even so, few people gave May’s team more than the slimmest hope of winning and the party foregathered at Lord’s on the eve of sailing to be stimulated by a farewell address from Harry Altham, president of MCC. Afterwards, there was a talk and demonstration in the Long Room about the circuit training which was going to be used twice daily during the voyage to improve fitness. It seems that Robbie’s influence was already taking effect, although there was one absentee from the sessions as Ted Dexter, recovering from jaundice, was delighted to report: ‘I was forbidden exercise and spent my time on my back in the sun. Tough luck!’ Not an attitude likely to endear itself to his new manager. The party embarked at Avonmouth on one of the banana boats owned by Fyffe’s, the three- year-old T.S.S.Camito . Returning without cargo, it rolled its way across the Atlantic, keeping most of the players suffering below deck, although a few were badgered by Robbie to undertake some exercise outside and David Allen remembers running up and down staircases expecting to be pitched overboard at any moment. They arrived in Barbados on 18 December. The streets were lined with cheering citizens as the party made its way to the Marine Hotel. After three warm-up games the First Test began with Cowdrey and Pullar walking out to open the England innings and face a barrage of hostile and short fast bowling. It had been Robbie’s idea to force an unwilling Cowdrey to move up the order from the start of the tour, recognising that with his very straight bat and limited back-lift he had much more time to play the faster bowling, and now it paid off with a first-wicket stand of 50 while taking the sting out of the West Indian attack. Weathering the storm,