LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

119 Tour Manager and Law 26 February 1961 and Bradman wrote to Robbie: We have just concluded the most pleasant and exciting Test series I have ever seen, or ever expect to see. The cricket was bright and entertaining and the players had personality. There was a spirit between the teams which surmounted, at all times, the hard knocks that were given and taken, and everyone seemed to realise that they were there to entertain the public as well as to try to win matches! When it came to selecting the Australian team to tour England in the summer of 1961, none of the bowlers with doubtful actions were chosen, mainly due to their loss of form rather than any reluctance of the selectors, and the Test series continued without controversy. Australia played attractive cricket to retain the Ashes by winning 2-1, but England had chances at least to square the series, particularly in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford. And, according to Dexter, the reason why England lost that Test was interference from Robbie at a crucial moment of the game! At tea on the third day, England were 168 runs ahead with four wickets in hand and Barrington 78 not out, when Dexter says Robbie entered the dressing-room and ‘insisted that we should get on with it’. When the game resumed, Barrington was immediately out caught off Simpson and the next three wickets fell quickly to give England a lead of only 177. Australia came back strongly and left England to make 255 to win which proved to be 54 runs too many. Dexter doesn’t explain why Barrington, or any of the other England players, should have paid attention to Robbie as he was not a selector and May, England’s captain, would have over-ruled any rash change of tactics. It is even possible that Robbie was not in Manchester at any time during that Test match as he was certainly over 200 miles away on the south coast the following Tuesday. Richard Robins remembers that ‘RWV was with my pals and I in Portsmouth watching Middlesex playing Hampshire on that fateful last day! I can remember him saying, as we listened to the radio at the ground and the wickets started tumbling, to Benaud, “Poor old Gubby must be speechless!”’ Robbie had other important matters to deal with that summer. An Enquiry Committee should have sat in the spring of 1961, but owing to the death of R.S.Rait Kerr, who was to have been chairman, it was postponed until the autumn. In the meantime a small sub-committee under Robbie’s chairmanship was selected to examine all possible alternative structures for the game, in the light of continually falling attendance at championship matches. In May, Robbie wrote to Bradman: ‘Despite the promise of the captains, county cricket remains slow and dull. These young professionals are cutting their own throats. Everyone seems to be more engrossed in technique than the cricket and how it should be presented to the public.’ Bradman replied: ‘I loved your phrase about players being more engrossed in technique than cricket. I have preached that sentiment for donkey’s years. In the long run it all gets back to the old story that it doesn’t matter where the feet are, what matters is where the ball goes.’ Throughout the summer the sub-committee continued their investigations and ‘under Mr Robins’ energetic guidance, considered numerous permutations and prepared a report for the enquiry committee when it was convened again