LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

126 cry of “sack the selectors” but I couldn’t care less providing the same type of cricket is played.’ The Lord’s Test was a tremendous match from start to finish, one of the greatest of all time. For five days both sides were convinced that they were going to win and it all came down to the last two balls from the last over. England needed six runs to win with their last two batsmen at the wicket although Cowdrey at the bowler’s end had his left arm in plaster after suffering a broken wrist and would bat left-handed if necessary. Every known result of a finished cricket match was possible. When the game ended everyone agreed that it was the most exciting draw they had ever witnessed. Robbie wrote again to Bradman saying: ‘The Lord’s Test was the best game I have ever seen, although the weather was atrocious, you will never see a better innings than Dexter’s.’ England won the Third Test by 217 runs, thanks to the bowling of Fred Trueman who followed his 11 wickets at Lord’s with 12 at Edgbaston, including taking his last six wickets for only four runs in a 24-ball spell. Robbie wrote: We owe our success entirely to Freddie Trueman who bowled magnificently in the last innings. Typical of Freddie, when I congratulated him he said, ‘Thank you, Mr Chairman — I did it for you and for England.’ At Leeds the West Indies re-asserted their superiority to go 2-1 up in the series, and went on to take the Wisden Trophy in its inaugural year with an eight-wicket victory in the last Test. Robbie had nothing but praise for the winners: ‘Well, we had another wonderful exhibition of how the game should be played by the West Indians in the Fifth Test.’ After the series was over, Robbie received a letter from Frank Worrell: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your welcome contribution and assistance to us on our tour. We return to the Caribbean proud men, proud at the thought of having assisted the counties and England elevens in providing the spectators with the sort of cricket they desired.’ But some people believed that Griffith, the West Indies fast-bowler, had taken 33 wickets using a doubtful bowling action which tainted their success although Robbie wrote to Bradman after the series: ‘it is a funny thing that this question of chucking was never mentioned in my presence in Selection Committees or in the dressing-room. I did hear a lot of muttering in various Committee rooms around the country, but as most of the remarks were from people who couldn’t see a googly out of the hand or in the air, I didn’t take very much notice.’ Doug Insole, who had continued as a member of Robbie’s selection committee, also wrote to him in characteristic tones: It has indeed been a pleasure, a privilege, and quite a bit of fun, to have served under your gentle guidance. We may not have stuffed ‘em, but at least the customers had some pretty useful stuff to watch, and the heroic British press have seized on the fact that we bowled and batted quicker than the opposition — at least part object of the exercise. Anyway, whether or not we get thrown together again next season, I reckon we have jointly made very nearly the best of a fairly difficult job, which is not particularly modest, but then, what the hell! Chairman of England Selectors