LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

60 and, not wishing to indicate that a decision had been made, the selectors changed the nomenclature from ‘England v The Rest’ to ‘North v South’. In the weeks before the trial, Middlesex played eight county matches and after getting off to a bad start and losing the first two, they won four of the next six and drew two. They also beat the Indian tourists during that period with Robbie taking five for 18 in their first innings. His participation in the trial was guaranteed as his captaincy skills were growing with every match. His ability to nurse young hopefuls like Denis Compton, who made his debut one week before his eighteenth birthday at the end of June against Sussex, was outstanding. Compton demonstrated that Robbie’s faith in him was justified only four days after his debut when he joined his captain at 21 for five in their second innings against Northamptonshire, only 145 runs in front. Together they added 129 runs before Robbie fell for 57: Compton went on to make 87 and Middlesex eventually ran out winners by 283 runs. Other young players blossomed under Robbie’s control but there were some who never measured up to his expectations. Ian Peebles later wrote that ‘on the field he was alert and forceful, always seeking to keep the game alive, and always ready to take a chance in order to do so. He expected his players to be of the same mind and though patient (to a point) with inept triers, he was fire and brimstone to the slack, selfish or indifferent.’ Compton himself occasionally lost his concentration during a long day in the field and would suffer the same tongue-lashing as any other less talented youngster, but even so Peebles would write in 1977: ‘Not long ago, Denis said to me that Walter was the best captain he had ever known.’ Despite both Robbie and Holmes being included in the team to represent the South, with Wyatt given the captaincy of the North, Allen was made captain and immediately after the rain-reduced game has ended, he was announced as the new England captain for the First Test against India. Holmes accepted the decision: ‘I was not surprised when Gubby Allen was picked as captain in the first Test match against India, and I was omitted from the side altogether. I felt that this was the “writing on the wall” and that, provided he did reasonably well, Gubby would be invited to take the side to Australia.’ That forecast would soon prove to be accurate. The decision was unlikely to have surprised Robbie either, as any ambitions he may have had regarding the captaincy for himself would have been discussed privately with Gubby and Warner, and his agreement obtained to wait his turn. Reluctantly perhaps, but the prospect of being given the position of vice-captain for the tour was an attractive alternative. Robbie played in the First Test at Lord’s, which England won comfortably by nine wickets, and also in the Second at Old Trafford which was drawn. He then concentrated on the final weeks of the Championship. Under his command, Middlesex beat Sussex by an innings, beat Gloucestershire by nine wickets, and then drew with Surrey at The Oval. After that, some unexpected demands of his insurance business forced him to take a twelve-day break, but that gave Gubby Allen the opportunity to step in and practice his captaincy skills some more by leading Middlesex to a 192-run Captain of Middlesex