LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

63 To Australia with Gubby party in a non-Test tour of Australia and New Zealand the previous winter, had worked hard to restore the old ‘pre-Bodyline’ relationship and prepare the ground for the full tour in 1936/37. Was Allen jealous of the reputation that Holmes had already earned in Australia twelve months earlier, so that if he was made vice-captain it might give the impression that the MCC tourists were operating under joint leadership? By not naming either Robbie or Holmes as vice-captain, but giving Allen the exclusive power to appoint a deputy as and when he thought fit, would make it quite clear who was in charge and make certain that neither would feel inferior to the other. But Holmes would have been disappointed that his earlier efforts were not going to be rewarded with at least the vice-captaincy after being passed over as captain, and would probably have suspected that during the tour Allen might favour his friend Robbie as and when he wished. The attempt by the committee to control the situation, prompted by Allen’s misgivings, may well have backfired and created the very problems that it had tried to solve. And Robbie would have been caught in the middle of an awkward situation that was not of his making. But Allen need not have worried. Holmes had to decline the invitation to be part of the touring party, as his father became seriously ill and Holmes, as eldest son, felt that he should be close at hand that winter. The selectors decided that there was no need to replace Holmes as they preferred to keep the size of the touring party to just 16 members. Allen would have none of it and insisted that the original selection of 17 must be maintained, recommending the inclusion of Wyatt as he would bring valuable knowledge and experience. Realising that his inclusion was very much a last-minute choice, Wyatt could be counted on to raise no objections if Robbie acted as vice-captain throughout the tour, as Allen had probably intended from the beginning. From the moment that R.M.S.Orion sailed from Southampton on 12 September, Allen was determined to take control of everything that involved the squad of players under his command. He wanted everyone to know that he was in charge and cultivated the impression of his absolute authority. Unfortunately he was totally unprepared for the pressures that awaited him in Australia. The first match in Australia was at Perth against Western Australia. In an innings victory, Robbie did not get a turn to bat but had 16 eight-ball overs and took three wickets. That would be his last spell of bowling for a month as later, during some net practice in front of a large crowd, Robbie dived to hold a full-blooded drive from Charlie Barnett and appeared to dislocate a finger in his right hand. Allen revealed in his next letter to his parents on the last day of the match: ‘Duckworth dislocated a finger on left and Robbie doing same to top joint of most important finger for bowling on right hand. Former out of cricket probably two weeks, latter three [or] four weeks. However, let’s have all our bad luck now. Owing to Robbie’s accident must play in next match.’ But Robbie’s injury was much more serious than a dislocation and Allen was no longer writing about an