Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

43 Chapter Seven Doodlebug Summer Jack again played fairly regularly in 1944, batting consistently, always achieving double figures but never getting as far as 50. Syd again had fewer opportunities but, apart from a failure in his first match, he made the most of them. Ahead of the Allied invasion of Europe, Britain was becoming a huge armed camp. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) would continue to make a major contribution to the eventual defeat of Germany and, with a significant number of Australian airmen in the country, a circular had been sent to every RAF station, asking those of first-grade status to send information about themselves to the selectors who would be picking sides to represent the RAAF. The chosen players had little chance to practise, most of their time being spent on flying and operational duties. A final record of played eleven, won six, drawn two, lost three, often against very strong opponents, was therefore a very worthy performance. Few of those who played would go on to have significant first-class careers, notable exceptions being Keith Miller, Keith Carmody, Jack Pettiford and wicketkeeper Stan Sismey. Sadly, but inevitably, a number of the side would not see the end of the war. Jack appeared against the RAAF (playing as ‘Australia’) at the end of May scoring 34 for The Rest. Batting at No.3 for the RAAF in that match was 29-year-old Western Australian Flight Sergeant William Roach. Less than two weeks later he would lose his life over the Frisian Islands. He had followed 21-year-old New South Welshman Clive Calvert to the wicket. Flight Sergeant Calvert would perish on a mine-laying expedition over the Baltic Sea in December. For a time there was also concern that Keith Carmody, the side’s captain, had also been lost. His plane had been hit off the Dutch coast in June and after spending the rest of the conflict as a prisoner-of-war it would be a year before he played again. 59 Jack and Syd appeared against the RAAF at Lord’s in mid June. The Army were set 238 to win in three hours and Jack, who top scored with 47, and Syd (28) gave them a good start by adding 78 in 45 minutes. Both fell to the left-arm wrist-spinner Reg Ellis and after that a strong Army line-up folded for 160 against accurate bowling supported by typically keen Australian fielding. Syd performed even more creditably in his next match early in July, scoring a century for C.S.Dempster’s XI against Sussex at Priory Park, Chichester. To be fair, the Sussex side was weak, and the catching fallible, but he did still have to face the wiles of Jim Parks and James Langridge whose combined total of first-class wickets would eventually reach 2,382. 59 Which simple statement does not do justice to a remarkable story fully described in Tony Barker’s Keith Carmody: Keith Miller’s Favourite Captain , ACS Publications, 2012.