Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

68 Style Whilst Jack stroked the ball, the purposeful Syd hit it. He had an upright, slightly open stance. Arlott again: Brown [was] a stockily-built right-hand bat … . He was less of a stylist than Robertson, but he was watchful, strong off the back foot, quick to move into position to cut or hook, and powerful through the whole off-side arc. Certain of the quality to follow him, he could afford to go for his strokes and often he and Robertson made the way easy for Edrich and Compton. Trevor Bailey remembered his on-side play and ‘the quality and viciousness of his hooking’, whilst Bill Edrich was particularly impressed by ‘his tremendous strength on the off-side’. 91 A.A.Thomson described his power a little more graphically: ‘when you saw him make a hook or a square-cut, it was as though he wielded a blacksmith’s hammer and you wondered why the sparks didn’t fly.’ 92 And he didn’t lack courage. In the championship-winning year, in a low-scoring match on a rain-damaged Lord’s pitch, Glamorgan had set Middlesex 201 to win. With Compton and Edrich away with England it was a testing target. Syd was hit in the mouth early on by a ball from the lively Wilf Wooller and stretchered off. At 102 for five Middlesex were in some trouble but he bravely came back and helped Alec Thompson (81 not out) in a stand of 71 that contributed significantly to a hard-fought three-wicket victory. Syd was an entertaining batsman. Some however thought him too impetuous for an opener. For example, in reviewing the 1952 season, The Cricketer thought that an irresistible impulse to start hooking at the start of his innings frequently led to his dismissal. On the other hand the hook was one of his best shots, and although it got him out, it also got him lots of runs. And of course in his early days in particular, when playing under Robins, he and Jack were expected to get runs on the board quickly or get out. I don’t suppose they needed too much encouragement. In his article in the 1953 Cricketer William O’Reilly said that as an opening batsman Syd ‘eschews the modern fashion of patiently wearing down the bowlers. … Would there were more openers with that spirit.’ Glamorgan’s Don Shepherd (a superb bowler who surely should have played for England) thought that he ‘was a better player when the others around him were going well’. 93 The truth of this observation is difficult to confirm. However, you will read in a later chapter about a remarkable innings of 150 not out at Cardiff against the eventual champions when he played almost a lone hand in leading his side to victory. There were other similar instances where Syd took the lead and, to be fair, Don Shepherd didn’t make his first-class debut until two years after this match. There were also suggestions that he had problems with the ball moving 91 Edrich, W.J., Cricket Heritage , Stanley Paul, 1948. 92 Thomson, A.A., Vintage Elevens. Pelham Books, 1969. 93 Chalke, Stephen, Runs in the Memory: County Cricket in the 1950s , Fairfield Books, 1997.