Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

81 Chapter Fourteen Aussie Summer 1948 was another iconic cricket season as Bradman’s Invincibles, one of the greatest sides ever, rampaged around Great Britain, overcoming every challenge encountered, remaining undefeated and winning the Test series 4-0. England’s batting order began Hutton, Washbrook, Edrich, Compton, but against an Australian attack led by the pace of Lindwall and Miller and now joined by versatile left-armer Bill Johnston, it was obvious that that quartet alone wasn’t going to be enough and that the selectors would need others to make runs. And if an Ashes series wasn’t enough to enthuse the sporting public they also had the London Olympic Games to look forward to at the end of the summer. Jack, now 31, had begun the season in good formwith a big century for MCC against Surrey − it included a nine, courtesy of four overthrows − and two centuries in the Bank Holiday match against Sussex. 108 After his success in the Caribbean he was clearly a candidate for further honours. Among others, ‘Selector on Cricket’ in the Sunday People and Alex Bannister in the Daily Mail both rated his chances of making the Test side. Selection to play for MCC against the Australians at the end of May gave him a chance to press his claim. 109 Unfortunately he failed, although he wasn’t alone in finding the Australian bowling difficult to handle. Going in against a score of 552, only Hutton, with half-centuries in each innings, gave the visitors any problems as MCC, following on, were beaten by an innings and 158 runs. Jack opened with Hutton but lost his wicket cheaply twice to Miller on the second day. In his first innings he had unwisely flicked at a ball he could have left alone and was caught by wicketkeeper Don Tallon; in the second he popped up an easy catch to Sid Barnes at short leg before he had scored. He had another chance to prove himself as Washbrook’s England opening partner in the Test trial at chilly Edgbaston early in June. Because of rain he only got one innings, a useful 41, but it wasn’t enough to get him into the England side for the First Test as inevitably Hutton was brought back to partner Washbrook. He might perhaps have been selected for the Third Test when, remarkably, the selectors dropped Hutton who 108 He nearly became the first batsman to reach 1,000 runs for the season, then an important milestone, but Don Bradman got there first. It was a close thing. Jack started the match against Gloucestershire at Lord’s on Saturday 12 June on 994 runs, whilst Bradman, 130 not out overnight in the First Test, was on 998. Middlesex batted first, but as Syd took the first ball, either Jack didn’t know how close he was to a 1,000, or if he did, probably didn’t care. In the event Syd monopolised most of the early bowling and scored 18 before Jack got off the mark, whilst Bradman did the necessary in the first over at Trent Bridge. 109 The first appearance of an official Australian side, and Bradman, at Lord’s for ten years created great interest and the gates were closed on the first day.