Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

at the other end, but with no luck, for many deliveries beat the bat, the wicket, and the wicketkeeper, and added 14 or 15 byes to the total’. 233 But for two overs from Shipman and one from Smith, both in the first innings, Astill and Geary would for a third time have bowled unchanged throughout a match. For the second successive season Astill visited the West Indies during the winter, but this time under the auspices of MCC and for a longer tour, with four ‘representative matches’, as they were styled, being included in the itinerary. These matches were retrospectively given the status of Test matches, thus creating the anomalous situation of England playing Test matches at the same time in two widely separated parts of the world, 234 since another MCC team (including Dawson) was in New Zealand. Astill’s overall record was poor, although he was fourth in the bowling averages with 37 at 31.64. Wisden gave him and three others the mild praise of doing ‘effective work’ when the spinning of the ball was possible, and on his return to England he reported that all the wickets were prepared to last and that ‘the task of the bowler was of a much more difficult nature than on previous tours’. 235 His batting was extremely unsatisfactory with only 247 runs for 14 dismissals and a highest score of 40. His Test record 233 Leicester Sports Mercury , 17 August 1929, p 4. There were nine byes and nine leg-byes. 234 For this situation see further K.Walmsley, Double Headers , ACS, Cardiff, 2013, pp 84-85. The difference in time of day between New Zealand and the West Indies never allowed the two England teams to play simultaneously. 235 Leicester Mercury , 28 April 1930. 127 The Test Player The 1929/30 MCC team in Georgetown, British Guiana: Standing (l to r): W.E.Astill, R.E.S.Wyatt, A.Sandham, E.H.Hendren, L.F.Townsend. Middle row: W.Rhodes, W.Voce, Hon. F.S.Gough-Calthorpe (capt), N.E.Haig, G.Gunn. Seated on ground: L.E.G.Ames , G.T.S.Stevens.