Lives in Cricket No 5 - Rockley Wilson

was the slow scoring of Jack Hobbs and J.W.Hearne in their innings of 131 and 87 respectively that raised the ire of some spectators. However, the barracking, which included such shouts to Hobbs as “What do you think the boundary is for?” was hardly venomous. (Hobbs scored only four fours in his innings, though it needs to be added that the bowlers concentrated on bowling outside the off stump to a packed off-side field.) Indeed, Douglas described it to the Press as “good natured and humorous”, so there was hardly the making of a serious incident here. It was at the country match against a Bendigo XV that the beginnings of more serious trouble blew up. Its real cause was the content of some of the reports that Rockley Wilson and Percy Fender had been commissioned to provide to certain British newspapers during the tour. It needs to be remembered that any amateur who toured Australia at this time would be out of pocket. Travel and accommodation costs would be met, but most other expenses fell to the player and these could add up to a tidy sum. It is not surprising that the erudite Wilson jumped at the chance to earn some money as a part-time journalist. After The Times had published a piece about the outward sea journey, he was invited to write regular articles for the Daily Express : Percy Fender wrote for the Daily News . Rockley’s reports on the first matches of the tour were wholly factual accounts of the cricket. He then received a cable from his editor: “Reuters report play adequately. We want comment.” Rockley endeavoured to oblige. During the First Test at Sydney that preceded the game at Bendigo, he had cabled a report that included some criticism of the umpiring – the umpires in those days being provided by the host country, of course. According to Wilson, Waddington’s run out in England’s first innings was “a shameful decision” and he added that both Woolley and Douglas were the victims of “doubtful decisions” in England’s second innings. Umpire A.C.Jones protested to the Australian Board of Control and Wilson was forced to apologise for the severity of his comments on the Waddington decision. But he added, after the match, “I still consider that Waddington was not out.” These criticisms were widely reported in the Australian papers, national and local. The player-cum-journalists found that their cabled reports intended for British readers were soon relayed back to Australia, and part of the crowd at Bendigo consequently gave Wilson the bird when he came to the crease, branding him a “bad sport.” Characteristically, he responded by bowing to the crowd. Douglas and Wilson complained about the barracking, 82 Australia and After