Bradman will never ever be forgotten

The Manuka Oval in Canberra where the Sri Lankan cricketers played their only practice game against the Australian Chairman’s XI, is one of the loveliest stadiums in the country. Before the game began there I took a stroll round the ground and noticed how well they had built the new tiers and the grass banks that can hold over 10 thousand spectators.

The stands have been named after Don Bradman and Robert Menezes. Also the scoreboard after Jack Fingelton was a beauty and clearly indicates all what one wants to know of what is happening out in the middle.

There is no ground in Australia or a pavilion that has no stand or plaque in honour of the great Don. He is revered like a god for his efforts with the bat that no other Australian or world batsman has ever come close to. He had the ability to score triple hundreds in a day.

Donald Bradman, later knighted and Sir Donald Bradman was the greatest Australian and batsman that the world of cricket will see and ever see. Mohomed Muhsin, writing on the ‘Bradmanmania’ in the ‘SUNDAY OBSERVER’ last week described the great man in detail.

It was a piece well written and brought back nostalgic moments and achievements of the Don, that the present generation of cricketers will do well to read about the man, who when he retired had an amazing 99.94 batting average in Test cricket.

When Bradman walked in to play his final Test innings against England on the 1948 tour of England at the Kennington Oval, London the players doffed their caps and gave him a rousing cheer and so did the packed house on the ground.

But sadly the great man was moist in the eyes, because he will never again play the game which he loved best. He was bowled second ball by Eric Hollies for no score in the 5th Test from June 16 to 18, 1948.

A sad end

A sad end to an incredible career. Australia won the game by an innings and 149 runs. It will be nostalgic and good to recall the Australian and England players who played in that historic Test. Australia in batting order – Sidney Barnes, Arthur Morris, Don Bradman (Captain), Lindsay Hasset, Keith Miller, Neil Harvey, Sam Loxton, Ray Lindwall, Don Tallon, Doug Ring, Bill Johnston.

England – Len Hutton, John Dews, W.J.’Bill’ Edrich, Dennis Compton, J.F. Crapp, Norman Yardley, (Captain), Allan Watkins, Godfrey Evans, Alec Bedser, J.A. Young, Eric Hollies.

Believe it or not in the first innings England were bowled out for 52 in 42.1 overs with Len Hutton top scoring with 30 and Ray Lindwall 6 for 20, Keith Miller 2 for 5 and A.A Johnston 2 for 20 doing the damage.

Australia in their first innings made 389 in 158.2 overs with Sidney Barnes 61, Arthur Morris 196, Lindsay Hasset 37 and Don Talon 31. Neil Harvey 17, Sam Loxton 15, Eric Hollies had 5 for 31.

England 2nd innings – 188 – Len Hutton 64, W.Edrich 28, Dennis Compton 39. Ray Lindwall 3 for 50, Keith Miller 2 for 22, A. Johnston 4 for 40. The Australians were unbeaten on that tour and were tagged ‘THE INVINCIBLES’.

Prime Minister Robert Menezes was a great cricket lover and is best remembered for having said this. When two countries were at war, Menezes is on record having said had the two leaders played cricket this war would not have been. How true.

Shane Warne a poor show

The man with the magic wrist, Shane Warne who bemused and bamboozled many a batsman with his variety of deliveries as a leg spinner, and who is attempting a Test comeback had his longing hit for six.

The 43-year old had made it known that had Australian Captain Michael Clarke made a request he would be only too willing to return to bolster the weak Australian attack and help regain the Ashes against England in the back to back Ashes series next year.

But playing for the Melbourne stars in the Big Bash Twenty20, he was pummeled by the big hitting Aaron Finch who hit him for sixes with consumate ease. In his 12 balls he bowled he was hit for 41 runs, the worst economy rate recorded in Australian domestic Twenty20 cricket.

Easy catch dropped

Then to make matters worse he dropped an easy catch off South African Fa du Plesiss fielding at mid wicket. Finch blasted an unbeaten 111 off only 65 balls. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan playing for the Renegades went wicketless for 28 runs.

Former Australian terror bowler, Jeff Thomson launched a scathing attack on Warne in ‘THE SUN-HERALD’ after the game saying that the Big Bash League officials have made a mistake in flogging a ‘dead horse’ and has urged the leg spin wizard to put an end to suggestions of a Test comeback.

‘I get sick of this every year – all they talk about is ‘Warney’ or ‘Murali’ or someone else. ‘The Big Bash League, if that’s all they have got to promote, they are promoting the wrong people. I am being serious. How long do you flog an old horse?

Fielding at mid-wicket

Thomson also noted that Warne spent most of the time fielding at mid-wicket. According to Thomson that has been traditionally a key area for orchestrating run-outs in one-day internationals,and is a central spot for a captain to marshal his fieldsmen. However Thomson felt Warne was there for other reasons.

‘That’s a sign of an older guy as well. You don’t want to be running around. You put yourself where you don’t want to be running around.

You put yourself where you don‘t have to do the hard yards.

‘He is 43.You don’t get better. We all dream that we can still do it, but it does not get any easier. These young blokes aren’t too bad, especially in Twenty20. It’s a bit hard, it’s such a quick game. To keep up with that stuff, I honestly think it’s a young man’s game’.

End the chatter

Thomson also asked Australian captain Michael Clarke to end the
chatter about a possible Warne Test return. Clarke has repeatedly
asked his great friend to return to Test cricket he retired in 2007.

‘It’s a backward step. I get sick of Michael Clarke saying, ‘I want him back’. What about just moving on? Warne has had his day. We have to go ahead. What does that do to a young bloke who is trying to get into the side when we are picking 43-year old blokes? Concluded Thomson.

Me thinks Thomson was right in having a go at Warne for attempting a comeback. Warne has now lost the magic spin he had and now seems to be just turning his arm over.

Not disappointed

However, Warne was not disappointed with his performance but vowed to comeback hard and show that he has not lost his skills of old. His Stars coach former Australian batsman Greg Shipperd said that he will be working on his skills and he’ll be a different player in the next game.

The pitch for that game, where Aaron Finch took him apart was devoid of spin, which was not to Shane Warne’s liking.

[email protected]