Writing for "The Referee" in Sydney in 1924, Stockton Cricketer, DR. E. P. Barbour Appeals to the NSW Cricket Association and Reviews Newcastle Cricket
Stockton and Northern Districts Cricket Club | August 18, 2024
NEWCASTLE DISTRICT CRICKET
DR. E. P. BARBOUR REVIEWS FORM AND POSSIBILITIES: APPEAL TO HEAD ASSOCIATION
(By Dr. E. P. BARBOUR, for The Referee.)
Dr. Barbour, playing for Stockton for a few seasons, has been able to form a shrewd idea as to the conditions and possibilities of cricket in Newcastle district. Here he makes an appeal to the Association at headquarters to assist a little more, for Newcastle has a splendid population, some fine grounds, and a great many players.
It is pleasing to be able to record that, after several lean post-war years, cricket in Newcastle is again coming into its own. Over 60 teams competed this year in the four competition grades controlled by the N.D.C.A., while another 18 club teams played under the aegis of the City and Suburban Association. The public, too, is returning to the support of the game, as evidenced by the attendances at the club matches and the keenness of the barracking of the leading teams.
In one respect the N.D.C.A. has been most unfortunate, in that practically every representative match since the war has been marred by rain. This not only prevents the northern players from seeing first-class cricket, but robs the Association of its most potent source of revenue.
The standard of the game in Newcastle is steadily improving. Batting and fielding are, in most teams, much sounder than in previous years, while the bowling, though successful on paper, does not give much reason to believe that Newcastle has been concealing the 'missing link' for which the Australian Eleven selectors are so earnestly searching. A striking feature is the success of the slow bowlers, who have accounted for about three-quarters of the wickets that have fallen. I attribute this to two causes: Firstly, the easy wickets which make the fast and fast-medium bowler comparatively harmless; and secondly, the general lack of enterprise among batsmen, who do not realise the importance of using their feet to slow bowling.
VETERAN OF THE BALL
Another unusual feature is that while young blood predominates at the top of the batting list, the bowling successes have been achieved for the most part by men who are long past the first bloom of youth. Newcastle can boast only two bowlers with pretensions to pace, Roy Davis and P. Shawe—neither a colt. W. Moy and E. Clements, who have week after week fiddled the batsmen out with the curly stuff, were both classed as veterans years ago. W. Lowe, who stands out among the left-handers, has had a vote for too long to be considered as a possible 'international of the future'.
The only bowler I can see in Newcastle at present who has possibilities in big cricket, is Lane, of Waratah, a right-hand, medium-pace, rather flighty bowler, who is still young enough to learn and improve. He is of good physique, and bowls a fine length, though at present not a champion of the type which is so badly needed, and might be trained into a good one.
In the wicket-keeping, too, the younger generation is making slow progress. T. Morgan, of Lambton, who is far and away the best 'keeper in the district, is in the veteran class. The most promising colt at present is young Starratt, who plays with Stockton. Taken up this year from the Fourth Grade straight into the first, he has shown such remarkable improvement and natural aptitude for the 'keeper's job that I may safely predict a good future for him, especially as he is a quiet, unassuming boy, and not likely to be spoilt by any success that may come his way. I often wonder how many potential champions, especially in country centres, have been ruined at the outset by swelled head. I have seen it occur more than once in Newcastle, and am inclined to think that over-enthusiastic barrackers, and occasionally a flattering Press report, have been, to some extent, responsible.
THE RISING BATSMENT
It is satisfactory to be able to say that in batting, at all events, the young ones have more than held their own. Having regard to style and temperament, as well as the mere acquisition of runs, I shall take H. Woolston, of Waratah, and J. Britt, of Wickham, as the most promising colts of the year. Woolston has a most graceful style, his backplay, especially, being very correct. He reminds me a great deal of A. W. Lampard, and like my old friend A.W.L., is inclined to be a nervous beginner. He is a sound field, and catches them well in the slips.
Jack Britt is a younger discovery, promoted only this year from Third Grade cricket, where practically all the matches were played on matting. His style is neat and crisp, and considering his limited experience of turf wickets, he has been remarkably successful. One of the best features about Britt is his fielding, which is exceptionally brilliant. At home anywhere, but excelling at cover, he has unusual pace over the ground, sure hands, and a beautiful return to the wicket. And lastly, but by no means least, he is of the stuff of which great players are made — ever anxious to learn; unspoilt by his rapid rise, and playing with both eyes on the ball and neither on the score book.
The brothers G. and J. Wells, of Merewether, have had consistent success with the bat. George, a right-hander, has a variety of strokes, while Jimmy, the left-hander, is more solid in defence and less aggressive. Both are brilliant fields and useful bowlers. It is, however, doubtful whether the temperament of these two players is such as to allow them to win a place in big cricket.
IN THE FAMILY
Alan Bramble, whose father has been, for many years, and still is, one of the bulwarks of the N.D.C.A., is a fine, hard-driving batsman who is still young enough to have a future — against the Queensland eleven he was the only one of the local batsmen who had no respect for the terrors of Hornibrook, Barstow, and Co. In fact, his batting was more attractive than anything shown by the visitors. Since he left off playing football, however, Bramble has developed such leviathan proportions that his progress in the cricket world is likely to be impeded. Like the Big Ship, W.W.A., he is never quite at home facing slow bowling, and he hates googlies worse than toothache.
O. Osland, a recent arrival from Maitland, has had a good season with the bat. He has a very stubborn defence, but is very stiff in action, and it is doubtful whether he will improve very much. One great point in his favor is that his batting appears to improve in proportion to the class of cricket. He shaped really well against Arthur Mailey's XI on a wet wicket, and in the second knock against Queensland.
J. Porter, of Wickham, had a successful season last year, but has done little this year. Owing to the late finish of the football finals he made a late start with cricket, and has never really run into form. He is a clever batsman and brilliant field, and might easily become a representative player if he could overcome his faults of temperament.
UPPER HUNTER PLAYERS
With regard to cricket in the Upper Hunter district, I am unable to say very much, but from what I have seen, C. Morrissey of Singleton, the ex-St. Ignatius athlete, is the most promising. A fairly fast bowler, with a fine action, he is also a decent bat, exceptionally powerful in hitting the short ball through cover — very few batsmen nowadays can play this shot. Frank O'Keeffe excels at it. Long, of Maitland, is a useful fast-medium bowler, and has distinct possibilities as a batsman. He is of the age and physique to be worth watching. Norman Tiedman, of Maitland, is a free and attractive batsman, but is inclined to hit across the ball too much for my liking.
In Maitland, as in Newcastle, slow bowlers seem to rule the roost. Roy Oakes, who bowls the curly ones and bats ably, looks and is a good cricketer, and is not very old. Dick McLeod, the evergreen googly merchant, is still successful with bat and ball, but he was wheeling them up when Gar Waddy was a boy.
HANDICAPS DEVELOPMENT
As far as Newcastle is concerned, I would mention two factors that are keeping cricket back. Firstly, lack of proper practice facilities. The City Council has put down new practice wickets at the Sports Ground, National Park, which is the headquarters of the N.D.C.A. But no attempt has been made to secure regular and systematic practice for all teams — or at all events, all first and Second Grade teams, which play their matches on turf. A ground bowler is an urgent necessity if the youngsters are to improve, and that brings me to the second stumbling block, to wit, our old friend and enemy, money. The Association is doing its best with the little money it has to handle, according to its lights. Personally, I do not think the Association is right in spending any money at all on individual trophies when so much else remains to be done with it. But even if the N.D.C.A. spent every penny on improving grounds the funds at its disposal would still be totally inadequate. Queensland demanded a guarantee of, I think, £80 for the 14 days' match here. After paying catering, wages, advertising, and incidental expenses, the Association got little or nothing out of that match. Arthur Mailey brought up a splendid team which should have and would have attracted a huge crowd, but, as usual, rain spoilt everything from the treasurer's point of view.
HELP FROM SYDNEY
I am not one of those who are always up against the N.S.W.C.A., but I do think that the N.S.W.C.A. could and should do something substantial towards improving cricket in Newcastle, Goulburn, Bathurst, and other big centres. A lot of Newcastle money goes into their coffers when Test matches or even Sheffield Shield matches are played in Sydney. A city with the population of Newcastle ought to be able to produce its quota of first-class players, and bearing in mind that it is the New South Wales and not the Sydney Cricket Association, I think it is up to the ruling body to give more practical help than they have done in the past. If some of the executive could visit Newcastle and see what has been done and what is being done to improve the game here, I feel sure they would be more disposed to loosen their purse strings to help their needy relations.
