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Sunday Graphic, July 6, 1952 19 JOHN ROBERTSON'S CRICKET ROUND-UP TWIN DAY FOR BEDSERS EVEN the gasometers winked broadly and the bars buzzed with hilarious bowler-hatted gentlemen of South London as the mighty Yorkshire crashed with an unholy crash at the Oval. Latecomers could not believe that the cocky, so-often omnipotent Yorkshire could be out for a meagre 137, and among the early slain England’s captain, Len Hutton. The crowd of Test match proportions — over 25,000 people crammed into the ground — were happy with the sunshine, the thirst it engendered, and Surrey’s magnificent bowling achievement. The toast over the tinkling glasses was the Bedser twins, who had celebrated their 34th birthday the previous day. Test-match style Brother Alec, in his fiercest, most magnificent Test match style, took five Yorkshire wickets for just over ten runs apiece, and the equally massive Eric, who has come into his own as an opening batsman, scored 67 and is still there to worry the Yorkshire attack to-morrow. Surrey—134 for three at the close—could not in their wildest dreams have believed that they would be only three runs behind Yorkshire on the first innings in the first day of a match. And the Oval wicket, though it needed watching, was never anything remotely wicked. Yorkshire have a job on to save this match but Yorkshire determination needs only such a stimulus. In a memorable day for Surrey the captain, Stuart Surridge, deserves a meed of praise. He took three cheap wickets and the slip catch by which he dismissed Halliday was a “gem of purest ray serene.” He held it one-handed and very low down. Catch disallowed Yorkshire left-handers, slow-bowler Wardle, and tall Wilson, saved the side from dire disgrace though Wilson, who scored 50 exactly, was lucky not to be out when seven. Constable made a wonderful attempt to catch him with his hand on the ground. Wilson was walking to the pavilion until recalled. The umpire had disallowed the catch. Was Denis Compton’s handsome face flushed and hot under the sunburn at Colchester as he was to be 40 for 8 and declared—after he had put them in? It was the biggest cricketing gaffe of the season for the pitch was never anything but docile. Young amateur Colin Griffiths rubbed salt into the Compton wounds by clouting the Middlesex captain’s left-hand deliveries all over the place. Griffiths and an unusually restrained Trevor Bailey had a prolific stand and both men were out in the eighties. Ray Smith had previously hit a half-century and Dicky Dodds, 75 before lunch, showed that he is the most fearless opener in the game—something reminiscent of George Gunn. Our Dicky’s first scoring stroke was a six. Dozens of people drowsed on the grass near George Parr’s tree as Indian batsman Roy plodded his weary way from noon till the end of a weary day. Roy batted all day for 142 and took over five hours for his century. Page to rescue When the Kent bowling looked like being severely mauled at Coventry, young Page brought about a Warwick collapse and the champions were out for 304 after having been 231 for three. Page played only twice for Kent last season but is obviously an acquisition. That solid opener and elegant wicket-keeper, R. T. Spooner, had given Warwick a great start by scoring a century. Godfrey Evans, promoted in the batting order, gave Kent some confidence. Bannister burst lets him down By TERRY O’CONNOR WHITE CITY’S international athletics meeting yesterday, billed as an Olympic Games preview for British runners (who go to Helsinki in two weeks’ time), was not a very encouraging one for Roger Bannister. He was beaten in the 800 metres in the triangular match by another Englishman, Albert Webster. Although this is not Bannister’s Olympic distance—he is our leading 1,500 metres man—the manner of his defeat must come as a shock to his admirers. For once the famous Bannister burst 300 yards from the tape failed him. Frank Lowson, Yorkshire’s opening bat, went all out for a big sweep to leg here—the result . . . lbw b Laker. Oxford slow march By ROLAND ALLEN IT was the spin of Robin Marlar, bowling his accurate off breaks up the hill in the University match at Lord’s yesterday, which worried Oxford’s better batsmen much more than the high speed of the two Cambridge Test bowlers, Cuan McCarthy and John Warr. Oxford batted all day for 233 for the loss of six wickets and it took J. E. Bush more than four hours to gather together his 62 runs. Colin Cowdrey, the young Oxford batsman, who, as we know, has a wide range of strokes, only occasionally showed them to us in a four innings of 55, which took him 175 minutes. He was in for 32 minutes before he got his first run, a single. He struck seven fours, two of them cover drives straight from the cricket copybooks. We also recall such a stroke from Bush, which made it a matter of wonder that, although these two go more than their fair share of the Oxford runs in a partnership of 84, their scoring rate through it all was below 30 an hour. Slow start After a slow first lap, 59.7sec., Webster led with Bannister comfortably behind. As they entered the back straight, the 35,000 crowd was hushed, waiting for the Bannister burst. But when he began to open up his stride, 26-year-old Webster doggedly refused to be overtaken. For 100 yards these two runners electrified the meeting by running neck and neck. At the third bend, Bannister was forced to drop back, but came again in the home straight. Webster kept his famous rival at bay to win in the moderate time of 1min. 55.7sec. There has been criticism of Bannister’s lone-wolf training this season. It’s obvious from this race that even he cannot do without first-class competition. He will find the Swedes and Germans a far tougher proposition than stout-hearted Webster at Helsinki. Dead-bat technique It did not raise much above that for nearly all day. At times it dropped as low as five in half an hour. Beyond the fact that Bush once had to duck from a lifting ball from Warr, the Cambridge shock attack was very fast, but not much more. The Cambridge fielding was better than we have seen it sometimes this season, but it is impossible to avoid the feeling that the big crowd—and the admittedly good bowling—were worthy of something better than so much negative defensive and even dead-bat technique. Towards the finish P. D. S. Blake and W. M. Mitchell swung their bats freely, a refreshing and pleasurable process which proved later than majority opinion reckoned it should have done. World’s best equalled Records fell in the relay events. The Australian women’s 4 x 100 metres quadruple won the 4 x 100y. relay in 46.9sec., equaling the world’s best set up by a South African team. Marjorie Jackson, who ran the anchor leg for Australia, had earlier won the 100 metres (11.7sec.) and 200 metres (24.2sec.), fastest times for these distances by a woman in Britain. In the 4 x 440 yards relay the Jamaican team broke the British Empire record, of 2min. 13.6sec., by 2.8sec. The England-Wales team won the triangular match with 110 points. Scotland scored 66, Ireland 34. GILLINGHAM SIGN KIRMAN GILLINGHAM yesterday signed their fifth player in a week, Harold Kirman, 22-year-old wing-half from Hull City. Other soccer transfers: Allenby Driver, Ipswich inside or centre-forward, to Walsall; Joseph Coupland, Bradford City full-back, to Carlisle. Another easy victory for Newcastle in South Africa. They beat Eastern Province 5–1. John Wardrop (Motherwell) and Lilian Freece (Wallasey) will captain Britain’s men’s and women’s Olympic swimming teams. Third-round results in English Bowling Association inter-county championship: Northumberland (holders) beat Nottingham 121–99; Surrey beat Warwick 123–101; Middlesex beat Norfolk 121–112; Hampshire beat Somerset 111–110. Addiscombe cyclist J. B. Smith broke Southern Road Association 50-mile record by six seconds. His time was 2hr. 4min. 5sec. Poole-to-Wareham and back road race (19½ miles) was won by D. A. Tunbridge (Highgate H.) in 2hr. 53min. 44sec. Highgate won team race. GILROY’S SPORT GOSSIP MORE than the world’s best athletes will be tested in the 1952 Olympiad, due to start at Helsinki on July 19. The Games that involves in the Olympic trial. We British, who have so loyally believed in and tried to live up to the ideals which inspired the Games, will know if we have been right in our faith. Or if we have been sentimental fools. The Games, which will probably resolve itself into a titanic duel between America and Russia. No need to go into what those two great nations think of each other in the world of politics. Will this international political rivalry be carried into the sporting arena and justify the cynics who allege nationalism is rampant in the Olympic Games? Nazi vulgarity OLYMPIC prestige slumped when the 1936 Games were held in Berlin. This Olympiad was used by Germany to boost their particular political creed of that era. Of course the staging and organisation was spectacular and efficient. But the whole boastful affair was vulgar and turned British stomachs. The 1948 Games at Wembley restored the Olympic ideal to its pedestal. Remember, we were now even harder up then than we are now. We struggled through somehow. Our arrangements may not have been as good or luxurious as the Berlin or Los Angeles Olympiads. But we showed the world the real spirit of the Games. And the world went away happier than before. Age lengthens odds THEY are offering 25 to 1 against little Gene Sarazen winning the Open golf championship, which begins at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s to-morrow. Gene is 50. Age undoubtedly has influenced the odds offered against him. Does topping the half century necessarily put a golfer out among the “25 to 1 others”? It shouldn’t. The Hon. Michael Scott was 55 when he won the amateur title. Sarazen could be a tough proposition at 50. It’s 20 years since he won the championship and he modestly claims he hasn’t come over to win but to “meet some old pals and show the youngsters how.” At 25 to 1 Gene seems a nice bet for “showing how” to more than the youngsters. SPORTS FRONT FLASHES: Bob Maitland (Birmingham) not picked for Helsinki, beat all Britain’s Olympic riders in London-Leamington road cycle race . . . he rode 84 miles in 3hr. 26min. 24sec., selectors having second thoughts? Wolves made £10,609 profit last season on £21,993 season before fans will still pay more next time. American Private Stanley Dudas, here from Germany, misses open golf championship because R. and A. never received his entry . . . tough luck, especially as Antonio Cerda (Argentina) was admitted although his entry was late. CRICKET SCOREBOARD Surrey v Yorkshire At the Oval. Yorkshire—First Innings L Hutton b A Bedser 8 F A Lowson lbw b Laker 50 J V Wilson c McIntyre b A Bedser 12 H Halliday c Surridge b Lock 2 W Watson c McIntyre b Surridge 2 N W D Yardley c McIntyre b Surridge 6 D B Close c Fishlock b A Bedser 36 J H Wardle c Laker b A Bedser 2 E Leadbeater c Parker b Surridge 2 D V Brennan not out 2 W E Holdsworth b A Bedser 0 Extras 8 Total 137 Bowling: A Bedser 5-54, Surridge 3-22, Lock 1-8, Laker 1-27. Surrey—First Innings L B Fishlock c Wilson b Yardley 3 E A Bedser not out 67 B Constable b Close 22 T H Clark c Wilson b Close 23 J F Parker not out 11 Extras 8 Total (3 wkts) 134 Gloucester v Worcester At Bristol. Worcester—First Innings D J Kenyon c Crapp b Scott 77 P E Richardson c Wilson b Scott 27 L Outchtoon run out 79 R E Bird c Wilson b Scott 11 R Broadbent b McHugh 22 G Dews c McHugh b Scott 33 L Devereux lbw b McHugh 2 R O Jenkins not out 37 M Horton not out 4 Extras 14 Total (7 wkts) 308 Oxford U. v Cambridge U. At Lord’s. Oxford Univ.—First Innings B Booberry lbw b Marlar 29 J E Hullock c Marlar 62 W G Wiley b Marlar 5 M C Cowdrey b Marlar 55 H E Bowditch b Kenny 15 A H S Blake not out 15 P J Whitcombe c Sheppard b Marlar 36 W M Mitchell not out 12 Extras 12 Total (6 wkts) 233 Essex v Middlesex At Colchester. Essex—First Innings T C Dodds c and b D Compton 75 E A Stanley not out 4 P A Gibb run out 39 B Horsfall c Brown b Young 11 D J Irsole b Young 14 D T Bailey c Robertson b Young 82 R Smith lbw b Bennett 50 D Barrie not out 25 C Griffiths b Young 89 W T Greensmith not out 24 K C Preston not out 0 Extras 14 Total (8 wkts dec) 402 Bowling: Young 4-106, Bennett 2-34, D Compton 1-72. Middlesex—First Innings J D Robertson c Preston b Smith 15 A Thompson c Gibb b Preston 7 W J Edrich not out 9 Extras 9 Total (2 wkts) 31 Northants v Somerset At Peterborough. Northants—First Innings D Brookes b Redman 11 V Brederick c Gimblett b Buse 25 E Davis b Buse 2 N Oldfield c Robinson b Buse 7 F Jakeman c Stephenson b Buse 196 D Barrie not out 0 F R Brown c Robinson b Redman 19 G Tribe c Stephenson b Hazell 37 P Davis c and b Lawrence 17 A Nutzer c Hazell b Redman 8 R W Clarke b Lawrence 29 Extras 2 Total 376 Bowling: Buse 4-107, Redman 3-113, Lawrence 3-49, Hazell 1-31. Somerset—First Innings H Gimblett not out 9 F L Ansell not out 3 Extras 4 Total (0 wkt) 16 Notts v India At Nottingham. India—First Innings P Roy not out 142 D K Gackwad lbw b Goonesen 15 H R Adhikari c Poole b Birks 55 S O’Linn b Hollies 8 R Mayes not out 12 Extras 17 Total (2 wkts) 349 Sussex v Glamorgan At Hove. Glamorgan—First Innings E Davies b James 17 P Chit b Wood 4 G Parkhouse lbw b James 22 B Hodges c Oakman b James 0 A Watkins b Cornford 64 W Jones c Suttle b Oakes 45 W Wooller c Webb b Wood 3 D Muner b Wood 25 H Davies lbw b Wood 11 N Haver c Cox b James 7 D Shepherd not out 0 Extras 5 Total 216 Bowling: Wood 4-53, James 4-35, Oakes 1-29, Cornford 1-36. Sussex—First Innings John Langridge c Watkins b Haver 7 C Oakes b Haver 2 G Cox not out 27 D Smith not out 15 Extras 3 Total (2 wkts) 54 Warwick v Kent At Coventry. Warwick—First Innings P C Gardner c Fagg b Dovey 1 R T Spooner b Page 117 J S Ore c Wilson b Wright 81 T G Evans c Spooner b Townsend 54 H E Dollery c Pheby b Dovey 41 R E Hitchcock b Page 14 A Townsend lbw b Page 1 C W Grove b Page 1 R T Weeks c Evans b Page 7 L E Pritchard b Dovey 3