Spinner

by Ron Elliott

  The Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Bruce, had insisted on getting David across to Dungarin, once everyone heard that Grandad was sick, and Mr Kingsford Smith and Mr Ulm had volunteered to move up their record attempt. ‘May as well get in on the record-breaking act,’ Mr Ulm had said at the airstrip as the newspaper men took photographs to record the event. ‘With the Wonder Kid’s luck, we’ll probably get there by yesterday,’ Mr Kingsford Smith grinned. Mr O’Toole claimed, ‘Nothing is too good for David Donald. The entire nation rallies.’ There was some coughing at that point, and one press man said, ‘Steady on, Charlie. We’ll write our own headlines if you don’t mind.’

  David felt his sore shoulder, and then had another go at reading the newspaper. Even without the shaking of the plane, the words were difficult to make out, but he had many hours to practise his reading.

  THE FOURTH TEST MATCH

  VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIA—ALREADY!

  Donald Astonishes

  The fourth Test of the current series of the Ashes began and concluded yesterday when England was bowled out for a total of 1 run. Australia, by virtue of scoring 2 runs in the first innings, has consequently won the Test. The entire Test match lasted less than three hours.

  The wicket was affected by the lack of water, yet this is clearly the most astonishing bowling feat of the modern or any era. Young bowling prodigy David Donald took all wickets, finishing with the incomprehensible figures of ten for 0 and ten for 1.

  THE PLAY

  MELBOURNE, JANUARY

  27—Words seem as inadequate as an English bat in attempting to capture the tumult of today’s play, however these reporters will endeavour to record the day as if it were an ordinary game of cricket.

  Anticipation turned to the first of many surprising pieces of play when Richardson tossed young Donald the ball to open the bowling. Muttering could be heard around the ground, as this move was dissected by the crowd, some assuming the kind of gamesmanship Australia was accused of using during the third Test in Adelaide.

  William O’Malley, who had already become somewhat Donald’s ‘bunny’ in the third Test was safely at the other end, and it appeared Dorrington was attempting to curb his natural aggression by defensive play. From the beginning he did not seem comfortable. The first he edged onto his pads.

  The second delivery went to ground short of a diving Hall, at silly point. The third ball seemed exactly like the second, however, it caught the bat high and managed to hold in the air long enough for Hall to take a fairly simple catch. England were one down for none, and Australia were cockahoop, no one imagining what was to come.

  Succession

  In what was to become a succession of wickets in which the walk to and from the wicket took longer than the batsman’s innings, ample time was allowed for the crowd and cricket reporter to dissect the bowling. This discussion was essential as it is doubtful whether anyone other than David Donald and perhaps umpires Bosanquet and Wisden had specific knowledge of any of the types of balls bowled by Donald today.

  Indeed, this will be a matter for later analysis, requiring intense interrogation of fielders and batsmen to achieve any intelligence of the issue. Donald’s combination of flight, dip, trick balls and massive spin seem to defy descriptions of stock spin bowling. Put more simply, the ball is doing too much to read from the press box. Clearly the English bats felt the same way.

  Longford appeared to greet Donald with a friendly nod. The ball he received was far from that. It reared up off the pitch and climbed sharply. The English captain began a simple block, however the ball caught an edge and was claimed by Baker, keeping up to the stumps. Longford nodded his appreciation of the delivery to an unmoved Donald.

  Edward Windsor strode to the wicket, imperious as ever. Making no concession to the circumstances, he charged Donald, who appeared to alter his line such that the next delivery passed the swinging bat, only to spin back into Baker’s gloves where he made an easy stumping. Windsor did not adjust his stride to continue back to the pavilion.

  At three down for no score, young Timothy Bishop, who had caused Donald some problems in the third Test, came to the crease. There appeared to be a conference between Donald, Richardson and Jack Tanner at this point, with much pointing from Tanner and Richardson and much nodding from Donald.

  The field came in, and Bishop wandered and darted about on the crease as if to dance the foxtrot. A man less nimble would not have managed to evade the ball so delicately as Bishop did today. Bowled middle stump. England four for none. At this point, delirium broke out around the ground.

  Not on the field however, where matters remained concentrated. Donald still had one ball left of his first over. He used it to bowl an attentive Morgan. The ball pitched well outside the left-hander’s off stump. There have been reports since the game that there was a kind of whirring sound, “like a tiny car engine.” The English wicketkeeper was determined not to get an edge, as the ball changed direction and headed inexorably towards the top of off stump. Morgan watched the ball all the way behind his legs to its final destination. England five wickets down for 0 runs.

  The Second Over

  The jubilation of the first over soon gave way to new interest. Relieved of Donald’s total domination, what would the English do? The answer was predictable, as it turned out, in a most unpredictable day. O’Malley, who had been secure up the other end, did what O’Malley always does. He did not play any ball that he did not have to and he blocked those that he did. Let us be clear. Calligan bowled very well. On any other day in any other Test he would be lauded. He probably might have got a wicket. But on this day, he bowled a tight, spirited line just on and outside off stump. He took no wicket. O’Malley scored no run.

  Over Number Three

  Ostler, having watched O’Malley play tight defensive cricket for an over, appeared to decide he’d have none of that. As Donald came in to bowl his first ball, Ostler stepped back and forward and swung lustily. More importantly he connected with the ball. It travelled in the air halfway to Bardsley at a kind of deep backward point. Whether Ostler was so surprised at his feat, or whether O’Malley was too fearful to leave ‘the shallow end of the pool,’ both batsmen paused sufficiently for Bardsley to gather the ball on the bounce and fire it back to the wicketkeeper. On any other day in any other Test, it was surely an easy single.

  Ostler attempted a similar shot next ball, but it appeared to hold up on him, and he mis-hit. Still, on another day it may have been four. McLeod, at extra cover, leapt high and to his left. The ball bobbed from his outstretched left hand, only to be gathered in by both before he hit the ground, to take a corker of a brilliant catch.

  Darby, perhaps employing spinner’s tactics to a spinner, swept his first delivery to square leg, but sent a catch to short fine leg when he attempted the same shot to the similar-looking next delivery. It is illustrative of the game that Johnson was brought into the short fine leg position for that very ball.

  The remaining batsmen did not trouble the scorers and should little trouble this account. Dwyer was caught in first slip by Richardson. Tudor was bowled middle stump, trying to get his pad to the ball outside the line. Finally, and next ball, Proctor did not offer a shot and was pronounced leg before wicket. Four balls for four wickets.

  I confess I remain giddy reporting the day’s play. It is as though I have stood too hurriedly and lack sufficient blood to the brain. I can’t quite recall exactly what happened next, and I have asked many people. There was no cheering.

  As Australia came off, and allowed Donald first egress, the crowd stood and they clapped, in a rather restrained manner. Perhaps they knew what was to come.

  Australia’s Very Astonishing Innings

  (More on this issue by another columnist—Ed.) Douglas Tudor seemed particularly fired up for his opening over, and struck Johnson with the second and third ball. When, after five balls of Proctor’s opening over, Johnson nicked one down to fine leg, Bardsley charged down the pitch, Johnson turning for a secon
d on the throw and just making his ground for a chancy two runs.

  As though on an arranged signal, the Australian batsmen looked immediately to the pavilion. It took all those at the ground quite some time to work out what had gone on. They had been called in. Australia was declaring the innings closed—for just 2 runs! It seemed an insane decision at the time, throwing away all the advantage of Donald’s glorious work with the ball.

  There were mutters and booing from the crowd, and no little consternation in the press box. A bewildered English team tarried on the oval, but had broken up into a number of smaller groups in earnest conversation as they retired from the field.

  Second Innings Begins at 1.30

  Donald was given the new ball again, but employed different tactics at the beginning of the British second innings. Richardson and Donald crowded an outrageous number of fielders around the bat. Only two fielders (not counting Donald) were further than two yards from the batsman, one being Hall at extra cover and Bardsley at short fine leg. England had changed tactics also, O’Malley facing.

  It was a brute of a delivery which bowled O’Malley first ball. It was especially damaging not only to him but to the whole English side, I believe, given O’Malley’s renowned defensive abilities. When the ball pitched, it seemed as though it would very nearly be called a wide, but was already drifting in. It spun viciously, both more briskly and more sharply than this reporter has ever witnessed. But it also kept low. And it didn’t appear to be finger spin. O’Malley was simply too late to get his bat into position.

  This ball did not just get O’Malley out. It did much more than that. This ball, The O’Malley Ball, may signal the necessity of a structural change to the game of cricket. O’Malley in his normal stance, ready to face all comers, at least expects them to come from the front. This ball seemed to come from the side, and O’Malley was not in a position to cope with it. The ball that bowled O’Malley at the start of the second innings in Melbourne today is the greatest ball I have ever seen, not least because it seemed to defy the laws of physics. It was impossible and outrageous and unplayable. O’Malley stood, as we all did, shaking his head like a big man who has been punched hard by a bantamweight. Or like Goliath on that day.

  Longford did not come in next. This may have been a ploy to save the left-handers, although everyone was now vulnerable to Donald, if he could switch from unplayable leggies to right-angle googlies/arm-balls at will. Whatever the reason, the batting order was changed and Windsor strode out, I suggest, a little less manfully than before. Windsor swept the first ball beautifully. His left leg went forward early, and he was down on his knee hitting cleanly across the spin. Only a miraculous dive by Hampton sent the ball ricocheting towards Donald at the bowler’s end. Dorrington only just made his ground to prevent a run-out, although it must be admitted that Donald fumbled the ball. Even with all the miracles of today, Donald cannot field or bat.

  Attempting the same sweep shot next ball, Windsor took a top edge, which, being hit with some force, flew over Baker’s head. Tanner at second slip dived backwards and at full stretch to take the catch magnificently. The crowd cheered again when Windsor threw his bat away when he was halfway to the rooms. (We are sure to hear more of that matter.)

  Bishop was next. He danced around the wicket again, and again failed to achieve congress of bat on ball, being hit below the roll of his pad, dead in front. Umpire Bosanquet denied an enormous appeal, and not just from the players. It appeared plum. The next ball was equally straight, but lower, some suggesting it was Donald’s famous skidder. This one was given: Bishop out lbw for none, and no longer Donald’s nemesis. The crowd became more

  The crowd became more restive at this point. So did the press box. It began to dawn on all of us watching today that the special thing we were witnessing could turn into something miraculous. It was now three wickets down for no runs in the second innings. Would England even score a run? Even the contemplation of such a thing was surely impossible.

  Dwyer, elevated in the batting, flailed at a slow googly that landed and spun so far it evaded his bat but took the top of his leg stump. He actually grinned at Donald before shouldering arms. Proctor was also caught in slips, but by another superb catch to Tanner, this time diving to his left and grasping it just before it hit the ground. Both batsmen had attempted defensive shots, which proved a disastrous strategy against the rampant Donald. (And another hat-trick—Ed.)

  England were now six for 0. Another odd thing had begun in this second innings. No one had rushed to Tanner to congratulate the brilliant fielding. No one had so much as patted Donald on the back during the entire second innings. There was a workmanlike silence out in the middle, with the occasional word here and there from the captain.

  Hampton’s Heroics

  It was only now that Longford walked to the crease, and he alone seemed immune to the gait of condemned men that had accompanied the preceding batsmen. He nodded to the Australians, and chatted to Dorrington, surely as Nelson must have done on those burning decks. But Longford was not facing. And the ball was given not to Calligan but to big Paul Hampton.

  Richardson set a conventional off side field to the left-handed opening batsman. Only McLeod and Calligan patrolled the on side. Hampton bowled three perfect balls that rose sharply and temptingly outside off stump. Dorrington was having none of it, appropriately ignoring what was still ‘the new ball.’ Longford came down and there was a mid-field conference. It was clear what his captain’s directions had been. Longford wanted a run. Clearly Hampton had guessed too, for his next delivery was a yorker, which Dorrington only just managed to dig out.

  Mistakes, Divine Intervention or Sacrifice?

  The next two balls may be discussed for just as long as all of Donald’s deliveries put together. Only Tanner and Hampton will ever know. Dorrington flashed at Hampton’s next delivery just outside off stump. It was too quick and too wide and there was an audible snick. The ball flew straight to Tanner at second slip. And he put it down. My suggestion is that it must have taken quick thinking and concentration to not fulfil the years of training and instinct that Tanner possesses in order to drop such a regulation catch. The cheer that erupted from the crowd was greater than any for a catch actually taken.

  The next piece of play was more transparent. Perhaps there was panic. Perhaps. Hampton bowled another yorker, and Dorrington squeezed it out. Longford was backing up and the ball went straight to Hampton who picked it up, as Longford turned. All Hampton had to do was touch the stumps not two feet away. He seemed to look at Longford who actually stopped running. Then Hampton turned and threw down to the other end, as Dorrington scrambled back to only just make his ground. He needn’t have worried. The ball was well wide.

  Another cheer from the crowd. The mythical perfect game was still in the offing, even though the Australians were clearly doing all they could to collude.

  Donald Versus Longford

  The field set for Longford was nothing like that set in the first innings. After much discussion between Richardson and Donald, a copybook leg-spin field placing was used, although there were two slips, point, cover point, extra cover, mid-off, mid-on, mid wicket and a short fine leg. There were no easy singles, but there were gaps in the field, especially out on the on side. The first ball had good height and drifted in, seeming to pitch in line with off stump, before it spun away to be taken towards slips by Baker. Longford watched it all the way, his bat remaining between the ball and his wicket. The crowd, spoiled as they had been that day, groaned.

  Richardson trotted from slip and called McLeod and Calligan from mid-off and mid-on respectively. The crowding of the bat was beginning, but with no protection at all straight down the ground. Donald’s next ball looked like it was going to be his famous skidder but this one sped up. Longford, seemingly inclined to play back and watching for a low slowing ball, was caught by surprise. Up on his toes, he seemed frozen as the ball kept on coming, just like the ball that dismissed him in the first innings.
Only this time he managed to drop his gloves out of the way at the last second. The ball passed over the stumps and into Baker’s eager gloves.

  Through my field glasses I clearly saw Longford smile as he nodded, but prodded the pitch where the ball had pitched as though suggesting the ball had hit a sweet spot on the dry grass. Donald held his position at the top of his run, only six steps really, and stood staring at Longford a moment, before bowling his next delivery. Longford went late, but went with a rush. Clearly deciding that a ball that does not hit the pitch cannot spin, Longford danced down the wicket. Donald either saw him coming, or was expecting the bait to be taken. He speared the ball shorter still, at Longford’s feet. Longford went through with the shot, edging the ball out past Hall into mid-off. There was a very loud call of ‘Yes’ as Hall turned and scrambled for the ball and Dorrington ran through to make what really should be called an easy single. The crowd groaned. The perfect game was gone.

  History

  Dorrington was out lbw the next ball. He had seemed ready to play his shots, but the topspinner, I believe, was too straight and too early for him to get bat to ball. It did not appear to be a difficult umpiring decision. The crowd was more relaxed now, finding their voice once more.