qt' Giants Old and'New e LI3SE OF PLAY. By Neville Cardus.
(Collins, 12s. 6d.) s, S0 You want it to finish . . . and when it's over, you're sorry.' African Mr. Duffus reports Alan Melville, captain of the 1947 South tutftican touring team in England, on the subject of a cricket tour. ipl tting, boring, for the successful a hardening process—a full 6",rnmer's tour is an essential facet of the development of both ati'st-class cricketers and their chroniclers. Each one of these b thors has had that experience, and the fact is reflected in their
iks,
inInvir. Neville Cardus, the best, the most popular and the most 'nential of modern cricket writers, travelled for many years kith the successful Lancashire county eleven of the Twenties. w°us, he grew into sympathy with some gifted pl-ayers among yi"11) were men of considerable character. When he set down hit 4,e°'' of that team he did so in so fresh and so brilliant a fashion establish the standard by wich all ubsequnt Cricket writing his been judged. Close of Play,h which,s he halfe promises, will be s. last cricket book, displays Mr. Cardus's three kinds of cricketers—the gods of his distant, youthful worship; the rounded, °Wil cricketers with whom he spent long summers; and, finally, sh:, cricketers of today, who can never have, for him, quite the di`.11re or the humanity of the other two generations. ,Here he pi ides his attention between nostalgic essays, biographical studies trePlaYers and a review of the Test series of 1954-55. When he it felats of present-day cricket, he does so with his own and unique b.4e 4htY, yet he is most delightful when, discursively, he summons charm the giants of old and makes them bat, bowl and talk to Nr,"rn1 a whole race of cricket followers who never saw them play. Ho one has written better than Mr. Cardus does here of Sutcliffe,
Louts and Neville Cardus, the cricket writer.
Duffus, who narrowly missed being chosen to play for crick Africa, is the established historian and critic of his country's aii(e)". Responsible and knowledgeable about the game, he never the.Ws his fervent feeling for his An cricketers to blind him to etiii.r faults, as disappointment never leads him to over-stern Afri;ism. Springbok Glory is the story of the post-war South pre'eart cricket tours-to England and Australia, the fading of the 4eWar generation of players, and the gradual building of the tTl's furiusly keen team which came so near to winning lest rubbero in England in 1955. With the same author's Cricketers of the Veldt, Springbok Glory is the picture of modern South African cricket as seen by the man who has seen most of it. Here, indeed, are the hopes, triumphs and frustrations which the team-follower suffers and enjoys. Perhaps Mr. Maus gives Eric Rowan less credit than he deserves; perhaps, too, he fails to notice —or is too pleased with—the change in the character of South African cricket which has led it from the essence of the amateur sport towards the grimmer approach of English and Australian players. This is a book at once authoritative, exciting and charm- ing: for all its regrettable lack of an index, it is a 'set book' for the cricket student.
Action in Cricket is the perfect title for a book by Godfrey Evans, probably the most active cricketer the game has ever known. With characteristic speed, he covers nine Test series, journeys across the world, the great modern players of every cricketing country, as seen from the perfect vantage point, and opinions on current problems. All are dealt with conversationally and with the author's characteristic generosity and immediately before the index, he closes with 'So here's to better cricket—and the more action the better !'
JOHN ARLOTT
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