12 Thursday 9th February, 2012 The Island Features he third Test between Australia and whether it was beating the outside edge on off man stretcher party,hit England in 1932 was played at Adelaide, stump or was a rapid wayward delivery down by a Nazi shell. He was Tthe capital and industrial city of South the led side. He played for the AIF team, toured buried in the mud for a Australia, founded in 1836. Adelaide was England and South Africa in 1919. He made few hours, but survived. named after William IV’s Queen. This series four important Test tours of England in 1921, This was due to the force was known as the ‘Bloody Battle of Bodyline’. 1926, 1930 and 1934. of the explosion. He suf- Amidst all bad blood of the 1932-1933 Ashes At the time when Bert Oldfield was ‘hit’, fered head and back series, the worst was the injury sustained by Harold Larwood was not bowling ‘Bodyline’. injuries and was in hos- wicket-keeper batsman Bert Oldfield. All the Australian batsmen were affected by pitals in France and Australian Oldfield had made a gutsy 41 in the bowling of Larwood and Bill Voce. They England. Premasara the third Test. He top edged a hurried attempt- were motivated by their skipper Douglas As far as his wicket- ed pull on to his temple. He fell unconscious Jardine. The Australian batsmen were at the keeping was concerned, Epasinghe and retired hurt, to play no further part in the butt end of this ‘Bodyline Bowling’ and many Oldfield was meticulous game. He was hospitalised. were injured, which included Bill Woodfull and and neat in his Glove- During this controversial tour, a number of Bill Ponsford. work. He was sure of his footwork. He kept up Aussies were hit by Harold Larwood’s bowling. Cricket is a great game. They play hard as to the genuine pace of Gregory McDonald and He was carrying out the instructions of two teams, but after the game they are true Ernie McCormick. England skipper Douglas Jardine, whose aim was to win the Ashes by hook or by crook. Although the Australians called it “totally unfair,” the England skipper The great Bert Oldfield called it ‘Leg Theory Bowling’. William Albert Oldfield was one of Australia’s finest wicket- keepers. In 1919, Bert Oldfield first played in England with the Australian Imperial Forces XI. In Neat, meticulous 1920, he made his Test debut. He finally succeeded Australia’s reg- ular wicket keeper H. Carter (Tests 28, Innings 47, not outs 9, runs 873, HS 72, Average 22.97 4x50s, behind the stumps catches in his glove-work 44, stumps 21). Carter was an undertaker by profession. In all, Oldfield appeared in 54 Tests and his friends. It is one of the greatest ironies, that the The acid test for a wicket-keeper is how he swansong was in 1936-1937, where he played in man who nearly killed Oldfield, Harold keeps wickets for the spinners. Bert Oldfield, all five games against England. Lawrood, was one of his best friends in later kept wickets with distinction to Mailey, He was at his brilliant best at Melbourne years. His fracture of the skull was just an inch Grimmett, O’Reilly and Leslie ‘Chuck’ Smith. In against England in 1925, when he accounted for away from a spot on the right temple, which all Tests against arch-rival England, Oldfield five dismissals, (caught one, stumped four). would have killed him. After 46 years, at conceded 302 byes, while 20,714 runs were Another unique achievement of Oldfield was Oldfield’s funeral, Harold Larwood was a pall- scored.Bert Oldfield played in 54 Tests and in 80 when England made 521 runs against Australia bearer. Larwood migrated to Australia with his innings remained unbeaten 17 times. He scored in 1925, where he did not concede a single bye. young family in 1950. He built a firm friendship 1427 runs, with a top score of 65 not out, Av In the next Test, when England made 636 runs with the likes of ‘Bodyline Australian 22.65. He scored four half centuries. Behind the and England completed their first four innings Cricketers’ Jack Fingleton, Bert Oldfield, Stan wickets, he held 78 catches and accounted 52 of the series and amassed 1,923 runs, Bert McCabe and Bill O’Reilly. stumpings. Oldfield only gave away just three byes. Oldfield had a steel reinforcement plate in After retiring from cricket, he became a another part of the skull. This was due to an cricket administrator. He took a team to Unbelievable injury he sustained during the First World War, Ethiopia, where he made friends with Haile Oldfield rarely stretched for the ball. He when he was serving in the 15th Field Selassie. was always in position to take the ball cleanly, Ambulance. He was the only survivor of a five He died on April 19, 1965. The two ministers promised to contin- ue creating favourable conditions for enterprises from their countries to search for business opportunities abroad. Brunei sultan agrees to free They also discussed other fields with potential for co-operation such as labour, oil and gas, agriculture and fisheries, and tourism. They agreed to establish a suit- able framework to solve all issues of boats and fishermen who enter the Vietnamese fishermen other’s territorial waters to match the two countries’ laws and maintain friendly Viet Nam News/ANN like to receive more workers from ties. Vietnam. He also confirmed that Brunei As for the East Sea issue, the two sides ultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal would directly import rice from Vietnam. agreed to ensure peace, stability, security Bolkiah has decided to free nine Minister Minh said that Vietnam and free navigation in the East Sea and to SVietnamese fishermen, who have would always treasure the friendly neigh- solve disputes by peaceful measures and been detained for fishing in Brunei’s ter- bouring relations with other ASEAN obedience to the international laws, espe- ritorial waters since January 20. countries, including Brunei. cially the UN’s 1982 Convention on the The decision was made promptly after The same day, Minh and his Brunei Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the talks between the Sultan and Vietnamese counterpart agreed to celebrate the 20th Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in anniversary of the establishment of as well as the building of the Code of Brunei. diplomatic relations on February 29 and Conduct (COC).The Vietnamese minister During their meeting, the Sultan to enhance the exchange of high-level del- said that Vietnam would support and co- acknowledged the important achieve- egations. ordinate with Brunei on its presidency of ments of the Vietnamese people in their The two ministers agreed to organise ASEAN in 2013. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia doi moi (renewal) process and expressed the first session of the Vietnam-Brunei The two sides also agreed to work his appreciation for the multi-faceted Joint Commission, hosted by Vietnam, in together to build a strong and united friendship between the two countries, not- order to review and set plans for future ASEAN community in 2015. They prom- ‘Non-political’ ing that the two sides needed to enhance co-operation. ised to work with other partners to make co-operation in the coming time for mutu- In 2011, trade turnover between the Trans-Pacific Partnership benefit al benefit. Vietnam and Brunei exceeded US$200 mil- each member and contribute to the govt. to oversee He praised Vietnamese guest workers lion, which was 10 times higher than the growth and prosperity of all countries in Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Brunei, saying that the country would previous year. region. Bangladesh polls proposed Pakistan to host trilateral summit on reg’l security The Daily Star/ANN he Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) high-ups have substantively bolstering cooperation issues, efforts for jointly fighting terror- BAQIR SAJJAD SYED now fixed their eyes on for- AWN because of their mutual suspicions. ism and organised crime, improving T D /ANN Additionally, US influence on border management, controlling nar- mation of a non-political govern- residents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan has prevent- cotics smuggling, in addition to recon- ment to oversee the next parlia- Afghanistan and Iran will meet in ed the forum, established on President ciliation with the Taliban in mentary elections. Pthe capital from February 16 to 17 Ahmadinejad’s initiative, from taking Afghanistan. The opposition party had previ- at the third trilateral summit, commit- off in real terms. The three countries are faced with ously insisted on holding the polls ted to promoting regional cooperation The joint declarations issued at the common problems of drug-trafficking, only under a caretaker govern- and strengthening peace and stability, end of the two previous meetings virtu- terrorism, trans-national crimes and ment. but the event is expected to have more ally carried nothing more than reitera- failing economies, but Afghanistan is of Several senior BNP leaders tion of their commitment to the much major interest to the other two — Iran visuals than substance. believe this stance of the party “We aren’t expecting anything major cherished goals of expanding political, and Pakistan — because both share bor- would create an opportunity for the in the joint declaration to be issued at security, economic and cultural ties, der with it, have hosted Afghan the end of the two-day summit,” a maintaining peace and stability in the refugees and are impacted directly by government to initiate a dialogue Pakistani diplomat said.