 Described by his younger brother Neil as the " best cricketer of us all " , Merv was an attacking opening batsman , strong on the drive and fond of hooking fast bowling . He graduated to Fitzroy 's first XI in 1933 @-@ 34 and made his first @-@ class debut for Victoria against Queensland at the Gabba in 1940 @-@ 41 . In the next match , he made an impression on cricket observers by scoring 70 in an hour at the SCG against New South Wales , whose bowling line @-@ up included Bill O 'Reilly . Service in the Royal Australian Air Force as an airframe fitter during World War II severely interrupted his cricket career . 
