BRITISH SPORT BOOMS

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 7

BRITISH SPORT BOOMS

Prospects For New Zealand Cricket Tour Received Friday, 8.50 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 7. The present outlook for sport 111 Britain during 1949 is oue of continuing boom. Austerity and the ' ' tighter J ' money position of reeent montlis have not p'revented all seats for the England-^ Scotland- Soccer match next April being /old out already. Many elubs report eup tie niatches ' ' all sold, ' ' and it seems that influence is more important than inoney in securing a tieket for the Cup fmal. It is forecast that new record takings will be niarked up wlien Woodcock fights Mills. At the same time it is also reported that the gambling boom is burst.

The general situation, it may bc claimed, carried with it some encourageuient for the New Zealand cricketers and their forthcoming tour. It may be &et against regrets held in oue or two quarters that the New Zealanders have to follow on immediately. behind the Australian tour of last year when a record prolit was made. Bright Attractive Cricket Wanted There is a certain fear that there may be a reaction aniong cricket crowdo after the exeitements of last summer and that this may spell lower gates for the New Zealanders. Against this, however, may be placed the continuing boom in sport already noted and the close interest with wliich the M.U.C. 's tour in South Africa is being follovved. it ' has maintained attention upou ericket with a very short break sintv the matclies with the Australians, aml it is felt that the New Zealanders it aided by good weather ha've only tu play bright, attractive cricket to assure them of a wide measure of support. If there is oue other early regret aniong some enthusiasts here it is thai next summer the Tests will be onJy three-day matches. They would have preferred to have seen at least four davs. They feel that the number of days allotted to Tests is important if a decision is to , be reaclied. The Australians last season insisted on iiv.* days. In South Africa four-day Testare being played, and already there have been two dravvn matches. There is no doubt that the Tests am Ihe most outstanding matches of tlie tour not only from the point of view oi prjestige but also in their iniluence upou Ihiancial returns. If the New Zea landers, for instance, won a /fest tiupublie would tjueue to see them and the burdeu of the expense of the tour would. dwindle accordingly. A series of drawn games might have the opposite result. * Big Pinancial Burden ' The fuianical aspect of the tours has undergone a great change since pre-war days. Costs of the teams have in.CWdsed. sharply. siueq the thirtxes as the Australians f ound last season.' Their expenses are reported to have come to i:»7,U0U — more than dbuble the cost of their previous visit. The fact that the v had sufficient days to win the Tests ^un doubtedly made all the dill'erence to'the gates' arid to prolits. The linanieal burden of the New Zealand 'team cannot be expected to dil'fer greatly from that of the Australians in actual cash. But the. Australians have a greater gate attruction vaiue than tiw New Zealanders, and to that extent the cost of the tour will be proportionately bigger for the latter. Here there is also some disappointment that the fact that the New Zealanders will be visiting Britain does not appear to be very widely known at the moinent. There will no cloulit be increasing publidtv once the New Zealand team is selected and as the openiug of the new season- approaches. Many would like to liave seen some news of cvents of the present season in New Zealand reported in the British press, for instance that W. M. Vfallace, of Auckland, had reaclied the 2000 rims lnark in Blunket Shield matches. Nothing, however, has. been published so far about any Blunket Shield or other games. On the other hand the British public have been kept infonned of the (Sheffield Shield games in Atistralia. Must Not be Too Modest Judging by coniments on the fSoutli African Test team, sport ing writers here will welcome self-conlidence in the New Zealanders when they arrive. It is remarked of the (South Africans that their cricket too often reflects an over modest estimate of their abilities. "Oue hopes, ; ; says B. W. iSwanton, writing in the Dailv Telegraph, ''to see emerge in time the attacking apprpach to the game that the JSouth Arficans sliow 011 the Rugby iield. " New Zealand, of eourse, is renowned in Britain for its prowess at Rugby. The number of people who even in casual conversation talk of the All Blaeks and Nepia in the same breath appears to be legion. This respect for New Zealanders in Rugby is even reflected in the fact that thougn the cricketers are coming here this sr.ei nier and the All Blacks are going tu (South Africa, it is the New Z>aland footballers rather than the cricketers who have been receiving the publicity. For instance, oue writer remarks that the composition of the All Black team to represent New Zealand against tiu: (Springboks in1 South Africa is really a ■tribute-to British Rugby. "The New Zealanders say, ' ' he continues, "that the United Kingdom tour carried out. by the New Zealuud . Anuy team, the Kiwis, in 194(3 has paid big dividends. The men, who played 27 matches in Britain for the Iviwis, now f'orm the backbone of the game in New Zealand, and many of tlieni have now plaees in the team to tour South Africa. " There is no doubt that the name of New Zea-' land sstands liig'h in Britain in sport as

iii other lields, and it is not too inuch to say that this will influence English enthusiasts and be an important entry on .the credit side for a team f ollowing Bradman and liis unbeaten team. '