How Selectors Chose N.Z. Eleven

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1949, Page 5

How Selectors Chose N.Z. Eleven

(N.ZP.A.-

- Reuter .

Camirtg>ht}

Received Friday 7 p.m. LONDON, June lffi New Zealand's selectors, after examination of the wicket at Headinglev. Leeds, where the- first Test begins on Saturday, (they had Hayes send dovvn eight balls at full speed on a piteh adozen yards ,away from where grounds men were at work preparing for baturday) have e'vidently deeided that they can rely o'n four bowlers to deal wiL. England 's batting strength. This m cludes Hutton who has seored 542 in the past week in four innings in whiel; he was twice not out, and C/pmpton wht did so well iri his benefit against Sus sex. English eritics maintain there i strength 'all the way down to Bedser at No. 9. It seems likely that New Zeaiand ma\ rely on Burtt to bowl the biggest num ber of overs, with Cowie and Cave mak ing more or less an equal contributio;. and Rabone supplying the lightesf share. If the wicket remains fast anr. dry, it should snit Cowie and Cave a well as Burtt yet if rain affects its, Nev Zeaiand will still have two spin bowi ers in Burtt, Rabone and Cowie will b dangerous. Apparently t-he selectors deeided that if they included another bowler, say Hayes or Cresswell, neither of whom is particularly accurate at the moment, i' would be doubtful whether- they woulu have strengthened their attack. At tli^ same time they would have weakenefi the batting and added to the length oi the tail. They therefore had to choos. between Smith and Reid. The honou; fell to Smith who, in the last threi matehes, hns been playing up to his bes. New Zeaiand form and has seored 29 in three innings. Reid, despite his 1-8 not out at Cambridge, still has to settldown. With Smith 's inelusion it is a far, elaim that New Zeaiand also has bat ting strength all the way down to No-. 9: Sntelilfe, Scott, Hadlee, Wallaee Donnelly, Smith, Rabone, Mooney, an,. Burtt. Whether it proves a sufficient reply to England may be influenced by the luek of the toss and luck of the in dividual. In the last six games New Zeaiand lost the' toss and Sutelift'e' in particular although in form, has been distinct'y unfortunate. Perhaps his luck wib change on this oceasion. Certainly , he has the determination and temperameni for a test match, and with the res ponsibility of giving his side a goo-t start, he has curbed his inclination fo. Saturday afternoon brightness. Scott, Hadlee, Wallaee and Donnelly have all been batting well, and with Sinith in form and Rabone and Moone keen to wear their spurs won at Lora-, together with usefnl contribution from Burtt, the New Zealanders sliouu., be able to make a workmanlike repi, to any thing England may do. They wll he meeting two accurate spin bowler. for the first time in Hollies and Youn^ .but it is felt they should be able tc> cope with them. If the^ wicket remain in its present state (the forecast is fo Continue'd fair weather) it is diffieult ti see any other result than a draw be tween two strong batting teams. Th'er may be surprises, of course. Let u hope they favour New Zeaiand.