OUR CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2355, 11 January 1915, Page 3

OUR CRICKET

BATTING MUCH IMPROVED BETTER WICKETS AN AUSTRALIAN'S OPINION. This season's batting in Wellington ha 6 resulted in consistently heavy scoring. According to an experienced Australian cricketer who has seen something of Wellington batting (past, and present), the heavy scoring indicates that our batting, is of a high standard. The Australian cricketer referred to is Mt. Frank M'Mullen, who is wellknown in New Zealand cricket circles as the captain of t'he New South Wales Teachers' team, which has paid several visits to. the Dominion. Mr. M'Mullen always brought over a fine combination of cricketers, and the visits of hie teams have done something towards raising the standard of play here. This year, unfortunately, Mr. M'Mullen has not brought a team across. He had a party organised, all ready to leave, and New Zealand had got the match fixtures out, and then circumstances arising out of the war obtruded themselves, and the projected tour was abandoned. However, Mr. M'Mullen came over, and spent a few weeks in Wellington. He Vas a keen and interested spectator at tho Basin 'Reserve last week during the progress of the match between Otago und Wellington. After t'he contest his opinion on Wellington cricket was sought by a Dominion representative. . "Improved Out of Sight." "Well," he said, "the first thing I would say about cricket here is that your batting has improved out of sight. From what I have seen, the,advance made with the bat in the last few years is very great." It was pointed out to the Australian that the batting had yielded remarkably big totals all through this season. "That," .he went on, "is a very good indication that your batting is of a high order. I always find that when the batting is of good quality tho scoring is very heavy." Mr. M'Mullen added that he did not think that big scoring by batsmen indicated that the bowling was weak. . ■ What of our bowling ? "It was very good on the first day against Otago— very_ good. _ You have, some good bowlers. in Wellington." l . Questioned particularly about C. W. ■Robinson, the Now Zealand express, who is BUch a big- asset to tho Wellington team,. Mr. M'JVlullen said that he "still has the same fault"; he gives ii bit of a jump in the wrong place, and seems to be slowing down when he i delivers the hall. The Australian did not detract from the value of Robinson's bowling; but desired to point out - that he could get btill more pace on to his ball if he improved his run up. Mr. M'Mullen specially _ mentioned Hiddleston as a bowler, saying that as far as he could judge from the bank, the North player must be a very capable man with the ball. "He is the making of a fine field, too ; very clean and quick, and he goes for the ball iH tho proper way." This coming from one who hails from a country where the fielding is 60 swift, and clean, and clever that our work can scarcely be called fielding, is a pleasing compliment. Our Faster Wlokets. It would hardly- have - been fair to have asked the visitor to recall to his mind Wellington's performance in tho field on the final' day of tho match; a good holiday should never be spoilt by a' sad meinory. . , - Mr. M'Mullen went on to talk about our Wellington ... wickets. This season's wickets, he says (and there is no doubt that- bo is . riglit) are far and away ahead of what he experienced in Wellington in the past. The wickets, he notices, are ■ playing much faster than in the past, and ,he pointß out that the improved' wickets must account in some measure for the better batting our cricketers have been exhibiting .of late. "It has always' struck me that good wickets were one of your, most urgent requirements in New. Zealand, and if you get an improvement in this respect the play generally should go aluad." ' From what Mr, M'Mullen had to say of cricket in Australia it seems that the old summer gamo has been hit by the war, and is suffering a slight .temporary set-back. Men have gone to the front For instance, MassieV "tho best bowler in Australia," is away soldiering. He is. in Egypt with the troops. "We'have plenty of good bats, said the visitor, .' 'and any amount of good ones coming on; but our bowling is not as good as it used,to be." "Wa Don't Grow Them." > How do you account for the fallingoff in the quality of the bowling? "We don't seem to grow the bowlers • now—that's all." . , , ' ' Victor Trumper, be said, 10 still batting, and batting very .well, but he is I not quite the Trumper of' old. ; And no 1 one has .ever really taken his place. i Bardsley is a fine man to have on a side, and ho makes the runs, but ne does not. make them like Trumper used to. Macartney is a great bat, and is taking Trumper's place to some extent. _ When Trumper was in his cricket prim® be bad a personal following which was wonderful, and. Mr. M'Mullen reminds us that if the news was posted up that Trumper _ was batting the crowds would rush in thousands ,to tflo * cricket ground. I Th® Hops of Sydney. The Sydney "hope" at present is a - youth named Taylor, who has been doing . great things with tho bat in the 0 last few Beasons. In the colts' matah r last year he performed wonderfully, S scoring heavily, and in a finished and capable stylo which would do credit to many an old hand. This year he has advanced a good deal, and in big cricket a few weeks ago gave a sample of what he can do against first-class bowlmg. Taylor is o very young, but Clem. Hill , had left, his mark on the cricket page " when he was 17 or JB, and trumper also got in early. Big things are expected of Taylor. Mr. M'Mullen saw J. N. CrawfoM's fine innings of 178, not. out, at the Basin Reserve last Monday, but says that we did not see the great international at his best. , He considers that 1 the best' innings he ever saw Crawford play was a .brilliant. stand for 90 runs i made in Australia. All the runs were made by clean, hard driving, and! in that respect the innings was similar to the ■ Wellington feat, -but the player was m j better form during his Australian performance. , i ■ '