DOMINION CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2430, 8 April 1915, Page 7

DOMINION CRICKET

TALK WITH MR. BOARD

SOME FINE COLTS HE HAS FODND

one;classed with hearne,

Mr. J..H. Board, that fine cricketer 'and old associate of the famous i"W.G.," Lord Hawke, the late Mr. A. 'E. Stoddart, and other lights of the (English cricket world, arrived in Wellington last evening on his way back "to England. Mr. 'Board has, for some years, come tout here in the New Zealand cricket 'season to coach the youth of Hawke's ißay in the arts of the game, and his services have been procured chiefly Ithrough the loyalty to cricket of Mr. -E. H. Williams and one or two other 'Hawke's' Bay gentlemen.-

Mr. Board is very much grieved at the death of his old friend Stoddart, 'more particularly as the band of old associates with whom he almost grew ■up in the game is gradually vanishing. This, he says, hurts him, and "makes ■him think." : However, it is the way of the world.

Wellington enthusiasts well Tememher the great innings played by Mr. (Boaa-d on the Basin Reserve this seaNot only was it a great score nu- , Smerically, but it was great in quality. Barely has a Wellington crowd seen Isuch a masterly exhibition of batting, and ■ that is taking account of tho ibattlng of the Australian craoks who ihaye visited us. Happily his last batting performance before leaving New (Zealand was a remarkably fine century. t}f course, all hope that it was not his 3ast appearance in thte country, and 'that he will be found, somewhere among again next season. New Zealand Cricket Improving. Mr. Board is strongly of the opinion •that New Zealand cricket 'is advancing. In Hawke's Bay, he declares, it has gone ahead in bounds, and he specially stipulates that he.does not say so' because ne has been coaching there. A 'difficulty, he adds, is to get the boys ,to stick to the game. "I had a hoy there, . M'Lennan. Oh, he jwas a beautiful fast bowler. He would have made one of the finest fast bowlers ever turned out. He had eyerything wanted by a fast bowler. (But after he left school, he threw the •game for tennis or rowing. "That's the trouble. While the boy's 'iat school, you're got him. After he leaves, you haven't." f There is a Hawke's Bay colt—O'Connor by name—of whom tne English ex•pert has groat hopes. He .is still a [youth, but. as a bowler he seems to have fa future. He bowls a right-hand mojHium, and his coach says that even now. if he was a little taller, he would fclass him .with Hearne and Wainwright. a Little would the Englishman say of (Wellington cricket, because he does not Consider that one game against the city jn three years is a fair guide. A Wellington Discovery. ) But ho did say that he- would neveiforget the Wellington crowd. He appeared to think this city's spectatorate ideal, and, by the way, he is by no jmeans the first sportsman who has had [reason to say that of Wellington in comparison with the crowds who attend jpaatimes in .other towns. ' Many Wellington, cricketers will be a little surprised respecting one of Mr. jßoard's opinions. It concerns a city flayer who. has .not figured very.largely ■ [m. our representative' hut who [had the good fortune to be called up on .the ocoasion of,this season's match in Wellington against Hawke's Bay.. Robinson, the team's fast, bowler, was not Available for the match, and M'ln.tosh, ffche University; player, was_ requisition* jcd. Well, Mr. Board's opinion is that fM'lntosh could be made into j one of the rvery best of fast bowlers. _ . . I The-old hand gets enthusiastic when. talks cricket. "Look here," be 'says;' as he thumps you on the chest, ("that boy could be a great bowler. Oh, Wes, I know;, that's the boy who bowled sne. ■ And, I tell you, too, he's a splendid bat. He made some runs against |us, and, my word, he batted well. He Jcught to become a very fine batsman, [that player." 1 i The fact is that recently M'lntosh lias sprung several surprises with the auality of his batting, and haß made some very useful, though rather unexjpected, scores.' 'Mr. Board was asked about New Zealand wickets. He confined his remarks to Wellington wickets. 'I inever wish to play on a better wicket Ithan we had here. It was' splendid, I think there were 800 or 900 runs made ,on it, and it was playing practically as pell at the finish of the match as at ' tie start; it was hardly worn at all."