CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 55, 28 November 1921, Page 7

CRICKET

NO PLAY ON SATURDAY Cricketers are not being favoured with a great deal of sunshine this season. During last week tho conditions were decidedly wintry, and by no means impioved as tho week-end approached. The heavy rain which fell during the middle of tho week had rendered the grounds very soft, and a burst of sunshine was badly required to make them fit for play on tho Saturday. Instead of sunshine, further heavy rain fell on 1 riday night and early on Saturday morning, and tho Postponement Committee of th° Wellington Cricket Association had no option but to declare all matches off. PREPARING FoFrEP. MATCHES (Notes *by “Cover Slip. ’) AVith the first of tho season’s representative fixtures only a mouth away, is it not time that Wellington was her house, in order and doing a team building, in order to ensure that the best side available, trained to the minute, shall step on to tho field when the invaders enter the city? I should like, to seo that experienced veteran, Mr. Dan. McKenzie, select 18 probables and set them at hard training at tho nets right away. It would be a very good thing, too, if the nets were barrod some evenings, and tho candidates for representative honours '" el£> compelled to get some much-needed practice at slip-catching, picking up, andl returning to tho wicket-keeper. TVheie to-day do any players obtain P rac t’f“ at slip-catching off fast bowling? And yet, why not? If representative practices were properly organised, ''hat splendid team building could Be done. Would it not be possible Io “PF?” 1 ' some experienced P’ay® l ?: 3ll ® l ' a ' 1 Brice C. G. Wilson’, Ken. Tucker, or Middl’eton-as coach to ? he l1 r Xnf e ims five team? In the past all that has been attempted has been for th T y to roll uw each evening to the, nets_ai peg away at batting and bowling piac tice This is all very well and nece . s , saiy but what a much fitter side could bo turned out if someone in ant'wnta had power to dispense with the net occasionally, place tho men in their proper positions, and a11 ?^, ? Tlck P ing, slip catching, and fielding pr to proceed simultaneously with tho velopment of batting and strength I commend tins suggestion to klr Dan McKenzie, the sole selector, in whom all have the greatest cotefide and to the Management Committee of the Wellington Cricket Association. How often now do wo see catches dropped in tho slips in representative matches? How often do we see wild ret " Tn j,owlM the field to the wicket-keeper or bowler when accuracy would mean a cm tain run out? If Wellington will only adopt thoroughness in its preparation for representative matches, tho province should have no difficulty in maintaining its supremacy at the game. Net P rac^ ce 1 a fetish which has too long been re sponsible for bad fielding m this .country and if tho Wellington Association would break away from the tuno-hon-oured. foolish practice, it would improve the. efficiency of its representative eleven Try fully 40 per cent. In the days whe Auckland was invincible on * ho fi~ld manv a time and oft A. B. Kelt u=ed io get the Auckland men round the roller in tho middle of the field and give them invaluable catching practice off the glossy lace of the wile - No man know winch nay rtlio T« • thrown I>v the wily professional, would come off the roller; hut whichever way it came he had to 1w prepared to snap tho catch. Tn this way the si<le very proficient at taking f 11 , 6 ,. fr T ecci-ntric angles, and the fact that Auckland for three seasons /tofeated c,ety province who attempted to take H e Plunket Shield from them was due latgelv to their proficiency, in the field Let Wellington adopt similar thorough methods, and her eleven should have no difficulty in keeping the 1 ? 1 ’ lc r! , l j and cricket supi-.-macy Me have th® ferial. Let those in authority seo to it that thorough methods of. pTcpaiation arc employed at representative practices.