ON THE CRICKET FIELD

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 45, 17 November 1926, Page 8

ON THE CRICKET FIELD

(By

“Burwood.”)

FINDING THE CRUSADERS FOR ENGLAND

COUNTRY TO BE WELL RAKED

Seeing that this is the first occasion <m which New Zealand has been asked to marshall a team to tour England, a little excitement is pardonable. Some cricket writers, however, are already becoming a trifle hysterical regarding the tour, which is not to be made until after the Close of the present season. One writer takes the New Zealand Cricket Council warmly to task because they have not already picked the team. The New Zealand Council is to be commended for the progressive steps it has already taken in order to make a thorough search of the Dominion for the best players. In this connection, the decision to play a match at Wellington between a Wellington eleven and a team selected from the minor associations of the Dominion is an excellent idea. One local writer even objects to this, arguing that Wellington players may not be able to obtain leave for so many matches. No one suggests for a moment that the same team will represent Wellington in all the matches set down for decision this season. The sole selector (Mr. K. H. Tucker), it goes without saying, will be glad of the opportunity to try out promising local players who have not yet had the honour of wearing a representative cap. Two players who come to mind are L. Beard (Hutt) and H. B. Massey (Institute). “Burwood” asked a leading senior batsman'last week whom he considered the best bowler in Welling-. ton. “Beard,” he responded without hesitation; “you have to play evefy ball Beard sends* down'to you. Next to him I would place young Massey.” _ Last season Beard came second in the Wellington bowling averages, obtaining 36 wickets, at .a cost 'of 390 runs, .which gave him the sterling average of 10.83 runs per wicket. He was only headed by his club mate, H. M. McGirr, whose tally was 46 wickets for 452 runs, an average of 9.82. In addition to his ability as a- bowler Beard is the makings of a first-class batsman. He is usually put in last by the Hutt captain, but last season, when Hutt was hard put to it at the Basin Reserve, Beard showed that he was a really good batsman. When runs were sorely needed, and the side !was in a bad way, Beard came in and resolutely clouted the bowling to all parts of the field, scoring 47 in workmanlike style. He also made runs in the second innings of this match, when they were urgently required, and undoubtedly won the match that day for Hutt by his batting. H. B. Massey came fifth on the Wellington bowling list last season, with a bag of 40 wickets for 518 runs, an average of 12.95 per wicket. Massey is unquestionably a really good bowler, end is fast justifying McLaren’s English team’s verdict of him in 1923, when they went so far as to declare that he was the best bowler they had met in the Dominion. Massey, like Beard, is a fair batsman. He showed this last season against the Auckland colts at Kelburn Park, when he played two bright innings, in which _ his scoring shots were made in finished style. It is players such as these who should be tried out in the trial matches this season. Mr. Tucker knows all there is to know about such players as McGirr, Hiddleston, Kortlang, Brice, Baker, Lambert, Collins, Badcock, James, Tattersail, and Henderson, so there will be no necessity to call upon the same eleven to play in everv match.

Selectors Should be Chosen. The New Zealand Cricket Council would be well advised to appoint the selection committee as soon as possible. The season is now properly under way, and the selectors should have their eyes upon possible candidates for the team for England in all parts of both islands. The council lias made an appeal to the public to assist in financing the tour and an early announcement of the selectors would increase interest and confidence in the business proposition, if sound judges of the game were appointed. There are hundreds of supporters of the game throughout the Dominion who are ready to take shares in the company, but they are at present holding back to see how the New Zealand Council does its part of the work.

It is common knowledge that players in both Canterbury and Dunedin have already been approached regarding the trip to Englands It would be interesting to know who are .making these overtures.. It is'surely the selectors’ job to shy who should or should not be invited .to join the team. The prompt appointment of the selection committee would put a stop to wirepulling by unauthorised officials, and restore public confidence that there will be a fair field and no favour. The New Zealand Cricket Council so far have shown progressive methods in arranging comprehensive trial matches, and they will obtain more support if they make the appointment of the selection committee at the earliest possible date. Difficult Wickets.

Though local players did not relish the slow wickets on Saturday, they were a blessing in disguise to them. It is a comparatively easy matter in bright sunlight on a wicket like glass, to play forward to balls which come to the bat; but it is an entirely different problem when the wicket is so soft that no two balls come at the batsman alike. When the bowlers are turning the ball feet instead of inches; when one delivery hangs on the pitch and the next cuts straight through, eyes wave to be alert. The class of wicket local players had to perform on on Saturday were very similar to those met with in England during a wet season. No cricketer’s education is complete, until he has had experience of all classes of wickets, and the minds of local players were certainly broadened on Saturday. A man who can make runs on a difficult wicket is an invaluable asset to any side. Of the Australians, Harry Graham was probably the best slow wicket batsman that great cricketing country has known. The secret of Graham’s success was his fast footwork, which enabled him to get out to the ball and kill the break. He scored a wonderful century against the Englishmen in the nineties at Melbourne when no one else on the Australian side could get runs. Warren Bardsley was another great bad wicket batsman. No one who saw it has yet forgotten the sterling innings he played for New South Wales against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve on March 7, ' 1921, when he bit up 93. The wicket greatlv helped the bowlers in this innings, and Mcßeath. McGirr, Smith, and Hiddleston were able to get n, lot of turn on the ball. Andrews, Macartney, Kippax, Ratcliffe, and Oldfield were all dismissed for moderate scores, but Bardslev was like a rock. He watched the ball right on to the bat, and never lost an opportunity of going boldly out to drive into the deep field. Punch, who got 62, was the only other New

South Welshman to make runs on the wicket, and the innings closed for a modest 294. Small as was the total, it was big enough to enable the visitors to win by an innings and 126 runs, as New Zealand fell for 89 and 79. Which only goes to prove how essential it is for players, and particularly those about to visit Old England, to have experience of playing upon wickets upon which bowlers can get plenty of turn on the ball. New Zealand plavers should not complain if a few showers fall on Saturday mornings this season. Resourceful Batsmen.

It is very pleasing to find that Wellington possesses young players who can make runs on difficult wickets. Though Midland could only total 153 against ’Varsity at the Basin Reserve last Saturday, the students found the wicket quite to their liking. It was a great stand which A. M. Hollings and A. C. Tripe put on for the second wicket, when they added 152. Both played confidently, and, though the wicket favoured the bowler:,, the youthful pair were resourceful and enterprising throughout. Tripe, who reached 67, captained the Christ’s College eleven a couple of seasons back, and did yeoman service for his college with both bat and ball. He can serve up a good slow right-hand leg-break, and should develop into a front-rank player? He secured two wickets for 16 runs on Saturday. Hollings for the past couple of seasons has been one of the best allround players in the province. To date this season he has scored 3 and. 15 against Petone, 117 against Wellington, and 106 not out against Midland last Saturday. This gives him 241 for four innings, once not out, which works out at the nice little average of 80.33 per innings. In addition to this, he hit up 79 for the Colts against the Wellington representative, eleven on Labour Dav. With the ball, Hollings has taken four for 99 against Petone, four for 91 against Wellington, and two for 29 against Midland. He has thus taken ten wickets for 219, with an average of 21.90. Considering he is the stock bbwler for his side, these figures are very creditable.

Hollings played refreshing cricket on Saturday putting on his 10/5 not' out in just over the two hoars. It was quite the best knock of the season, as the runs had to be made on a bowler’s wicket. .Had the ball been coming to the bat, Hollings could. scarcely have played more brilliant shots than he did in this innings. Two centuries in successive innings is good going for a colt.

A Bowling Find. That it pays to promote youngsters of ability was proved at the Basin Reserve on Saturday, when ’Varsity brought up W. F, Vietmeyer from the junior A team into the senior eleven. This colt the Saturday before had secured nine wickets for 47 runs against Y.M.C.A., and the ’Varsity selectors wisely decided to give him ~a trial in the senior ranks. Vietmeyer made good with a vengeance. He has a natural delivery, and swings the ball in puzzling fashion, while he can also make it break back sharply. He had all’ the Midland batsmen sorely puzzled, and wound up with five for 50. Clubs would do well to bring a few more of these boy bowlers up to give the senior players some muchneeded practice against bowling of class. Vietmeyer learnt his cricket at Wellington College. Hutt’s Strong Bowling.

The strength of the Hutt team lies in their able bowlers. If the side does happen to fail with the bat their opponents find great difficulty in picking up runs against such bowlers as Beard, McGirr, Nunn, Watson, Aldersley, and McLeod. Hutt could only 7 manage to reach 153 against Institute on the Hutt ground on Saturday. The Outstanding innings was that of H. J. Tattersall, the wicketkeeper, who was going really well with 57 to his credit when he had the bad luck to be run out. Tattersall was a member of the New Zealand team which toured Australia in the 1913-14 season. He came out second in the batting averages 7 for the tour, totalling 67 runs for five innings, three times not out. which gave him an average of 33.50. His best knock on that tour was 19 not out against the Melbourne Cricket Club eleven. Tattersall is a much sounder batsman to-dav, and is such an able wicketkeeper that he must be considered for both the Wellington and New Zealand teams.

Malcolm (four for 55) and Massey (three for 31) bowled very well for Institute on Saturday. . The ball with which Massey clean bowled McGirr, when the latter had made 22, was a particularly good one. Institute could do nothing against the bowling of Beard (three for 14), and McGirr (three for I’2), and the board looked very dismal at drawing of stumps, when the record stood at 46 for the loss of seven wickets. It takes good batsmen to make runs against the Hntt ' attack. Be on the Alert.

A great weakness in local cricket, and, in fact, in the game throughout New Zealand, is the want of judgment displayed in running between the wickets. Half a dozen batsmen lost their wickets in senior cricket in Wellington on Saturday solely through players not taking sufficient interest in the game. Tattersall and McLeod (Hutt), J. W. Hutchings (Midland), Calvert (Institute), White (Y.M.C.A.), and Greig (Kilbirnie) all had “run out” opposite their names. Batsmen should watch every stroke carefully, and be on their toes to run if called upon. Too often players tire to be seen reclining on their bats, half asleep. Many wickets could be saved also, if players were to call promptly. A “Yes-No” attitude is fatal. It is as well to repeat that a sharply-run single is never worth a wicket.

An Expensive Swipe. Cricket in the country produces just as much enthusiasm as it does in the city, although the players do not always appear in correct attire (states an Australian writer). Early this season, in a practice match near Pungog, New South Wales, one of the batsmen carried his watch to the wicket with him, on a short chain, in his breast pocket. A ball was sent down and the batsman made a huge drive. He appeared to have been caught and bowled, but, to the bowler’s disgust, he discovered he had caught the batsman’s watch, not the ball. The chain had slipped free, and the watch had glided from the pocket just in time to be hit bv the unfortunate owner, who was even more disgusted at the incident than the bowler. Tate’s Bad Luck.

Maurice Tate, in the recent match between the champion county and the

Rest of England at. the Oval, dismissed Woollev and Duckworth with the last two balls he sent down in the first innings of Lancashire, and E. Tvldesley with the first ball he bowled in the second innings. Thus three wickets fell to three consecutive balls he delivered; but, as the performance was not accomplished in the course of a single innings. Lord’s rules that the feat was not a hat-trick.

Whose Suggestion? The suggestion that the Rev. E. O. Blamires should be appointed manager of the New Zealand team to tour England has been favourably received throughout the Dominion, but the question of who should fill the position has not yet been discussed by the New Zealand Council. There is no doubt that Blamires would make an excellent manager, both on account of his popularity and his ability as a player (says the “Otago Daily Times”). As the team will include only fourteen players, difficulty may be found at times in resting some .of the men, and in filling vacancies which may arise Blamires would be more than bandy. Punctuality Wanted.

Captains and secretaries of junior clubs could assist the game greatly by seeing that their players roll up to time for competition matches. Some of the games in the third grade competition did not start last Saturday until 3 o’clock. In one case. Kilbirnie Third A team arrived at Petone only to find that their oponeuts, Petone Wesley, had not rolled up. A team was eventually colelcted on the ground, and a belated start made about 3 o'clock. A little more enthusiasm and punctuality would make for more enjoyment.