CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1932, Page 18

CRICKET

'/-- >vC"iVOT Out"

NEW ZEALAND TEAM

;T0 MEET SPRINGBOKS

PLAYERS IN THE RUNNING

!Newj;: Zealand's team for the first. Test with the South African cricketers, to .be played in Christchureh commencing on Saturday, 27th February, is to be ; made known next week, an arrangement having, been made for the New Zealand selectors (Messrs. Snedden, Cob-, croft, Whitta, and-; Williams) • to-- meet in Wellington for their consideration of the .claims of candidates. 'As far as is known, only one of the players definitely entitled to a place in the team is, not available. That is Merritt, who is leaving shortly for, England,' and upon whom the New Zealand Cricket Council has placed a ban.- Apart from this player, the strongest candidates 'for the side appear to be Vivian and Cleverley (Auckland), Lowry (Bangitikei), Dempster, Dustin, James, and McGirr (Wellington), J. Newman (Nelson), Kerr, Boberts, and Page (Canterbury), and Badcock and Blunt (Otago). Others also bound to.come into the reckoning include Weir and Mills (Auckland), Lambert (Wellington), and Cromb*(Canterbury). This deos not complete the list of "possibles." The claims of Borne others are being advocated, and one of whom mention is being made in Chxistchureh is Burrows. It appears to be practically certain that the team will differ somewhat from tha-t which went to England last year. Badcock, Newman, Boberts,'" McGirr, Cleverley, Djistin, and Lambert are air entitled to more serious consideration than sev- . eral who made the trip to England, but it is unlikely that there will be'that many replacements. ■ Dempster is . assured 'bf No: 1 position, and his partner should be Kerr, Mills, or Dustin. It is riot anticipated that Badcock' will be giv,en the batting position he now holds ..in; the Otago team. Kerr-will probatily; find most' favour with ' the selectors;"who should have no doubts about Blunt. Boberts, Vivian, and Page, too, are bound to be strongly favoured for other positions on the batting list, and it-ispossible'that notice will be taken of Weir's return to form in., club matches.: In the bowling departmentßadcoek and Newman appear to be certain of places, but it is a question as to whether there will be room for both' McGirr and Cleverley,-one of whom, however, should be placed. Bumours have been heard to the, effect that there is a possibility of Lowry not being included, in the team, but Lbwry is too good a cricketer to be^ropped from a New Zealand team at the present time, and, what is more, the lvalue of his experience as a captain should not be lost on an occasion like this. True, Lowry's captaincy has come in. for criticism at times, but he'; is a clever strategist, and, if his unorthodox methods do not always succeed, they are oftentimes of considerable'value., There does not appear to be any 'successor' to, Merritt, and the selectors may be inclined'to depend, upon Vivian and Blunt for the "slowstuff." Indications are that the team willbe chosen from the following:—Dempster, Kerr, •Blunfy Boberts, Page, Lowry, Badcock, McGirr, James,..Newman,- Weir) and Cleverley. : South Africans'ltinerary. ': Auckland's opinion that only one Test should be played during the South African cricketers' visit, to. New Zealand has been conveyed to the New Zealand Cricket Council, and, as anticipated in "The ;PbstV last week, the controlling body :has adhered to the fixture list for the visitors :-^-First match, y. Auckland, at Auckland; second match, v. New Zealand (Test),' :at Ghristchurch; and third match, y. New Zealand (Test), at. Wellington. Auckland has been informed that the council, while : .appreciating. Auckland 's suggestion^ had weighed the matter and deem-ed-twpYTe<3ts advisable; "':}■'■ ?' " ; '. A discussion regarding Otag'o Js treatment so far as the tour was concerned took place at a recent meeting of the Otago Cricket Association. Mr. Bbbspn said the New Zealand Council' tia'd no right to invite an overseas teani to' the Dominion and : ; ignore. Otago, as had been done. He thought the' match at Christchureh should have been, a South Island one. ' There was no justification for playing a match in Auckland rather than';'in;'Dunedin' r"exeept"" vupdnV^h'e' grounds of finance. There was, however, Trio argument for giving a Test match, to , Chris tchureh upon financial grounds;" ;He thought that when the Otago! delegates; went North, next year they should take up with the council the rr^itter of Otago's ' claims being ignored. ...;,-."•■ " ;; y : \ It was generally agreed by the members that the itinerary was unsatisfactory ;tb Otago.' ..' .; ; . .■-■-, Mr/jSolomon isaid the -only construction that could be placed upon the matter was'that the council had completely ignored Otago,'s suggestion regarding; a South Island match. "■-.<' -■' It was eventually decided to. write to the council stating' that the Otago Cricket Association was dissatisfied that its players had been- given no opportunity to, play against the South Africans. Junior;9epresOTtatives. ',:./;;/ ;.; •" ■ .--; A. report■Spon'jthe 1 recent.. Auckland*' Wellington junior match at thy Basin Beserve was made by Mr. L. J. Brab'in at this week's meeting of the Wellington -Cricket Association's Management Committee. A tribute was paid to performances recorded during the match, i^hieh, *as already reported, had an,'exciting conclusion. The Auckland team's t'fin«(j recovery was also, a subject of comment at'this week's meeting bf the Auckland Association. It was resolved tfti'senA a letter of congratulation to eaph member of the team, which, after being compelled to follow-on, scored 312 in/the second innings, and set Welling-: toji 163 to win. Wellington got the runs just on the call of time, losing sii' wfoketa in doing so., " ' Fast Bowler Wanted. - ; ' jhe claims of D.. Cleverley to : in-ctoionT-in. the New Zealandsteam .. as, fast bowler, ara. strongly advocated by, a' (^Enthusiast»'), who gives "a number of: Cleverley's perform-, aitces in support of the claim; v The correspondent states: —"I have always heen an 'ardent supporter of cricket and ami awaiting with, keen interest, .the selection'of the "New Zealand team to meet Sojith-Africai and it is to be hoped that'th6;;Belectorsa3bpt the'methods of seiectipi on Bimilar lines as the selectbrs ''in;; Australia,: England, 'etc., their first choice being a /wieketkeeper-'and then second a fast bowler, the: two men : most essential in a team. ; The whole world' 'v> crying out' for a really good fast bowler, so it is the duty of the New Zealand selectors to see that our best' fast bowler is seen ■: in -action against.Sonth Africa. Without doubt, that man at present--.is young Don Olevefley, the Auckland express merchant/gand why he was overlooked when-the 1930 All Black team was selected;-is .a mystery to many, firstclass, judges of the game. ;V It ,Tyas_ common knowledge tha;t,he was not given -an opportunity, to display ability ,with the ball in the ißial matdrfefor the selection of that te^m (Auckland and Wellington), alth'bugh in' this match and since then ie/has shown that he can keep Ms end tip; with, the hat, -when- runs are badly

one of our best-known cricketers, when giving his opinion of the men that should have been in the 1930 team, said 'Cleverley Tvas' hia* first selection, "There seems to be little doubt that and that was before Cleverley had travelled to. Dunedin . and clean bowled Blunt in each innings for a very few runs. -The Tare feature of this brilliant young colt is the number of .first-class batsmen he has clean bowled:" Having stated a case for Cleverley, the correspondent adds: — "There seems to be little doubt that Cleverley will be one of the first eleven to play South Africa, as he has proved that he is the goods.". '. Merritt's. "Position. In the "Cricketer Annual "for 1931 there is a rather ungenerous .referenceto W. E. Merritt's English engagement which perhaps calls for some comment , (writes "Beader"). The writer in the Annual says: "It has.been published in the Press that Merritt lias succumbed, to thoNwiles of the tempter, in this case "the Lancashire League, and will return here next year. The news has been received -with general regret, for we should have much preferred that the talents of the New Zealandor should have been mado use of for his own country. .. . It is impossible to congratulate either Merritt or the club which has engaged him; all our sympathy is .due to those who have assisted young players in' New Zealand to have attained international standard.'.' This paragraph has been written in either ignorance or disregard of the facts. .If Merritt has laid himself open to censure it is because he has .broken his agreement, and for this he has been penalised by the New Zealand Council, a< penalty, incidentally, which is more serious for New Zealand than for Merritt himself., One cannot condone the breaking of an agreement; but apart from that one cannot see that Merritt or any other New Zealander is doing anything wrong in accepting an English engagement during the off season, returning to New Zealand for the New Zealand summer. j. In: these times, of stress a cricketer is as much entitled to market his talents as is a professional man or tradesman, and rather than condemn,- one should be pleased that there is a market for cricketing<talent. There are:; other members of the team to whom such an engagement- would -no doubt;be welcome, and.it seems, a pity that the council cannot release the members of the-team from, their; agreement:to the extent of allowing those who desire to do so to accept winter engagements-as English professionals, do. - ■■'. - "That Reminds Me." ; Beading, of Allo'ott'a remarkable bowling feat: of eight wickets for .14 runs (including the double hat trick) at North Shore on Saturday, a local cricket enthusiast was overheard X 6 remark that it reminded him of the .days of "Kay" OllifE .(states tho Auckland "Star"). About twenty years ago, he declared, Olliff was the "Freeman" of Auckland cricket, a little man with a big- break," who did , amazing things with the "ball on a sticky wicket, to the utter confusion of even the most experienced batsmen of the day. Challenged to quote facts and figures, the oracle;;could:not rpmember any specific devastating feat by Olliff in local club games, but 'he recalled that at the Auckland Domain 19 years ago Olliff skittled- ither first six batsmen of Wellington's interprovineial side for three runs., Wellington made a recovery, getting 120 for the innings, and Olliff's average for tho innings was seven for 42. His seventh victim was one Clarrie Grimmett. Yes, the same Grimmett.who now bowls for Australia in Test 'matches. That was his first appearance in .representative, cricket in Auckland, and he got one wicket for 53,.: but he ..was second top-scroer with the bat, getting 25., and 28. in the match. ".Kay" Olliff is now a glad memory, but Grimmett,is one of the world's 'best?spin bowlers. ~;■■• Notes.; ■"-' - v-.,..- , ",_.,,; \AU play which ..took, .-place ju. local cricket last Saturday hiis bfeen '^washed out." The matches were to bo commenced afresh, to-day. •H. Ei.Nicholls (Petone) has the'exceptional /batting average of 114.50 in this season's local senior club matches. He has batted six times and has been dismissed only twice;, ; . , ::;In the: Johnsonyille-Stbp'Out- match played in the rain-last Saturday seven players by the name of Moore were among .the participants—three for Johnsonville and four for Stop Out. ■ ■*W.vDustin (Midland) has been one of this season's most consistent run-get-ters. . In. senior championship matches he has had nino innings/ his average being 42.11 with 96 as his highest score, f "Centuries in this "season's" senior club matches have been made by Hollings '(lO4)j"Dempster/(106); James (133 not out), Christophersen ; (164)> Lambert (121 and 147), and Calvert (106). Biggar leads the way with a double centurjr:(2l4).- ,;'■,- / ;'.:.-\; ■.-.'.■■ ■■■■ -.- ;, -B< Morgan, 'selected to go to Dunedin, has made 213 runs in senior club cricket this season, his average ■ being 30:24... ..:',". ■;■:,• "• ' ■• .* , Christophersen, who usually finishes up the season with a big aggregate, has made 369 runs, so far this season in club matches—average 'G1.50. . Hepburn's ,330 ,'rtins in! senior club matches to date this season have been made: at ;an • average of 55.00. ■ \ - -_,-Lambert is -well on the way to the |500 mark in club cricket this season. He has made 453 runs at an average of ■75.50. '■ Biggar's- aggregate is' 378— average 47.25;:: ; Beference was made at this week's meeting,o£ the;Auckland'Cricket Association to1 :the,;bowling.'performance of C.' F. W. Allcott •in the. Graf ton-North Shore match last Saturday. In one innings Alleott twice performed the 'hat trick." • He is to receive a letter of congratulation jfrom the Manager ment Committee, which also intends to write to. John-Wisden and Co., Ltd.; London,".pbinting out the particulars'of the feat and asking that it be recorded; Mercantile League. '•■ ■:•-■-' -' S-I. Although complete returns have not been, forwarded to the recording-secre!-tary, it is possible to make an"'estijmate of the various players' performances from the undermentioned figures, ■vyhieh also £ airly'acciirately denote': the batting and; bowling strengths"' of the grades." '- :> '.' '. -. : ... ".■•■i ./ ; Centuries;—A grade! Murphy/ (2Y, ■Whinham .(2),. Foley (2), Henderson: (2), and. Boberts, Dpbbs, Farrell^ ering, and T.ilyard, one each. B grade: Melville, Welsford, McKenzie, Hodge, Windsor,' one each. C grade: "Allen (2),;.Johnston (2), Crisp (2), Hancock, Baxwofthy, and Hill^ one , each. D graide; Tidman, Dean, and Osborne, one each., The' highest; individual score to,date is 178 by Welsf ord, (Overhead). ' Of the bowlers, Davies (Printing) has now taken 60 .wickets, but others who are well up in the list are:—A. grade: Henderson (44), Foley (32).^ B grade: Swain (42), McKenzie (39), Ferris. (36), Maddbcks (34), Miners '(33), Hancock (32), Chadwick (31). C grade: Olliver (43),.Hobman (39), Dare (35), Johns (35), HUI (32). D grade: Davies (60), Johnston (44), Spring (42), Waugh (35). The-best-figures returned to date bya bowler in one season was by Hassell (Cowans),- r^who took 88 wickets for 353 Tun's, 'an average of four runs per wicket. '■v, . ■ ..' ..--' -■•■'.;. '":. '■■■; ''■'. ■ From the; abqye figures it will be seen: that.the"A grade is particulariy strong: in batting, but weak in bowlers, while the B grade is just, the reverse. . The C grade is much more even in strength, with bowlers and batsmen about on an equal footing, and the D grade appears to bo slightly stronger'in bowling than in batting. ' . Hannahs. (C grade) have been awarded the match played with Truth last gatadag seek,,-