BRIGHTER CRICKET

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 3

BRIGHTER CRICKET

ENGLISH MATCHES NO ‘SHIRTFRONT’ WICKETS MR; D. E. WANKLYN’S VIEW “Beyond question the -abolition of the artificially-prepared ‘shirtfrontV wickets in English county cricket has been a' big success,” said Mr. D. E. Wanklyn, of Christchurch, chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council, who has returned to New , Zealand from a trip abroad, Mr. Wanklyn explained that, fed--lowing a resolution toy the English. Counties Association against the excessive artificial preparation of wickets, groundsmen were instructed to prepare natural wickets. If, as a result, wickets were-. 1 inclined-.*; to wear, individual county committees agreed to accept responsibility. The effect on the play generally was to make it more entertaining, and the public showed its appreciation, by increased interest in the competitions. Even at the Oval wickets were natural, and comity games played there were invariably brought to a conclusion if play was not interfered with by bad weather. One noteworthy feature of English ■batting last season was that the young Yorkshire professional, L. Hutton, whose 364 against Australia in the 1938 season was a record for test cricket, was, according to general comment, much more pleasurable to watch than in previous seasons. He now* employed more strokes than before. \ ' " ’ Mr. Wanklyn saw a great-deal of cricket and he remarked that the best play he had ever seen was in the first two days of the third test against the West Indies. The out cricket by the West' Indies team was wonderful, and Constantine, who was making what was probably his last appearance in big cricket, bowled magnificently, obtaining seven wickets 'for 72.