CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11126, 8 February 1930, Page 11

CRICKET.

SHARPEN IT UP! CRICKET FIELDING. HIGH TRUAIBUE'S VIEWS. Tlu' olio disappointing feature c.f 'New Zealand's performance against tlie. AJ.C.C. touring team was the missing of chances in the field. In hatting and bowling the New Zealanders rose to the occasion, and it was unfortunate that prospects of success were marred by errors in the fielding department. . “My advice to New Zealand players is to sharpen up their fielding,” remarked Mr Hugh 'Crumble, the famous Australian international player, to a “Post” reporter. Mi-. Trumble, who has returned to Australia. saw several of the matches with the AI.C.C. in New Zealand, eluding the first and second Tests., “If a man is a cricketer lie wants, to he a. fieldsman. He is a wonderful help to a side if ho can told well, ami the players you have here should all be good iioldsmeu if they practise a bit. They neglect it just’ the same in Australia, hut it is avery simple matter to get the practice, although the players mutely devote their time at the nets to hatling and howling. A little of that time in the field when they are assembling for net practice would he of great advantage.” MORE PRACTICE ADVISED. The fielding in the matches which he had seen at C-hristchurcli and "Wellington was disappointing. “Until the New Zealand players sharpen up their fielding,” he said, “they cannot expect to ho in the first flight of representative cricket. It is most essential that fieldsmen should he reliable and take all reasonable chances.

“There is no doubt that good fielding makes weak howling strong. The dropping, of catches takes the lie art out of some bowlers, and, moreover, you cannot afford to give first-class batsmen two hands or more. Fielding is just as important as hatting or howling, and requires just as much practice. A great measure of the. success of the Australian teams is due to their excellent fielding ; they have had men specialised in particular positions on the field. In my young days I spent- many a half hour with a tennis ball up against a brick wall practising slip fielding, and I think that that practice was a great aid to me as a slip fieldsman.” GREAT INSPIRATION. In again stressing the tact that all cricketers should devote a certain amount of time to fielding practice, All- Trumble said that it was expected of the fieldsmen that they would take all reasonable chances, hut. of course, they could not he expected to take impossible catches. It was a great inspiration to howlers to know that they were backed up by good fielding, and as an example < f this Air Trumble mentioned how tne bowlers had been inspired by Tack Blaekham in the old days. “A J atsnian who makes 50 runs and mops a. couple of catches comes down to zero,” said the old international, “and I would sooner have the man who could make 20 runs and get a couple out. Fancy giving men like Trumper and Ranjitsinhji two hands. You cannot do it. A FINE TRIBUTE. With the hatting and howling performances of the New Zealanders Mr. Trumble was much impressed. and he paid Dempster tlie great tribute of ranking him as a player worthy of a place in the Australian eleven. “The performance of the New Zealand team against the M.C.C. in the second Test was very, verv creditable,” be said. “I the' hatting of Mills and Dempster vas very lino indeed. Of couise, thev had a, little bit of luck With them in compiling 270 runs for the first wicket, but you want luck m making a score of this dimension. Dempster, Mills Page and Blunt am first-class batsmen but we d?d no see the best of Blunt, Some -f toe others are just in the making, and ciniv require a Httlfe more experience. Dempster would gain a place m the Australian eleven if be bad tlie same opportunities on Australian wickets and more match play. Dune is no doubt be is a remarkab > sound batsman. I think rli swi g 0 on improving. He wants to develop one or two more strokes, tlie drive in particular. He is v ’ v sound on defence. 1 age is a- «= forcing hat and never allows a- bad ball to go unpunished. He * played a very fine innings xn match in Christchurch” Wrth icgard to the bowlers. Air Tumble said that Dickinson was.peiham fortunate in not having a livery. He had the pace all nght, hut was a little bit on the r un arm side. There was not much deference in the. pace of and Dickinson, but the former came ovci higher in making Hs delivery, made the ball fly more. A hl^ •delivery'.would make Dmkinsoipnimt effective. Badcock ; boyled veiy \ ditably. He. kept a very.goode and it was hard to score: him. Merritt also bowled very w ell but did not have the best of luck; j ing the first hour., that be Mas lie hardly howled a baA ball _ STANDARD IMPROAHNG.

“Since I was over here three t tm. old internationvoars ago,’ said the oki . al • “the so far-as

has greatly improved. No doubt the tour to England helped tho players very considerably, the experience of playing on. English wickets being of great value. You will want to discover another young howler or two for next year’s tour to England. As tho wickets there are similar to those in New Zealand, and with tho experiences of a previous visit, the New Zealand team should do very well on its next tour. New Zealand cricket is undoubtedly on the improve, and there is no reason why it should not turn out first-class players. It gets very fine support, and it has good grounds. The present tour of the M.C.C'. team should he very instructive. It is a good tiling to have teams from overseas coming here, as it is only by playing against teams that are better, or of equal calibre, that you can improve. The present tour should do an immense amount of good.” Tlie visiting M.C.C. team was a good side with two wonderful players in "Woolley and Ruleopsiuhji. Nichols was a very line player—a good all-round man. Some of the other young batsmen did well in county cricket in England. There was no doubt that, with all the bowlers at their best, the visitors had a very strong howling side. Nichols, Alloin, Barratt, Worthington, and Woolley —there was just as much howling there as in any county side in England.

THE FIRST TEST. N.Z. EMERGED WITH EXHA XOED REPUTATION. DROPPED CATCHES WERE ONLY BLOT. “I think we from the contest with an enhanced reputation all round, and tlie only thing we will have to charge ourselves with is a. defect which has been apparent in New Zealand cricket for years past.” Tlie speaker was Air Dan Reese, president of the New Zealand Cricket Council, who hesitated to express his personal opinions of the actual play in the cricket test, but who was persuaded to do so on the ground that his long experience should qualify him to offer constructive criticism in regard to the game. “After the hatting display in Christchurch.” said Mr Reese, “when the English bowlers got on top and remained there for the rested the match, it was most cheering to all concerned, who had a. real belief in the hatting ability of tho New Zealanders, to find them showing their real form in the match just finished in Wellington.

“The batting of Dempster and Mills produced what must be regarded as the finest day's cricket in the history of the game in this Dominion. It is true things went with the batsmen at tbe beginning of the innings, but it was a magnificent effort against admittedly strong bowling. FINEST BATSMAN YET. “Dempster further emphasised the fact that he is undoubtedly the finest batsman, New Zealand has ever produced. Ilis methods arc so sound and bis scoring shots so effective that he is capable of holding hjs own in any company in the world’s cricket to-day. lie is possessed of real match temperament, accompanied by a determination which makes him a real force on any side. He and Mills make a remarkable, pair of opening batsmen, and it is principally due to them that New Zealand Tias been re-established in a. batting sense. “But the hatting m both innings was worthy of the highest praise. It is true that the tail-endors in the first innings did not show to advantage, but by that time it was a ease of°gctting runs or getting out, for Lowry was anxious to declare by lunch-time. > BOWLING J>l SC USSED. “For some considerable time it lias been the general opinion that New Zealand bowling is very weak, and generally speaking the standard throughout New Zealand is not liiuli at the moment, but the cflorb of~ Badeoek and Merritt, in particu]ar during the recent match stands out as a. first-class performance. Badcock’s persistent length, and the variety in his methods of attack, were reminiscent of Belf at his host, when ho was in New Zealand twenty yours ago. He howls much about tbe same pace as the okl-time English professional, and is just as consistent'in the perfect length which lie maintains. “FATES WERE CKU-EL ” •‘I have never seen Merritt bowl better than he did in Wellington. One must not measure his performZ; c bv the net results of wickets against the runs scored off him The fates were cruel to. him throughout the match. Ho, too, howled with a persistency .(either with or against the wind) which, was admirabem every respect, and it was not Ins fault that the English innings did not close quickly, and our great opponents follow.on. , “Dickinson also howled well, even better than'he was expected to, qnd A. was the first time tins season that i4had.Mth.eMP of anally-fast wicket It is clear that hi s perfo i mance in Christchurch was not Hus true form. ITo, Ims, on the nthe. hand lost a good-deal ■ of - Ins . pace,

hut liis bowling provided the necessary variety to Badcock and Merritt-.

REA L LESSON OF THE TEST.

“But now one comes to the real lesson of the tost match, and it was not a. question of fielding, but of catching. Jn fact, the New Zealanders’ ground fielding was quite good throughout the. match. There was a deplorable attack of something late on Saturday afternoon which completely robbed Now Zealand of all chance of winning tho match. Between four o’clock and six o'clock that afternoon four chances wore missed, three of them being simple ones and all occurring at a critical stage in the game, when the New Zealanders were definitely on top with the- Englishmen lighting hard to extricate themselves from what appeared to he an impossible position.

“During tlie tour ol the New Zealanders in England the cables repeatedly referred to the New Zealanders’ fielding, and particularly to their bad catching. Excuses Mere made about the strange light and foreign ground, but here we found, on our own ground, an epidemic < 1 catch-dropping in its worst form, and at the most crucial period of the match.

WAS SORRY FOR LOWRY

“One* felt sorry for Lowry, for he captained the side better than I have over seen him handle it before. He sc-emed to have the knack of knowing just- which batsmen on the English side did not relish our slow howling, and it was quite apparent that more than half of the English side were not- at home to Merritt's slows. Lowry seemed to- be fighting all the time to get Merritt howling at certain batsmen, and sure enough, the catch would come, only to he dropped.

‘This feature of the game remains the only disappointing part of the match from New Zealand’s point of view. They howled and batted splendidly, their ground fielding was good, hut their catching was similar to what one sees in Saturday afternoon cricket. "When one compares this with the soundness of the Englishmen's fielding, it is dear that this is the first lesson we receive from our distinguished visitors, ft almost seems impossible- for Dulecpsinhji to drop a catch. and ho keeps taking two or three every innings. As a matter of fact, our visitors have- hardly dropped a catch in any of the first-class matches the\ have played in New Zealand. THIRD TEST PROSPECTS. “The third test will now be looked forward to- with intense interest” said Air Reese in conclusion, “and if Gilligan. agrees to the council s suggestion of extending it to four days, we- should sec a great struggle for supremacy. II the Now Zealanders perform with bat and ball with anything like the form they showed in YVdlington,- the game will lie lilted to a still higher plane in this country. It must ho remembered, hoxvevor, that a plumb Auckland wcket is probably tho hardest one in New Zealand to; bowl on, and we may find that neither Badcock nor Alcrritt will be as successful as they were in Wellington, and that tlie English fast bowlers, on tlie other hand, may he at an advantage. LAWS OF THE CAME. A NEED FOR REVISIONWHEN IS A WJCIv FT DOWN-' The incident in tlie match between Wellington and the M.C.C. in wliifch Dempster was wrongly given ouc, with other incidents in which the umpires wore concerned in the Canterbury match suggests, alter a careful study of tho rules of the game, that it is time the Laws ol Cricket were- re-written (says the “Christchurch Press”). Alany of them are couched in the language of 50 years ago, though the A1..0.C. has at various times issued interpretations, which are to- ho read with the rules, while other variations are contained i!n the “Instructions to Umpires.” These interpretations and instructions—or, at any rate, many of them—do not usually accompany tlie rules as printed in. scoro books and other places, and not all cricketers are affluent enough to indulge every year in a copy of ’“AYisdon.” This adding to and altering is verv confusing when the alteration is not made in the rule- itself; and in some cases the interpretations and instructions conflict. For instance, under “Instructions to Umpires” there is this:—

In case of interruption from ram, as soon as the rain has ceased, the umpires shall immediately, without further instruction, inspect the wicket, unaccompanied -by any of tlie players. Should it prove unfit, they shall continue to inspect at intervals, until they decide that it is fit for play, when they shall call upon the players to resume" the game.

And, further on: THe, umpires may decide, on appeal from the captains, should the latter disagree, that there is sufficient light for playShould the Tight improve before, the time for drawing stumps they shall, without waiting for instructions, call upon the' playm* B to resume the game. ■ And still ; again: In the event of the captains agreeing as to the condition of the ground or light, the umpires * will,\ so - far, • be * relieved • of

their responsibility. How can tho umpires know where they stand in this respect?

THE DEMPSTER INCIDENT.

Tho Dempster incident in Wellington is an illustration of the imperfect knowledge that players—distinguished ones sometimes—and umpires have of tlie rules. Dempster—if wo may accept the reports —played a hall 'hard on to- the ground, from which it rose over the stumps, dislodging a bail, which, however, remained in the- groove of the stumps. Duleepsinhji saw this, and appealed to the square-leg umpire. That was mistake No. 1, since tlie appeal should have been made to the umpire at the- bonder's end. Mistake No. 2 was made by tho square-leg umpire when lie gave the batsman out, for ho had no jurisdiction. Dempster accepted tho decision, when he Mould have been justified in refusing to go until the proper umpire gave him out. Finally the umpire at tho bowler’s end allowed the batsman to go. though lie himself is reported b> have said that had. ho been appealed to his decisionwould have been “Not out,” as lie did not see Dempster bowled. Probably a good many umpires, and the majority of cricketers, were not aware that a wicket is “broken ’ if any part of a bail is “struck oil, even if t-lio bail falls hack into the groove. Until 1923 Rule 20 read:

“Tho wicket shall he held to be ‘down’ when either of the hails bestruck off, or, if both' .-hails lx: off, when a stump is struck out of the ground.” ’['ho following year. Rule 21, which states that the striker would he out if the wicket is howled down, had a note added which reads:

“The striker would be out under ibis law if any part of either hail is 'struck off’ (see law 20) the top of the wicket. A FINE POINT. Now, this very important alteration has never been made a part of the rule, but has remained a “Note” which has to- be read with the Rule. But in tho Rules as printed in several score books, tho note docs not appear. Jt would probably be sate to say that many umpires, and certainly the great majority of cricketers, were not aware, until the Dempster incident drew attention to it. that this alteration had over been made. In New Zealand it has always been tlie custom that a wicket is not ‘broken’ if the bails remain in position. It must be a fine point for an umpire to have to- decide whether any part of a bail is ‘struck off’ when the bail resumes its position in the groove of the stumps.

Many other instances might be given showing the necessity of revising and consolidating the Rules, and as our friends of tlie M.C.C. are bore now. we hope we shall not he misunderstood if we suggest to t-lic-m that a- revision and re-writing of tho Laws of Cricket is overdue-