CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1921, Page 3

CRICKET.

- —— j I AUSTRALIAN it N.Z. CAIJI.E ASSOCIATION!

MELBOURNE, Jan 21. Hartkop has declined to make the New Zealand tour.

LORD HAWKE’S OPINION

LONDON, Jan 20

Lord Hawke (Ivo llligh) interviewed said: “England has not had the best of luck in the test matches. Ido not say we have got our old side, but our players are not young. Australia discarded most of her old players and her youngsters are evidently pretty good. I am afraid our youngsters are not quite of the same character.” He declined to be drawn into a controversy regarding the English captain’s tactics, but added: “I have something to say regarding players writing criticisms of the play for the newspapers. Just you wait until Tuesday when I shall speak at the annual meeting of the Yorkshire dub. My mind is made up on this point, and when the tost match teams are selected in England this summer, it will not be forgotten.

“Another thing we must put an end to is this disputing of umpires’ decisions. When a man is out leg before, he must stand not in the crease and argue, but take the decision ns final and retire as a true sportsman. On this point, too. more will ho said on Tuesday.”

WARNER’S OPINION. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON. Jan 20

“Plum” Warner writes that the matches against Australia in England are not well arranged. There are too many fixtures against too many weak counties. If the wickets are sticky, Australia will have the hardest job to retain the Ashes. On soft wickets Rhodes and Woolley will dispose of any side under one hundred runs. Gregory and Mai ley are first-class howlers. The former impressed me greatly in 1919. Otherwise, the Australian howling is not of the strongest.