“ UNFAIR CRITICS"

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1923, Page 4

“ UNFAIR CRITICS"

MR .MACI.AUKX INDIGNANT

ENGLISH CRICKET AND SPORTS-: M \.\SlliP. , ! WHY NEW ZEALAND LOST THE - SECOND TEST. , ( Weilington “Dominion.’ ) The reported statements of Colonel .1. C. Hartley, who captained the Eng-,/ lislim. n in the second lest match at Christchurch, which alleged that lie 1 said that elites were adjectivally ig- < norant of the game when they talked of slow cricket, were referred to .Mr A. 0. .AlmLareu on His arrival trom the South Island at the week-end. He made no attempt to conceal his indignation at tiie comment in tin- C lirist- j church “Sun.” “1 was not present when Colonel Hartley made the remarks alleged to him.” 1 ' said the captain, “but from what. 1 have heard and read of it. U was suggested to him that we were an unsportsmanlike side, in that »• played careful cricket on the last day of the Test match, when we were left about ‘-'7O run.-, to get in a huh over two hours. Let me assure you that ( the per.-on that suggested that we could win the match in that time—Uutt wi could score that number ol runs in the time at our disposal- -i- j quite ignorant ol the overage »■ standard rale of scaring in first-class ( ticket, which is approximately a run a minute. •Everything was going will For New /calami until tiie last day. and your batsnu'ii are ("iititled to tin." greatestcomnieiidation for their line stand m tin* lirst innings. When our side lopped them by nine runs in tiie first iuui, tiie proidem hecanti" (lillieult far V w" Zealand. On Cue morning of the third day. I said that tin- team that bowled well would win the match, il it ,-ould be won. But. when, the Now Zealand captain closed lbs innings shortly after the tea adjournment, i knew Lliet victory for either side was impossible. “If the critics are angry that we did not sacrifice our bust batsmen -o that we should Ills'" possibly, in an endeavour to do wliat any oriokeiei regards as an impossibility. why do tliey not parcel out a share of the blame in the delay in startin': the match, when p!av did not < oilmen.'n iiil 2o i lock on the first day f If New Zealand's chain oi winning was jeopardised by wliat tiie critics call- slow cricket, surely ti a' extra two hours might • ute'r al-o into the reckoning. Why did you "oi si,rt the match at lmur ol II o’clock. NKA\ ZE AI AN IV 8 i AIN. "1 do not propose Lo criticise the cs'ptainev of Sneddon, but he mu-: hate loam’ll, as we knew, trial we could not gel the rims be set ns. and i at we v.,a not going (■' throw uwir, our wickets. I asked tiiis question m f'iiristc'nnreh. and they said. ‘Ac nr." afraid of Chapman, if he get.- going. If ] 1,,, v to"k tin" trouble to observe the amount of .wirk Chapman did in i" . tirM iill Hny. ;ni<l 11 >*<■* in walk between overs, from b -."P "X----tra-cuver ~n one sid.e oi the vb'ket ' i b ; , sam: position on the etn.or. tin would know t!i.«t be was t.m tired ” |„. ,‘j.jK'Cted In play a great iioiines. "I’bcv Han ana l licrna ti.-i d NN ilis.m lm .li'!g runs slowly. Wort am I " ... . ~ ti, > They dnn'i trv t" uuders'"an'l that. AViis-.n i' t "Ui P'-raril v of! his '•■nee. nor tlmi it i s »" , l have in every -id. a man lib" him 1 :::l , at, play l lie Kmling fur a long 1 J’" ’ ami content hims."lf with that. "" :l t «... Is ,"f I i’.c soil" demand il.. ( ! ).\ !• ( )l' X i Ji.VG TACT ICS. • li.un d volumes of comment, about - •slew eri-ki"t.’ Iml nothing o’"."' 1 batsim u on the New /.a. a "mi sice mat sh.wiv in the lirst ’I -si miiiHi a- 'Wellington. A-k tims" gentlemen , , i]|j,in hack, and t'm .v W ill be surprised. These critics, by sum prec--of reasoning I>• st known r:> themself, s. , imloimd til," -1 "i liog i-i-l. - "”" tim wil'u il'" i■ i- l a> l1 * f", 11 act cl /■' sportsnuiu-Jiip. Not coni" oi " l ‘" (bat. tiif.y alt-•<••!.• Hurl ley. saying a" lias no crick-. lin him. I hav my '> opinion about Hint. 1 wi"',e to toe |„...|1,-,!l- , ;,.| . of Engii-li cricket, a|,,’,,!''s. ;• ,„1 iold He m that Hartley’s (;!> 1,, ;be .-."colid Te--i match was a magnilieeiil performance, -m b a- tew ii,"ll-1,1! n coil'd have done. i'll tell von some mol"' about Hartley the! may interest these critics. I regard liin', tim most didif nit bat-men ci i !„• side in 'bill. ■‘Tie* southern critic is uniaii" w It. n 1,,. v>v . v.-v Zealand is in-! getting the value Ol lis expensive end", rtakmg in bringing the M .C.C. team ma I com England, be.-a-use ii does not o"parl fiom wiial lm lernis slow eriekel. to educate New /"aland howlers and *>s>■ -- in- a. This i- a very unsportsmanlike - 1 a e'nent- to make. I' it not n 1:1,1 Hint t!„- M.C.C. Inis undertaken to defra.v half <>i any h.s- that may be meuiTed ? Or that all the "j Australia are giving > threiMiuarters of tl.eir prolits on H«o matel.es against the V..V.C. Wliv is that fact deliberately i• r.• ! fj-.im I.]! ' liusiiifr*ss linrl why ll i made to appear Hint the New Zealand ( ricket Council alone i- responsible loi the financial r.-mult ? _ .. ".lUDCE IN ON OCR CRII M-. 1. "\Yn are not liv any mean-, a repres.entat ire English side. There art l" ’- bans, only two player', (-"hson i.nd (o,i,|>iin* n -who would get into an A IIKiiglaml eleven. But lMcnst U'd/' on' the cricket Hutl tlto .team sluiws ■ (;il'soii !-. Liu* nuui who t ouilv tl.c ; fences of the Australian Kiev a b.» beat England in the Tost mate :es x I j.,, .... | |s tin* same 1 ithson " ' ln hruk'i l the d-feno of’the New South , Wales xeam. that included eight pm.' - ; ~,-s of f ;,I An Jraiian M''Ven. V, h” « tlu* criiics discredit h\x bawl- | iug- and uutko it appear that 1 Zealand batsmen should -cere it(;>•.' r, uo i‘ •" AH tiie players of the hug j, in are doing them best, and maiiv of tirnm are very upset at t.unature of the .-riti, i-m lumpcl on . w. '• -land. I toll them that it t--li eiiU-c of a- very natural fiv-Initr, d ’ disappointment that New /'alat.'. • ■ | defeated us. and. frankly, t-ist th criti-'s we have met nre’nol ns cognn!am of the line points <M cricket atiiev are in lhighy. in which the voice of New Zealand critics is li-temd m with respect- in every country. Mr MacLa-ren paused tognet a famous All Black, who was introduced to him. , . ~, “Yes 1 hope very much to he ami U, play in the third Test match m j Wellington,” he said in answer to a question, “hut I do not anticipate nlie i iug in the match against- AA flungton.