CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1924, Page 4

CRICKET.

CRTCKET-TOUR COMMENT. SYDNEY, 'April 3. New Zealanders in Sydney, ns well as the people of the Dominion who did so much to entertain them, resent the disparaging references to their tour, which the Australian cricketers, who returned to, Sydney on Tuesday by the Makurn, are making. “The tour was probably one of the greatest crioketinig farces ever l?erpetrated. Throughout, the standard of play was nearer third-grade than firstclass—and as for the ‘Tests’, calling them such was carrying tlic farce to the extreme.” Such was the opinion expressed by one of the members of the team, printed in a Sydeny newspaepr. It was endorsed by other players. With the exception of a few colts, wlio showed promise, but lacked finish, New Zealand was lamentably weak iti every department of the game, they said. Even then the New Zealand selectors did not make the best of a had liargain, Must of the promising young players were not given a chance in the so-called “tests.” Tlic few young players in the Now South Wales team, instead of improving their play, did the reverse by taking liberties with loose howling which was likely to affect their game when they come to play ideal circket again. As a guide to form for selecting teams to meet the visiting Englishmen next season, the trip, according to the players, proved a wasted effort, tout could never be considered seriously. Tlic keen interest displayed by the New Zealanders in the one-sided games, enabled the tour legcr to balance £IOOO on the right side, as against the £IOOO loss sustained by Maclaren’s team in the Dominion.