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Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1927, Page 2

Ik New Zealand the third biggest country on the world's cricket map ? The “Evening Post’s” special contributor. Colonel Phillip Trevor, virtually

says “yes.” and New Zealanders are entitled, liv tho events of tile English summer, to agree with him. “Only Australia,” he writes, “lias sent here a side better in halting than the present New Zealand side.” Of course, hatting is not the whole game, bill it is the mateli-winiiiii'! department, of Uw game, and it is the department ill whiih the 111 oral element is decisive. Until recent years, in nothing was New Zealand cricket so woefully deficient as batting. The New Zealand batsman of i ho past was passive instead of aggressive; his was the attitude of defence instead of attack; difficulties of climate and of wicket had impressed 011 him a- paralysing caution the euro of which required seine sort of moral revolution. And such a revolution is just "hat the New Zealand- batsmen in the Old Country have I‘dhSuminnted. They have done- more than demonstrate a now tactical superiority; they have also broken an evil k]k>ll. and have introduced into New Zealand batting a. new spirit—the spirit of ntla.ek and conquest. Tho playing history of thirty or forty years had proved that the batsmen were much more desperately iii need of a. new morale than the bowlers were in need of higher skill; and the tremendous advance attendant, mi the former achievements far outweighs any disappointment temporarily attaching to the bowling or fielding. The pl-iiioi)ial hurdle has been rlorilvd, and young material «Vii be schooled to deal with the other hurdles. This 1927 tour has set the batting tradition that was vitally needed. Ti. has also set nyar the door to Empire cricket of Test status.