CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1930, Page 6

CRICKET

N.Z. 1931 TEAM. TO TOUR ENGLAND. A Wellington scribe is commenting on the coming cricket season says:—The 1930-31 cricket season will be a most eventful one for New Zealand, as during the next six months the team to visit England next year will have to be sorted out. This second pilgrimage to the Old' Land will be a momentous crusade for the Dominion as it will depend upon the manner in which our players shape whbther New Zealand will be raised to Test match states and be privileged to join with England, Australia, and South Africa in battles for the world’s supremacy in cricket. There is no reason why the New Zealand team'should not do really well on English playing fields in 1931. The first combination from the Dominion which visited England in 1927 created a most favourable impression and was commended upon all sides for their sporting style of play. Indeed, several emnent English critics declared that their bright and breezy batting was a delight after .the serious stodgy style of play witnessed in most of the county championship games. The New Zeaand team in 1927 started off brilliantly by hitting up 586 for nine wickets in their opening match, against Martineau’s eleven. Mills (188) Blunt (119), and Dacre (101) gave the spectators a rare treat, and demonstrated early that New Zealand had some batsmen of class.

The New Zealanders followed up their good start by scoring 460 against M.C. C. in their second match, on the. historic Lord’s ground. In this game Dacre 'ir.me to light with another century (107) while Lowry, the New Zealand captain hit up 106, and Blunt and McGirr both passed the half-century. On that tour the New Zealand team played 39 matches, of which 14 were won, five lost, and 20 drawn. This was quite a good record for a maiden tour. BUILDING UP- A TEAM.. The New Zealand selectors will have their hands full this season in building up the team for England. We will not have that brilliant hitter Dacre to delight the English crowds with his hurricane scoring next year. Dacre played so well in E'ngand in 1927 that he was engaged by Gloucestershire and is now a professional with the county, club. But the Dominion has any number oJf promising colts coming along. G. L. Weir (Auckland), N. Gallichan (Manavyatu), S, Newman (Nelson), and A. M. Matheson (Auckland) are among the type of youthful all-rounders from whom New Zealand could build up a really good side. VALUE OF FIELDING. The great weakness of the first New Zealand team which visited England was its faulty fielding, and the selectors should see to it that no one is included in the team who cannot move fast and hold on to chances when they come along. New Zealand is fortunate in that a first-class bowler has at last been unearthed. This is Blundell, who during his term at Cambridge University was acknowledged by the critics to be one of the best amateur bowlers in the county ■championship, and did better for the University than M. J. C. Allom, who ,was selected to tour Australia and New Zealand with the M.C.C. team last season. I consider that Blundell would do excellently on English wickets ana another bowler who would be in his element on English turf is Gilhochan, who might easily turn out a second Hornibrook. But it is not much good having able bowlers if the fieldsmen will not support them by holding the catches that come along. . It does not do to give batsmen such as Duleepsinghji, Sutcliffe and Hammond more than one strike, and this is what happens every time a catch is dropped. Young Merritt little dreamed in 1927 that lie would be called upon at. a moment’s notice to leave Christchurch with the New Zealand team for England. But he did so, and still in his teens, proved the star bowler of the tour, capturing 173 wickets at an average of 19.31 per wicket. Merritt, if available, will make his second trip to England next; year, aS, apart from his outstanding ability as a slow bowler, he is a really good batsman, and a smart fieldsman. AN ABLE LEADER. " In one respect, New Zealand is singularly fortunate, and that is in possessing a leader who can compare favourably with any cricket captain in the game to-day. Of course, Tom Lowry is the man, and his generalship alone is worth a hundred runs to his side. As captain of Cambridge University and a member of the Somerset County team, he has an intimate knowledge of English play and players, which was re freshed by his tour of England with the New Zealand team in 1927.