GILLIGAN’S TEAM

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1930, Page 2

GILLIGAN’S TEAM

M.C.C. TOUR OF DOMINION. LIVELY PICTURES. tCHE BOOK OF THE TWO MAURICES A book of exceptional interest to all New Zealanders, especially cricketers, is “The Book of the Two Maurices. The M.C.C. Australasian Tour, 1929-30, ■which is published by E. Allom and Co., Laurence Poutney Hill, London. Mr M. J .Turnbull, an ex-captain of Cambridge University, and at the present time captain of Glamorgan,, is the “little Maurice” of the partnership of- authors Mr M. J. C. Allom, a member of the Cambridge sides of 1927 and 1928 and this year’s vice-captain for Surrey, being the “big Maurice.” The captain of the M.C.C. team, Mr A. H. H. Gilligan, in a modest introduction, speaks for the “honesty and sincerity of the book,” an opinion which, we think, will be confirmed by New Zealanders who met the-authors when they were out here. Some of the matches are described bv “Big Maurice,” others by “Little Maurice:” Some Impressions of Wellington. Passing over the experiences of our visitors in Australia, where they 1 crammed nineteen days of cricket into journeying of over four thousand miles, ” playing five matches, out of which two were won, two lost, and one drawn, we come to “Big Maurice’s” impress* ions of Wellington and the first match in which the Home player met thosp of New Zealand. “Big Maurice” spe&fcs highly of our picturesque harbour, the warmth of the quayside, and - Town Hall reception, and pays a great compliment to those who prepared .the Basin .Reserve ground.

The turf, says “Big Maurice,” “.was an excellent one for a three T day matcji.” At a dinner given by Sir Francis. Bell, president of the Wellington Cricket Club, the team -met Major Boyle, Dr. Collins, and David Collins, his son, a double Blue.

After the match there was a big dinner given by the New Zealand Cricket Council, at which the mayor, “a Methodist parson,” “inquired tenderly after Cecil Rhodes, and Yorkshire’s position in the championship table.” Palmerston North and Marton. Palmerston, where the “enormous beflowered square” attracted attention, came next. A note on the match is that “many of our opponents were young lads, under twenty; this is undoubtedly the right policy. Also, playing against us, was a sterling engine driver who preferred in between spells or driving to play cricket rather sleep.” At. Marton an outstanding feature of the match “was the batting of Gamer-, on against our - attack.” He made 3i| for Rangitikei, in the second local inn- | ings, and “lie watches the ball care-| fully.” I Meanwhile, after the Palmerston match “Little Maurice” and some of ! the others enjoyed a good day’s racing at Trentham, where they found the arrangements greatly to their liking, and “all but backed a 14 to 1 winner at the start.” The Wellington Test. The Wellington Test match drew a - big crowd on the Saturday—l2,ooo— and resulted in a draw. The match : was noticeable by a total absence of rain—for the first time during the tour, i “Little Maurice,” chronicling this | match, says: “New Zealand can look ' backoff this match with, pride; she lmd tridd conclusions with an English team of almost .representative strength, for the first time in her history, and had come off with the better of the argu- ' ment.” . . j But .the visitors all thought that “•McGirr would have been a better sei 1 Action than McLeod; on the fast Wellington wicket, Tow Lowry had to rely on Dickinson alone as a bottler of any • pace j and ; at Wellington McGirr was always a different man to when playing anywhere else.” i “Little Maurice” .devotes special atI tention to the team’s mortal combat I with New Zealand’s s&cond eleven, led •by the supposedly immortal Martin ■ Luekie, the. scene of the encounter being the Wellesley Club.

This first match was drawn, the scores being: M.C.C., 166 and 293;, Wellington, 241 and 159 for . nine wickets. “Big Maurice” says: “Nicholls only wanted a single snorter from him to finish off the match, but he could not produce it.” : ■; The bowling of Badcock impressed the visitors. “James did some clever things behind the stumps,” and Tom’ Lowry, although too short .of practice to make runs himself, “captained li.is • side admirably.” Of various sporting and social experiences “Big Maurice” writes in appreciative terms. Evidentlv the team was much impressed-by its first New Zealand experience. I I i i !

Masterton and Napier Masterton—another drawn game Parson Blamires’ batting is praised and the verdict on the whole match was that it was ■ << tlie' most exciting two-day match of \ the whole tour. “ Massey’s fine batting and howling ' are praised by “Big Maurice,” and the visitors evidently had a good time ! with everybody. : : At Napier .“the wicket was just perfect,'easily the best we experienced in New Zealand.” The team’s experience of Napier ended by a very good dinner 1 given by Heathcote Williams at the Hawkes Bay Club, the table “laden ; with rb&es and fruit, and napery pure ' as the subw,” | Thence on to Rotorua by motor. A great description of the Huka Falls— I this book is enough to bring n good 1 many tourists to New Zealand—and poon to Rotorua, to the sights of ! “Whaka” ,and jts wonders—with fli big compliment to Guide Rangi—and at last three days’ rest at Auckland where “Big Maurice” has to chronicle a fiasco owing, a good deal, to the rain which ended, by stopping play. But the team enjoyed Auckland, though they are daring enough to say that the much vaunted Ellerslie racecourse, despite its lovely gardens, is a “bit. finnickyfrom a racing point of view.” . . ■

Sunny Nelson.

At Nelson where the team, were presented with guide books, "ptovihg beyond all doubt that Nelsons avfefage of sunshine for the past five years W&S eight hours per day, which- made her the Sun Bath Champion of the Band”, our visitors were struck by it ‘'essentially as a haven whither the weary and aged would come to rest from their labors.” Here “Little Maurice” describes the Bishop as “the kindliest of men and a tremendous supporter of the noble game.” Newman’s bowling for Nelson, which “swung in disconcerting fashion” (he possessed the-usual left hander’s break back) is eulogised. Next to Blenheim, and thence by Kaikoura to Christchurch, which they found" a typical English university, city, attended the Cathedral, service, and played a match on Christmas Day, which was largely spoiled by raih -and resulted in a draw, once again. : . v . From Christchurch the. .tea,in.. jouh-: neyed south to.. Timaru and , Dunedin. The umpiring in the.. South Canterbury, match is characterised, as .“extremely, good.” This was the first win : to : the visitors’ credit. Gilligan, “Duleep./’i and Smith had gone off to Mount- Cook, and when the result was telephoned to the skipper, “Little Maurice.” was greeted with the alarming news that Harold had fallen down. a crevasse and that' Duleep had had to run four miles to procure a ropel.lt was one.of .Smith’s many little jokes.' ’ Scotsmen’s Grandstand. Trout-fishing excursions, and then to Dunedin, which “amazed us; it ►was so delightfully Scotch.” At Carisbrook Oval, “Little Maurice” says there .is a “unique stand, where Scotsmen worthy of the name may sit on natural seats and enjoy a perfect view of the cricket for nowt.” V, ••v----“Once,” he says, “they tried sending Tip a collection box, and cleared the hill in a trice; next time it came.back full of buttons and tinfoil.” That, of course is “Little Maurice’s” own joke. In the Far South, In describing the Southland match, “Big Maurice” waxes ironically satirical at the expense of one . “Velio,” a local critic, who said that M.C.C. batting “was dogged rather than masterly.” and trusted that the Southlanders “would show their visitors and the home crowd how cricket could be played when they went to the wickets the next day.” t

New Zealand Cricket

V- (fhe criticism ;t>n New Zealand pricket by- “Roth of fis” should do us good. - ‘.‘The standard of play and everything connected with the game in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch quite astonished us, being well up to the best English standard. Dunedin, alas, we onlv saw in the rain.

The following are picked as being the side which might have gone to England this summer had only such a trip been arranged: T. ,C. Lowry (captain), Wellington; C. Alleott (Auckland), M. L. Page (Canterbury), C. S. Dempster (Wellington), M. Blunt (Otago), F. T. Badcock (Otago), W. Merritt (Christchurch), G. L. Weir (Wellington)) J. Mills (Auckland), H. B. Maissey (Wellington), H. D. Gillespie (Auckland}, H. G. Vivian (Auckland).

“I hope,” ways "Big Maurice,,” "that' ‘Velio’ was satisfied when Southland managed to score 19 run« for five wick r ets in the hour before’lunch.” ' | "Little Maurice” had to cut out the | sarcastic words lie had written in his , diary concerning the "dryness” of the far south. First Test Match. The first Test match was played at Christchurch, and resulted in a win for the M.C.C. by eight wickets. "Little Maurice” warmly praises Lowry’s captaincy, and was at first puzzled by tho palpable hostility of the crowd to him. At first it was thought because of Lowry wearing a blue cap instead of a New Zealand one, but "it was not, a Cambridge ‘Blue’ he wore, but the cap pf his local side at Mowhango.”

Finally the visitors say : * “Yes, it is grand to be in a position to report that cricket in New Zealand flourishes apace, the enwds were, enthusiastic wherever we went, and in many plnces new records at the gates were set up. The majority of our opponents are young men, clean, slim and active ; few sides are without a left-hand bowler.”