CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1931, Page 5

CRICKET

THE NEW ZEALAND TOUR. HAMPSHIRE MATCH. RAIN PREVENTS PLAY. (Special to Press Association). LONDON, July 27. Owing to heavy rain yesterday, the ground was unfit for a,' resumption of play this morning. BOURNEMOUTH, July 27. Owing to heavy showers throughout the afternoon there was no play in the cricket match New Zealand v. Hampshire. , THE TEST TEAM. . LONDON, July 25. The test team will be:—D. R. JARDINE (Surrey), captain K. S. DULE'EPSINHJI (Sussex) I. A. R. PEEBLES (Middlesex) H. SUTCLIFFE (Yorkshire) W. R. HAMMOND (Gloucestershire) M. W. TATE (Sussex) L, E. G. AMES' (Kent) A. H. BAKEWELL (Northamptonshire) ’ H. VERITY (Yorkshire) F. R> BROWN (Cambridge Univer. sity) G. 0. ALLEN (Middlesex) R. J. GREGORY (Surrey), twelfth man. THE SECOND TEST. COMMENT ON TEAM; LONDON, July 27. Exceptionally keen interest is centred in the test at the Oval. The England side, finally selected, is stronger than the first test eleven. The inclusion of Tate undoubtedly strengthens the attack. The New Zealanders have not yet met a right medium bowler who has proved troublesome. It is generally admitted that Tate is still in a class by himself. Larwood’s absence owing to injury is most unfortunate. On his bowing form earlier in the season, no England team is complete without him. English critics again generally commend the selection. Several express the opinion that a left-hainded batsman would improve the side. Levison-Gower inthe “Morning Post” says that with Chapman and Leyland out of - form,-Woolley should have played again. • - ' One or two changes are passible in the New Zealand test side. 1 Vivian deserves a place on his recent batting form. His,, bowling, has -also • proved most useful in County matches. : Allen has been selected to fill the eleventh place in the English Test side. His inclusion certainly strengthens the bowling. DEMPSTER’S STRAIN. (Received -this day at 10.15 si.m.) W LONDON, July 27. Dempster’s strain is not yet yielding to treatment and .'it -is most ' Unlikely that he will be fit for Wednesday’s test. LEADING PLAYERS^ LONDON, July . 26. Leaders in kite' cricket averages are : BATTING.

BOWLING.

.The announcement that 11. W. Tate, the Sussex and England bowler, is to play against New Zealand in the second Test match is very interesting, for the visitors will be meeting for the first time' the-best; howler England has possessed since, the .War. He is now 36 years of age, the same age as Sutcliffe, and therefore carnot yet he considered 1 too old for Test -cricket. The Australians expressed the opinion, after last year’s tour, that Tate could not be left out of the next English side 'to visit Australia. Since the 1924-25 series, Tate’s record in Test cricket has been remarkable, hut especially in the gruelling unlimited time matches in Australia, mere statistics, good as thev 'are, give no adequate measure of Tate’s value to the English sides. ■ His tireless howling earned the admiration of 'the Australians, with -whom he was immensely popular. In the 1924-25 Test matches, Tate took more wickets in one series than any bowler has done before or since. His 38 wickets cost only 23 runs npiece. He enjoyed no such success in later series, hut took 13 wickets at an average of 29 (more than any other English bowler} in 1926, 17 at" an average of 40 in 1928-29, and 15 at an average of 38 last season. From 1922 to 1929 he-scored ovhr 1000 runs, . and took over 100 wickets each season (three times ■ his number of wickets exceeding 200). liaist year lie failed by 200 runs to achieve the distinction for the ninth time. Tate is a stylish batsman, whose guiding principle is attack. He howls at a little over medium pace, swings either wav, sometimes breaks back from the off, and has a propounced nip off the pitch.

Avge.. Sutoliffe ... ... , .83.36 Patnudi ... .. .-. ; 83. Do Jarditie ... 1 .. . ... 76.45 Dempster ... .. ... 61.95 Hendren ... .. . ... ,58.93 Parsons ... '.. ... 58.92 Woolley ... .. . . ... 54.67 Duleepsinhjl ... ’52.88 Hobbs ... 49.53

Avge. Larwood . ... 10.79 Verity ... .. . ... 12.19 Lowry . ... 13.50 Tate . ... 14.35 Root ... ,. ... 14.50 Parker i. 14.78 Ereeman ... .. . ... 15.10 R. Tyldesley .. . ...' 15.27