CRICKET AT HOME

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1931, Page 3

CRICKET AT HOME

CANTERBURY TOURISTS.

TALK ON EXPERIENCE. (Christchurch Times). A talk by members of the New Zealand cricket team was given in the Chamber of Commerce Hall on Saturday evening, when there was a largo attendance of those interested in the game. Messrs M. L. vice-captain of the side, W. E. Merritt and 1. B. Gromb spoke, while Messrs R. 0. Talbot and J. L. Kerr were also present. Mr D. llbe.se presided until his departure for another engagement and then Mr C. S. Thompson took the chair.

At the opening of the meeting the chairman referred to the presence oi Mr A. T. Donnelly, who had been with the team for the greater part of the tour. His visit was going to be a big thing for New Zealand, declared Mr Reese, for Mr Donnelly liad revived personal friendships established by the late Mr Heathcote-Williams Sir Fran 's Bell and other leaders of the game.

Peebles* Disappointing. After traversing the tour in some detail, Mr Page liad some remarks to make on various players. He' stated that lie was disappointed with Peebles as a bowler. He sent down liis googly all the time and the batsman only had to wait for the bad ball. Both Henrne and Hendren had slipped in the last four years, while J. C. White had lost all his devil and length and admitted that the hardest year’s work in his life was done in Australia, where lie put up such a great performance. Mr Page s first impression of Hammond was disappointing, for in the Gloucester match he had been merely content to keep his wicket up. In the same game they had met Parker, who was still a good bowler, although his arm was right down now. He had the pace of Bellamy, of Sydenham, and tried to spin every ball. Larwood, who was built on about the same lines as the speaker, got a surprising amount of pace. He was very fair and howled at the wicket all the time. He laid about four slips and they stood back about a chain with the wicket-keeper. Sam Staples, who had fielded to him in the slpis, had stated that he had in the last four years broken all his fingers through fielding there.

Bakewell Impressive. Bakewell the young Northants player, had been impressive, batting in the real aggressive Australian style. For the first test, although Larwood was missing, critics stated that England had its finest side in the field. The selectors had believed that Tate was past his best, but lie later proved himself to be still the best medium pace bowler in England. In that game Dempster had played a great innings, although he had arrived back from Holl'and at midnight the dad before and had not seen a grass wicket for some time. Robins had been faced in that game and showed himself to be a great bowiter when he sent down his good ball, but he bowled a lot of loose ones. Jardiue .had , been riticised for r. -t forcing Ihe game, but he could hardly be blamed, as It was his first match and he could not afford to lose. He was one of the lines! players in England and, though slow, was very hard to get out. Woolley wtis in great form for the test and on the day no bowler in tin* world could have bowled to him. Ames had ai'so shown himself to be - one of the best professional batsmen of the "oreefu.r type. For it wicket-keeper he hatted really well. In the Yorkshire side the New Zealanders had struck me of the finest sides in England, declared Nlr Page, and he had never seen •i team work together so well. Lancashire, in Id don and Hopwood, had two ordinary left-hand length bowlers, but they proved a fine example of how length bowlers could keep batsmen quiet on a plumb wicket.

Hobbs in Own Class. Mr Page said that Tate was the finest bowier he had ever played against. He took a five or six yards ran and hrcl a fine, free action, coming through so fast that it was almost impossible to play back to him. In addition he did a b : t 'in the air and on the wicket. Hobbs was still the great player he had been for many years and, although he did not have some of his former punch, on the occasion on which he made a century against the Dominion side he made Sutcliffe look a different class player altogether. The bowlers could not bowl to him and he hit Merritt everywhere. It was a fine thing to see Hobbs at the age of fortyseven make 150.

It was a wonderful compliment to be offered three tests, added Mr Page, but they were definitely good enough for one test. When they found they had to play' two more they became just a bit worried for they had done so well that they thought they must crash somewhere. However, the team had a wonderful Press and had been treated just like an Australian side.

England’s Bowlers. - Dealing with bowlers Mr Merritt said that- Macaulay, of Yorkshire, had been a fine trundler for many years and used all the tricks of the trade. 'Robins sent down an occasional good ball but was not found to be particularly dangerous. Jupp, with off-breaks and a fine length, was one of the cleverest bowlers of the lot; but an occasional piayer named Partridge, of Warwickshire, was one of the best bowlers they had met. He did practically everything and if he kept at the game was considered to be a eef-

tainty for the English side. However, he was manager of a firm and did not get much cricket. Marriott, a slow to medium leg-break bowler of great accuracy, who bowled off hiisi' heel, was another line bowler who appeared only occasionally. He had a peculiar action, tying himself into:'a knot and thumping his back while delivering the bail. Both Barratt and Nichols had deteriorated and AI loin .was down to half pace hoping for snicks /into slips. Root, although lie had lost the nip he used ,to have, was one of the best and sti 1. swung a great deal at a pace lastei than anything in Christchurch.

Larwood bowled nearly as fast as Macdonald -in his prime and a good length, lie was without doubt England’s hope in Australia next year and England knew it. Alien was very erratic ail'd easily rattled, so that lie had little chance of appearing in Australia. ' :■■■•'

Lowry’s Captaincy. “Another outstanding feature of the tour from a playing point ol view, said Mr Donnelly, “was the captaincy of T. C. Lowry. He covered the weakness of our bowling with great skill and lie displayed almost supernatural ability in placing the .field. Lowry is recognised, in England as being a. captain of the highest class and it is not too much to say that if he were playing in England he would he captaining the side to. tour Australia this season. He is ahead of any of ,the. captains playing at Home to-day. Mr Donnelly said the weather was the worst that had been experienced in England for many years. Ah county clubs had : suffered severely in. their gate returns. At the Oval usually about £12,000 were taken for the season, but last year the takings were only £4OOO. The team, he said, had proved to be an excellent draw with the public, and if only there had been ordinarily good weather, the tour would have shown a substantial profit. As' it was, however, he was afraid there would he a loss. The gross gate takings had amounted to £BOOO.