WEAK BOWLERS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1932, Page 6

WEAK BOWLERS

MERRITT NEEDED. HERBERT TAYLOR’S VIEW. AUCKLAND, March 8. Herbert W. Taylor, the South African cricketer with seven test centuries to his credit, in the course of an interview before leaving for England by the Aorangi, said: — “1 am inclined to think the results of the two test matches between South Africa and New Zealand were not a fair indication of the standard of play oi the respective countries. Our team had the advantage of having been on tour. The side had settled down and its team work was good. There. is no doubt about that. On the other hand, the New Zealand team had not played together before and consequently its team work was bad.

“The New Zealand bowling,” said Taylor, ‘“was not as good as it might have been. In fact;, the best of the Dominion bowlers was only of medium class. It was unfortunate that the country had lost the services of Merritt, as the New Zealand captain in the * recent matches had little material to work with.

“The fielding of the New Zealand team was definitely not up to international standard. Far too many mistakes were made and the team paid dearly for them. If the fieldsmen took all the catches that came to them they would get their opponents out comparatively cheaply. Good team and field work, as shown by the South Africans, was usually worth somewhere near a hundred runs in an innings. “When the New Zealand bowling and fielding are improved,” Taylor continued, “Ido not see,any reason wily New Zealand should not take her .place, in the international class' with the othre cricketing .countries of the world Until this improvement takes place however, I don’t see how she can.” The batting was good, although perhaps not quite as good as it might be. Footwork meant a grelat deal to a batsman and in that respect some improvement might he shown. Taylor ‘declined to pick out any individual players as likely to go far in the game, but expressed the view that there were a number of the younger men who showed much promise. The wickets in New Zealand, as far as the South Africans had been able to judge, were slow and easy. “They are rather too easy. I am inclined to think,” said Taylor. The tourists had been strdek with the keenness and enthusiasm shown by the average New Zealander, not only for cricket but also for every other sport. Asked how lie though a New Zealand representative team would be received in South Africa, Taylor said ho believed they would he given an excellent reception, but personally he thought the time for such a. tour was not .vet ripe. The bowling and fielding in this country would have to be im-/ proved and it would he better to wait for a few years. A New Zealand team of the present standard visiting Africa might lose the first two or three matches and the tour would suffer Considerablv. £< ln the near future New Zealand will know more of what we call the ‘test atmosphere,’ and a tour then will probably lie more successful,” Taylor, concluded.