CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1932, Page 2

CRICKET

M.C.C. V. COMBINED ELEVEN. VERITY’S FINE BOWLING FEAT. (Australian tress Association.) PERTH, October 30. The rain held off for tire cricket match, a stiff south-westerly wind drying tire wicKet for tae resumption of play between the Englishmen and the Combined Australian team. - The wick-eit, however, was stiff very soft. The Australians only made- 159 in the first innings arid in the s'eco-nd scored 139 runs for four wickets. Bradman only scored 13 runs iu .his two innings to-day. ■t Bradman in the first innings was dismissed for three runs by a wonderful catch taken by Hammond, who held th-e’baff, althougli he fell m doing so. Verity, the English bowler, was brilliant on the wet wicket,' lie making the ball rise on the pitch. He took >six wickets for 23 runs in the first innings, the. sticky wicket eminently suiting him. Later, his figure stood at seven wickets for 37, including Bradman’s wicket gained with his first -ball. The Combined team’s first innings provided a procession. Bradman in his first essay got a. two off his first ball and a single from the next one. He deflected his first hall from Verity off the bat to second slip, where Hammond was waiting.

McCabe alone outplayed the English bowlers. He was only striking the loose- ories. In the second innings Allen was given the bowling. Here Bradman again failed. He was apparently uncomfortable on the sticky wicket, and he gav e an easy catch to the Nawab of Pataudi.

In the second innings the wicket was improving, and this gave Fingleton an opportunity, from which he rattled up a sparkling half century, but, generally, the display of the Australian batsmen throughout- was disappointing, and it was no criterion of the merits of the players. The attendance was 20,000. The. gate for the -day; was worth £1,590. The Englishmen leave to-night for Adelaide. The scores were: COMBINED AUSTRALIANS—‘First Innings. Richardson, c- Sutclffe, .-b Verity 27 Fingleton, c Duckworth, b Verity 29 Bradman, c. Hammond, b Verity 3 McCabe, b Paynter ... 43 Lonergan, c Duckworth, b Verily 10 Hill-Smith, c Jardin-e, b Verity ... 17 Bryant, c Mitchell, b Verity ... 0 Lovelock, c Hammond, h Mitchell 11 Evans, c Allen, b Verity 0 Martin, st. Duckworth, b Mitchell 1 Ha 1 combe, not out ... 1 Extras 17 Tbtal ... 159 Bowling nnnlysif?: Verity 7 for 37, Mitchell 2 for 37, Paynter 1 for none. COMBINED' AUSTRALIANS— Second Innings. Richardson, b Allen ... 0 Fingleton, not out 53 Bradman, c Pataudi, b Allen ... 10 Lonergan, b Payniter 23 Hill-Smith, o Duckworth, b Ames 32 Bryant, not cut ;. ... 12 Extras 9 Total for four wickets 139

DON BRADMAN’S "DOWNFALL.” SYDNEY, October 30. A London message- to the “Sydney l3it.ii” says: The London “Evening News” thus expresses its delight at Don Bradman’s downfall:— “Verity, the demon bowler, has terrorised the Australians. Don Bradman—the mighty Bradman, the cricketing idol of Australia—stands revealed as an idol with feet of clay! Bradman, the ‘scoring machine,’ ‘nonstop Bradman,’ who ‘can’t he howled,’ mad© 13 run's in two- innings!” SHEFFIELD SHIELD QUEENSLAND’S UTTER COLLAPSE jEWtSB'ANE’ October''3o: '.- ' In tlie Sheffield . Shield match- • !IC'V , _ ' : .. 1 tori a in the first innings scored ooZ. O’Brien was not out 145. Darling scored 185.

In the bowling, Oxenhwm took four for 95. Queensland in the first innings were all out for 54. The top scores were thirteen each by Cook and Gough respectively. . Jin the bowling Floetwnod-Smith took six for 22 and Ironmonger four for nine. Queensland in theiir second innings had -loot two for 42 at the end of the day. Gough was not out 16 and Hansen not out 6. GRIMMETT’S injured ankle. ADELAIDE, October 19. -Grimmeitt’s injured ankle is not improving as quickly as was expected. Ho has not resumed practice yet, and is unable to say when foe will do iso. There is some doubt' whether lie will recover in time' to play against the Englishmen in Adelaide. RAID ON PLAYERS. MR REESE’S STRONG PROTEST

CHRISTCHURCH, October 29. Serious concern is felt in New Zealand at the continued exodus of leading Dominion players to England as a result of overtures by League clubs in. Lancashire. Mr D. Reese, president of the New Zaland Cricket Association, made the following comment this; morning: “For some considerable time I have been tempted to express views that I am sure must be shared by many people in this Dominion. When' the first New Zealand cricket team went to England, who thought that within five years four of our leading players would have been enticed to take up positions in Engand and thus greviously defeat the whole purpose of such tours? The latest■ overtures to a fifth New Zealand player must compel the attention'of the ' authorities of the game. ! :

“Apart from U 1 other considerations which are serious enough in themselves, the monetary cost to New Zealand is an important 'matter, With Merritt and Blunt each having two tours to England, and Dacro and Cromb one each, all at the expense of the New Zealand Cricket Council and its supporters, it is safe to say that the total cost of these four players alone was not less than £SOOO. It surely cannot be expected that this exodusi should be expected to continue unchecked. Less than a year ago the New Zealand Cricket Council, with pr.'iaoworthy courage, took steps to protech New Zealand cricket, and it now appears imperative that the Can" terbury Cricket Association should take some action to protect Canterbury cricket. INTERMEDIARY AT WORK.

“It is intolerable that a New Zealand player should act as an intermediary for Lancashire League Clubs. The strongly developed commercialism of the Lancashire Rugby League and the Lancashire Cricket League, with the unabashed enticement of leading players from! various parts ,of the world, is not only totally out of keeping with the ideas that have governed our national games until now, but constitutes a menace to the national standards and prestige of cricket and Rugby in every part of the Empire. “Most people will agree that something sliould be done to protect the game in this country from the grasping policy, of Lancashire, the only county in England that makes a practice of seducing young men away from allegiance to their own country’s cricket or Rugby. One could say much 'by way of warning to young players, for disappointment awaits those who see nothing but bright colours in the picture.

“With such results following two tours of Engand, it is inevitable that the New Zealand Cricket Cr-incil should review the question of cricket tours , atyro.ad. ~.lf tliesg looses i persis* there will be no alternative .but for tlib council to consider extending ,the time between English tours and placing greater reliapp.p.,, on Australian tours.”

MERRITT’S REPLY. The suggestion that he had acted as an intermediary in getting New Zealand players into the Lancashire Lea ft lie was denied b.v Mr W. E. Merritt this morning. “I have been in no way instrumental in persuading players to go t,o England,” lie sa : d. “Daring my term with the league, 1 lectured on New Zealand cricket, and whatever the League has dono is no fault of mine.”

Mr Merritt explained that he received tho cablegram to A. W. Roberts simply because the League knew bis ijddress and did not know Roberts’ address.

Mr Merritt quoted the case of Roger Blunt, who went to England to build up the New Zealand side in the full knowledge that he would lose his job here by doing so. The New Zealand Council was unable to help him, and the consequence was that he had to return to England to earn a living.

“The New Zealand Council cannot put bread and butter in my mouth,” said Mr Merritt. “I have my own way of doing things, and have found it a profitable way. These times are not liko ordinary times.” A NECESSITY. Air Merritt declared that he was sorry to seo players from New Zealand going r.way, hilt it was a necessity in ' most cases. There was nothing in ,’jS'eW Zealand to hold a player, and, ‘unless theru was something, he could forsee that players would continue to he asked to go, and would continue going. His own feeling was that he did net want to go away, birt by going ho had an opportunity to better his business and aslo to better his cricket. The improvement in his cricket was, incidentally of direct benefit to New Zealand cricket as a whole, because on his rctirn to this country he spread his knowledge. “It is to be regretted that one has to go to England to earn a salary,” said Mr Merritt. Mr T. 81. Cromb said that before the players in the last team went to England they were required to sign an agreement, a member of the New Zeaand Council explaining that this was necessary after the loss to New Zeaand of Daere. The council did not want to undertake the expense of sending a man to England and then lose him.

PROFESSIONALISM. “So far as Merritt and myself are concerned, we have not broken that .greement,” Mr Cromb continued. “We have returned here for the New Zealand season, and our experience in England makes us more valuable to New Zealand cricket. A number of chose in control of cricket object on the grounds of professionalism, but half of the players in New Zealand are professionals. I was one six years ■go when I received a small sum for coaching Boys’ High School. The whole thing is ridiculous.” Mr Cromb concluded by saying that he and Merritt gave up a lot of their time coaching secondary schools, without any remuneration.

OFFICIAL’S VIEW.

“Mr Reese’s letter is a timely and valuable one calculated to draw public attention to a very real danger that is arising in connection with our best players,” said Mr E. R.Caygill, chairman' of the New Zealand Cricket ouncil. “There is no doubt a- growing feeling of. extreme disappointment at. this aspect amongst those people who have supported the council in sending the two sides to England. “What is the use of going to ah the bother end incurring the very heavy financial risks experienced with such tours if the ultimate feature is to be that our leading players are to be atracted from us?” asked Mr Caygill. Mr Caygill said that the latest development in the form of an offer by i. League club to A. W. Roberts bad served to show to what extent the practice of asking players' to take up positron in Eingland could cheep in. Mr Reese had done a real service to cricket by drawing attention to the matter so plainly and so well. “From the council’s point of view the whole question is beiiig watched as carefully as possible under the circumstances,” said Mr Caygill. DACRE’S COMMENT. AUCKLAND, October 29. Interviewed to-day, Mr C. C. Dacre said that he was fully in sympathy with the views expressed by Mr Reese in his opinion that New Zealand players should be given every opportunity to delcvop their game, whether in the Dominion or abroad, and that subsequently their services should be availab’e for the benefit of New Zealand cricket.

“We have plenty of good young players here,” suid Mr Dace, parti cularly batsmen, and what is chiefly needed is coaching by players of experience, particularly in other branches of the game.”