AT the WICKETS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12617, 30 November 1926, Page 11

AT the WICKETS

Tile generality ot enthusiasts are ( looking forward to the forthcoming cricket festival anti hoping to have their anticipations satisfied with the tare offering. Critics, old and young, able and otherwise, are picking W ellington teams, discussing merits- ond demerits of players, arguing warmly just as their likes and dislikes dictate, and generally coining to the conclusion that the selector, Mr lien. Tucker, has no sinecure. • . . * A great deal is made of tile fact that there is a wealth of talent to choose from, and that tho riches are likely to prove an embarrassment. A good nianv anticipations have been made public, but one can see the hand of the amateur, so to speak: some of these selections have been weak in bowling, some in fielding, and some have not, the batting strength they ought. talent not unlimited* When all is said and written, there is not such a vast amount of talent available, and one clear fact stands out i that is, some of the stalwarts of the past are dead put of form at present, and to include them is purely a speculation. Again, one or two colts have been showing exceptional ability in the cup matches, and in the minds of some their inclusion also will bp a gamble. Where it becomes a question of the wisdom Of picking an able youngster, who might become a star of the first magnitude, before a veteran who has done fairly well, but whose powers are waning, then this writer is for the youngster. Examples ad naufceam might be quoted as to youligsters passed over who have given the Wise men a unstv jolt afterwards. • a - During tho past few years our el'ieliet has become absolutely funereal, and the rate of scoring has been about 00 to 60 runs an hour. Half-volleys have been patted back to the bowler or to mid-off, and a long hop on the W-icket hat been treated with the utmost care Batsmen stay in for hours and never seen! to get ahead of tile bowling: they play with the meticulous care shown while scoring the filst 20. • • * • One Cali understand a man suffering from some sort of physical disability being Unable to dontinate the bowling, but the way some of oiir batsmen play is enough to make the gods weep. Any man who cannot hit long-hops and half-volleys as they should be hit is not an accomplished player and cannot claim to be such. » * • • THE ’KEEPER Enough of complaining, let us to the job of making our selection. First, there is the wicketkeeper to he chosen. There are three men one might consider for the post, namely, Lowry, Tattersall, and James. Lowry is a first-class bats mail, no doubt the best in the area of selection, and one could play him purely as a batsman. That leaves Tattersall and James to deal with. Tattersall handles the ball better than James, and has the better hands; on those grounds we pick him as wicketkeeper. BOWLERS SCARCE Now for the bowlers. Here at anyrate there is no excess of riches. Badcock is in good form this year and is the best we have. Brice must be considered, and though a veteran still seems to be equal to anyone in Pur own district. On a good wicket Btan i» quite plain, but where the wicket will take spin, then he is decidedly Use ful. Brice has a weakness at times and that is that his length is Pot always as good as it might be. « # « • This, then, gives ns two slow howlers and variety in paoe is needed. Th«

best fast bowler available should b< chosen, and he must be able to stand up to work. There is only one ill sight and that is Henderson, and al lie is left-handed it will make up for the lack of tho extra yard of pace which is the essential in fast bowling. There mtisft be yet another bowler, preferably of medium pace. For this we have McGirr, Holland, Newman, and Bernaii to choose from. It might be that Holland or Newman could be played in place of Henderson, but pace would be sacrified. McGirr is straight up and down, but for a few overs will do as a change: When ift proper form Bernau is the most dangerous of the lot, but he has his off days, too. As McGirr is useful with the bat he will go in. # * * » GOOD BATSMEN | On coming to the batting w© find some good men available who have been well tried out. Fielding must b© considered in picking teams, and if the bowlers are to get men out they must be helped by the fieldsmen. Many a man can make 40 or 50 with the bat but they Will be lost by bad work in the fielding, and with this consideration! added w© make our selection of batsmen. Hiddleston, Worker, Dempster, Lowry, and Hollings would make a Formidable sextette for any bowlers to encounter. Hiddleston, Worker, and Dempster have been most successful in past seasons, and all are getting runs this year. Lambert is a very good bat, and is shaping well at present. Lowry’s record in first-class cricket is excellent, and oil his form for Cambridge is the best bat in the side. * # « * Hollihgs has made a sheaf of runs and plays like a thorough cricketer: at the same time he can bowl a useful ball. MfiGirfr, as was stated, when discussing the bowling, is useful with the bat atid is liable to knock up 50 at any time, especially when the edge iB off the bowling. It is a pity he is hot better iii the field. * * • • TWO OMISSIONS It will be noticed that no room is fOuftd for Collins and Kortlang. Collins lias hot been playing so far this season, and match practice is what counts in bringing a man into form. Collins is an able batsman, and one of the best in the country when in form, Still, he must be uncertain. ICOrtlang iS dead out of form, and, at any rhte, he is not likely to do any better than any of those chosen. He is hot as good a fieldsman as any of those named, either. * • • • It is possible the selectors will be guided by What happened last year, b.ui that is not this year, and only players in form should be chosen. . This, then, is the team chosen, and it is one that can carry the fortunes of Wellington with every confidence:- 1 — Hiddleston. Worker. Dempster. LoWry. Lambert. Hollings. McGirr. Badcock., Brice. Tattersall. Henderson. • * • • Of course, the match Town v. Country will be played before the Pluhkefe Shield match, and sohie of the form might bo UpsOt. • • • * Some critics will say that Lambert is too unreliable for a representative side. Well, in the past, he has done very good work, and he is one of the best fieldsmen in the team. That must count in a player’s favour.