TESTS SHOULD BE FOUR DAYS

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 16

TESTS SHOULD BE FOUR DAYS

Indecisive Result of Second Match Causes Disappointment

The indecisive result of the second Test match at Wellington through the limitation of time imposed on the fixture should serve as a warning to the New Zealand Cricket Council that provision should be made for at least four days' play m future Test matches. ,

T-'HIS criticism is not levelled merely i because the New Zealand team was deprived of what ' looked like a certain win. Facing the facts as they present themselves, cricket m New Zealand fell into a state of decadence and only started to emerge from it when Tom Lowry's team went home to England to achieve success, which far exceeded v the most hopeful anticipations of New Zealand ers. The bulk of the public tired of cricket because they so seldom saw a game finished. This position, aggravating enough In . club and provincial matches, is even worse when games assume an international character. No doubt it was thought m New Zealand when the M.C.C. side was announced that it was strong enough to get through a test match In three days; or, to put it more clearly, the visitors would dispose of the New Zealand side In three days. If this presumption Is correct the Council might well be pardoned for the attempt to guard the growing reputation of the home side, particularly as It anticipates another tour abroad next year. But the visiting M.C.C. side has not proved itself as strong on the field as it looked on paper. New Zealand Is only just coming Into Its own as a cricketing nation, and under present conditions It Is entitled to every opportunity of showing its prowess. Leaving the Christchurch test out of the discussion — under such conditions the same might happen to any side — three days has proved inadequate to reach a decisive result. The bulk of New Zealanders who are interested m the pro^' gress of the game here would sooner see victory or defeat with the laurels -going to the side winning the right to carry them.' If New Zealand wishes to play its way into the world of cricket it will find, as m all other branches of sport at which it now excels, that the road to victory is paved with the lessons learned m defeat. . When "N.Z. Truth" approached Mr. Arthur Donnelly, chairman of the Management Committee of the N.Z. Cricket Council, Mr. Dan Reese, president of the Council, and individual members of the Council, they were disinclined to discuss the position as negotiations have been pending with Gllllgan to have the final at Auckland extended to four days. An opinion which should carry weight was obtained from Mr. Bill Patrick, who has captained New Zealand and. has been a New Zealand selector. ' "It is useless bringing a team from the other side of the world to piay three-day .tests," he told "Truth," ''and I would suggest that an extra day's spell for the tourists be provided for m future itineraries so that a fourth day is available to reach a result if necessary." "Personally, I don't think the present New Zealand side should ever fall to make four hundred runs' on a good wicket," he added, "and as our bowling Is at present It takes time to get the other side out. I am strongly In favor of playing the games to a ; finish." , . A prominent Canterbury player with -a

wide experience, who preferred to remain anonymous, also favored the playing out of matches until a result one way or the other was obtained. "The way the home side was batting," he said, "I don't think the M.C.C. could beat us m three days, providing the wicket was favorable." Other sportsmen prominent •m the administration of cricket favored an extension of time for future matches.