CRICKET COMMENTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 164, 4 March 1932, Page 7

CRICKET COMMENTS

NEW ZEALAND FIELDING RETARDS ADVANCE OF GAME. UNINTERE STIN G LOCAL PLAY.

(Notes b.y "Cover-rpoint.") Bowlers' held the advantage in the cricket series commenced last Saturday and as a result the totals of te&tiis were correspondingly small, few' batsmen being able to score at will. Albion made the most runs ih an innings, and although only 75 runs had been registered when the sixth wieket fell, the total was eventually taken to 140. The honour for this recovery must go to Lenihan and Wallis, who both batted in a confident manner and paved the way for Webb and ; Hampson to add 20 runs for the last wieket. Countless "chances" were given by ; Albion batsmen during the innings, but the fielding of the Old Boys' .team was far below standard and the majority were dropped on to the "car£5t." Players generally appear to be developing the end of season feeling, . and the results are very evident ih their play and lack of interest. Unfortunately this lack of interest is having an effect oh the.attondah.ee bf players and bafely a Saturday goes by without teariis playing short. Matthews and Musgrave did the lion's share in the Old feoys' inhings and scored between them 61 runs .of the totai' of 87 secured. For City, Godsalve was' again the mainstay of the side and scored twothirds of his team's , total of 62 runs. Godsalve is in rare form with the bat at present, and is also trundling well, which inereases the disappointment on his omission from the Hawke Cup team. Matthews and Spedding bowled well during Albion's innings, and Leiiihan and Sutherland were the outstanding bowlers on the Albion side. Another outstanding bowling feat was that of Beaumont for Ngongotaha, his bag being five wickets for 25 runs. In taking four wickets for four runs Brooker was the outstanding bowler on the High School side, proving that when striking a length he is a dangerous bowler. New Zealand's Loss. Although the total of 293' runs scored by the New Zealand team in its first innings of the first test match against the South Africans was auite a fair total, the di'smal failure oi the batsmen in the second innings is 'hard to' understand of a team, which on paper appeared to be as strong a batting side as had eVer represented the Dominion. The loss by an innings is only another example of the advantage tyhich a batting team can secure over weak fielding and had this fault not been evident in the New Zealand team, South Africa would have finished their first innings with a much smaller total than 451 runs. While weak fielding is allowed to mar New Zealand cricket the cry of | lack of bowling talent is so much waste of breath, as no bowler can show good averages while chances off his deliveries are continually being dropped. The fact that the New Zealand cricket team's work in the field was far from good was made plain by T. C. Lowry when speaking at a function in Dunedin when the Wellington team was there for the recent match with Otago. The captain of the team on tour said that he could say ftarik'Iy that New Zealand's batting was up to Test match form; the New Zealand bowling was not very good; ahd the fielding was bad. One could forgive the bowling^ but one could not understand why the fielding was of such an extraordinarily low grade. There seemed to be no anticipation, and until New Zealand learnt to field in a first-class manner he could not see how it would be a first7class side. It was possibly due to the experience of players in the schools, 'where the grounds were often too rough, so that when they went to field a ball they got it in the face, and did not like it. Notes. • It is reported that there is a possibility of K. C. James transferring from Wellington to Dunedin. It is also suggested that James 'desires to secure a coaching engagemeht. T. C. Lowry has intimated that he is not available for the second, Test with the South Africans. . !In reeognition of his fine performance in the Plunket Shield match' against Wellington last week, Dickin- • son, the Otago speed merchant, "has ' been chosen to play ih the second Test match against South Africa, commencing at Wellington to-day. His inclusion should cohsiderabl'y strengthen the bowling of the team, jproviding that reliable slip fieldshien are chosen to back him up. He is also batting well this season. A feature of 'the Wellington v. ; Otago match was the excellent wicketkeeping. Both James and Hawkesworth gave outstanding displays, Hawkesworth, when experience is taken into consideration, being very little inferior to the New Zealand representative. The inclusion of Vivian and Allcott in the second Test team is a move in the right direction and while the f ormer has been rather subdued as a batsman this season, he scored a fihe century on the Basin Reservei against Wellington, ahd It is hoped that he wilL repeat the performance in .today's match. Allcott was the only reliable allrounder in the Auckland' team to play South Africa and he can be depended upon to justify his inclusion in the second Test team. Bradhian'fc Father. \ It is rep orted . that Clarr ie .Grrimmett paid a surprise visit io an Adelaide outer suburban • schooj ' i'ecently. j ^fhe schoolmaster had an ihspiratipn. He took Grimmett into-. class roo'm, but did not introduce him to the children. ^Now, my boys," hb" said. ^Do ypu know who this gentleman is ? No one spoke. He was surprised. He thought every b'oy in South Australia would know Grimmett. After waiting patiently for four or five seconds

for an answer, he said:; — "Well," do you'tbink he is anything like Don Bradman?" "No sir," came the prompt reply from' several. , ; Then .after a pause, a little boy in the '.bact row .held up his harid. "I know who the "gentleman is, sir/' he shrilled. The seho'olmaster's face brigHteried. , ' Here at last was orie boy whd tpok an intelligent interest in the sporting welfare of his State. "And who is he, my boy?" The came the shrill voice again: "He's Don Bradmah's father, sir."