DETERIORATING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 508, 17 April 1933, Page 7

DETERIORATING

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET NOTED CRITIC CONSIDERS STANDARD LOWIER THAN IN 1927. PRACTICE NECESSARY. The opinion that New Zealand cricket is not of as high a 'standard now as it was in 1927 was expressed by Gaptain E. W. Ballantrae, the' muehtravelled journalist accompanying the M.C.C. team, to a Wellington Post reporter after the second Test at Auckland had been abandoned owinigj to rain. During the last 31 years Captain Ballantine has reported 99' cricket Test matches, and has seen New Zeailand teams in action both in England and in New Zealand. Though he will complete his "Test century" when the West Indians are dn England this year, he will not eelebrate the event until 1934, when the Australians are scheduled to tour England. "What do I think of New Zealand cricket - these days?" said Captain Ballantine thoughtfully. "I must confess that it is not as good as it was when I saw the wearers of the Silver Fern through Enjgland in 1927, land that English season was just about the worst, from a weather point of view, that I haxe experienced for a long, long time. "I .quite agree that recently several of the best New Zealanders have sought fresh fields and pastures new — enthusiastic cricketers who found that there was not enough first-class cricket in the Dominion. Tom Lowry has retired from big cricket, and there are Merritt, Cromb and Dacre, who should have been playinjg: laigainst the Engliishmen this tour. There should also have been Roger Blunt and Roberts, and to cap all, you were without Vivian, of whose cricket I had a great opinion, even as recently as last year against the South African visitors. "But what surprises mei is that there have not been other cricketers able to fill the vacancies made by tbe players who have gone Home. I 1am positive that the grand old game of cricket is loved by the public of New Zealand, and I have known nothing to the contrary but that the boys at school are brougiht up to love cricket. Slip-catching Practice. "I know there have been conscientious coaches from England to impart skill into the boys and the young men. But have the boys and young men profited much from their masters? Is there systematic practice in the nets and in the field? Cricket is not confined to ibatting and bowling. One of the joys of cricket is the prevention of run-getting by sound and clever fielding, and there are very few, with the love of th'e game as their first consideration, who should not he fine fielders. For one thing, I have not seen the slip-catching machine in use for a little practice before the starts of the three matches played at Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland, and that machine sharpens up the eye of the man going into the field. Th'e grounds I have seen alford much finer facilities than obtain in some districts. Perhaps too much is done for the young player, and if he Were encouraged to do iai little more for himself, better results would be achieved. I cannot excuse sloppy, slovenly, and slack fielding. There are some fieldsmen more than worth their salt, and in the captain — M. L. Page — there is an outstanding example. "Many enthusiastic young fellows have become first-class batsmen through genuine study from books written ahout strokes. I have known some who studied how to make a ■stroke and then watched himself make an imaginary one in a long lookinglass. They coach themselves in bowling in that way — certainly in the matter of running up to the wicket and delivering the ball. It is p'ossible for a batsman to be self-taugh't, but he must be enthusiastic. Many batsmen are born, and many bowlers are bom or natural bowlers, but something more than the mechanical is necessary. The foot, the ieye, and the brain of a batsman must co-ordinate. Physical Fitness. "Cricket is a jgame which requires those taking part in it to be fit. I have no qualms ahout the physical fitness of the fellows I have seen during these two weeks. Just loolc at the endless overs that some bowlers have sent down and just cailculate th'e long hours of running ahout in the field that the Test players had at Christchurch and Auckland. "I am convinced that if cricket is practised as the game is worth', the ( summer game in New Zealand would grow in popularity and improve in standard so that New Zealand would be able to meet other countries with more confidence than the Dominion does now. New Zealand's Rujgby Union' football has been made the world's standard, and I am confident that were the aanie enthusiasm shown with bat and ball, New Zealand would he more than a 'one- game' Dominion. There are the people to support cricket. In the three great eentres that I have visited during th'e last fortnight, crowds have supported the preisence of! the Englishmen. The spectators have thoroughly enjoyed th'e play, and they have shown that they have understood the finer points of th'e game and that they could- exercise patience. Lessons From Visitors. "Let Hammond's superb batting bear fruit. Let the lanticipatory and clean fieldinjgi of your parting guests be the pattern for future activ-ities. And let hard worlc and persistent endeavours bNng on aceurate bowlers. Above all,^ let every boy and every young man with any desire to spend an afternoon on the field make up his mind th'at he vill be thoroughly equipped to satisfy himself, his captain, and the onlookers; that he can field. "Of course, the immensity of Hammond's batting at Christchurch and Auckland would make many th'ink that New Zealand cricket is worse than it is. But world's records are not made every day. There is no reason to be down-hearted."