N.Z. Cricketers

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 110, 30 July 1927, Page 11

N.Z. Cricketers

Matches in Australia ?

Would Help Tour The performances of the New Zealand cricketers in England are gratifying, and interesting from an Australian standpoint, writes Arthur Mailey in the Sydney “Sun.” Here is a country, within a few days’ sail of Sydney, which should be a worthy opponent in the cricket field. The New Zealand climate is more suitable for cricket than that of England, and the present tour should have a beneficial effect on the team. In conversation with Mr. Dan Reece, a New Zealand cricketer, who, with Arthur Sims, has done a tremendous amount of work for the game in that country, I learned that the New Zealand Cricket Council was anxious to have the team play in Australia on its return from England. Although it might be too early in October for South Australia to have a match, there is nothing to prevent the Victorian and New South Wales Associations arranging a game. Despite the fact that the New Zealanders are performing so well in England, in addition to providing much brighter cricket than other teams from overseas, the gates have not been encouraging. At a recent Yorkshire match, the Saturday attendance was about 5,000. A Yorkshireman, in a letter, recently, told me that they just love to see their lads against the Australians, but other oversea teams do not appeal. As a matter of fact, a match against Lancashire gives the Yorkies a greater thrill even than a test match. The tour of the New Zealanders, therefore, does not promise to pan out too well financially. For that reason it would be a generous act on the part of the New South Wales and Victorian Associations, providing the matches are arranged, to allow the whole gate proceeds to go to the visitors. At the moment we are not in need of gate money, or, rather, not at the expense of a struggling, but courageous, neighbour like New Zealand, which has done everything possible to improve the standard of its cricket, and, incidentally, has furnished a trying-out ground for Australian teams, and often the Dominion has lost money on these ventures.