Chapman on Modern First-Class Cricket

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 653, 3 May 1929, Page 7

Chapman on Modern First-Class Cricket

CAUSE of bowling decline WICKETS ARE TO BLAME m| feet sure that Harold Larwood w as misreported when he was said to have stated that he would never go to Australia again, because of the Australian barracking, and in the other statements attributed to him on this subject. Larwood is much too flood a sportsman to take umbrage at the barracking.” This opinion was expressed to a SUN reporter at Christchurch recently, by Mr. A. P. F. Chapmnn, captain of the M.C.C. team which has so successfully defended the Ashes of cricket, against Australia. Mr. Chapman was paying a very brief visit to the Southern city.

' On the Australian barracking, «vhich was mentioned in consequence of his .reference to Larwood, he was discreetly silent. In a further reference to Larwood’s reported utterance, he remarked that probably what happened was that in the rush and bustle of a welcome to him! somebody made a remark to Larwood, whose reply was imperfectly heard. Harder Work for Umpires The proposals of a special committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club, to alter certain rules of cricket, for county matches, with a view to restraining the high and low scoring, do not appeal to the English captain. “My own wicket is always easy enough to get,” he remarked, with a smile, “but I do not think that heightening and widening the stumps will make any difference to the first-class batsmen in general. There is. of course, a great deal of pad play, but I do not think that the proposed new Ibw rule will stop the high scores. It certainly will, though, make the work of the umpires ever so much harder, and their job is hard enough now. “The conditions of modern cricket are all in favour of the batsmen, and the bowler Has a bad time, but I think that the crux of the whole problem is over-preparation of wickets. If bowlers can’t get any spin on the wicket you evan’t develop spin bowlers as much as is desirable.’* The decision of the Advisory County Cricket Committee to extend the duration of the Test matches in England next year from three days to four, with a proviso that the fifth shall be played to a finish if the rubber depends upon it, does not lead Mr. Chapman to a belief that the rubber can be decided without playing out the fifth game. “When so much depends upon it, you are not going to get the batsmen to hurry up in a four-day match.” he remarked. “The long hours in one day’s play, too. make it very hard. But with the wickets as they are I don’t see much chance of finishing a Test match in four days. Of course, one has to remember that our English summer is funny, and the weather may make a big difference.” New Zealand Cricket Improved In this visit to New Zealand Mr. Chapman has not had a chance to see any of the Dominion’s cricket. The one game in which he has played since he came across from Australia was just a picnic game at Easter and lie enjoyed it. But he played thrice against the New Zealand team that toured England in 1927, and he remarked that New Zealand cricket clearly had improved a great deal since he toured the Dominion in 1923.