CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1921, Page 3

CRICKET.

HOBBS ON AUSTRALIAN TOUR. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright London, April 13. Hobbs, writing to the Star, says he has paid his iast visit to Australia, not because he dislikes Australia, on the contrary he i«3 very fond of the country, the people of which are generous-hearted sportsmen, but he does not want to be absent from home again for so long a period. Referring to the barracking incident in the fifth test match, he says: ‘‘lt is a pity such a lot was made of the matter. To the best of my recollection a few people in the crowd laughed when I tried to run after a ball, reaching the boundary. I did not take the .slightest notice, because I naturally supposed they did not know I was injured. I must say that after all the fuss had been made I received a truly wonderful reception when I appeared. I never heard anything like it, and for a time I was completely unnerved.

NEW ZEALANDERS’ STANDARD. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, April 14. Ransford, captain, and Waddy, vicecaptain of the Australian cricket team, said that the state of cricket in New Zealand had improved since their previous visit. The New Zealand team was not at all bad, and the side was fairly young, containing some players who in Australia, with practice, and the coaching obtainable there, could get into State teams in Australia. The cricket standard was based on two essentials, good wickets and the keenness of schoolboys. The wickets that their teams had experienced on tour were not up to the Australian standard for first-class cricket, though there were two or three exceptions. “Your kids play football and our kids play cricket.” Commenting, Waddy and Ransford said they saw plenty of promising material for cricket among young New Zealanders, and they had not the slightest doubt that the material for cricket development here relative to population was as good as in Australia, awaiting the proper method for development. Ransford and Waddy expressed the thanks of the team to the people of New Zealand from end to end, for the hospitality extended to it throughout, the tour.