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Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 21

The team to represent Australia on the New Zealand tour is a very strong one, and according to the New' Zealand Council's stipulation includes six international players in Macartney, \V. Bard sley. Andrews, Mtiilcy, Oldfleld and Hendry. Several members of the team distinguished themselves in the interstate match, New South Wales v. South Australia. The feature of the NewSouth Wales second innings, which totalled 654, was Kippax's contribution of 245. "Rambler" in the "Referee" refers to this performance as "an Inning., of infinite charm that will lin.er in the memory like the glittering displays of Victor Trumpcr." Kippox "batted for 51 hours and .it 32 fours. He is described as playing with grace in every movement, with no effort in his strokes and an entire absence of stiffness He displayed some beautiful wrist strokesWarren Bardsley, too, was nt his best in contributing 144 —his eighth century against South Australia—a feat that only Mr. A. Noble and lie (among New South Wales players) have accomplished. The left-hander promises to bo a problem for the Dominion trundlers. Punch, another member of the touring team, lived up to his name by flogging the bow-ling in a manner which delighted the Australian public. The bowling honours in South Australia's first innings were ".eld by Mailey, guileful slows accounted for seven wickets at a cost of 133. Hendry got two for 68. In the second innings Kverett took six wickets for 54- "He was very fast and accurate, but did not make the ball fly like other express bowlers." The Australian team or "New Zealand tourists," as the "Referee" calls them, is:—C. G. Macartney (captain), \V. Bardsley. T. J. E. Andrews, A. Kippax, A. A. Mailev, W. A. Oldfield, H. L. Hendry, A. Punch. D. Mitllarkey, K. Bardsley, A. Ratcliffc. S. Everett. Kippax i 3 a splendid field while Andrews is also brilliant. W A. OLDFIELD, the New South Wales and Australian XI. stumper, who will be seen in action with the team to tour NewZealand shortly, is a great man behind the sticks —safe as a bank and sharp as a needle. A batsman needs a well anchored foot when Oldfield is behind him, for if he is an inch out of the crease wK.n Oldfield gets ttiej ball he is a certainty for the * pavilion. He doesn't believe in missed catches, either, and all sorts of bowling —slow, fast and googlie—look alike to him. His work will prove a great asset to the side, and from the spectator's point of view he will make things very interesting. The final Plunket Shield match has confirmed the batting prospects of the New Zealand to meet the formidable combination which will represent Australia in the test matches. There will be more difficulty in selecting the trundlere especially as some who were iv the running failed in the final shield match. At the present time it is easy to select seven of the eleven—Hiddleston, Collins, Blunt, Worker, Dacre and Shepherd have undeniable claims as batsmen, while Smith has proved himself the most versatile slow bowler in the Dominion and on his bowling alone must catch the selector's eye. The inability of Rowntree to travel south will occasion the sole selector, Mr. K. Tucker, some anxiety as there does not appear to be another - "keeper" who has dis-plaj-ed any outstanding merit. -The remaining three places will bo filled by bowlers and the most likely selection appears to be McGirr, who can also be relied on for runs- Against Otago he scored 117 and 72. Dickinson was a failure against Wellington. Other bowlers with claims arc Henderson, Berneau. Allcott and Mcßebh. Allcott should show to best effect on the Canterbury wicket where the first test will be played while Mcßeth is more effective on the Wellington wicket. Before the final Plunket Shield match between Otago and Wellington commenced, Hiddleston (Wellington) and Worker (Otago) were leading the batting averages for the shield matches, the former having an average of 85.2, and the latter 77.2. Both batsmen enhanced their batting reputations in the game nt Dunedin, Hiddleston making IS and 150. an aggregate of 16S. and Worker 100 and 1)4, an aggregate of 200. As each have played six innings, Worker temporally wrested the premier position from his Wellington rival, his average being Bb. while that of Hiddleston dropped slightly to 84.8. Worker therefore, is leading in the one Handing individual trophy of the Plunket Shield matches—the Redpath Oup—which ie won by the batsman with the best I average. Collins, of Wellington, with j two fine scores of So and 110, brought j his total to 364, an average of 60.6. while Kortlang. with 103 and 30, im- ! proved his average to 53. his aggregate ! average being 318. Shepherd also improved, his two splendid first-wicket innings of 76 and 92, bringing his aggregate to 307, an average of 51.1. The holder of the trophy will not be definitely established until after the I visit of the Australian team.