AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

MAY VISIT NEW ZEALAND. ON THE RETURN TRIP. A DECISION THIS MONTH. ■Soma time ago there were strong hopes in New Zealand that the Aus- : tralian Eleven would visit the Dominion , on the way to Britain, but the Board of Control decided against the proposal, having previously made a promise to send the team via Western Australia. . 'Now hopes have been raised that we i may get a visit from the Australian: team on its way back homo from Britain. But it is well not to have false hopes on the matter, for South Africa is also in the field, claiming a visit from the . Australians on their way home. The position is set forth as follows by the "Melbourne Globe," which says: ' "Speaking at a reception given to the , New Zealand cricketers in Sydney on i Monday (November 30), Mr. Sydney, Smith, jun., , lion, secretary of the Board > of Control, said that at its meeting in i ■Melbourne in December the board would I possibly decide to bring the Australian j Eleven* home from England by way of New Zealand. "This is interesting in view of the fact that it was recently stated that the South Africans were anxious for the Australians to visjt the Union on their way home, and that an invitation was being sent to the board. It will be remembered j that the New Zealanders were anxious for the Australians to visit their country on their way to England, but the board, at its' annual meeting, decided to honour its previous promise that the team would play in Tasmania and West Australia. "There can be no question that it is to the advantage both of Australia and New Zealand that there should be as many exchanges of teams between the two countries as possible, not only from the point of view of improving the cricket of the New Zealanders, but with the' object of maintaining a good feeling between the authorities of the Commonwealth and the Dominion. The New Zealanders are very keen on improving their game, and are to be congratulated ■upon their enterprise in sending, their team to Australia, and in endeavouring to secure as many visits from outside teams as possible. They are very keen on the game over there, where the conditions are ideal, and it is not too much to hope that some day they will be ablo to place teams in the field that will be capable of extending even our best elevens." What Mr. Smith and others said on the occasion of the subject is reported in the "Sydney Telegraph" as follows: "Mr. Syd. Smith, jun., lion, secretary of the Australian Board of Control, referred to the decision of the board to eend the next Australian team via Suez as in the past, and not through New Zealand, as suggested. He said that a promise had been made to Tasmania and West Australia before New Zealand's claims were advanced, and the board felt in duty bound to adhere to its de-) cision. Mr. Smith held out the hope that the Australian team would visit New Zealand on the return journey. This question would be decided at the next meeting of the Board of Control. "In paying a tribute to the work of the New Zealand Cricket' Council, Mr. Smith said that no body deserved greater encouragement, because it had always had to contend with adverse conditions. *His sincere wish was that New South Wales would field a strong side against the New Zealanders. "Mr. J. F. Peake, the manager of the New Zealand team, said that the visit of Australian teams to the Dominion had done an immense amount of good. The question of finance had hampered the advancement of the game, but the New Zealand body was content to spend money on this tour in order to educate the youngsters. "The captain, W. E. Patrick, has great hopes of the side, and said that although several of the Dominion's best players were unavailable, lie was sure the opportunity presented to the younger players would be readily grasped."