AUCKLAND'S STUMPER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 18 February 1927, Page 12

AUCKLAND'S STUMPER.

RECORD OF R. W. ROWNTREE.

HAS KE A CHANCE OF GOING TO ENGLAND? A MOVE IX THAT DIRECTION.

j In some quarters in Auckland inquiries have been made as to the probable sticcess of an effort to have R. W. Rowntree, of Auckland, sent with the. New Zealand cricket team by private subscription. A number of offers of su.b•crlptiora to this end have been made. ami a prominent ■ tor has been asked to make inquiries of, Council nbout the probability of Rowntree being accepted for the team on such terms, or, in the alternative, to press for his inclusion no either as fifteenth R. Rowntree. , nan or in p , ace of Badc-ock in the possible event of that player being dropped. A "Star" inquirer was informed that there would be little difficulty in getting about £200 by private (subscription to support the inclusion of Rowntree as an extra man. The cost per man for the tour is estimated at about £500. Precedents Quoted. One member of the Auckland Assoeia tion who was consulted about the probability of success in such a proposal, was not optimistic. He recalled the Kellewav affair in connection with the Australian Eleven, and the New Zealand Rugby football parallels of E. Nicholls and Don Wright, when similar offers were turned down by the controlling body. On the other hand, another member informed the pressman that he had a distinct recollection of a New Zealand preI cedent in cricket. It was in connection with the 1913-14 New Zealand team, which toured Australia under the captaincy of Dan Reese, and included C. Boxshall (then about 50 years of age) as wicket-keeper, and W. R. Patrick (one of the present New Zealand selectors). At the time Tom Carlton was in Christehurch and he was included in the team at the last minute, as the result of money being raised by private subscription to send him with the team. On the tour he was played in matches, in the place of one of the men originally selected for the team.

Rowntree's Record.

What, has been said in Auckland and elsewhere about the value of a goad wic-ket-keeper was emphasised by no less an authority than Hugh Trumble the international Australian bowler, when interviewed in Wellington on Tuesday. He declared that the extra eting given to the attack by the presence of a good man behind the stumps was invaluable, and also that another factor wa9 the number of runs saved by his restraining influence on the opposing batsmen. Rowntree's ability is generally recognised throughout the Dominion, and his record for the Plunket Shield games this year is worth setting out in detail. It is:—

V. CANTERBURY. First innings 128. Byes, 0. Gregory, c Rowntree, b Allcott 0 fox. c Rowntree, b Player o Page, st Rowntree, ~b Bowlev ...." 30 Second innings, 257. Byes, 2. V. OTAGO. First innings, 33. Byes, J Second innings, 216. Byes 3. Knight, c Rowntree, b Bowlev "9 Cherry, c Rowntree, b Player ";{ V. WELLINGTON. First innings, 182. Byes. 4. Worker, c Rowntree, b Matheson ..... s Badcock, c Rowntree, b Bowley U Hollings st Rowntree. b Bowlev 0 innings, 323. Byes, 15. Hiddleston, c Rowntree, b Allcott •» Worker, e Rowntree. b Matheson . " 1 Ja s? e f ? C Rowntree, b Matheson ..!« total, six innings: 1442 runs, 25 bye« caught 9, stubiped 2. Out of 60 wickets he has obtained 11 for the bowlers.

Saved 150 Runs. Much has been made in Wellington and elsewhere of the obvious part played by Bowley in the recent defeat of Wellington by Auckland, but there does not seem to be in Wellington an adequate recognition of the part plaved by Rowntree. Bearing in mind Mr. TrumbJe's remarks about the runs a good wicket-keeper may save, let one compare the batting performances in that game of the players that fell to Rowntree, with their averages for all Plunket Shield games. It is, of course, only conjectural in its conclusion, but it is wonderfully illuminating about Rowntree's part in the game. The analysis shows:— , v. Shield Auck. Average. Drop. Worker 4.5 30 5 o 6 0 3»deock 41.5 51.0 0.5 g?]" D Fs 0.5 18.5 19.0 Hiddleston 14.5 51.8 37.3 Jan,es 15.5 63.5 48.0 Total 76.5 216.3 139.8 The byes in the two Auckland innings ran to 38 as against 19 debited against Rowntree in the game. From that and the above table, it will be seen that in the two innings he saved Auckland something approximating 150 runs. Surely he was one of the greatest factors of the game in Auckland's success.