COACHES' RETURN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 260, 2 November 1928, Page 12

COACHES' RETURN.

NEWMAN AND EASTMAN.

"ENGLAND WILL HOLD THE ASHES."

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday. Looking fit and well after the English season, the two noted English professional cricketers, J. Newman (Hampshire) and L. C. Eastman (Essex) arrived by the Mataroa to-day to resume their engagements as coaches in the Dominion. Newman coaches the players of Canterbury and Eastman the Otago players. Eastman was confident that England would retain "the ashes" in the following series of the Tests against Australia, but the Hampshire professional was not so sanguine.

"It will be a heavy scoring campaign," said Newman. "England's hopes are centred in Larwood, the fast bowler, and a great responsibility will rest upon his shoulders. Freeman, the Kent slow bowler, has yet to prove a success on Australian wickets. White, the Englith slow left-hander, is probably the best length bowler in the game to-day. He is certainly the best length bowler I have ever played against. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to flight the ball as well in Australia as he has been doing in England.

"Hammond also commands an excellent length, and comes very fast off the pitch, but he is only dangerous with a new ball, and Tate and Larwood will be the men who will bowl with the new balls. Tate has not been bowling anything like as well as he did four or five years ago, and it will be interesting to see how he now fares.on Australian wickets. Staples is another bowler on the English side.who can peg away with a perfect length all day if necessary.

"Taking everything into consideration, however, I think that some phenomenally heavy scoring wi 1 be done in the Tests this season, and that they will resolve themselves into endurance Tests."

Asked how he personally had fared in England, Newman said, "Oh, I again managed to secure the cricketers' 'double,' as I notched about 1500 runs and took over 100 wickets for Hampshire in the county championship matches. It was the best summer we have enjoyed for some years, and several other players also notched the 'double.'" Eastman did well for Essex at times, but he did not enjoy the best of health, and broke down more than once."