NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 53, 4 March 1930, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

TEST MATCH LESSONS.

GOOD BATTING STANDARD.

BOWLERS AND FIELDSMEN

NEEDED,

M.C.C. TOUR AND FINANCES.

(By Telegraph. —Special to " Star.") CIIRISTCHURCH, this day. The M.C.C. tour which lias just concluded is the most pleasant and successful tour yet made by an English team in New Zealand," said Mr. A. T. Donnelly in reviewing the tour. "Members of the team," he said, '-'were anxious in every way to help the game in New Zealand, both on the field and off it.

"The financial results of, the_ tour will be fairly satisfactory. Unfavourable weather undoubtedly caused the New Zealand Council to lose a substantial sum of money. When the tour was arranged the M.C.C. in England agreed to pay in the first instance the fees ot tlie professionals, which amounted to about £1000, but stipulated that these fees were to be a first charge on any profits from the tour. If tlie weather had been fine for the Test matches, it would have been possible to pay the professionals' fees and probably make a profit to the council of somewhere about £1000. As it is the profit on the tour will be about £500, and the balance of fees of the professionals will liaVc to be paid by the M.C.C. "Tlie claim for income tax on the Sydney match lias not yet been settled, and this amounts to' nearly £400. The matches proved that the batting in New Zealand is very strong. Dempster is one of the finest batsmen now playing cricket anywhere. Unfortunately our bowling and fielding were of a poorer quality altogether. New Zealand has not to-day, outside of Badcock and Allcctt, one reliable length bowler. The captaincy of Lowry during the New Zealand matches cannot be praised too highly, and there is no question that today he is one of the best field captains playing cricket in any country.

"The management committee feel that steps must be taken to improve our fieldiiifr, and the. committee has under consideration the question of instructing selectors that 110 player is to be selected for a New Zealand team whose fielding is below a decent ,average."