NO PLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 194, 18 August 1931, Page 7

NO PLAY.

IN CRICKET TEST.

Second Day Idle and Outfield

Still Flooded.

SHIFT TO OVAL SUGGESTED

(Special to N.Z. Press Association.)

(Received 10 a.m.)

MANCHESTER, August 17

No play was possible to-day in the third cricket Test match, England v. New Zealand.

Rain fell steadily almost throughout the day, and even if the weather had cleared in the afternoon, the ground would not have been in a fit state for play. The famous Old Trafford ground presented a scene of utter desolation. What is usually a stretch of velvet turf, was merely a cluster of miniature lakes. The groundsmen, who had worked hard all Saturday attempting to prepare the ground for play, gave up the unequal struggle. The wicket is still covered. Apart from that the ground is left at the mercy of the rain. The downpour is so heavy that prospects of play to-morrow are exceedingly slight. A suggestion has been put forward in some quarters that the match, Champion County v. The Rest of England, at the Oval on September 12, be abandoned, to enable the final Test to be played at that place and time. Test at a Later Date ? A later message, however, states that there is no possibility of an extension of the fixture to August 19. Gilligan, in the "News-Chronicle," says that there is no possibility of a fourth Test being arranged to compensate for the Manchester washout. The New Zealanders are strongly supporting a suggestion that the English Test team, after visiting Australia in the 1932-33 season, go on to New Zealand to play two matches. M. D. Lyon, in the "Daily Express," says that the loss of the third Test is serious financially to New Zealand. He quotes the manager as denying a recent statement that the tour will show a loss of £2000. It is impossible yet to say how it will turn out as there are several good matches in the South of England.

Referring to the suggestion of another Test at the Oval to replace the Champion County v. the Rest of England fixture, he quotes Lord Hawke as saying that if the New Zealanders are really anxious he is sure the committee could arrange to abandon the Oval fixture if another date was not available, but in hie opinion mid-September is too late for serious cricket.