NOT SOLVED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 157, 5 July 1937, Page 7

NOT SOLVED.

ENGLAND'S PROBLEM.

Fighting Spirit Was Lacking Against New Zealand.

ECCENTRIC CAPTAINCY.

United Press Association.—Copyrigit.

(Received 10 ajn.) LONDON*, July 4. The -'Observer's" cricket writer criticises the English authorities for not solving the opening batsmen problem in view of the next series of Tests against Australia. He declares that the faet- that New Zealand, whose reeord was only moderate against the counties, escaped defeat at the hands of England's full strength proves the lack of English fighting spirit. The article continued: "A Test match does not transform Cowie into Gregory, Roberts into O'Reilly, or Vivian into Fleetwood-Smith. Yet that is how the Englishmen batted in the first innings. There were more ominous blots than Hutton's duck; notably the 'eccentricity' of Robins' captaincy and Ames' loss of wicket-keeping knack. Verity, lacking help from the pitch, is only a runchecker, not a wicket-taker."

THE AVERAGES.

Hammond, Hutton and Comptoo Leading Batsmen. C. L J. SMITH TOP BOWLER. (Received 9.30 «jn.) LONDON, July 4. The English cricket averages for 1937, up to the end of the matches which terminated last Friday, are: BATTING. „ , Runs. Average. Hammond 1706 74.17 s™**°° 1510 71.90 Dempster 1107 C5.1l Paynter 1550 55.71 Arnold 1113 53.00 -J. Parks 1465 52.32 Kunpton 776 51.73 Washbrook 517 51.70 teny 1278 49.15 Paw le 714 47.60 Suteliffe (14th) 930 44^8 Wyatt (16th) 993 43.17 Leyland (19th) .... 823 41.15 BOWLBJG. r. » ■. „ . . Wkts. Average. C.I. J. Smith 74 15.58 ° lmß «4 15.75 S° ver 90 15.97 Verity 81 16.40 Martin G3 16.46 James Langridge ... 58 17.41 Andrews 83 17.44 Sibbles 59 17 *7 6 Nichols 63 ig -00 85 18.38 Hammond (12th) .. 33 18.57 ! Robins (19th) 57 20.19