CANTERBURY CRICKET.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17409, 21 March 1922, Page 7

CANTERBURY CRICKET.

10 THE EDITOR OS "iHE PRESS." Sir,—if Mr 11. D. Harman, in his "when-l-was-a-boy-at-school" kind of letter to l'Yiday morning's "Press" had confined his remarks to Saying that the Canterbury batsmen did not drive, and had not referred to the Canterbury wickets as good ones, his remarks would have earned more weight than they are now likely to. Both match and practice wickets at Hagiey and Lancaster Parks have been abominable for years. The Miter has had the opportunity of bowling alongside some of the best tsoaches who ever came to New Zealand, and their remarks have always been the same: •'You will never get first-class batsmen until you get good wickets. Your wickets here are horrible."

Mr Harman refers to a number of successful run-getters who performed in the past. Were ail these gentlemen playing at the same time? I think not. Would they make all the he ttnuk'j they used to make., unde/ the present Conditions under which tne game js played, and on our rottou wicsets ? It is a question. If Mr Harman could collect all the best batsmen that have played in Canterbury since tlie first tour ships arrived, I tnink ho would, get a very good eide. Mr Harman suggests that a good stylish batsman be engaged to coach, if he thinks that all. that is required of a man to be able to teach batting is that he is a good stylish batsman, he is very wrong. It would appear that Mr Harman bases hie remarks on the batting of College and High School on the result of one annual match. If, however, he -cares to visit the college ground for a Saturday or two (not ona, only), I promise him that ho will see the ball driven hard and oftenMr Harman looks oack into the dim distance and calls to mind David Ashby. Mr Ashby was a "Surrey colt." and learned his cricket v in England. Mr Callaway also is mentioned. Callaway was an Australian representative eric-

keter. Mr Reese whom he talks about, had vast cricketing axporienc© in England and Australia, while Mr Wilding is nn Englishman, and could bat long before he came to New Zealand. I would impress on Canterbury cricketers the necessity of getting good and true wiokets to practise and play on. We have one or two good coaches here who will tell them how impossible it is to teach batting on bad wickete, and get anything like good results.—Yours, etc OLD-TIMER.