CRICKET TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18344, 30 March 1925, Page 6

CRICKET TOPICS.

GMMMETT'S OPPORTUNITIES. THE VICTORIANS' TALK. New Zealand's future at the wickets. Grimmett's previous opportunities, and other cricket topics were touched on by the "Victorian cricketers at the annual smoke concert of the Linwood Cricket Club, held on Saturday night. Test Match Prospect.

"New Zealand is in a similar position to Victoria in the 'eighties," said the manager of the visiting team, Mr E. E. Bean, replying to tho toast of "The Victorian Cri-ket Association." "►Since then Victoria has improved its wicko l s, and the game has increased by leaps and bounds. There is not :i shadow of a doubt, in my opinion, that New Zealand in a few years will be able to compete on equal ground wit' 1 . Australia and England in the test matches. (Applause.) I have been astonished, with other members of the team, at the opportunities players have of practising in Christehureh." This was the first visit of a Victorian team to New Zaaland, and judging by the opinion of the members of the team it would not be long ncfire another one canu over, Australia would do what it could tu assist the New Zealand Council by fostering the game in the country. For nearly 20 years Australia had had its hands full, but now conditions had stabilised and he thought Australian teams would visit New Zealand as often as the New Zealand Council desired. It was the desire of the. Marylebone Cricket Club that Australia should do what it could to help the game in countries near it, so that England could do the same. About 20 years ago the V.C.A. was ".broke," having a credit balance of £ls and owing £9O. Since that time it had distributed over £20,000 in dividends to the various clubs, and only last month it finished ejecting a building costing £40,000. The building would supply a revenue of £4OOO a year, and the Association would be in a position to send teams away. Twenty years ago Victoria rarely won an inter-State match, but in the last four years it had only lost one, and that against England. Never had there been so many young men playing cricket in Victoria. At ono time there were 12 clubs in Victoria, and now there were nearly 1500.

The Captain's Opinions. "Cricket in New Zealand has improved since I was hero last," declared the captain, Mr E. E. Mayne. "There aro more young cricketers of promise in the country than there wcro when I toured in 1910. But the wickets have not improved, and the game will not go ahead as it should until the wickets are put right." Without boasting, he would say that the present team, although some of it?? original members had not made t tin trip, was the beat in Australia.. It had a record to prove that. Criticism had been levelled at it for not making big scores, but it was not his policy to "belt the life out of country teams," and not a member of his side would do it. It was proposed to send a New Zealand team to Australia next year, and the visit might do a lot of good, but he had a doubt about it. It would bo better to send a team to England, as tho Wost Indies and South Africa had done. Tho mou would then play crickot for fivo or six months on end, and it would be . a wonderful education for them. They would receive more good by visiting England than by going to Australia, Australian Wickets.

Continuing, ho said it would be hard for some of thoso present to understand tho difference between New Zealand and Australian wickets. The Otago wicket, he had been told, was the fastest in the country, but the Australian wickets were "greased lightning" compared with it. In Auckland the wicketkeeper had said to him, "Well, you'vo got a fast wicket to-day," but a ball had knocked a piece clean out of tho turf. After six days' play, an Australian wicket was as hard and as fast as at tho start. Sprigs would not hold a player on them. He would advise the New Zealand Council to play matches with the weaker States before it tackled New South Wales or Victoria, for players would "wonder what they had struck on the billiard-table wickets."

"Like Old Women." "Perhaps this side has not done as well as it should have done," he continued; "and people have said, 'We can't understand how these fellows beat New South Wales.' " The team had one of the funniest averages, and to see it at its best one must see it playing against New South Wales. Against some of tho country teams on tho way to South Australia inombcrs of tho side had played ''uke old womon." Nevertheless, it contained two or three of the finest players, ho was going to say, in tho world. In Woodfull they had probably the best run-getter in Australia to-day—(applause)—and the wicketkeeper, Ellis, had a record that was suporior to the gront Blackham, said to be tho finest wicket-keeper in the world. It was no fault of Mr Bean's, they all knew, that more members of the team had not been picked for the Test matches, and he looked forward to scoing Victoria better represented next year in the team to visit England.

Grirnmett 's Cnanceg, "Mr Bean and I have been blamed for not including Grirnmett in the Victorian team, I see by newspapers," sajd Mj Mayne, "aud I want to say that ho has played in several matches. As a captain I have given him evoi'V opportunity." In a match against Maclaren'a eleven, he said he allowed Grirnmett to bowl, as the Englishmen had been beaten by South Australia, and he was criticised not putting Hartkopf on. Grirnmett was on trial then. When Hartkopf replaced him, Hartkopf took five wickets for 28. Playing against Douglas's last team, Grirnmett had no wickets for 120 or 130. Any man chosen by the Victorian selectors was given a "fair go," and the things published in Australian papers when the speaker was away had hurt him. Grirnmett had been selected to play for his State, and ho had not turned up at practice, and had subsequently apologised for not doing so. Victorian cricketers were the first, however, to congratulate him on his success in the Test, and also to congratulate the first New Zealand player to gain Test match honours. He concluded by wishing New Zealand cricket evciv success.

The Wicket-Keeper's Views. The Victorians' wicket-keeper, Mr J. Ellis, said he wished to differ from the skipper in that he thought a New Zealand team should go to Australia. It might not do as well as was expected, but the tour would be a step in the right direction. New Zealanders were famous as footballers, and there was no reason why they should not bo as good at cricket. The young players in the Victorian team would benefit immeasurably from the tour in this country, and some of them, because of the experience, lie believed would become shining lights The game was safe in New Zealand

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while men like' Messrs Barrett, Reese, and Peako were at the head of r.ffairs, and whilo sportsmen like the member;, of the present New Zealand team played in the Test matches. Mr A. E. Liddicut, another member of the team, stressed the need for practise at the nets for the young men. Grimmett's Return. Later in the evening the Hon. G. W. Eussell made a suggestion that Mr D G. Sullivan, M.P., who was present, should use his influence to hnvo Grimmett appointed "Inspector of Playing Areas" for the Dominion, at a salarv of £IOOO per annum, to strengthen 'thecricket. In lieu of that, he was sure all cricketers would agree to insure with one New Zealand company on the understanding that it secured the services of the bowler.