CANTERBURY CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21716, 25 February 1936, Page 7

CANTERBURY CRICKET

to , Sir,—l read: with 1 Saturday’s issue onC^tei&m^f^dket. I alsio think.'it\4a was done . to. xaise in in. can the standard of play > OnHie- -field stand improvement, buVaJsO-iiw.fttod-ard of selection; ofplayers forsentative matches can pe muck 4hnproved upon... The. selection,.for.vjha match against Otago shows,dearly .that no \ consideration is shown fpr Canterbury cricket in, tbe r future." 4 »severiil players, who would not hpVe'Ttuhded. one little bit standing down-*r46' p give a youngster a trial were picked to play. It is high’ time that players outside the Canterbury. Cricket.. Association's competitions were- given -unbiased comparison with' Other players. Such players as Mahoney; of Siinnywde and Stokes ol Beckenham •. (Suburban cricket) could havebeenexpenmented with in this last Plunket Shield match. Perhaps, in another JLO years ~or ,s«v Someone in authority in the' Canterbury Cricket■ Association s wHT'realise that the-old-saying. good 1 fish in the sea as those taken out*' was. and is, guile ;■ .* -4- < .TTOfr^EM.;

- *■ , jalU * * February 24,,v1936, , .■ 1* - • < ’

TO THE EDITOB OR THE PRESS.,.

Sir,—l am'glad ,to see that one-bid cricketer has the courage to write to “The Press" regarding . the . standard of cricket as played by the Canterbury team , against Otago; and it is high time that the Canterbury Cricket Association ' woke. up. ■ and ;did .something. As Mr Shaddock .says, the, fielding was awful, ti> say ribthing of-the .bat--ting. .‘When you* see reprpsmimjyg batsmen'let ban^afteriball'go by-r® the” off, lit ’ shows : thafc. someSflrig is wrong. . 1 * - Ope never sees a batsman 3 attempt a' Idte-cut' these days; why? -' When Harold Bishop, Billy Patrick, "Harry Wbitta, Don Sandman, and good players were at their best,’: they scored just as many runs t ljeihind; the wickets as in front,' One hardly ever sees- a 'good .drive nowadays,; .batsmen being content-to pat the ball bade to the bowler and. not trying to score off it -This ,is what has caused, people ..to lose interest in watching these ‘displays, as the' attendances-,., at, , mpd cricket rm tches clearlyshow? Vld .fact there are more spectators to watch the Veterans play in Hagiey on a Thursday afternoon? woce at Lancaster Farkrto see-Canter'btftY’Play Otago. It would be interestihg.to-know wbat the takings for this mawh werel I. suggest that What-ia vsnt#Ctb Improve cricket in Canterbury attention to the practice;wickem. because fast bowlers am frightenojl bowl on.some bf cannot get practiCeon bad- wwNw* My next suggestion is to ld f good players from-* senior: teams ;<teKS£'; a sideifrom any club amjjplay tition game on, say, Tuesday - and, Thursday. ktarsnjgr at 5.15 ana playing for. .making*the side batting declare after 1| hours.' This would be far betldf than practice, as players would intermingle and play under match conditions If things are allowed to’ 1 go oh much longer as* 1 at present,no we wB trouble to attest matofcfe. . F. J-. Shaddock- arouse hpnfent '‘«W* 'try'tb do something idr tn#awme||eopa •which he has, derived so-muchp&tfuanpet. : .;in s 'tJh\past—Voum, et?., 1 ‘ submer: Flferlwy