CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21728, 10 March 1936, Page 13

CRICKET

HH DRAWN !NO PLAY POSSIBLE YESTERDAY iIINAL GAME OF TOUR ' ABANDONED

There was no hope of any play yes- . Jlv in the final match against the Cricket Club touring Ma ff Although the pitch had been tea SLd during the week-end, the Co Sess r ain since Saturday night *a tleft the ground in a sodden state. ' vptterday morning the ground was •jJLrted. an d the sight screens , were SSnflat, the one at the south end ffl?OT the ground and that at the ffl end being blown half-way over IS nickets. The top of the screen was ' *•#£ on the asphalt outside, tho S& a nd the lower haU ' was Seed over the railings. iSers of the two teams did not aft at the ground, and the game was *Khdoned at H-30 a.m. Wrt deciiion has thus been reached m any of the games in which the ■,Mhra htve met a representative Syieatend side. The result of the ? n «i«» has been: — flSgt Test-M.C.C, 653 for five wicv/ts (declared); New Zealand, 81 and «w wins for seven wickets. 20 Second-M.C.C., 156, and 130 for Jen wickets; New Zealand, 242, and otq for three wickets (declared). Third—M.C.C., 433; New Zealand, tm and 128 for three. FoQrth-M.C.C. 195, and two for | 142; New Zealand, 334. <

REVIEW OF THE TOUR

VISITING CAPTAIN'S IMPRESSIONS

fiTBQNG BATTING BUT WEAK

BOWLING

A wealth of good batsmen but a dearth of good bowlers was the opinion of Mr E. R. T. Holmes expressed yesterday reviewing cricket in New Zealand. Mr Holmes, who is captain of t&e touring Marylebone Cricket Club- team which has just finished a three months' visit to New Zealand, added that he was surprised to find such a high standard of the game in New Zealand when there were &o many counter-attractions. He and his men had realised from the outset that the four matches against the New Zealand teams would call for the best from the side he was leading. "J. L. Kerr is an outstanding player; | he is in world class," said Mr Holmes. T'flis average against us of 99.8 must .he a record, and he well deserved it. f He has shown us that he has every 1 stroke both in front of and behind the wickets. M. W/ Wallace, the Auckland colt must become a class bat, and W. A. Hadlee has some verv good shots, especially when he plays back.". Players of Promise Three young players, all of them left-handers, from among the subassociations / with which the visitors played, attracted notice. They were all from the North Island—Donnelly and Christensen, from New Plymouth, and "Johnson, a 16-year-old junior grade player, from-Napier. Donnelly made 49 in the second innings against the Englishmen, and Christensen had an average of six for 99 in the two innings, and in batting had been not out each time with 16 and 13. Johnson, a slow left-hand bowler took two for 36 and Mr Holmes considered that jif he received proper training .he ; would develop into a bowler of the I class of Fleetwood-Smith. Donnelly : played his,,strokes as a finished batsman.

"I did not expect the New Zealand debacle at Dunedin to occur again," said Mr Holmes in dealing with the test matches. "Although the fortunes were entirely reversed in Wellington, that also was a situation we did not expect to have to face again in the next two matches. We did not underestimate the strength of the teams we met at all. Things were right in our favour in Dun,edin, but I cannot help thinking that luck was -with New Zealand in the other matches. Both in Auckland and Christchurch I was hoping to have pitches which would nelp Baxter and Read, but I did not Md them. In Christchurch I won the toss when we did not want to bat Bret.' Need for Spin Bowlers

■Roberts and Blundell were the two New Zealand bowlers who had caused the side most worry. These two and Cowie, of Auckland, would undoubtedly take wickets in England. Cowie, the fastest bowler they had met In New Zealand, was good, but the luck had been against him, especially in uunedin. The need at present was for two spin bowlers. Griffiths every Jjow and then had a very good ball, Put would have to put in practice to Maintain a good length. With plenty °t care he would supply one of the Places, as he bowled with a good spin W had a useful nip. off the pitch, wns more was wanted for a touring tide, however. ,"The last touring team from New Zealand was only 14 players; that is "otehoiigh," Mr Holmes continued. "It must be remembered that cricketers in «ig and play the game six days every ™mk, that they are used to continuW cricket, and that when an English Wftw on tour there are several games mm are comparatively easy and can Sf taken a's a relaxation. That is not ™f case with a New Zealand touring ?'ae. In an English tour they would 2 U P against strong teams in almost 22X match > which would demand f««ically a test side each g3me. Sixn Players would be the minimum a team," he continued. He portioned that the team that they S»iet in the last match would win WW games than it would lose in a, *» of England.

Very High Standard j jfhcn he was asked what could be "one to improve the standard of the ffl* Mr Holmes said that the impormoa. of more professionals would not *flJ t much. With the cricketers playv£iT e l ame in dub matches at the Hf ends only, coaches could not do CiP good.. Reciprocal visits with hZI? ove rseas countries was peraa # the best method. ine slow batting of the Englishes second innings in the last test jrwnon Saturday was referred to by »«* , me . s - who said that his men .S£* Playing to instructions. If anter, w ,¥ t had fa * le n that evening torf t. °i? ld nave been in a bad way, C» * had tol d the batsmen to stop «n/ „, i ll costs - M there had been *miij ,? ther for the last day they Jmlo ave £ one f °r r » n s from the as the odds were then about lea'hJ 3 ? was ver y sorry that the • < ; aused - the Sairs to^be rtorK aa ll was ln a verv inter ; gs stage, and he would have liked Played out.

» flw Cricket Fields 9»n!feu ea V ty of ' its surroundings mSZ? £ e had Played on equalled ngSpSgk-Park- in New Plymouth. SW- nds to th e Dominion had *oUft/T !5W areas - ar "i of these the Napier had appealed to (cond^i. Wlth Dunedin a very close BnC|.+2 e pounds in the main hj & ft «Au al f been good. WhSFE at the team leaves New P looping they may be [r«; 0 cc Wm back again soon, g tney may soon have the 0p- ,..■.„, ; w Holmes concluded. I

would Hke tP stay back here after the/team has gone home and enjoy th£- attractions: of this country, of which the slight knowledge that I Ja\?e makes me want to know it much better." "