N.Z. TO PLAY AT PRETORIA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27213, 3 December 1953, Page 12

N.Z. TO PLAY AT PRETORIA

CRICKET

ONLY SECOND-CLASS MATCH OF TOUR [From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent with, the team} BULAWAYO. December 1. The former England Rugby lull-back and Oxford cricketer, M. . Hofmeyr, will lead North-east Transvaal in the two-clay match against the New Zealanders at Pretoria on Thursday and Friday. It is the only second-class match of tne tour, and the day after it endsthe tourists will meet Transvaal at Johannesburg. This should provide the New Zealand team with an excellent dress-rehearsal for the first test, which begins at Durban on December 11. •• The North-east Transvaal team will be. Hofmeyer, C. Kirton, P. Davies. A- Dennis, J. Richardson, J. Blewitt, G. Middlewick, B. Wiles. I. Shearer, W. Hall, E. Hhnsen, R. Spies (twelfth map) The New Zealand team, which finished the match with Rhodesia yesterday, will remain in Bulawayo until midday tomorrow, when it will fly to Johannesburg and from the aerodrome motor to Pretoria, about 30 miles away. North-east Transvaal are not considered sufficiently strong to worry the New Zealanders, although Hofmeyr has a career batting average of 45, and the team includes several other competent and promising players. Hansen is a 19-year-old off-spinner, and Davies is regarded as the best batting prospect the district has had lor some time. , . The New Zealanders this morning had open wicket practice, and will spend the rest of the day shopping and sightseeing. Tomorrow morning they will visit the grave of Cecil Rhodes, about 18 miles by road from Bulawayo.