Cricket “REPROACH TO N.S.W.”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 17

Cricket “REPROACH TO N.S.W.”

Attitude To N.Z. Cricket (NZ. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, March 7. The “Sydney Morning Herald” today chided Australia’s cricket administrators for doing “as little as they possibly could” to encourage cricket in New Zealand. ‘There is a chronic lack of first-class competition in New Zealand, and that is why it has nevgr quite been able to hold its own with other cricketing countries, except on isolated occasions," the newspaper said in an editorial. “But it has just risen to one of these occasions in squaring a hard-fought test series with South Africa. “This fact alone will make the New Zealanders most welcome visitors to the Sydney Cricket Ground this week. Their defeat by South Australia can be discounted: it came hard on the heels of a gruelling tour of South Africa, and the different conditions might well disconcert any team.” The "Herald” said it could be stated with some confidence that the New Zealanders would bend every effort to master the powerful New South Wales team.

“It is a serious reproach to N.S.W. that no New Zealand cricket team has appeared on the S.C.G. for 25 years,” the editorial said. “W. A. Hadlee’s excellent team of 1949, which drew the test rubber in England and included such players as M. Donnelly and H. Sutcliffe — world-class batsmen by the most exacting standards—was not seen in Australia, although G. O. Rabone’s 1954 side played several matches on its way home. ‘The present New Zealand captain, J. R. Reid, a most dashing and agressive altrounder, was a member of both these teams: to see him in action, directing his resolute players, will be a pleasure that has been too long delayed.”