Cricket SELECTION DELAYED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29767, 9 March 1962, Page 15

Cricket SELECTION DELAYED

N.Z. Team For Today (N.Z. Press Asm.—Copyright) SYDNEY, March 8. The New Zealand cricket team today delayed announcement of the teem to meet New South Wales tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground after rain bad washed out a scheduled pre-match workout The New Zealand captain, J. R. Reid, had hoped the practice session would reveal the fitness of some of his suspect players for the match. Reid said: "The selectors WiH discuss our teem tonight, but the final announcement will not be made until the morning, shortly before the match.

"In a couple of cases it depends on how the casualties feed after a night’s rest,” Reid said. He is hopeful that the leg-spinner, J. C. Alabaster, a sinus victim in Adelaide, will be fit, together with P. G. Z. Harris, who has had a troublesome back, and P. T. Barton, an infected finger. Reid said he is less hopeful about the fast bowler, G. A. Bartlett, but the New Zealanders will still have their new-bald attack of F. J. Cameron and R. C. Motz. The players had a restful morning, then the team meeting, and when rain washed out any prospect of a workout they had a quiet afternoon watching television or shopping in the city. S. N. McGregor, however, was busy chasing his bag containing his cricket gear, which has gone astray. Unless it turns up he will step out for the first time on the famous Sydney Cricket Ground tomorrow in borrowed gear. J. T. Sparling said the pain from his eracked ribs was easing more each day and he is now a likely starter too against New South Wales. In spite of today’s downpour, the Sydney Cricket Ground should aoak up the moisture. There has been a spell of hot weather. The New Zealanders plan to pay a special tribute to the former Australian captain, I. Craig, when he bats in this match. Craig today announced his retirement from first-class cricket, and WiH play his farewell match against the New Zealanders. The captain of two Australian teams to New Zealand, he is a popular player with the visitors.