"CRICKET NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE"

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30375, 26 February 1964, Page 15

"CRICKET NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE"

•‘/CRICKET is not what it vJ used to be,” according to Mr A. G. Kinvig, a former Otago and Canterbury representative. Mr Kinvig, who will be 90 next month, says that the advent of fast bowling has changed the game and that batsmen are more defensive now. In his playing days, Mr Kinvig said that the fastest bowlers would now be described as medium paced

and that batsmen were willing to take a chance and score more freely. Mr Kinvig considers that pitches in those days were just as good as those of today. Field placings were different because bowlers then aimed at the stumps instead of bowling to a packed leg side field or an umbrella field. Mr Kinvig still retains a keen interest in cricket and listens to the game on the radio. Although his eyesight is not the best he still looks fit enough to score runs. Mr Kinvig first played for Otago, where he was a foundation member of the Dunedin Cricket dub, in 1893-94, against Hawke’s Bay. Three years later he was a member of the Otago team that played Australia. In 1896-97 he was a member of the Otago team which dismissed Canterbury for 27 and 49. In' this match he made 44 and the following season he scored 55 against Canterbury. In 1901 he made his first appearance for Canterbury, retiring in 1904. Discussing some of his fellow Sydenham players he said that F. S. Frankish was “the best left-hander Canterbury ever had,” that S. McMurray was “a great spinner” and that W. R. Patrick was “a great batsman.” He remembers the Canterbury-Otago match in 1896-97 when A. Downes and A. Fisher ran riot in one of the greatest performances he has seen. He names Sir Arthur Sims, D. Reece, Patrick, A. Ridley, L. A. Cuff, and J. Lawrence as some of the best batsmen he played with and against. He recalls V. Trumper’s innings at Lancaster Park as one of the best by an overseas batsman. The bowlers that caused the most worry in his play-

ing days in Christchurch were Frankish. J. Bennett, R. Barry, W. Pearce and E. Bates. T. W. Reece was the best fieldsman in those days while G. Weston and J. Faulk were the best of the wicket-keepers. Mr Kinvig’s other love is bowls, which he took up in 1916. In 1929 he and F. Laurenson won the Dominion pairs championship. He also won a five-star centre badge, two Easter tournaments, two cham-pion-of-champion pairs and one champion-of-cham-pion fours in his playing days. He had to forsake the sport for his eyesight. Mr Kinvig recalled one match in the country which he and his brother went to on horse-back. The two brothers did a "Bedser” on the opposition with Mr Kmvig’s brother, “he was no cricketer,” going in first only to be skittled for no score. The opposition, jubilant at getting rid of “the fellow from Otago” were sadly awakened when the real A. G. Kinvig came to the wicket and scored 67 not out.