“ERRONEOUS, MISLEADING” N.Z. Cricket Manager Denies Report

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 13

“ERRONEOUS, MISLEADING” N.Z. Cricket Manager Denies Report

(N. Z.P.A.-Reuter—-Copyright)

HAMILTON (Bermuda), August 5.

The manager of the New Zealand cricket team, Mr W. A. Hadlee, has written a letter to the Bermuda newspaper “Royal Gazette,” after incidents between the New Zealand tourists and the local Bermuda cricketers, during a two-day match.

In the letter, Mr Hadlee criticised an article which appeared in the “Mid-Ocean News,” which he said was “erroneous and misleading.” “We are the first to admit that our international playing status is not as good as that of several other countries,” Mr Hadlee said. “This is not for want of efforts by players or administrators to maintain the game we love. Most Arduous Tour “However, we are on the last leg of a tour of five and a half months, a tour which has been the most arduous ever undertaken by any country In the international field. “We have played 13 test matches and representative games against Scotland, Ireland and Holland.” Mr Hadlee went on to say that there was much evidence of mental and physical fatigue among the New Zealand players and their performance in Bermuda had not been as good as they had hoped. Stating that the Kiwis had nothing but “the utmost consideration and kindness shown to us by local cricket officials,” Mr Hadlee said: “I must say, however, in fairness that we have observed some deficiences in the conduct of the match itself.

“For instance, play started 12 minutes late on the first

day and 20 minutes late on the second day. "The time limit for all intervals was exceeded and on the second day 16 minutes elapsed between the end of New Zealand’s innings and the start of Bermuda’s second innings. “In the opening stages of the match a Bermudan bowler disappeared for some reason and held play up. “Factors such as this tend to diminish the stature of a cricket match.” He said his team had not used words of “an unsportsmanlike nature.” He had discussed the matter with the captain, Randolph Spencer, of the Combined XI, and had his “complete authority” for stating that this was untrue. Statement Denied But yesterday Spencer denied Mr Hadlee’s statement. He said at no time had he given Mr Hadlee a complete authority to say that no profane words were used. In a statement to the local newspapers, Spencer said he told Mr Hadlee after the match on Monday that in the interests of sportsmanship he was prepared to forget the incidents.

Shield Challenge.—The Taranaki team to meet Wanganui in Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield challenge at New Plymouth is: B. I. O’Dowda; K. P. Hurley. T. N. Wolfe. L. Clarke; J. F. McCullough, R. H. Brown; K. C. Briscoe; L. A. Scherp; M. C. Wills, A. E. Smith, T. D. Jenkins. W. R. Coles; I. C. A. Flavell, J. Major, I. H. MacDonald.