REFUSED OFFER

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 14

REFUSED OFFER

League Club Seeks O’Neill (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. N. O’Neill has turned down an offer to play cricket for Radcliffe in the Central Lancashire League next season. The test batsman and spin bowler, who was dropped by the Australian test selectors this year after an indifferent start to the season, has been wooed by England's Saturday afternoon cricket teams for nearly eight years. In 1958 when O’Neil) was burdened with the “young Bradman” label he turned down an offer by the Oldham club to be its professional A year later Accrington wanted him, but their offer was also rejected. While O’Neill was on the 1959-60 tour of India and Pakistan, East Lancashire announced that the Australian had accepted a £lOOO offer to play the 1960 season for them. But O’Neill later said he had never accepted the offer. At the same time there was a chance that he might be switching to baseball as the New York Yankees were reported interested in him. Radcliffe wanted O'Neill to play the 1966 season in place of its present professional, Malcolm Hilton, the former Lancashire and England lefthander.

After O'Neill turned down the offer the club sent an invitation to the Australian test off-spinner, T. Vievers, and last night they were still awaiting his reply.