Coaching school for cricket

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32945, 17 June 1972, Page 16

Coaching school for cricket

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. The New Zealand Cricket Council board of control yesterday decided to hold a national coaching school later this year, but only after considerable disagreement as to what should be given priority at the school. t Because of the difficulties encountered on tour, the manager of the New Zealand team in the West Indies, Mr M. E. Chapple, strongly urged in his report that a school be held solely for spinners. But the board’s coaching subcommittee had recommended a school with a Wider scope, and it was this that was substantially approved. The main compromise was that in picking players for the school, the selectors should be advised to “put an emphasis on spin bowlers who are, or may become, test prospects.” The other stipulation placed on the school is that it. is for "emerging” players rather than established test batsmen., . ■ , , , j

The school, to be held ini Christchurch in the last] week-end of September, will comprise 16 players. But Mt Chapple said that to be properly effective, the school should be greatly reduced in number. He wanted no more than six young spinners attending. “There is a need to focus on a smaller number,” he said. “If the national coach, Martin Horton, has to spread his talents around other areas of the game, he won’t have quite the same benefit.” To stay as a power in test cricket. New Zealand needed spin bowlers, but it was clear there was a dearth of them throughout the country, Mr Chapple added. This had become painfully obvious on the West Indies tour. There was general agreement with Mr Chapple that New Zealand's spin bowling resources were a cause for concern. The chairman, Mr J. G. Leggat, said that in this department, New Zealand cricket was on a “knife’s edge.” It would be disastrous, for instance, if anything happened to make Hedley

(Howarth unavailable for test 1 sides. But other board members considered that the scope* of a coaching school had to be much wider. Mr C. G. Burgess said that New Zealand also had to worry about other areas of the game, gt&at though the concern was at present for spinners. Mr C. Collins, said that spin bowlers of class were not going to be produced merely by coaching clinies. Other recommendations from the West Indian tout made in Mr Chapple's report included: sponsorship, the touring party being 16 -instead Of 15, and the clothkia allowance be increased i id the quality of gear in th« countries being visited be inspected before the tour. Mr Chapple also said tMal there should be more flitclass matches before the f si test is played, a rest day al bi the third day in the tests n< stead of the fourth, innocnta* tions for a group of Tikelj s hXS? • better rooming condition* W 1 official scorer and Upon ' matches ,in Bermuda. *