CRICKET TEST TEAM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 9

CRICKET TEST TEAM.

; ; TWO VIEWS. ; ; ' THE;SELECTOR UPHELD. Cricket conversation this ■•' week' is . mostly connected with the'; team selected by Mr. Douglas. Hay to represent New Zealand, in tho:. second , test, match' against ;the which ...commences'; aT-'th'o/.Bisin'' Roservo at ; 12 o'clock'-on. Saturday ','■ . ;■■■'■"""■ ■ ■ '. ANOTHER PROTEST" ' .; .: ■ ,LTo the' Editor.] ' ' ; .'"■'■.

. ' Sir,—The fact that. six , of the eleven .-.'■.■■' players hail .from'. Canterbury points, to '.: the fnct '..Mr.. ..Hay : had ■■ some -■■ valuable advice given to him as to tho . merits :of .'the players-rvaluablo as far ■-.''. e?...the: Canterbury men and their.being ■given positions in tho team were .conr -,:'■ fcerned.'; But", only ,residorits;,of. ■'. Christ-' .. ■ church .will:.bo found to agree with-the ■•, Eelector 'iii' his "exalted ideas ;of the :;: merits of Canterbury's■ cricketers." In . ■ cricketers' have a decided -■;: ■ grievance. ' the ..first team was ■'■': :?■ selected, and it was found that Midlane ■ \ras- the sole local representative, it ' was'agreed, that .'thit/playor. could not ■ been passed "by.*; . Now, 'however, eyen'.such a performer, as Midlane . ~': has proved ■ himselt 'to •be.'in ohampion- , r |hip "and representatife matches, thia has had to give way .to a Cantar■■■V. biirv man,',and the in. local ■ .'/.'■'■ bricketing i'circles.. is;-. very. . marked. :•■,; .Having 1 dropped . 'Midknoj•■••Mγ.'. ..Hay ■'..:• could.not' leave Wellington out in :tho cold; altogether, and, ho-put in '.Brice, : -. the- tall bowler-bateman from Petone. ;;' .Bribe js .worthy. of'his place, for, : ' in . : champiohsljip matches, this: season, he ' has taken' 63. wickets at a- cost of :■■ ..slightly over 11 runs per wicket—-the ~■ highest number of .wickets taken in anj . season ;pf championship matches in WeT- , . '■■'.■■' lington. ■"..' And, as , -' a • representative -phiyer,-he convinced such an astute . : judge as A. B.:Belf..that, he was the . ■■:.' ■ finest : fast' bowler, in : .the colony. :' The ■ pjayer whose .inclusion has caused > the .biggest surprise is Sandman; the youth-' .. ful.Canterbury::how]eri-. It:is.true.that he has done well.in.-local. cricket . in- .. ■ Canstchuroh,'but. as. r a representative' ■•■;,;. bowler;-he has proved very,, expensive. • ■ His .time as New Zeajand. represent .'.'. tatiye is riot yet, however, and Mr. -..■"..' Hay. has' done.him ;' too much- honour • -,; on this occasion. Tliere is.too much of • the :,"veteran" .about the majority of ;, the other'members of 'the team; -Lusk, ■■■■ Haddon.;-,Boxshall, and; Siedeber^.could .have easily given way to. younger men, .'.,'■; considering .that they' had failed more ■'. or less, m the first test match. ;Hemus ■ahdiSale, when-going well,:are.two of . tne_ .finest batsmen .in the Dominion, ■" and'Simsi if he gets over his -initial ■.. -nervousness,; stands by himself, as ■ a .. ..master : of.; style..-.; Beese,: the Canter- ,.•'"■ bury all-round man, is at the topof the .., tree at present, and Bennett : is one'of ..our- steadiest, bowlers. The-.whole of the men mentioned in this letter can be ■ '.expected to do full."justice ■-'.to' . New : ,/Maland, and, incidentally,: to compel .: the Australians to show.the-best that ;js in -them'.v ßut, altogether/, the T t-eam , is not as good as such a fino cricketer . ap-Mr. Douglas Hay could.havel selected: • Me could,easily, have -chosen younger '-,: ;Players : m .the-places of.those written ;■ against in:this criticism, without in any ' "-■'. ?.% lessening, either ..the fowling ■ or ;i , battmg pOT-er of, the combinatiom and "'■ v ? being- equal),is'■ the . . ; which a selector of. a New' Zeai , land; team ought to,have; in view in .•'.■'■ pnttingi- his eleven-on-paper.—l'am :;..-. etc., .;-;■:;-■" :v-:' ; CBICKETER..■'■■'•■

' §J r '.~^ ome remarks by "An'-'Authdr-.ity ■; myo ircplumns ■yesierdayJpresent "an opportunity:to express a few opinT-'/ to Ws- .A few-truths .? b J cricket-1 •mayVblurt .out,, but no.offence is intended. : . Our' •sneketers.must have "more and' , better \ playipg iields- before they can produce ; inore candidates for; a ; New. Zealand eleven., I -can pass your; .correspondent b schoolboy argument .that '•'beoause.we do not belong to Canterbury we cannot get in the teE>ra s " also that Mr. Hay, has been."influenced" in his flection. Mast .cricketers know-Mr. Hay, and can rely .upon his judgment. Wellingtonians are •naturally disappointed:.that Midlans is excluded. Ho as tlie. only, first-class batsman in .Wellington at present, buthe is noi in the samo class as Hemus or Sale. Midlano badly ran: out:two men and nearly a third in the first test, and did not bat well. Wellington 'must be satisfied iu getting .Brice in the' team-i-thero -are better fast bowlers than he' in Ne« Zealand—and wit 4' Lusk fielding ; slip .where aro. they going to : caiTy BricoPV.r fancy your correspondent mentions Jlickeys name-more in jestthah earnest,, so I pass' that suggestion with ■ the reminder,that there aro Hickeys, in-sec-ond-grade: teams m Auckland and Canterbury. Sandman 13 not Reese's proteg?, ,but:, Canterbury's.' < Ho :is a poTlersdmewhat-similar to "Pro" Robertson, .whom, many Wellington cricketers will remember: His" figiiies this season, are. over-60 wickets at 9 runs each, against tho;many, fine batsmon Canterbury can boast. Sandman will be better known in the future to Wellington cricketers, , , and should also please tho; Wellington public, who, by the'.way,- are better critics than their players are cricketers. With Olliff unable to -play, the bowling is certainly weakened, especially as Brice is his substitute. Your authority complains b-i----cause. Canterbury has six men selected (and Patrick even then omitted). But Wellington m Ist stand down. The men are not in this province worthy of selection.. Canterbury's .performance against the Australians is sufficient indication .of their ■ skill, while the match Wellington; versus tho Australians 'was a farce to a keen observer. Your, correspondent's desire to remove tho:control of Now Zealand cricket from Christchurch to' Wellington because 'Canterbury has six representatives to Wellington's one, I anunbt concerned with 'Ihe cricketers of Wellingtoa must first gain, more skill on the field before they can bo; trusted to hold thoroins of.gov ernment of -the game in New' Zealand. —I am, etc., . . -; -■ « ■■,■■„, ■'■ ; " : GAFF. \ March 21. : .; : . -\ . WELLINGTON V. HAWKE'S BAY. '. Messrs. Laws, Hutchings and Beechj cave been, selected to play at Napier at Easter in place of those unable to make:the trip. .-.-. :■■'.!■'■'. \ THE', CHR.ISTCHURCH (By Telegrai>h.-Pro'3B Association.) Christcfiurcli, March 21. In .district cricket matches this season, St.. Albaiis won the first-grade competition, Riccarton tho secondgrade and fourth-grade,. and Liuwood tho third. Sydenham. won the shield for most points in all grades.. .Pat-rick heads, the. batting averages with 77.8, and an aggregate of 467 runs; D Reese averages 36, and Sims 35.8 Sandmau, who is included in the New Zealand team, heads the - bowling, taking 63 wickets at an average cost of 9.8 runs; Bennett took 39 wickets at ah average. of 11.3 runs.