NEW ZEALAND CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 195, 13 May 1924, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET

AUSTRALIAN CRITICISM “A FINE LOT OF YOUNG PLAYERS,” BUT . (BY TELEGEAPH.-PBEBB association.) Christchurch, May 12. The Eecretary of the New Zealand Cricket Council has received a letter from Mr. C. B. Cochrane, manager of the New South AA’ales cricket team which recently toured the Dominion, in the course of which he’ says:— “Owing to the fact that I have not previously seen New Zealand cricket, I am unable to say whether it has advanced, but I found, it much better than I anticipated. There are in the Dominion quite a fine lot of young players, who only want the opportunity to develop along the best lines, and it seems to me that if they had more frequent chances of playing against State teams, they would quickly advance, and in a few years make quite formidable opponents. There is no doubt that they were obsessed with the feeling that they were playing supermen and as a result did not do themselves, and incidentally the New Zealand Cricket Council, justice, but jf they were more familiar with Australians they would soon throw off that Jeeling of inferiority and show that they are skilled and resourceful players. “The battitjß with few exceptions lacks enterprise* and shows altogether a want of confidence in playing good bowling, and the pnly way to overcome this marked weakness is to meet good bowling more often. The absence of good practise wickets is deplorable. and one finds it quite easy to understand why batsmen find it very difficult to make strokes in a match when they cannot attempt to either cultivate or perfect them on ' the alleged practice wickets. “There are plenty of bowlers available, but not one of any real outstanding ability, and the want of a really fast bowler and reliable slow bowler was much felt. Nearly every team contained one or more left-hand bowlers, but while the quality was uniformly very fair, they lacked the knowledge that can only be gained by experience in better class cricket. “The fielding on the whole was good, but much is to be learned in the returning of the ball to the wicketikeeper. The loose manner of throwing the ball to the bowler was also noticed, whilst the placing of the field was in most matches almost without method, and consequently many runs were given away.”