CRICKETING CRUSADERS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 110, 3 February 1931, Page 7

CRICKETING CRUSADERS

Dominion’s Strong 1 All-round Side

IS THE BOWLING QUITE GOOD ENOUGH?

(Notes by “Burwood.”)

The selection of the New Zealand cricket team which is to (our England this year has been well received, and it must be admitted that the selectors — Messrs. W. 8. Brice (Wellingtpu), N. 0. Sneddon (Auckland). H. V. Wliitta (Canterbury). and F. Williams (Otago—have done their work well.

The only doubt existing in the minds of critics is as to whether the bowling is strong enough. There is no question but that the team will be the strongest all-round combination which has ever carried the silver fern, and the strongest batting and fielding side which has represented the Dominion. The one thing needful now to ensure the success of the tour is for the New Zealand Cricket Council to decree that another man shall be sent with the team and that man should be a stock bowler. Bowlers such as E. D. Blundell. J Newman or H. B. Massey, men who can keep a length, do something with the ball, and keep going over long spells at the crease would be invaluable on the tour

Big-hearted Bowlers. To give some idea of how the bowlers mentioned can stick to their work it need only be mentioned that Massey in the shield match against Canterbury at Christchurch bowled eleven overs for 21 runs and one wicket in the first innings, and sent down 53 overs. 21 of which were maidens, for 98 runs and two wickets in the second innings. In the shield match at Auckland the Wairarapa trundler bowled 25 overs, 13 of which were maidens, for 25 runs and tw-o wickets, in the first innings, and 23 overs for 56 runs and a wicket in the second innings. Now anyone who studies these figures carefully will realise what fine sustained efforts with the ball Massey must have put up.

In the Shield match against Canterbury, J. Newman bowled esventeen overs for 36 runs and four wickets in the first innings, and 33 overs runs and one wicket in the second innings, while against Auckland the Nelson left-hander sent down 23 overs for 37 runs and a wicket, and fourteen overs for 16 runs and two wickets. Here again was steadiness personified. Blundell against Canterbury bowled 32 overs for 94 runs and two wickets, and seventeen overs for 50 runs and one wicket, ’while against Auckland he sent along 31 overs for 69 runs and three wickets, and sixteen overs for 28 runs and one wicket. >

These are bowlers ot a stamp who would be valuable indeed when the New Zealanders are endeavouring to dig out the English eleven in the Test match at Lord’s in June.

In any case, Lowry this year will have a stronger bowling side to call upon in England than he had at his command in 1927. It seems likely that C. Allcott, the Auckland left-hander, will be able

to stand up to hard work much better than dli the last tour, when he was handicapped by a weak ankle. Allcott bowled particularly well against Wellington in the second innings of , the Shield match, when he sent down eighteen overs for 22 runs aud four wickets.

In Matheson and Talbot, the side will have a couple of speed merchants who may surprise everyone by their performances on English playing fields. Both possess tine physique, and have big hearts. Talbot bowled well against Wellington in the Shield 'match at Christchurch, when tie sent down 22 overs for 41 runs and two wickets, and thirteen overs for 32 runs, while Matheson gave Wellington a taste of his quality at Auckland when he sent down 20.3 overs for 53 runs and four wickets.

Both these players are also batsmen of the dashing order. Matheson scored 14 and 94. not out in the Shield match against Canterbury. Talbot scored 1 and 74 in the same match, and hit up 42 and 61 against. Wellington. As both are dashing fieldsmen, it will be seen what valuable assets they should prove to the side. Another Fighter.

In I. B. Cromb, the New Zealand team will possess another stout-hearted fighter. It was this resolute all-rounder who was mainly responsible for Canterbury’s victory over Wellington at Christchurch at the New Year. Hitting up 58 and 35 with the bat in that match, Cromb secured one for 61 and five for 62 with the ball. Cromb. by the way, is a partner with W, E. Merritt in a sports goods business in Christchurch, and they will have to employ a manager while, both are on the English tour. Two Captains.

I expect both the Wellington and Canterbury captains, Lowry and Page, to do even better with the bat in England this year than they did in 1927. Both are thoroughly seasoned now, and this year should see them at the very zenith of their careers as cricketers. In 1927, Lowry hit up four centuries in England—lo 6 v. M.C.C., 106 v. Sussex, 106 v. Worcester, and 101 v. Gloucester: Page scored 134 v. Cambridge and 140 v. WorcestcIt can also be taken for granted that J Mills, who scored five centuries on the 1927 tour, and R. Blunt, who hit up four three-figure scores on that tour, will soon pick up their very best form when they have nothing to do but think, talk, and play cricket in England.' Both are great batsmen. ’ ~ Then comes C. S. Dempster. Who could argue that this great little batsman, who scored six centuries in England, and who headed the averages with 2231 runs at an average of 54.41. could be dropped from the team? As a matter of fact, Demnster was going in something like his best form in the first innings of the Shield match at Auckland, when he had the misfortune to be run out at 24. and he got 19 before falling l.b.w. to Allcott in the second innings. The long sea voyage should give this fine batsman the rest he needs, and he should step on to

English soil ready to bat with the brillance he showed in 1927.

Juveniles of the Team. This is the day of youth. Did not D. Bradman las year blaze a batting trail through England which astounded the cricketing world, and left long-standing records shattered in all directions? McCabe, Jackson, Fairfax, and a’Beckett were other youngsters in the last Australian team which yisited England who proved thaf it was not necessary to have long whiskers before being able to make runs and take wickets in Test matches. With the New Zealand team this year in England will be two lads still in their ’teens —H. G. Vivian, of Auckland, and J. L. Kerr, of Canterbury—of whom great things are expected.

Against . I and 81, and against Wellington 24 and 16. Kexr hit up 29 and 73 against Auckland, but 'found the bowling of Blundell too good for him in the game against Wellington, in which he was clean bowled for 3 and 0. Both these colts are highly spoken ot by competent judges," and the selectors acted wisely in giving them a chance to profit by the experience of an English tour. We must have youngsters coming on to fill the gaps in the ranks, and Vivian , and Kerr have all their cricket in front of them.

World’s Leading Batsmen. A correspondent asks me a poser. “Would you mind publishing a table, he writes; “showing the scores of over 200 made by the six leading batsmen of the world during the history of cricket. If possible, would you make the compilation up to date?” Now, this is a pretty conundrum. It is the sort of question asked in all parts of the world, and leads to hot controversies. For instance, the following appeared recently in an Australian paper: “All this blow about Don Bradman makes the average Victorian as off-colour as if he had just taken a walk through FootsCray. For instance, someone wrote the other day that Bradman, by making his third double century in Sheffield gameshad rivalled the record of George Giffen, the only other batsman to perform the feat. Rats to him! A Victorian called Ponsford has made six scores ol 200 and over in Sheffield games—43 G 352, 336, 248, 214, 202; and has always figured as an opening batsman. The New South Wales man has yet to prove his ability to face that proposition.” This Ponsford hero-worshipper might have added that Ponsford also scored 429 against Tasmania, and has made seven scores exceeding 200 in Australia 43i, 499 352, 336, 248, 214 and 202. My little .library is all too ?mall to contain the scores of over 200 made by the six leading batsmen of the world. What of the double centuries they must have hit up in club and house matches?

Midland’s Fine Record. The Midland team continues serenely on its match-winning way in the senior championship competition. It scored its sixth consecutive victory on Saturday when it defeated Old Boys by 236 runs on the first innings. Midland score 357, and dismissed Old Boys for 121. A promising colt, R. O’Neill, playe< a prominent part in Old Boys’ downfal by capturing four wickets for 20 runs and he was well supported by Bryant (three for 29) and Baker (two for 57).

Foley’s Defence. H. Foley, of the Institute team, showed a return to the form which won him a place in the New Zealand team last season, when he scored 90 not out against Petone at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. No man in the Dominion possesses sounder defence than Foley, and it is a pity that he does not let himself go more. He can drive with the best of them and had be taken the brake off on Saturday, when he carried his bat through the innings, his score would have been nearer 200 than 100.