CRICKETERS’ TOUR

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 11

CRICKETERS’ TOUR

English Critics Comment on New Zealanders

SEVERITY OF PROGRAMME

(From the Special Cobiiespondent oe the Uniter Press Association WITH THE TEAXt.)

London, September .12.

'Critics reviewing the New Zealand cricket team’s tour comment upon the tourists' successes from the middle of June, mentioning that two of the four losses since then were due to the wickets breaking up on the third day. “The Cricketer” says: “The batsmen in the early part of the tour played back too much.” “The Cricketer” names Wallace, Donnelly and Cowie as the outstanding players, and also praises Vivian aud Dunning for their steady bowling- aud Page for fighting innings in the main matches. < “The Times” calls Donnelly a “cricketing Jacobite,” always at his best when fighting losing causes. Howard Marshall, in the “Daily Telegraph,” comments on the severity of the programme, saying that with next to no r’ain to provide days off, the players were practically worn out by the end of the tour. The “Sunday Dispatch,” commenting on the Irish match, gravely advises the spectators to arrive early for the return game on Tuesday, so as not to miss the drawing of stumps. DISAPPOINTING TOUR Eight Wins and Nine Losses Compared with the records of the .1927 and 1931 teams, the results of the New Zealand cricket team’s tour of England this year are rather disappointing. The 1927 team played 38 matches, of which 13 were won, five lost, and 20 drawn. In 1931 the New Zealanders engaged in 36 matches in England, of which seven were won, three lost, and 26 drawn. This year the New Zealand team played 37 matches, of which 12 were won, nine lost, and 16 drawn. In first-class matches, the New Zealanders woh eight matches, lost nine, and drew 15. Victories were scored in first-class matches over Cambridge University, Somerset, Scotland, Surrey (second match), Essex, Combined Services, Sussex, and Minor Counties, and the New Zealanders were beaten by Glamorgan (twice), Lancashire (twice), Derbyshire, Worcestershire, England (second Test), Kent, and an English XI at Scarborough. One of the redeeming features of the tour was the success achieved by the younger members of the team. J. Cowie, the Auckland fast bowler, who captured 10S wickets on the tour at an average of 22 runs, is considered by competent English critics to be the best fast bowler in the world to-day, being rated even superior to Kenneth Fames, the Essex amateur, who did so well for England iu the last series of Tests in Australia. Most satisfactory, too, has been the batting of W. M. Wallace (Auckland), and M. P. Donnelly (Taranaki), who come first and second in the batting averages. Wallace aggregated 1621 runs at an average of 41.56, and Donnelly totalled 1413 at 38.18 per innings. D. A. R. Moloney, J. L. Kerr, W. A. Hadlee, and H. G. Vivian also scored over 1000 runs on the tour.

A peculiar feature about the tour was the failure of such players as J. M. Lamason, W. N. Carson, E. W. Tlndill .and N. Gallichan to strike anything like their New Zealand form with tile bat. Gallichan came second in the bowling averages, with 55 wickets at an average of 25.12, and A. W. Roberts, D. A. R. Moloney, J. A. Dunning, and H. G. Vivian also did tolerably well with the ball.

There was, however, little solidity about the team, aud few players, such as J. S. Dempster, R, C. Blunt, J. E. Mills, C. C. Dacre and T. C. Lowry, who formed the backbone of the 1931 team.

Moloney proved the most reliable allrounder, coming third in the batting averages, aud fourth in bowling. To score 1440 runs and capture 54 wickets on tbe tour was a good performance on the part of the Manawatu player. The Averages. ‘ Following are the averages of the New Zealand team in the 31 first-class matches on the 1937 tour: —

Also bowled: Kerr, none for 4; Hadlee, none for 13.

The Century-Makers. The following three-figure scores were compiled on the tour: —

For New Zealand (12). G. L. Weir, *134, against Worcester. M. L. Page 109, against Nottingham. 'l'. C. Lowry, 121, against Nottingham. W. M. Wallace, 115, against Somerset. J. L. Kerr, *l3O, against Leicester. M. P. Donnelly, 144, against Surrey. W. A. Hadlee, 106, against Essex. 11. G. Vivian, 112, against Hampshire. W. M. Wallace, 111, against Sussex. D. A. R. Moloney, 140, against Eng-

lish XI. J L. Kerr, 112, against English XI. J. L. Kerr, 160, against Minor Counties.

For English Teams (24). # R. Duckfield, 101, for Glamorgan. D. Brookes, *lO2, for Northampton. A E. Aiderman, 112, for Derbyshire, V. Grimshaw, 103, for Worcester. J. Iddon, lOS. for Lancashire. N. Oldfield, I'ol, for Lancashire. G. V. Gunn, *149, for Nottingham. J. Hardstaff, 110, for Nottingham. W. R. Hammond, 140, for England. J. Hardstaff, 11-1, for England. F. S. Loe, .128, for Somerset. W. R. Hammond, 108, for Gloucestershire. G. Berry, 156, for Leicestershire. F. T. Prentice, 123, for Leicestershire. N. F. Armstrong, *l2l, for Leicestershire. L. JI. Hutton, 135, lor Yorkshire. I>. C 11. Townsend, 138, for Durham. L. 11. Hutton, 100, for England.' R. ,1. Gregory, 106, for Surre.v. D. R. Wilcox. 116, for Essex. Lieutenant Borgnis, 101, for Combined Services. J. Hardstaff. 103, for England. A. E. I’otheeary, 130. for Hampshire. B. 11. Valentine. 102. for English XI. (*) Denotes not out. The New Zealanders scored 27 centuries in Englund in 1927. C. S. Dempster making six, J. E. Mills live, R. C. Blunt four, C. Dacre four. ('. F. W. Allcolt two, anil M. L. Page two. In 1031 New Zealand batsmen hit up’-’:; figure scores iu England, Dempster nuikiug seven, Page lour. Blunt three. Mills three. Lowry two, Vivian two, and Weir two. SANDHAM TO RETIRE • London. September 12. A. Santlhant. who is -17 years old. has decided to retire front first-class cricket. Tito Surrey County Club lias accepted his resignation. YORKSHIRE BEGINS WELL AGAINST MIDDLESEX

London, September 11

In Hie cricket challenge match against Middlesex Yorkshire made 293 for live wickets (Hutton 121, Mitchell 86).

BATTING. Ins. S'.O. Rns. U.S. Avge. W. 51. Wallace •12 3 1621 115 41.50 M. 1’. Donnelly 43 6 1413 144 3R.1S D. A. R. Moloney 44 4 1410 140 36.00 ,1. L. Kerr ... 40 1205 100 31.71 W. A. Hadlee . 44 3 1225 106 29.87 H. G. Vivian .. 42 4 1118 112 29.42 G. L. Weir ... 311 3 SSO 134* 26.00 T. C. Lowry .. 10 o 373 121 26.01 A. W. Roberts . 2(1 6 510 82 25.50 M. L. Page .. 3(1 6 1105 109 22.16 W. N. Carson . 35 4 025 SO 20.16 E. W. Tindill . 32 0 477 47 18.34 N. II. Gallichan 21 2SS 50 18.00 ■T. R. Lamason 27 3 390 71 16.25 J. A. Dunning 31 8 ‘'Tn 30 11.95 J. Cowie 2'1 ‘Denotes 8 not 1411 out. 36 7.09

BOWLING. Kuns. Wickets. Average. Cowie .... 2277 IOS. 22.00 Gallichan ... 1382 oo 25.12 Koberts GO 20.41 Moloney .... 1495 54 27.00 Dunning Carson ... 2493 83 30.07 .... 304 10 30.40 Page .... 411 12 34.25 .... 1809 49 36.91 Donnelly ... 684 16 42.75 Lamason .... 205 6 44.16 Weir 14 73.21