CRICKET

Dunstan Times, 20 March 1933, Page 6

CRICKET

| ROGER BLENT WRITES. Roger Blunt, the famous ox-Otago and New Zealand cricketer, who is now a director of the All Counties Publicity Company Limited, Nottingham, England, has written a most interesting letter to the writer, and Blunt’s views on cricket are so sound that much of his comment will be eagerly noted by local enthusiasts. He writes that lie lias met nearly all the fellows with whom lie will be associated in Sir duiien Calm’s team, and they arc a good crowd. 'They expected to start indoor practice in about a fortnight. Sir duiien had a most attractive programme mapped out for the season, embracing. Roger thought, seventy-four days’ play, including a number of Sunday games on Ins private ground at Stanford Hall. The matches, lor the most part, were not of the first class variety, but wero typical country house games, which, after all, provided the most pleasant typo of cricket. “ About the middle of August we leave England for a tour of Canada." wrote the ex-(’arisbrook man. “Wo then spend a few days in New York, and then go south to Bermuda, where a few matches have been arranged. Jt should be a most pleasant trip, “ I am enjoying work in the new job.” he continues. “It is most interesting, and brings me into contact with a wide range of business connections. I be work takes me up to London quite a lot, and I have found that the English business man is a most human being, and I have found also that a small reputation in the cricket world is a very definite asset in business. It has made things very much easier than might have been (lie ease. “ The interest in the test matches has, of course, been intense, but people bare been somewhat sickened by the hysteria into which a part of the Australian public have worked themselves over the inability of some of their bats men to cope with fast bowling. The M.C.C.’s reply to that dreadfully worded cable of the Board of Control has just appeared, and to any reasoua hlc-miiwlod lover of cricket the firm and dignified word of that reply seemed to he admirably suited (o the situation. The man who has come mil of (he whole unpleasant business with (lying colours is Jardinc. 1 consider he li as been wonderfully tolerant Ihroughont. “ Here is the point. .1 have seen files of reports of test matches here in 1921. Every report is interspersed with notes of so-and-so being struck on the bead, nock, ribs, arms, or thighs by the deliveries of Gregory, ‘ who was bowling with tremendous speed and bumping head high.’ But none of the English papers suggested that Gregory or M'Donald were trying to hit the batsmen—they blamed England’s batsmen for being unable to cope with bowling which was ‘ not to be compared with the bowling of the old davs, bv gad ! ’ But 1 tocause Larwood bowls with some fielders on (he leg side ho must, of course, he frying to hit the poor batsmen. Was it. just a coincidence (bat, at .Melbourne, where Australia, won, little was heard of ‘ body-line ’ (ghastly expression) bowling? ” Roger said that be had been following Dunedin activities closely; There bad been some strange upsets in the senior championships, and lie regretted to see that Carisbrook was not showing the form he expected, “ But 1 was most awfully bucked to sec the cabled reports of the Blanket Shield matches over Christmas and New Year,” he added. “ Well done, Otago—l wish I bad been there. By the time yon get this I hope Otago will have downed Canterbury as they did when I fame down with a Canter bury (cam. hoping to win the shield about 1921 mr ’2s—that was the year Otago won the shield.”

Boger Inis l)oou doing articles on th» tests (or ;i Sunday paper, the ‘ Empire News,' lint ho has kept right off controversial or sensational stuff.

“ MICKY WARNER.” Mr I’. F. Warner lias obtained Jiis ambition—that of winning the “ ashes ” on each of his three visits to Australia. On each of his three visits to Australia with test teams he has been charged with the task of recovering the ‘‘ ashes.” and on each occasion he has been successful. When he came as captain in 190.‘5-l Australia had been successful in each of the four previous series, in which she had won eleven matches to England’s three. It was a distressing record from England’s point of view, but Warner rectified it by leading his team to victory in three games to Australia’s two. When he came again as captain in I ill]-12 Australia had won two successive rubbers —six games to two. Unfortunately a severe illness kept him out of the game, but his team, under the leadership of ,T. W. H. T. Douglas, the vice-captain, overwhelmed Aus I ralia. winning four games to one. Now he comes as manager ot the team which lias regained the “ ashes so decisively won by W. M. Woodfull’s team in England in 1ff."50, and his cup of jov is full.

Otago nickel enthusiasts «ill rejoice at the news during the week that It. O. Talbot, the Canterbury and New Zealand all-rounder, is to take up a position in Dunedin in April. Talbot was one of Canterbury's most successful batsmen in interprovineial games. Like linger Blunt, Talbot learnt, his cricket at Christ's College. lie was eaplain of the first eleven, and even before he left seliool had made a reputation for himself as a useful fast-medium bonder and dashing batsman, who bad a great facility for rising to the occasion alien runs were badly wanted (wires our Christelnirch correspondent). He Dad only been a year away from school when he was selected to play for Canterbury, and in one of his earliest games for the province made a fine century against Otago. Tallin) was mil of Christchurch for a while, but as soon as be settled down to cricket, playing for ()1 1 1 Collegians, lie struck good lorm. Me captained the Collegians senior side, and once again won a place in the Canterbury eleven. Mis sterling performances with the hat, Ids fine fielding, especially in the deep, and his usefulness as a change howler won him a plaeo in the New Zealand side that toured England recently. Me will he an acquisition to Otago cricket, and sadly missed in Christchurch.