CRICKET "COACH."

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 107, 2 November 1909, Page 7

CRICKET "COACH."

ARRIVAL OF MR. J. H. BOARD. TWENTY YEARS IN FIRST-CLASS CRICKET. The Hawkes Bay Cricket Association has been enthusiastic and modest enough to secure a professional "coach" for its cricket. Last night Mr. J. H. Board, of Gloucestershire, England, who has an honourable record of over twenty years in first-class cricket, arrived by the lonic, and goes on to Napier almost immediately by boat to take up the work. Mr. A. E. Relf was a passenger by the same boat, on his way to Auckland to continue his work there in teaching the young idea what to do and how to do it in the cricket sense. The report that Mr. C. P. $uckenham, the Essex professional and fast bowler, was coming to Christchurch, is not correct. Buckenham retired at the last moment, and will accompany the English eleven to Africa. To-day, when seen by a representative of The Post, Mr. Board was diffident enough about several little matters affecting English cricket as bearing on the recent Australian tour. The Selection Committee? "Well, Jessop and Brearley should never have been omitted, a-nd Hay ward" — this a heretical proposition — "if he were not able to play for his county, it was somewhat illogical to choose him in the Te6ts." England would have done better, hazarded Mr. Board, if the first Test team, which so successfully accounted for the Australians, had been retained. And he thinks J. 11. Mason, fine all-rounder and finer "sport," should have led the Home internationals. As to England's promising youngsters, '.'There are so many one can scarcely recall them," said the Gloucester man. Perrin he considers one of the very ' finest bats, in the land, but he will nofc take his game seriously. R. E. Relf (A. E. Relf's 'younger brother), E. Humphries, too, are both in the front rank. Mr. Board has good words for J. E. Woolley ' (whom he classes as the best left-hander playing at Home), J. NCrawford (who has gone out to Adelaide), C. L. Townsend, G. B. Hobbs, and G. Gunn. Gloucester possesses a very brilliant left-hand bowle^: in a- colt, Parker, who, according to his clubmate, is certain to climb high' in English cricket. The Australian team? No*, up to the standard' of some of former years. "And Gloucester had them beaten in the last match, when the game was drawn," added the visitor. Bardsley and Ransfcrd were two brilliant batsmen, and the latter's field work very fine. "But • look out for the Sotifch Africans when they arrive," advised the speaker. Messrs. Schwartz, Vogler, Faulkiner, "googly" bowlers, and Nourse and White, batsmen, are some names mentioned. v Questioned aa to "coaching," Mr. Board heartily affirms the principle. '."Catch them young," is his idea, and with a knowledge of the English nurBeries, he is emphatic that the game produces better results when taught than when simply learned or picked up. For himself, he has played cricket in all parts of the round earth, and was "made" the one and only W. G. Grace, "who was a strict teacher," added the speaker. It was pointed ont what an uplifting effect the work of G. Lohmann and others had on South African cricket. Mr. Board visited Australia some years ago with a team led by Mr. A. E. Stoddart. This is his first visit to New Zealand. As a 'keeper he was right in the van last season, «nd he scored 69 runs over the coveted thousand, in first- | class qricket, which is an enviable "double." Another fine "double" was a 59 and 150 not out performance in consecutive innings against Essex. He comes to New Zealand specially recommended, and hopea to piny in our best cricket. He leaves for Home j|n 23rd' March, 1910.