REASON FOR COLLAPSE

Evening Post, Issue 59, 10 March 1924, Page 8

REASON FOR COLLAPSE

'^MADE TOO MUCH OF WICKET."

.Mr. C. B. Cochrane, manager of the Aew South■•-Wales team, who, it may be. mentioned, is still an active cricketer, being..a,-member of the Manly second grade team, made some interesting comment on the match to a "Post" reporter to-day. "To me it seemed that the JNew Zealand team made too much of the ! picket," he said. "I do not think it .-was nearly as bad as they thought. While the bowling was very good, and the fielding also, the New Zealanders, to_my mind, got themselves out through thinking that the wicket was worse than it really was. When New Zealand went in for the second time, the wiclcet was better than at any part of the match. All our fellows agree with me in that." \ Questioned regarding the New South Wales bowling., Mr. Cochrane said that Hendiy bowled very accurately, and it was his absolute accuracy that made him difficult. Under similar conditions oh Australian wickets Macartney would nave been absolutely unplayable. : Speaking of the display by the New Zealand team as a whole, the manager said: "It only emphasises, to my mind, that you want more of these visits to enable your fellows to get over sta°-e fright. It was hardly stage frieht; the players became obsessed with the reputation of the men opposed to them. The ojily way. to overcome that is by coming more into contact, with the players of that calibre. After,all they are only human. They aTe certainly a fine team. It seems to. me that to improve cricket hero, to bring it up to proper Australian standard, is by bavinn- these visits more;' frequently. What I would suggest_is that teams come oAt here every year, "not 'necessarily from New South Wales—teams from other States could make the trip—and then New Zealand, after four or, five of these visits, should send a sido over to- Australia, where they would meet the same standard of players under Australian conditions. Thei-e is nothing like a tour to other cricket-countries to bring out the latent talent. In my opinion you have any amount of cricketers of promise who just l«ck the necessary experience to develop them into first-class players. They can only gat that by playing against men o{ the.higher standard." ;Mr. Cochrane considered that the New Zealand team gave a cood performance in the field. One or two chances were miss-id, and the non-acceptance of that given by Warren Bardsley was most unfortunate for New Zealand. The fielding was' very keen. "James's keepinnwas quite a feature of the New Zealand out cricket." the manager remarked "He did remarkably well. When he gets a little- more experience of better cricket I-think there is not the slightest doubt tßat he 'will develop along good lines Our fellows all speak very" highly of him." •"• '•"