HOMEWARD BOUND

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 8

HOMEWARD BOUND

NEW ZEALAND CRICKETERS

The New Zealand cricketers aro now returning from their tour of Australia. With the exception of the Aucklanders, who are proceeding direct to their home town, and Lowry, who is remaining in Australia, the members of the touring party are due in Wellington on Tuesday. Australian impressions of the tour and opinions about the future of New Zealand cricket are indicated in tho following comment made by the Sydney "Referee" cricket writer:—

"The New Zealanders have had a highly educational trip, and may be expected to show much improvement when they reappear in Dominion matches. Unfortunately the financial side has not been a success. In the circumstances it would be a graceful act for the different associations iv the capital cities to give the New Zealand Council the whole of the net profits from the gates, that is, tha whole of the money, minus match expenses. I feel certain that it is only a matter of time when New Zealand will play no small part ia representative cricket. The individual ability revealed, even in tho Sydney match, is a splendid augury for the future. The batsmen havo cultivated admirable styles, and their strokes as a rule are very good. Specialised fielding should make of them a much more formidable combination in the near future. The New Zealand Council's representative on this tour, Mr. J. F. Peake, is just the man to make a success of everything he handles. It is to be hoped, before he leaves for home, he will have arranged some kind of reciprocal programme with the Australian States,- and that the terms exacted by the latter in the direction of expenses allowed will not be exorbitant.

"A Queensland team, if thoroughly representative, would provide a very interesting tour through New Zealand next season. It would be still more interesting if such a team wero supplemented by one or two of "the brightest batsmen from other States, such, for instance, as W. Alexander and B. W. Bymill, from South Australia, and H. 0. Rock and 'A. Scanos, from N.S.W. The Queenslanders are very keen on making the trip to New Zealand. Mr. L. Mossop, their manager, and L. O'Connor, their captain, assured me that the Queensland Association would be very pleased to arrange it."