COMMENT ON THE TEAM

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1927, Page 12

COMMENT ON THE TEAM

(By "Not Out.")

In. making their choice of players for the big tour the selectors have apparently given as much consideration as possible to those players likely to benefit most by the experience in England. This has been done at some cost to the batting department, which is not quite as strong as expected. Taken all round, however, the team is a good one, and, while its prospects of good measure of success have been reduced to some extent by the absence of the two best batsmen in the country, it should be capable of demonstrating that CTicket in New Zealand is of better standard than followers of the game in England may bo. inclined to believe. It is " . quite a young tenm—the

average age being spmewhere . in the vicinity of 26 years—and on that account it should serve as an excellent medium for the further advancement of cricket in the country it is representing. In the main the players are of the right type to see out a strenuous tour, and as the veteran player and selector, Mr. Ken. Tucker, puts it, "if # they do not come back cricketers, they never will be cricketirs." A SURPRISE PACKET. The selection is not without its surprise and disappointment. In picking W..E. Merritt the selectors have sprung a big surprise upon all followers of the game, with the exception, perhaps, of those in Canterbury. On the day prior to the selection there was some

eleventh-hour propaganda for the inclusion of Merritt, in. view of his striking performance as a bowler in the Canterbury-Otago match. The two South Island selectors were evidently much impressed with Merritt, and they had the colt tried .out again in the presence of the other selector (Mr. Brice). The result was that Merritt won his way into * the team. The choice of this young player'moans that the load of responsibility on Blunts shoulders has been lessened, and Blunt will now have more opportunity of giving of his best as a batsman. Merritt is a slow left-hand spin bowler, and according to reports, he had most of the' Otago batsmen tied 'up in the recent match at Duncdin. One match,' however* does not make a great bowler, and this writer is inclined to the belief that the selectors have taken a big risk. The hope is that Merritt will ■play up /j the great confidence placed in him by the selectors in pi-Mnotino-him from school to international erie-

ket in the short spa;e of two months. Merritt has played only three games in senior cricket, and has proved rather expensive. 'In the Otago-Canterbury match—his first representative game— he took eight wickets for 68 runs. In his ea3e the selectors went outside the list of nominee's for the tour to England. ° OMISSION OP KORTLANG. The selected team is not New Zealand's best, mainly by reason of the fact that neither Kortlang nor Hiddleston are included. Hiddleston, unfortunately, was not in a position to make the trip. It was thought on that account that Kortlang's chances of selection were further improved, as the side could well do with a batsmen oi: this calibre. If there was one man who should hay.i gone iv on performances alone it was Kortlang. He is undoubtedly the best batsman in the country to-day, and one who can al-

ways- be rtupciulecl upon to get his side out of trouble. There are several of the chosc-ii batsmen who are liable to go at any time, and if things happen to go wrong from the jump when this louring team is batting, what members of the team can be confidently; expected

to hold the side together as well as Kortlang can do? Kortlang is a great batsman, one who can hold his end up and at tho same time help the man at the other end. In this season's cricket Kortlang has been a prolific scorerin fact, he has a record probably unequalled in New Zealand cricket. He has an aggregate of 985 runs, and has scored at the rate of over 75 runs per innings. The selectors have not done justice to one of tho greatest cricketers this country has ever seen. Apart altogether from his wonderful ability as a player, ho would have been a valuable man to have on the tour. His omission is the big disappointment of the selection. GENERALLY SATISFACTORY. With the exception of Merritt, the chosen players were all among the sixteen suggested by "Not Out" in "The Post- last Saturday as those from

whom the final choice -would be made. Briee, Kortlang, and Gillespie were the other three mentioned. The writer had regarded the choice of Alleott, Mills Dacre, Lowry, James, Cunningham, rage, Oliver, and Blunt as certain, and for reasons previously given, considered that Dempster, Henderson, M'Girr and Badeock stood excellent chances of selection. Brice was suggested as a most suitable man to captain the side, but.he has apparently given way to youth. In some respects M'Girr Dempster, and Badcoek can be regarded as fortunate, the first'two on account of their falling off in form, and the last-named by: reason of his engagement as a coach from England. The idea of building up the bowling strength of the side has no doubt been largely responsible for Badcoek 'a selection. Dempster and M'Girr have the cricket in them that has not been revealed this season. . Merritt, of course is the very lucky player, while those most unfortunate are Kortlang Briee' Gillespie, and Worker. Having previously picked thirteen of the fourteen the writer has only one regret—that the team is not to have the services of Kortlang. '