NOTABLE FUNCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 131, 7 June 1927, Page 9

NOTABLE FUNCTION

AT BRITISH SPORTSMEN'S CLUB

IVom a social point of view the New Zealand cricketers have already had their greatest triumph, says "The Post's" London correspondent. This was when the British Sportsmen's Club entertained them at luncheon. The club has been formed with the object of filling a long-felt want -for an association of British sportsmen who will join in entertaining at luncheon or dinner distinguished fellow sportsmen from the Dominions, colonies, or foreign countries, either as visitors or in order to compete in various sporting events. The president is the Earl of Lonsdalej and the chairman of the committee is Lord Decies. It is only necessary to givo a few names of the hosts to-day to see that the New Zealanders have been most honourably received even before they have shown their ability as cricketers.

Lord Harris was in tlie chair. On his loft was the Bight Hon. L. B. Amcry. At Hie niiiin table were also the Lord Mayor (Sir Rowland Blades, Bart., M.P.), General Sir Walter Braithwaite, Lord Dceies, Lord Desborough, Lord Hawko, Lord Jellicoe, General Sir George Milne, Admiral Sir John de Eoe-

beck, and Sir Kynaston Studd. Other well-known men who were present included Sir Harry Brit tain, Lord ChapIm, Viscount Curzou, Sir Niriinl-w r° y TIC\ Si r,, Walter dc F"<*°. Aithal h. J. A. Fullcrton, Lord Gainford, WineCommander Louis Greig, the Hou F E. Guest, Lord Ernest HamUton, W Seymour Hicks, Commander the Hon JM. Kenworthy, Lord Leigh, Mr H V G. Levesou-Gower, Marques del Moral' Mr. Harry Preston, Mr. H. B. Swan' Mr. Arthur Sirs, and Mr. C. J. Wray. "A BOLD ENTERPRISE." Lord Harris first read telegrams from Lord Lonsdale and Mr. T. Wynyard who captained a team that visited' New Zealand. Both wished the cricketers a successful and happy time in this country. "Tho British Sportsmen.'s Club," said Lord Harris, "is very fortunate that thus early in its career it has an opportunity of proving its good intentions. Those good intentions aro to show hospitality to visitors to this country, and I regard myself extremely fortunate to have been invited by Lord Lonsdale to take the chair to-day. . - . We are very glad to have an opportunity of welcoming the New Zealanders, for a most important" reason. Wo can never be sufficiently grateful for the help we received from the Dominion in the great world crisis. Then you have appealed to our hearts by the welcome, that you have given to the Duke of York and his wife. Lastly, I come to the least important to us: We welcome you here as cricketers. You have undertaken a very bold enterprise, and we honour you for it. You might have been satisfied with getting your experience in Australia, but you "preferred to come here. We certainly hope you will have a very pleasant holiday, and that it will not be all termtime. '' Lord Harris said that they might imagine when they woke up in these days of beautiful sunshine that they had come to the ideal country for cricket. They must wait a bit, and they would see that they had not. it seemed to him that the variations of climate in this country provided one of the chief factors in the education of cricketers, and unless a man had an opportunity of playing in England his education was not quite, complete. He could imagine with what anxiety they looked forward to meeting some of the great bowlers. They must not be afraid so leng as they kept their back straight and their eye clear. Once they got to know the trick of the bowler there was not much more to learn.' A WELCOME AS PIONEERS. After they had played in . England they would be surprised at the great , number of very good cricketers they | would meet. That was one way in which the New Zealand team would complete their education. "We would also welcome you as pioneers," continued Lord Harris. "You have come here to learn, and .no doubt you will learn a few things to take back to yam country and tho knowledge will "percolate throughout the islands. There is not a more wholesom* education than cricket, because it is straight. For that reason we welcome those who come from the various parts of the world. We welcome you because wo feel that when you go out again from here you will perhaps be a little bit the better for having played here, and the seed will grow and produce a hundredfold. We sin-, cerely wish that you will meet with no j serious accidents which sometimes' do j happen, that you may have good fortune in your tour—the fortune to win the task and the umpire's decision." TO LEARN THE GAME, Mr. T. C. Lowry, in replying, said that he could not find words to express thanks for this extraordinarily gracious welcome. He believed that it would bo the most impressive thing on their ; tour in this country. Ho wished them ! to believo that they thoroughly appre- ■ ciated the groat kindness that had been extended to them. They bad come hore after playing in Australia, where their experience, he thought, was not good, for they were either entirely overwhelmed or they had beaten their opponents. After the success of the footballers they thought it was time for the cricketers to see England, and they were grateful that the tour had been arranged for them. They had been received with extreme courtesy, and the clubs seemed pleased to see them over here. They did not come hoping to beat the best players. They simply came to learn. He would like to thank tho British Sportsman's Club for their extremely kind welcome. MASTERS OF SPORT. Mr. Amery proposed a vote of thanks to Lord Harris for presiding, and thus adding one more to the unnumbered services he had rendered to cricket and sport generally. He was not surprised to learn that Lord Harris had played cricket in New Zealand fifty years ago, for he had played cricket in every part of the world. Mr. Amery said he would like to add a word of welcome to the New Zealand team who had come here on their first pioneering venture in cricket. There were very few sports in which New Zealanders were not masters. We had learned something from them in football. He gathered that they had not come here to collect any ashes, but, as Lord Harris had said, they had come to take away good seed which might improve their own cricket and stimulate their interest in inter-Imperial matches for many years to come. New Zealand was a wonderful country. It was a sportsman's paradise, a true nursery of sport. .He looked forward to seeing New Zealand in the course of a few months, and though his visit was primarily, one of business, yet he hoped he might be allowed a few days off to enjoy tho more delightful side of New Zealand life. He wished tho team every success.