SHIELD CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 8

SHIELD CRICKET

PEBFOEMANCE CRITICISED

In a criticism of, the Wellington cricket team's performances to date in this season's Plunket Shield matches a correspondent ("Old Cricketer") exj presses the opinion that the matches against Otago and Canterbury have been thrown away. . "Fancy allowing a weak team like Otago to make 400 runs, a thing they have never been able to do on the Basin, Eeserve before, even with their strongest team," states the correspondent. "Wellington's bowling was shockingly handled. Badcock, for example, is a splendid bowler with a new ball, as also is M'Girr, but Badeock was not put on to start with, and M'Girr bowled about three overs and was not put on again until the next day, when he promptly cleaned up Otago 's remaining batsmen. Hoar was bowled blind—something like 30 overs for about 60 runs. Special mention was made by some of the papers of the number of maidens bowled. What is the use of. bowling maidens that will never get, batsmen out? Mechanical bowling only-plays-them in, and a good batsman will'take good care to try and keep this class" of bowler on. This is ,done.by carefully playing most balls in the over, but just occasionally despatching a few to the boundary, and this seemed very, like the 'position re- j garding Hoar's bowling. This boy may be the makings of a bowler in time but at present is out of his class. It is silly to select: a player from the country, especially as a • bowler, who has had no experience of" class cricket, and who is playing under very adverse circumstances. Before • selecting a player like Hoar for such important matches arrangements should be made to try the man out in a club game or two, and the selector would then get some idea .of his ability;, but the tendency seems to be to include a country player, even if he is hot any good." The correspondent is apparently unaware of the fact that Hoar is a wellseasoned player, having played for Wairarapa for some years. Hoar has long since passed the colt stage.

"Old Cricketer" finds fault with Lowry's captaincy, not only for Wellington, but also for New Zealand. He expresses surprise at the fact that Lamason was an opening bowler in the Canterbury match, and -considers that it was reducing the game to a farce in calling upon Janies to bowl, the wicket-keeper doing so with his pads on. <<It was surely an insult to the selector," states the correspondent, who then goes on to criticise-the-selection. Hoar, Botherham, and.Lambert, he considers, should not be in the team, and the inclusion of W. S. Brice is urged, instances being given of the occasions in rec'eiif.times when Brice has been of value* to his. side. The correspondent believes that, the following Wellington team would retain the Piunket Shield: Badcock, Lowry, James, Foley, Dempster, M'Girr, Henderson, Worker, Baker Lamason, and Brice.