CRICKET SELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1931, Page 11

CRICKET SELECTIONS

SOME SPECULATIONS

(By Telegraph.—Prom "Not Out.") AUCKLAND, This Day. The selection of the New Zealand cricket team for England, which is being awaited with great interest, is not likely* to be completed until-to-morrow afternoon. There are one or two players engaged in the Auckland-Wel-liugton match about whose qualifications the selectors apparently have not yet formed a definite opinion, but it :s not altogether on present form and performances" that players for the big tour will be chosen. / All four New Zealand selectors, Messrs. W. .S. Bricc (Wellington), N. C. Sneddcn (Auckland), H. B. Whitta (Canterbury), and T. Williams (Otago), are in Auckland. Mr. A. T. Donnelly, chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council, has also been here, but has returned south to discuss details of the tour with Mr. H. D. Swan, who has arrived from England. Mr. W. H. Wiusor, secretary of the Cricket Council; is remaining in Auckland to announce the team for England when it is chosen. The team, of course, will be subject to approval by the council; which body will appoint the manager, the captain, and the vice-captain at its next meeting in Christchurch. So far as the managership is concerned, there is good reason to belieVe that Mr. Donnelly will fill the position, and in any case he is expected to accompany the team in an official capacity. With regard to the team, the selectors appear to .be generally agreed upon Lowry, Blunt," Dempster, Mills, Weir, Vivian, Kerr, Page, James, and Mcrritt as players who must be in the touring side, but the other four places are not so easily settled, and these must go to players with good qualifications as bowlers. It is now likely that tho final four will be two stock bowlers and two all-rounders, but there is a possibility of the selectors choosing a fifteenth player should the council, deem it advisable to send an extra mlt'might also happen .that with the selection of fourteen players the need of strength in bowling may account for either Kerr or Vivian being placed in the fifteenth position on tho list. In that case, the sending of an extra player would no doubt be authorised by the council. Ono final problem for the selectors is whether a fast bowler, should be sent to England, and tho opinion seems to be that there is not one good enough j to make the pace-required on English wickets.