INTEREST IN ENGLAND

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

INTEREST IN ENGLAND

TEAM EAGERLY AWAITED

When the, New Zealand cricketers toured England in 1927, they were in the nature of pioneers, stepping on to English soil as an unknown quantity, and dependent upon how they fared with bat and ball for the support- they were to receive from the public, out of whose pockets was to come the money to. finance the tour. Neither as a team nor. as individuals did they have the advantage ot a creat reputation to draw the crowds and cause them to be.respected by the teams they played. Yet before they had been in the country more than two or three weeks they had established themselves in popular favour as a team of batsmen who went for the runs enterprisingly, and generally reaped a good harvest at the expense of the county bowlers. On tliat tour the New Zealanders played no test match, and only a limited number of their engagements were listed as first-class. They played their part, liow'ever, and left as a very much respected side, New Zealand's standing in the cricket world being further raised by the showing made against A. H. Gilligan's M.C.C. team last year. Consequently vwhen. the itinerary for the 1931 English tour was mapped out, ,Mr. H. D. Swan, acting on behalf of thk New Zealand Cricket Association, had no difficulty in securing matches for the New Zealanders with all the first-class counties, five of which will be played twice, and a test match. MESSAGE FROM A. H. GILUGAN. Mr. Swan arrived at Wellington on Saturday by the Kuahine from Southampton, and gave a "tost" reporter a very encouraging report on the reception which awaits the 1931 team. "Mr. Harold Gilligan and his men," said Mr. Swan, "arrived home with very glowing accounts of how they were treated out here, anj the cricket played by the teams they came i up against. Mr. Gilligan asked me to convey to all his cricket friends in the Dominion the best .wishes of himself and j the members of liis team." Kegarding the itinerary for the tour, Mr. Swan said that it was immeasurably better than that carried out by the 1927 team. The five teams which would be played twice were Essex, Hampshire, Glamorgan, Gloucester, and Lancashire, the two games being played on a different ground. In the case of Glamorgan the dates for both the match at Cardiff | and the match at Swansea included a Bank Holiday. The financial arrangements were much better than for the previous tour, several of the richer counties having guaranteed the tourists 50 per cent, of the gross takings. Mr. Swan said it was certain that the tourists would be greatly respected as cricketers, and the counties would place their strongest sides in the field.

Mr. Swan lias had a busy time making nrnmyements for the. tour, and he was very .glad to avail himself o£ the opportunity of making the round trip by the Ruiihinc. He returns Home by her next month. Mr. Swan was last in New Zealand in 1922, when he was honorary manuser of the M.C.C. team which toured New Zealand. He is looking forward to renewing old acquaintanceships, and will also be doing a fair amount of travelling. He will probably leave Wellington on AVednesday evening for Christchurch, the headquarters of the Cricket Association, but will be in AVellington again before sailing. He is also looking forward to paying a visit to Rotorua. Mr. Swan will arrive Home two or three weeks before the team arrives, and will be on hand to greet them.