GREAT COMPLIMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 7, 8 July 1931, Page 11

GREAT COMPLIMENT

NEW ZEALAND'S STATUS

(By "Not Out.")

It is doubtful whether a greater compliment has ever been paid to a touring team in England than that •of amending the New Zoalana cricket team's programme to provide for two more Tests being played. This action more than over points to tho fact that New Zealand is recognised in the eyes of tho authorities at Home as being qualified for the highest status in the game. Before the tour and during its progress tho. opinion was expressed that New Zealand cricket was worthy of just as much consideration for Testmatch play as the West Indies, who were given three Tests on their last visit to England and five on their recent tour of Australia. A' run of good performances and a great achievement in the only Test on the original programme for the New Zealand team have served to drive the fact right home that Now Zealand is now a power to bo reckoned with in cricket.

Although there are probably some followers of tho game who would have preferred to let matters stand with the outstanding merit of a performance in one Test, thcro is no. reason why ,the New Zealand team should not give a good account of itself in the two extra Tests. England's selectors, no doubt, will make changes in their cloven to strengthen batting and bowling, but they will still use these Tests'as valuable preliminaries to the selection of the teiim to visit Australia towards the end of next year. The opportunity will be afforded of trying out a few more of the younger players, but the selectors will see to it that no undue risks are taken with the New Zealand team. Another point about the playing of two more Tests on the present tour is that it. will give New Zealand the chance of having its programme for the next visit to England further improved by the inclusion of five Tests. The two extra Tests this time, if the weather is kind, will servo to make up much of tho gate-money lost through the bad weather having affected tho attendances at most of the matches to date.

, One cabled message regarding the extra Tests states that tho second will be at Manchester on the 29th July, and the third at the Oval on the 15th August. This information, however, is-not likely to be correct. The original programme provides for the New Zealand team meeting Surrey at the Oval on the 29th, 30th, and 31st July, ami playing a return match with Lancashire at Manchester on the loth, 17th, and ISth August. It is evident that Surrey lias agreed to forego its match with New Zealand to enable a Test to be fitted in at the Oval, and Lancashire has adopted tho same course with regard to its second match with New Zealand. No word has been received as to whether the touring team will have a spell before the second Test. If this occurred it would mean the cancellation of the return match with Hampshire on the 25th, 27th, and 28th July. Provision was made in the original programme for a spell of three days prior to the second match with Lancashire, and this will work in very well so far as the third Test is concerned.