CRICKET REVIEW

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 10, 13 January 1932, Page 11

CRICKET REVIEW

NEW ZEALAND TEAM'S

TOUR

DEMPSTER. HIGHLY PRAISED

WEAK BOWLING

. That tho' team's .cricket cor.tainly became stronger as the toui; progrei'sed and-that" the English public took to the visiting players at once for the obvious '■■ enjoyment they took in. ■ their cricket as a game and not as a business are special points which are made in a review by "Second Slip" (in the '' Cricketer' ') of the New Zealand cricket team's last tour. Mention is also made of = the fact that just prior to the Nnw Zealand cricketers' departure from England the following telegram was received by T. 0. Lowry from tho •King:—"His Majesty has followed your tour with much interest, and congratulates you, not only on your success, but also on the sporting spirit in "which' y onr, team has always played the game.' The King was pfeased. to meet you all, and.trusts that, although many. 6f your matches were ruined by the weather, you will/return to your: home ■with/pleasant recollections of ' ; !your ■visit.." ' ■"■' ■■'. ■'■ ■■'■■■'•■ ' . ■ With'such a telegram in.his pocket to' take Koine to New Zealand. Tom Lowry may/justly bo a proud man (states."Second. Slip")- 'With his experience ' tmd his equable temperament, coupled with a sly sense of humour, lie was marked out for the- job; he did it "very well, for his bowling was not easy to handle. Adopting, perhaps, to some extent the tactics of the old owl in the oak, lie may-perhaps have appeared to nod every now, and again, but :i^rsry '•''£ew' caught, him out. Many times he went into stop a gap and did so; were runs; to be got quickly, his 35 was on the board ekdum. ... QTOCKrSUORING TEAM.. . His ..-.team's- battingi.must come first, for it was their cheerful rtyle in going for the ball, when" pitched up, that was the feature of {heir attack. It must be stated at once that, though quick scorers, the side did not hit wildly^but they-wero:always;-on the look-out to deal with-the pitched-up ball. Those bowlers of medium-pace who in these times,have the audacity to, bowl without a ihan in the deep field were rudely awakened when .they.found our visitors,' one -and all, made a golden rule to. have a: dash.1. Though there were times when no liberties could be taken, 'all'appreciated the fact, knowing quite well ■ that -when -the > chance came the bat- would - also have : its -turn. it is surprising tliflt..in suet .a season om: /yis.i.tors; ■gained, the credit.:.of/ being a quick-s^oriiig. tfcam,■ . .!. rr"\ :"• '? >•/ Naturally^/their staryman ivas; Peripst.ey, who,;on/account .of an accident, tnissed; a number of TOat£.hes"-\vhen: his presence ' meant much to our visitors^ There" have" been those /enthusiastic enough, to 'put the New Zeaiander in th*e.same; class •as'-Brtfdmaii, Trumger, Eaiijitsinhj^/and the lik'e—w'.Gr., na'turatty, beinjfomittfcil Perhaps theii•zeal may have-led "them too far; biit,in any case, Dempster is very high upin'tlie list of first-class 'batsmen of the present day. ~He is sturdily built, of no high stature, with good wrists and . great quickness ol foot. Add to these qualifications,, a, cpo.l head, ..and it is easy to' see 'that there is a great batsman before us. Generally' speaking liis greatest strength appeared to be on ithe on-side,'/although all the strokes were his when occasion came to use them. Still,"'oh'cT must harp on his quickness in turning anything: the least bit short to liis advantage on the onside.- ': ' ]?ew: "players: of the: present day are "his equal in this respect. :. ' ; 5 -In^: aiay.-sjne,ntion,.flf -thp New Zealand bAttini .tha-,nanies -of. R7 '6.. Blunt,. JV : '&' MilU,' 'iSni-JEf.; 'G:";,Viyia)n.~the cVp'- ,'■ tain lias already been mentioned^—inust crop up in the mhid-.;of>the critic- The .fiißi-named had^,an.;e?traordinary-. season on his first; visit, but/in. this year for a^while; ho could, not do anything ?ikWiSi:.P?9e '-gamgf however, ho did seconi,(n f thq;batting averages; "■ As in the' <sase bf Woddfully- no one would' p/oclaim,;lum.; as: an'^attractive player,but. he :has;tliat. t)6minion gr ; it- which we.ali^dmire,, and;- a good ,knowledg6of the'game. Both'the other two: leading batsmqn were.Jeft-handers.' Mills waa_a.consistent "No, .1" with.Dempsteijiplaying.w.itlr confidence -from ;the tithe he went'in.. His cutting was excellent. Concerning Vivian it is perfectly:.safetov say-that a youth'of his age—-eighteenrrseldom/.. steps straight intQiiinterhafibn'al: cricket/.iand. does so well. He dpes^not possess the height of the Kent/le^h^nder-vlWoolley,' but in many, other'ways Tie'resembles liim; ■ this is high praise, it'lnaybi-'j but it is well earned. - - There is-no doubt that the cricket is,-thcj&-in-Vivian, so it is to be hoped that circumstances will allow him* .full/ (ippbftunity .to prove his worth. ".'• .... ;, '■ •'■ '. ... INDIFFERENT CATCHING. We now .come to the out cricket of aurguests,'takuig-the fielding firstV It - would-not b6 correct to say that the team has proved itself to be tip to the high standard of a Dominion side. Such fielding as /was displayed by the South African side, led by Deane, is not often soen in a decade, which is a usef iii" division of time in dealing with the game; but, although-our young visitors wore quick .enough, and. willing enough— naturally, they.could throw-^-they failed accasioiially because of their indifferent catching. .. 'The mere mention/of" Canfw.burx^Kertt;; pot New. Zcaland^-wili 's?4d.»;,9J(^er.^own'1i;-Jio,back.6i:''aTiy.-on(j Df.the "side".. .'.'As the:'famoiii bid". York,' . «hire-;pjbfeSMo.rial, ;^6m..pSinniet^..ohce remarked tthefi:his "side, we're .haying a poor day:" ." There seems to bo an "epi4 . demic "alymt, .sir, but it's not catching.'' Canterbury unfortunateiy was not' tho W ground where such lapses occurred' bo that the good ground work was often annulled by .missed catches. ' ■ We' all were aware of the great, skill sf James, their wicket-keeper,, who was placed very high amongst the world's lists. When tho side came here in May theytold us light-heartedly: "Oh! yes, Tames is as,good as lie was, but wo -iavo a. better at home!" "We should have liked to- him, for their man was excellent throughout. [There arc many followers of the game in New tfsaland who would also like to sec the better 'keeper.—"Not Out."] Strange as it may be, it is very unusual.to find sn in(lifie?cnt wicket-keeper in a visiting' Dominion team. .'■"'.-.,■■ "UNDISTINauiSHED1' BOWLING; It was evident from tho beginning of 'tao season that the. captain would have' trouble enough in gotting the-other side out,, so it 'was in some way fortunate for him-that he did'not Yhave a' suecetelon of hard wickets, for in-such a case they -would, irideod, have • had s&ino proper leather-hunting; they would not have -wanted too much rocking when diice in their beds. His most dangerous bowler, taken through the tour, was Merritt, who, however, can-not-be said to have improved on his work an 1927. Granted the fact that some catches -were missed, his record cannot compare with the leading English amateurs, C. S. Marriott and I. A. B. Peebles'; Undoubtedly his wickets ,-were/ costly; he bowled too many bad j balls. As we now are told he is to bo herp again in-a short while, lie will gain more expericnee,-bnt will the few overs a week ho will bowl in a Saturday afternoon game be of. ;my use to him"? Tlieugh -,lie.shad- no gMat" amount of]

bowling, I. B. Cromb, was as useful a man as they had. His arm was none too high, it is true; ho was of the slinging order who; every now and again .made ono -go away quickly with' his arm. A good bat in form sonic-times might;.give a chance off this one, while the poorer' player- couldn't play well enough to get out. ■•■■-.-■

"Unfortunately tho captain had little else in.the way of attack to help these two. . Towards the end of tho season, Vivian began to bowl bettor; there is ho doubt that, with perseverance, ho will become a good left-hander; be will add yet more to his worth to the eleven. Blunt had little success with his slows —again it is the same story of too many bad ones. No one could describe the bowling of tho side except as undistinguished, and it stands to the credit of the captain that, ill-furnished as-ho was in this.respect, ho kept sending his opponents back to the pavilion. Finally, in saying good-bye to the New Zen- : landers, we- can o']ily"'wisli-Ilu-m good luck, good c-rickct, and ;i speedy 'return. They will always bo., welcome."