CRICKET AND THE WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 59, 10 March 1936, Page 8

CRICKET AND THE WEATHER

How dependent on the weather cricket is, almost above all other games, is shown by the record of the M.C.C. tour of New Zealand, ( which came to an end in the final Test match at Christchurch yesterday, abandoned at an interesting stage through rain. "We can never forget," said Mr. Holmes, the captain of the visiting team, at a farewell function, "your hospitality, the friendships we have formed, and, I must say, your weather, for in ten put of the eighteen games it has interfered with the play." All the Test matches were so affected more or less and none were played out to a conclusion. If the object of these games had been to decide which was the better team, as in the case of contests for the "Ashes" between England and Australia, there might have been an additional pang of regret on this account, but the visit of this English team was purely a friendly one, with the idea of improving New Zealand cricket and returning the hospitality shown to the Dominion teams on their tours of the Old Country. In this respect, apart from the weather, the M.C.C. tour has been a successful one, and the team left an excellent impression both on and off the field. In an interesting and valuable review of cricket in New Zealand the visitors' captain expressed the opinion that the Dominion had a wealth of good batsmen, but a dearth of good bowlers. Names of outstanding players were mentioned, including several batsmen of performance and promise, but few bowlers. This cori responds with lie view taken locally.

New Zealand has produced a number of batsmen who have done well in world cricket, but only one bowler, the incomparable Grimmelt, who at least served his apprenticeship to the game in Wellington. Mr. Holmes's advice then is to concentrate on the bowling, especially spin bowling. As to methods of improving the standard of play, he coni sidered that, with cricketers playing the game in club matches at the weekend only, coaches could not do much good. Reciprocal visits with leading overseas countries furnished perhaps the best method. This view is, no doubt, confirmed by experience. ■ ■'