A SPORTING VISITOR

Evening Star, Issue 21053, 16 March 1932, Page 1

A SPORTING VISITOR

CAPTAIN E. W. BALLANTINE IN DUNEDIN \ ' A FOLLOWER OF TEST MATCHES Spending a few days in Dunedin at present is Captain E. W. Ballantine, an English free lance journalist, whoso speciality is sport, and who came to New Zealand with the South African cricketers. Captain Ballantine has just completed reporting his ninety-first test match and his twentieth tour, and is endeavouring to obtain something of the New Zealand atmosphere before returning to England. This is his first visit to the dominion. He had heard much in its favour before reaching these shores, and he declares that he has not been disappointed. The healthy state of the pastorage and the quality of the sheep and cattle have impressed him.: It is mostly in regard to sport, however, that Captain Ballantine’s interest lies, and in every village and hamlet he has seen youngsters playing cricket. Though i

lie arrived in Dunedin only last evening, his first visit was to Carisbrook, where he saw some of Otago’s cricketers at practice. ' Captain Ballantine has followed Eng T llsh cricket teams to the ends of the earth, and has accompanied visiting cricket and football teams through the British Isles. The New Zealand cricketers are no strangers to him, for ho saw them playing in England, and considers that Mills, Cromb, Vivian, Merritt, Blunt, Dempster, and James could find places in first-class county cricket in England. Captain Ballantine has in mind tho publishing of a book dealing with prominent sporting matters over a number of years, but before he does so he wants to see something of New Zealand and America to get the proper atmosphere of those countries. He intends leaving New Zealand on April 8, but before he does so he will visit the Fox Glacier and other places of tourist attraction in New Zealand. He has already visited Queenstown and other parts of Otago Central.