ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 125, 24 November 1906, Page 4

ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM FOR NEW ZEALAND.

AN INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN WYNYARD. (Press Correspondent.) London, October 13. On Wednesday afternoon I had an interesting chat with Captain E. G. Wynyard in reference to the cricket team which is to sail for New Zealand next week by the s.s. Corinthic. "The Team," said Captain Wynyard, "is made up as follows: — Bowlers: P. R. May, J. H. W. T. Douglas, G. H. Simpson-Hayward, G. T. Branston, W. J. Curwen, A. T. Torrens, H. P. Harrison. Batsmen: E. G. Wynyard (Captain), C. E. de Trafford, P. R. Johnson, C. C. Page, and W. B. Burns. Wicketkeepers: R. H. Fox and K. C. Tufnell. A good many of them are ' county men.' Douglas plays for Essex, de Trafford captains Leicestershire, Johnson is for Somerset, while Burns and Simpson-Haywara are Worcestershire. Torrens has played for Kent, Harrison is Middlesex, Branston is Nottingham, and i\ R. May played last year for Surrey. Neither Fox nor Tufnell play for any county, but both men are very good wicket-keepers. Tufnell, I may add, was in the Eton Eleven this year. Then Page, who assists Middlesex, is one of the Cambridge Eleven; Curwen is one of the Oxford University Eleven, and he is quite worthy of his place; de Trafford is captain of his county and is a very fine hitter — indeed he is the hitter of our side." "Then," he continued, "in May, Douglas and Bianston we have three fast bowlers. Douglas is, I think, one of the most improved bowlers in England. May fills the place of Knox very well when the latter does not play for Surrey, and he is very awkward on a fiery pitch. Simpson-Hayward has made under-hand bowling his speciality, and I regard him as an exceedingly fine bowler. Be has had much experience with touring cricket teams, and while he was in the West Indies in this capacity he had almost phenomenal success. Harrison is a good slow bowler, while Branston is always dangerous, particularly on slow wickets. Torrens and Curwen are both useful mediumpaced bowlers, who succeed in getting a great many wickets." In answer to my query regarding thp batsmen, Captain Wynyard said: "I think if W. B. Burns can maintain his form of this year, he should prove our most successful batsman. He came out very strong in the averages, namely fifteenth, with a total of 1295, an average of 43.07, and a best of 165. Branston, Torrens, Simpson-Hayward, and Page are all excellent batsmen, as also is Douglas, who succeeded in making 1000 runs in first-class cricket this year. That on paper makes us out a useful side, does it "As regards wicket keeping," he went on to say, "we have two excellent men in Fox and Tufnell, the former being a native of New Zealand. I may say that Tufnell kept wickets for the Eton Eleven this year, and he did his work well. The team will, I fancy, be found well up id fielding, and it will furnish what is so necessary a feature — a good slip line. Simpson - Hayward, Bianston, and Douglas are the slips, and Johnson is a brilliant field anywhere. Page, Curwen, Torlens are also fine fielders. "This iB essentially an amateur team, I believe?" "Quite," was the reply. ' The last team to go to New Zealand took three good professionals; but we were asked most distinctly to bring out an amateur team. # That was where our diffculty came in. When you undertake to collect an amateur ttam who can manage to leave the country for six months at a stretch, you are in for a very formidable task indeed. Lord Hawke would have been delighted to come to New Zealand, but he found it impossible to leave England for so lengthy a period. A great many other firstclass cricketers were approached — including: K. L. Hutchens, who has made a great splash in the cricket world, and who would have liked to ioin; Spooner, who hoped for some time to be able to come with us; Ltverson-Gower, Moon and Fane, all of whom did so well in South Africa. We particularly wanted to get hold of Martyn as wicket-keeper, but couldn't. Then, Knox was reluct&ntly compelled to refuse to be one of us. All these men, as well as others in the highest rank of amateur cricketers, were compelled to decline because they could not get away from England for so long a period. So we had to set to work and obtain the best team possible in the circumstances." " And you do not go to Australia?" "No," replied Captain Wynyard. "We shall not be able to pay a visit to Australia. The matter was not in contemplation, nor was the subject broached when the members of the team were invited. The various members of the team have since made arrangements which will preclude the possibility of such a visit being paid." On my remarking that the visit would probably be beneficial to cricket in New Zealand, Captain Wynyard immediately answered, " Ah! Don't run away with the idea that we are going out to New Zealand to teach. We had an objectlesson as to teaching when the ' All Blacks' were here, and I thoroughly dislike the notion that it should be thought we are going out to 'teach' anybody. The idea which the M.C.C. has in sending the team is to benefit cricket in the way that we shall meet our New Zealand cousins in the spirit of true sportsmanship. We are going out there perfectly determined to have the j oiliest time we can have. We shall do our best. And we have great 'hopes of being able to see a practical illustraiun of the methods of the fine representatives of your Rugby football, of which we have not only heard, but of which a good many of us have seen and admired in this country."