ENGLISH CRICKET TOUR.

Grey River Argus, 3 September 1927, Page 1 (Supplement)

ENGLISH CRICKET TOUR.

WICKETS IN SOUTH AFRICA. “Before long, the invitations from the M.C.C. to cricketers to form the team to tour South Africa will be issued,” says an English writer. “I am surprised to read a cable to the effect that the M.C.C. had requested, the South African Cricket Association to arrange that all test matches should bo played on matting wickets. Seeing that some South African centres have gone to considerable trouble and expense to introduce turf wickets, there is not much encouragement to go on. However, a matting wicket it better than a bad turf wicket, and a matting wicket is always satisfactory—more or less. “When the team is chosen for South Africa, it wlil be necessary to choose the best bowlers for matting wickets, because it would appear that South African batting is very strong at the present day. The bowling of Schofield Heigh on matting wickets was wonderful, and in 19.13-14 Barnes adapted himself to the matting pitch wonderfully. But there are not many Barneses in tho world at the present time, nor another Lohman, nor a George SimpsonHayward, and I have seen those bowlers who have worried the very best batsmen in South Africa. There is another English bowler who was consistently good on matting wickets— the late Walter Lees.”