THIRD TEST

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1931, Page 5

THIRD TEST

WEATHER CLEARS Play Possible j (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) MANCHESTER .August 17. ’ No play was possible today. It raiiued stdaZiily almost throughout the day. Even if the weather had clcare<i in the afternoon, the ground would not have been in a fit state fur play. The famous Old Trafford ground was a scene' of utter desidi'ation. What is usually a. r.trqtch of velvet turf, is mi rely a, duster of .miniature lakes. The groundsmen, who worked ’hard all Satin claiy, attempting to the ground for play, gave up the unequal struggle!. The wicket i.« still covered. Apart from that, the ground is left >to the mt're.y of the rain. The d wnpour is so heavy that prospects of pray to-morrow are exceedingly slight. (Received August 18. at 11 mu.) MANCHESTER, August 18. Th ' rain stopped last night. The weather to-day was beautifully fine. The is the prospect of seme, play this afternoon. The proposal for an extra Test at the end of the tour is niot favoured, as tb.“ New Z alanders would certainly be feeling the effects of their travelling and the heavy match programme. Next Test MAY BE IN N.Z. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received August .18 at 11.10 p.m.) MAN LIiEsT'ER, Augu.it 18. The hop, that the itineraries of the future Englist Test tdums, touring- Australia would bo so arranged as to- permit of iheir return through New Zealand wa,s expressed by Mr 11. D. Levison Gower at a dinner given ast < ve..mg by thu .New Zealand CrickfOt. .Council to the cricket writers attached to- the leading English; papers. Mr Donnelly, of New Zealand, pre sided, and he thanked the English _io.ui.ua.ists foi the courteous and generous luannjer in which they had reviewed the New Z-da,landers’ play. ! Mr IL. D. Leveson Gower said that the New Zealanders had shown that I they were worth t/lnrQe. Tests. Tithe bc>st way for the English authorities to prove this would be to send a full Test side to play in the Dominion, lie ih ped that arraing.'emeiijts would he made so that the next Engl'i h sicl>' going to Australia would re,turn through New Zealand, ajnd play at ' Least, two matches). Mir Arthur Gilligan supported this I idea. He said the New Zealanders | were as good, criicketers a s they were I sportsmen, a/nd they deserved full Test status.

Loss on Tour ? A suggestion has been put forward in sonno quarters ( to abandon the match Cluwnpi.on County v. th e Rest of England, at the Oval On S p.tember 12, to enable a first Test to be played. Referring to the suggestion of another Test at tlhe Oval to replace the Champion County (v. Rest of England fixture, he quiot> s Lord Hawke as saying That if the New Zealanders were really anxious, he was sure his commi fit co (Yorkshire), wou-d arrange to .•■baridon .the Oval fixture, if another date wine not available, but, in his opinion, mid-Sc.pteniber was too late for serious cricket. Galfiigan, writing in the “NewsChronicle. ” says 'there i s no possibility of a fourth test being arranged to compensate for the Manchester washout.

The New Zealanders are strongly suggesting that tihe English test team, after visiting Australia in 1932-33, should go on to New Zealand and plav two M. D Lyon, in the “Daily Ex-nrc-ss,” says: “Th,'- loss of the third Te t is serious, fi'inancially,. to Nev/ Zea.lamd. He quotes-the manager as donving the ree.ent statement That the tour sWows a loss of £2OOO. It is [impossible) yet to sav how it will turn i out. as th-ere. are several good matches in the South of England.”