CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 June 1927, Page 3

CRICKET

NOTES. The fortunes of the Non* Zealanders are. eagerly watched as each match conieg along. *o far the match against North ants has been the one occasioned they really crashed. Mr. ft If. Blundell (Wellington) took part in the Cambridge 1' reshmen’s cricket match this week. As a member of Mr. E. \V. Dawson’s side which played against Mr. F. J. Seabrook’s side, he made 35 runs, not out, in the first innings. Seabrook’s' side scored 323 and 124, while the winners scored 309 for their first innings and 139 for tour wickets in the second innings. Mr. Blundell .was the leading bowler for his side, taking six wickets for 82 runs in the first innings and three wickets tor 19 runs in the .second. .Early in the match the New Zealander took four wickets in the course of two overs, and looked as if he would finish off the match in a summary manner. Unhappily lor his side, he could not sustain the eflort.

ARRIVAL OF NEW ZEALANDERS

In a special article for the Christchurch “rress” Dr. Harrop thus descrioes the arrival of the New Zealand team at Southampton. He says, intei alia: “When 1 arrived at the docks at Southampton yesterday and saw the \a-sf bulls of tne Majestic looming before me, 1 could not lie.p feeling excited at the prospect before me oi assisting at the welcome to this country oi the hrst New Zealand cricket minders—the forerunners, everybody hopes, of a long line of cricket teams from tne Dominion. 1 had last seen the Majestic nearly four years ago when going full steam ahead in midAtlantic, but in port the world’s largest nner see men more colossal than ever. From deck to deck we climbed to tne Palm Court, and eventually we found the team surrounded by photographers in the proportion oi two per placer, while the Mac or of Southampton was waiting to give the men an o.'ticial welcome to tins country.” He suggests .that the players were all out to piav to win, and adds that this type oi play would be exceedingly popular, because people had got tired or the playing for a draw. The reports o. matches show that this forecast has been amply borne out in fact.

WILL THEY MEET TATE AND HOOT?

Every enthusiast in New Zealand has been disappointed to 6ee that Sussex played without Tate and Worcestershire without Root, their champion bowlers and two of the best in England, One regards the playing against the best as part of the educative aspect of the tour. But it is pretty certain that, as Mr. D. Reese suggests, the authorities at Home are out to do their best'for the team. If they carry on well and win a fair proportion of matches, or at least do- as well in them as they have done so lar, the opportunity will be taken later on, say in the match against East or West of England, Everard Gates’ XI, or Leveson Gower’s team, to include some of the best bowlers or batsmen. It would not be wise to pit the visitors against the cracks until they have further p’o'.ed themselves worthy.

“W.G.” AND HOBBS. Kn giving reminiscences of great cricketers of the past. Mr. "Warner said in a special article to the Christchurch'“Star” that there was no doubt AY. G. Grace was the greatest personality cricket had ever produced. His career extended from 1864 to 1966, and he lasted much longer in first-class cricket than any other cricketer. Mr. Warner spoke enthusiastically of the “modern Grace,” Hobbs, of whom he said that he had never failed to get England out of a had place. Hobbs, of course, bod got more centuries than “IMG..” but Mr. Warner thinks that on the whole he lias batted on better wickets, although “W.G.” told him that while many of the wickets he played on were bad, wickets at Cambridge. the Oval, Brighton, and Clifton were always splendid