CRICKET.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 77, 14 March 1912, Page 6

CRICKET.

THE ENGLISH TEAM. SUCCESS OF THE TOUR. GRACEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Adelaide, March 9. The English cricketers left by the R.M.S. Orvieto to-day. Mr. Warner romarked that he was engaged in writing a book giving his impressions of the tour, which he characterised as having been a tremendous success from a cricket point of view. Th? team, he said, were naturally pleased to have secured the “Ashes.” “ You know,” he remarked, “ I think Australians got a false impression of their strength by their play with the South Africans. We unquestionably had a magnificent team. In England we thought we had just the right blending of youth and experience. The onlv people we ought to have had on English form were Spooner and Fry. The idea seemed to get abroad that we were not a magnificent side. Cricket in England was never stronger than now. For that reason we ask Australia to send her very best team, and not to do so will be most unfair to England. “ In the present unfortunate dispute I have not taken anybody’s side, but I have done my best to get the best Australian team to go. I do hope that even yet the breach may be healed, and that Hill, Armstrong, and Trumpet will be members of the Australian team. My own wish was to get the players who stood out to go to England. When I cbukl not move the Board of Control, I got hold of the players and personally begged them to go. If they had consented, and had afterwards made a dignified protest, their position would have been higher than ever. “ I think we have lost about £3OO or £4OO over the trip, but I heard a rumour that the Board of Control was going to make the amount up. It seems a wrong thing that one side should make all the profit and the other a loss. The M.C.C. did not want to make a profit. At the same time they did not want a loss. Next time an English team comes to Australia we are going to ask tor half the gross gate receipts. Ihe proportion now is approximately a thud of the takings in all the ™ atcl ! es \ f Referring to cricket in Adelaide, Mr. Warner said: “I was much struck with Murray’s play. I saw him at the nets, and personally think he is a coming champion. I don’t think the £ us *’?V a " s persevered long enough with Mhitty. He is still a fine howler. Attendances at Adelaide are disappointing, but this shouldn’t be sufficient justification tor dropping the test match there , You must have a test match in Ade.aid,. The ability of your players demands it, and we all love Adelaide. Brisbane is

too hot a place for test matches M r T. Pawley handed the following letter to a ’pressmanAdelaide March 8 - As we are just leaving foi England, will you allow us to toake use of your columns to thank, first, the cricket-loving public of your giea country for the liberal support they have given to us during the tour■; ani . secondly, the various cricket associa tions aid the many friends of the game for their generous hosp.tahty l to us on many occasions. We V* »e have lieen very fortunat. in r covering those mythical •ashes, and in doing so we venture to hope w-e have at the tame time earned for oursehes the respect and esteem of Australian sportsif °!*taine<l, we can assure vou we will prize as highly as t.i LXes’ themselves. We regret it wjs not possible to fulfil our last engagement with Smith Australia and we ask the good People of Adelaide to accept out apologies for our inability to do so. “We have had a most enjoyable torn, and are leaving this country with many pleasant recollections, and ».th mu rmrret In conclusion, may we say «e wish vou a happy issue out of all your cricket troubles* so that m cricket matters, as m otner walks ol life, Australia may be We are yours faithfmly P-

captain; T. Pawley, manager. Mr Warner added the following posta few days Australia and I nart for ever, nut without many happy LKS.br—». ™-r ‘ iJ -; some I hope, on hers. May I peisona|b thank all those who were so good] to’me during my serious ulness. To be stricken down at the commencement ot the tour was indeed an unhappy ate. but, if anything c<ndd have allayed mv bitter disappointment it was the kindness ami sympathy I receded fi<m. overvon** in Austtaha. I • fo-get how vou sorrowed with me in my sorrow. Goodbye, good luck to yon. P.F.W.”