CRICKET

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3492, 30 October 1926, Page 10

CRICKET

Notes and Comments

(By “Mid-Off.”)

This year there will only be one cricket day, and strange to say that day is not tho universal half-holiday. Saturday cricket this season promises to be more flourishing that previous years, for all the clubs have been on the hunt for new members.

The quest, so far as the town teams are concerned, seems to have been fruitful, if not for senior players, then for junior grades. The R.S.A. junior team last year, was obliged to default a game or two and in others, to bat with several men short, this •season, the Soldiers arc putting two teams in the junior grade. The senior team, has lost several of its old members, but from reports to hand the 1528-27 combination is likely to “break the duck” and give its competitors a hard struggle. So far, R.S.A. is the only team that has not indulged in a practise game, but the members have been -getting in work at the nets.

Railway had a couple of games over Labour Day week-end, but did not put up very big scores, nor did their opponents, High School and Old Boys. Railway and Old Boys, particularly the former, have also had additions to the family circle, and the Railway eleven will be mainly comprised of new players, several of whom should make good. Old boys will have the same eleven as last year except for one or two alterations. Seven teams have been entered for the junior contest. High School, Rongotea, Old Boys, Railway, Post and Telegraph, and R.S.A (2). Post and Telegraph are the new-comers, and it was hoped Y.M.C.A. would enter, but this did not materialise, so there will be a bye.

The juniors may have to make trips to Rongotca if the country team is able to find a suitable ground and the change of wicket should be of help. The seniors, too, are in for a change of venue if Terrace End Park is to be untiliscd, and the changing of wickets should be of material benefit to the representative players, last year having shown them to be weak on outside wickets and fairly fairly strong when playing on the home area

The Home Country ’roar. The principal item of importance in the cricket world this year is the Now Zealand tour of the British Isles and according to the programme provisionally mapped out, the trip will keep the tourists going practically all the time for about four months. Thirty-three matches in England and Wales, and most of them three-day affairs is the order, while a week will be spent in Scotland. The proposed itinerary is as below r :— May 11, 12, 13 —v. M.C.C., at Boras. ' May 14, 16, 17-v # Essex, at Bey-

ton. May 18, 19, 20—v. Cambridge University, at Cambridge. May 21, 23, 24 —v. Middlesex at Bords May 25. 26, 27—v. Royal Navy, at Portsmouth. May 28, 30, 31—v Sussex, at Hove. June 2, 3.—v. Wiltshire, at Svvin-

don. June 4,6, 7 —v. Oxford University, at Oxford. June S, 9, 10—v. Worcestershire, at Worcester. June 11, 13, 14—v. Northamptonshire, at Kettering. Junc 15, 16, 17—v. Beicestershlre, Boiaester. June IS,-20 —v. Durham, at Sunderland. June 22, 23—v. Northumberland, at Newcastle-on-Tync. Juno 24, 25, 27, 2S, 29, 30, July 1 — Reserved for Scotland. July 2, 4 s—v. Yorkshire at Bradford . July 6,7, S—v. Nottinghamshire, at Nottingham. July 9, 11, 12 —v. East of England, at Wisbech. July 16, 18, 19-—v. Civil Service, at Chiswick. July 20, 21, 22—-v. Army, at Folke-

stone. July 23, 25, 2fi—v, Warwickshire, at Birmingham. July 27, 2S, 20—v. West of England at Exeter. July 30, August 1, 2—v. Glamorgan, at Cardiff. .August 3,4, s—v. Surrey, at the Oval. August G, S, o—v. Somerset, at Wostonsuper-Mare, August 10, 31, 12 —v. Gloucestersiro, at Cheltenham. August 13, 15, 16 —v, Derbyshire, at Derby. August 17, IS, 10 —v. Lancashire, at Manchester. August 20, 22, 23—v. Wales, in North Wales (probably in Llandudno) August 24, 25—v. Bedfordshire, at Bedford. August 26 27 —v. Norfolk, at Norwich, August 29, 30 —v. a Ixmdon club, at London. August 31, September 1, 2—v. Kent, at Canterbury. September 3,5, 6—v. South of England, at Folkestone. September 7, S, o—v.0 —v. an English eleven, at Harrogate, July 13, 14, 15 —This has t>een set down for the Gentlemen v. Players game at Lords, and provision has | been made for the New Zealanders to watch the progress of this big match. I.M.C.C. in India and Argentine. The M.C.C. are to send two teams abroad this winter. One, under the captaincy of A. E. R. Gilligan, is to visit India, and the other, led by (be veteran P. F. Warner, is to go to the Argentine The Indian combination is the more powerful, for, in addition to several amateurs, Gilligan will have with him the professionals Tate, Rout, Sandham, Brown—the Hampshire man who was picked as .wicketkeeper for Ihe hist Test, match with the Australians, and then could

not play owing to an injured hand—and Astill. There is just a little doubt whether Hoot will go, inasmuch as his county, Worcestershire, feel that he is in need of a rest, but it Is a touring side that ought to be strong enough to win all its matches. The party to visit South America will be made up entirely of amateurs, and perhaps they ,Loo, will be successful. Hut when Hawke look out a team in 1912, one game againsl the Republic was lost. A. W. Carr, the ex-Kngland captain, and K. T_ Mann, N. Haigb, and G. O. Allen, of Middlesex, will be amongst those to accompany Warner. The latter has not been seen in the field since he retired In 1920 but he declares that, even at the age of fifty, he hopes to bo able to play in most of the matches of the tour, -which is to begin on December 2. The party for India played and won their firs! match at Karachi In October, and (hoy will not he back until the middle of March.