“FINE WEATHER BEAT US," SAYS M.L. PAGE

Northern Advocate, 27 November 1937, Page 6

“FINE WEATHER BEAT US," SAYS M.L. PAGE

[Per Press Association.—Copyright] WELLINGTON. This Day.

••It' the two previous tours were .folded into one, it would be child’s play compared, with this tour now ended. The fine weather beat us," said Mr M. L. Page, interviewed on the arrival of the New Zealand cricket team by the Awatea yesterday. Mr Page said that the team was a loyal and happy party, particularly pleasing being the way players who missed games accepted the decisions of the selection committee. Mr T. C. Lowry was an efficient and popular manager, whose standing among cricket leaders was largely responsible for the kindness with which the team was received everywhere in both England and Australia/ Outstanding - Lesson. The players were all glad to be home, and they all hoped to be able to pass on some of the knowledge they had gained for the benefit of cricket of the future. The outstanding lesson of the tour was that a team could not hope for consistent success in firstclass cricket unless its catching was reliable, especially in the slips.

The manager of the team, Mr T. C. Lowry, agreed that the tour had been a strenuous one. The batting had been somewhat disappointing, but the bowling was very successful, and the fielding good and sometimes brilliant, except for slip catching, which, unaccountably, was uncertain. Six batsmen had scored more than 1000 runs, and five bowlers secured more than ,50 wickets. Cowie had proved himself about as good as any fast bowler in England, and there were few better stroke players in the world than Wallace, he said. Wickets AJTect Batting, The English wickets had affected the batting, for, to obtain more finishes in county cricket, there had been developed a policy of having the wickets only three-quarter prepared, giving more .help to the bowlers. New Zealand wickets appeared to have bred batsmen who could score runs while playing flat-footed. In England they Avere often in trouble through playing in this way, good footwork being essential to success there. English batsmen showed much better footwork than the New Zealanders. They either advanced to the pitch of the ball or played right back. Because of wickets not being so thoroughly prepared, many English batsmen had changed their styles, eliminating strokes like cuts and hooks, playing which many times brought about the downfall of the New Zealanders. Mysterious Failure. Besides the inability of the team to make a good start to an innings, there was a mysterious failure by batsmen who had been at. the wickets for half an hour or three-quarters of an hour, and thus secured a good look at the bowling, to carry on and make a big score. This inability to compile really big scores after a promising beginning seemed to him quite unaccountable. The wet spring had intensified the batsmen’s difficulties, the pitches having more grass than usual, so that they were likely to be difficult for the first hour or so. After the strenuous tour of England, a rest of a month on board ship had proved inadequate fo; the team’s matches in Australia. Financial Results. Discussing the financial results of the tour, Mr LoAvry said that the attendances in England were disappointing until New Zealand made a draw of the first tost. After that the attendances and returns were better than in corresponding towns on previous tours. The gate-takings usually varied with the position of the opposing team in the county championship table. Thus, New Zealand’s share in a match against one of the weaker counties might be as low as £2O. Against stronger counties, however, the return was often between £3OO and £4OO.

The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly the second test at Manchester, said Mr Lowry, when New Zealand had seven English batsmen out for 75 runs and might have had eight out for 90 or 105, leaving New Zealand probably about JSO to score to win, had catches not been dropped. N

Even when set 250 to win. New Zealand scored 50 without loss, but there was then an unfortunate run-out, and the wicket was wearing. T, W. Goddard, the right-hand off-spin bowler, proved practically unplayable, and a game of fluctuating fortune was won by England.