WEIR SUMS UP TOUR OF ENGLAND

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1937, Page 5

WEIR SUMS UP TOUR OF ENGLAND

[Special To “Northern ’] AUCKLAND, This Day.

In an interview. G. L. Weir, the Whangarei cricketer, who returned to Auckland and who was a member of the New Zealand, cricket team which toured Britain, contrasted the English portion of the tour with the previous one, and said that the 1937 tourists had a harder time, as they had to play almost continuously, and they did not have rests caused through rain, which had helped their predecessors in 1931. There were times on this tour when the New Zealand bowling strength was lowered, through injury to their best bowlers, but. fortunately, there was generally somebody who could get wickets. Costly Slip Lapses.

The New Zealand ground fielding was good right through, hut there were ocasionaL costly slip lapses. This might he attributed to the difficult light on some of the English grounds, which in places in the North of England were set in the midst of industrial districts, having buildings all round them.

Fast pickets in Australia. The Northland player said that the New Zealanders found much faster wickets when they got to Australia, and the wicket at Sydney was the fastest experienced on the whole tour.

The New Zealanters did not see much of the Australian batting stars, Bradman and McCabe, in action, and though they were fortunate to get these champion batsmen out cheaply, he felt that the players generally would have been more pleased to have had the opportunity of seeing them in cne of their best innings, especially Bradman.

The speaker described Badcock as one of the best batsmen in Australia, and spoke very highly of Hamence, of South Australia, and Hassett, of Victoria.