Oversees Coacnes Needed In NZ

Northern Advocate, 1 April 1946, Page 3

Oversees Coacnes Needed In NZ

Some very interesting comments were made by the Australian captain. W. A. Brown, after the game.

Australia's bowling and fielding had been too good, lie said. The same thing applied to Hie provincial matches. Even in tlie test Ihe New Zealand side lacked an attacking leg-spinner. Burke was a useful slow bowler, but he lacked the pace of O'Reilly and Toshaek. A left-hander who could turn the ball would have been useful to the New Zealand eleven.

Questioned regarding the New Zealand batting. Brown reiterated his earlier remarks that the Australian bowlers and fieldsmen had been too good for anything they had struck in the Dominion. Brown considered that the tour had served one useful purpose. It had amply demonstrated to the New Zealand players just what their real capabilities were. It would have been disastrous for the Dominion team to have visited England three years hence without this knowledge. “This country must look for young talent to send abroad," Brown said. He could not see where it was to come from, although he hoped ii might make ilself apparent in the secondary schools in the next year or two. FIELDING NEEDS IMPROVING

Now Zealand’s fielding was sadly in need ol' improvement, tire Australian captain said. It would be useless sending a team to England if it was going to give opponents three or four chances to make 100. The outlook for New Zealand cricket at the moment was anything but promising. The majority of the players in tlie present New Zealand side would be beyond the England tour in three years. Cowie had proved that he still is one of the best fast bowlers in the world, but he was thinking of retiring. There was nobody to tak'. his place and a fast bowler was absolutely essential on a tour. Summing the position of New Zealand cricket, Brown felt that perhaps the solution of the whole problem was the importation of first-class coaches.