CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 8

CRICKET.

.THE .VISIT OF THE ENGLISH TEAM.

The endeavour being made to provide I cricket education for 'the young New Xea-! lander is most commendable. The New Zea- - land council has; had under consideration the proposal to secure the visit of an amateur team from England, and, in fact, the M.C.C. are at present forming a team to make the trip. The leading ; affiliated bodies, bowever, have more than-hesitated about cooperating in the proposal. The: Auckland Association has practically refused: to give £250 for; one match here, ■: but has - asked for further particulars. I support the action of the local association for more reasons than one. t They would have shown great laxity in management if they had blind!v consented to give £250 for one match.' I say "blindly" for the reason that the New Zealand council supplied no particulars at all. Why the council did not supply particulars it is hard to say; and, to say the least of it, it is un-;business-like. However, I, feel aire that our association will definitely refuse to guar- ; antee anything like £250, especially after having seen the names of some of the players likely to make the trip, which were published in our cable columns on Thursday' What is in the minds of the members of the council and the M:C.C. I cannot say, but if it is the bringing of a few holidaymakers out, 1, and the Auckland Association, I I hope, will refuse to fall in with thorn at ! such a figure as, £250. To draw a £250 gate ! in Auckland we should need such magnets as Jackson, Fry. Rangitsinghi, Hayward, and i W. G. Grace. If we bring a team from Engj land it should consist of players who can 'teach us how to play the game. We have no I need to go to England to secure a team that j we might have some chance of defeating. For that purpose we could go to Tasmania or : ; Queensland,- or we might im- - port va' second - rate Melbourne or SydI ney team. Of course Ido not say we I could beat teams from the above-mentioned places, but we might have a chance. For exhibition purposes by all means commend ■me to' an English ' first-class team..- They p would teach : lis even more than an Australian eleven. There is a strong contrast between, the batting of the Englishmen and that; of the Australians. The Australian player is usually a brilliant batsman, but full of peculiarities, and he-juggles with the ball. [.On the other.hand, the first-class English '.batsman plays correct cricket, or, shall I say , cricket that would bo more beneficially -.'Copied by the young player. Of course, they j (.too have their " pet" strokes, but not to the same extent as the Australian, who is mote ■> dashing. Some of our cricketers may take ex- - caption to my putting so much emphasis on ...the 1 educational aspect of the question, but 1,; I am sure the older cricketers will believe with me that-the New Zealander want's ; coaching and experience. We had an oxj ample of the need of these things last sea- | son. Young batsmen and even old ones who played really good cricket in club matches j failed miserably in " company." They were , not as incapable as people supposed, but [ were, as the proverbial onlooker, would term I it. " Out before they were in," simply be- [ cause of inexperience. A' Tasmanian or a I Queensland team would come for a percentage of the gate; and. with thorn we would !ho able to play fairly even games. Of course, there is now little likelihood of netting an amateur team from England with a few of the best in it. and in. that case it would be better for a leading Australian team to come. ;

What is sjoins- to happen if the large centres of New Zealand refuse to guarantee large sums for the visit of the proposed team I do not know, unless the Exhibition Committee make some substantial offer themselves, for I. think that the Exhibition has had something to do with the scheme. Some may say that we should have waited for the names of other men likelv to constitute the English amateur team, 'but I am sure if players of the highest order had been invited their names would have been already given.; It might also be said that do Trafford, Johnson, and Simpson-Hayward are good men; granted they are, but- they are only known to cricketers, not to the general public, from whom the £250 would .have to be extracted.

Another coming Essex star is Mr. D. Reese, who became qualified in April and has not been able to play in May owing to" his examinations as an electrical encineer (says the Tatlnr of June 6). Fie himself confesses that. he is closely modelled on Mr. Clem Hill,, who is a. great personal friend. : Like him he is a left-handed bat. lor his native Canterbury against Lord Hawke's team he scored a fine 111 in February. 1903, and 148 out of 246 for New Zealand a month later. A great deal is expected of him.