CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18247, 14 November 1922, Page 4

CRICKET.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Cricketers were keenly disappointed at the sudden turn of events on whsn. after the heavy lowers of the £*%*% sun shone, suggesting that me v ™\, for ticket during the afternoon were I brighi. At noon it had been decided by tHeasso chtion that all grado matches wouW be ployed, but a heavy shower fell •i one o'tlock. It was thon left to the umpires to de ide. Rain continued to fall intermittently throughout the day, and as vickets- were unplayable, tho grade matches were, postponsd. ... v ft The club championship matches will . m resumed at Eden Park. Remuera. and JNorin Shore grounds on Saturday. Play, weatner permitting, will .commence at 2 p.m.the interests of this game, and out ot consideration for fellow-cricketers, members ot all elevens should make a special etiort to be ready to take the field at the time arranged. Only by such punctuality and co-operation will the game be best served The season promises to be one of the most strenuous of many, and real benefits will accrue by the utmost attention to the rules and'regulations governing the finest ol summer sports. .. Players are requested to note that in tne event of threatening weather and rain on Saturday morning creating an uncertainty respecting the playing of matches, the Management Committee will decide the issue up till noon. After that hour the decision ot play rests with the umpires, who shall declare tho wickets playable or otherwise. > Auckland is not *lone in its troubles concerning postponements of matches owing to unfavourable weather. Otago and Wellington have suffered in like manner. A fortnight ago all matches were postponed in Otago owin* to the wickets being unplayable. A week ago, cricketers .in Wellington had to cease for the same reason while in Canterbury. Christchurch cricketers were denied their game for carnival wees. Practice-Players Selection. / The Auckland players selected to practice in view of the match against the English team include the most prominent players in local cricket this season. The selectors have not erred ;ou the, Bidei oi limitation, having made their choice irom a wide field, with variety of attack and defence. The players have been selected on last season's form, and on present prospects and possibilities for this season s cricket. No fault can be found with the . selection, save that of generosity. Too many men have been chosen.. with the Possible danger of an over-burdened net practice. which may prove cumbersome and HKeiy to seriously affect the desired results. Fewer players of a higher standard, eliminating those who have no chance of final selection, would be-in the best interests of play and players, with the results clearly defined. The wicket on the Devonport ground at North Shore is at present one of the. best— if not the best—in Auckland, and is probably only little less superior to that of King's College at Mangere. where the conditions are ideal.. The North Shore Club is naturally proud of its " pitch m these da«s of poor wickets And rough outfields. Three selectors have been appointed to choose the New Zealand teams for the test matches against the English , ele £> n - Messrs. N. C. Sneddon, of Auckland Ken Tucker, of Wellington, and Alex. Martin, of Otago, will select the respective teams. It has been contended that a sole selector would have been better th.*n, three,, but in the present condition of cricket in flew Zealand and the state and Torm of players much in the air, owing to delay in opening matches and consequent limit of practice, the three-selector system is preferable. The responsibility of a sole selector, m view of the importance of the test matches against the English team, would be more than one selector could bear, and it is in the best interests of the garpe that three selectors should be appointed. ..Messrs. Sneddon, Tucker, and Martin are fully competent to carry out the responsible task of selecting the New Zealand teams for test m Concerning the test matches; it should be the object of the selectors to meet early in conference, with a view to preliminary selection in order that players having prospects of inclusion in a New Zealand side should get the earliest chances .fer serious practice before the final selection. In the event of a conference the selectors will meet m Wellington at an early diite. Too much time cannot be given to practice, and prospective players will have to be selected largely on last eeason'e fora.

The Test Matches. The important cricket campaign pf the season of 1922-23 will commence with the visit of the English team to Auckland on December 7. commencing the openinx natch of the tour at Auckland on Friday. December 8. match will be a threeauy contest, in which the form of the visitors, after their present Aifstealum tour, will be well 1 , exemplified.. The Aucklanrt eleven, too, will be well tried out, and some idea of thft form disclosed for the selectors ot the Auckland team tnr the Southern tour, which opens with a. match against Wellington on December 23, extending to December 26. lbe Auck:and touring team will then_v:sit Christchurch. meeting Canterbury on December 30. January 1 and 2- As this, date clashes with the first test match against the Emrlieh eleven, Auckland will probably be, weaktmed by thi> absence, of N. C. Sneddon. R. Bonn* tree, C. Allcott and C. Dacre. who will be selected to r«»r>resent New Zealand in the first test at Wellington.

The English Team. MacLaren's eleven are at present at Ad«la.de playing the last day .ol the matcil agamst South Australia. Interviewed. 'JttapLaren stated that the team and himseif wern feeiing "in the absolute pink." The idea behind them was to improve the. cricket on both s.des. He was rather hoping some of his youngsters would find their way into the Eng:ish Eleven. If this, happened, the visit would not bo barren- • The M.C.C. .. team 8 idea wivs to play sporting cricket. They had no stonewallers. Amateur-cricket was played in a freer spirit than some of the country games, which were rather spoilt by an overdose of the old. cricket professional. England had too many of that type playing these days: but since the war the youngsters had not hnd the experience to'oust them. It was true th» M.C.C. team waß not of an English eleven standard, but be thought they would confound the criticism cabled over that they were simply a ..team of average cnckete.-B. They were all very keen, and out to play their hardest. They were a really nice lot of boys. He did not think any of them had been out to Australia, before. From a bowling point of v : eW. said Mr. MaeLaren. the very best players out bere would have to be well on their mettle, as hi*, was a very good bowling side. " ■

, English Cricketer * Weds. New Zealanders will be interested in the information* given in the following, taken from London. Sporting Life of September 6: '•A large congregation attended the marriage, at St. Paul's. Kaightsbndge, yesterday, of the Hon. F. S. Gough-Calthorpe, son of Lord and Lady Calthorpe, and captain of the "Warwickshire cricket team, with Miss Hose Mary Dorothy Vernon-Harcourt. Several notable cricketers were present at the ceremony, including a deputation from the Warwickshire Cricket Club. An interesting circumstance in connection with .the wedding is that the bridegroom is a member of A. C. MacLaren's team to tour Australia.and New Zealand, and his bride will accompany him on the trip." '