NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18356, 23 March 1923, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET.

MR. MAbLAREN'S VIEWS.

A FURTHER STATEMENT.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR UNWISE.

In a further interview in Sydney Mr. A. 0. MacLaren, captain of the Engish team, strongly advised an English tour by a New Zealand team, rather than ft tour of Australia. , " It is a mistake," he said, " to imagine that I have depreciated the New Zealand «rs as cricketers. They 'are fine . sportsmen over there, and they treated us most hospitably. I would not say v one word wittingly to wound the feelings j of those fine fellows. But, you know, New Zealand is not yet a cricketing country in the sense that Australia is; that England is. lam sure that true New * Zealanders won't mind my saying so. The same might be said of every other country in the world where the great old game is played. It ill no reflection on them. " "As a matter of fact, New Zealand cricket has distinct possibilities. ' They , had against us in the Test matches eight or nine very good batsmen—"Collins, ; Blunt, Shepherd, Sneddon, Hiddleston, Garrard, Daere, and Lambert. They tried keenly in the field, and they bowled fairly. But they need something to give / them a lift in the higher elements of the game, individually, and with that will come the lift collectively. • 1 I can say so, surely, without giving offence to anyone. '" : V" J' 1 " "But I do not say this," said Mr. ( MacLaren, "just for the sake of saying it. I propose a remedy. - It -i» this—that x they should send a team tor England, not for the specific purpose' of playing the greatest elevens, but .to play through, a . programme that, while bring- &; ing them into the real world of first-class : cricket day, after day, will toave them with a fair .to good chance oV winning. I think that a judiciously chosen team would beat six or seven of the present _ first-class counties. And when a man thinks "that, ho must have a good opinion of their pos- ; sibilities under conditions that guarantee' , regular match play together against opponents of fitting calibre." y V-v-h Australia Will Not Do. " But Australia is nearer home, and would it not be better for them to come this way once again after many years?" > one asked. • The old leader smiled.> s " "No, and I'll tell you <why,"' he re*' plied "If they send a team over, here to play the State elevens, they will come on to fast wickets,'and meet teams that are too good for them under the conditions. They will be defeated, and it will tend to take the heart out of them. Now,: if they go to England, they • will play on turf wickets similar to'their own in pace and type, and they will meet teams : as a rule weaker than * the State teams. And - they'll win some matches., v , "These wins," he continued, "will be an absolute tonic, , and the play day after day will develop each man in a wonderful way. At the same time, they' will . gradually • ' develop a team atmos- •v. phere that will astonish them, if*, they have a keen, tactful, and - skilful captain. v The Advantages...;&!>.■ ' 21!^ " Then, when they return to New Zealand, each man, polished into a bettev , player then he ever was before, yjill be a missionary of the game, an example in his * club, in his city, in his province, and in the representative team of New Zealand." • * "< * And what, will follow on this ?" t "Why," said the M.C.C. captain with a gleam of enthusiasm, "the best New r Zealand cricketers will develop team work that will make their play ever so much more attractive to the public than it might be now. > t * , •■ ': " You know how keen the : New ; Zea- ,'. landers are on Rugby football what an extraordinarily intimate . knowledge i they uave of its fine points. Well, from tW' time their cricket team returns from the first tour abroad you will find the public over there taking a different kind of interest in the game. They will'appreciate the beauty of its fine points with the same discerning keenness as your own humorists on the Sydney hill do." ~, . •