CRITICS' COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22194, 22 August 1935, Page 11

CRITICS' COMMENTS

SELECTORS.TOO OLD WYATT AS CAPTAIN UNPARALLELED FAILURES By Telesrraph—Press Associalion—Copyright LONDON*. Aug. 20 The Daily Telegraph says the lesson to be learned from the final test match is that these contests should last fonr days. Mr. D. R. Jardine, writing in the Evening Standard, says: "The South Africans should be enthusiastically grateful to the selectors, who played 25 people against them in five test matches. The selectors are too old. and hopelessly out of touch with a relatively young man's game." The South African tour has been a great financial success. Already there is a record profit of £BOOO. and the total may easily reach £IO,OOO. This is dne to the fine play of the visitors coupled with good weather. The winning of the second test at Lord's resulted in doubled gates wherever they played. The South African captain, H. F. Wade, said: "We were fortunate to win the toss at Lord's in the only test that was concluded." The Daily Mail urges the reinclusion of an active player on the selection committee. England has won only twd" out 14 testmatches since June, 1934, and Wyatt only two of the 15 in which he has been captain, a record of failures for which nobody -wishes to make him completely responsible, although the record is unparalleled.

TESTS REVIEWED FIFTY-NINE MATCHES RECORDS OF THE TEAMS Fifty-nine matches have now been played between England and South Africa, the former having won 28 and the latter 12. Nineteen matches have been drawn. Details are:— Won Won by by Where Played. En?. S,A. Drawn. Tl. South Africa .... 19 11 S 38 England 9 1 11 21 Totals .. .. 2S 12 19 59 The previous highest score made by England in the test series with South Africa is 531 for two wickets at Lord's in 1924. South Africa's best total is 513 for eight wickets at Capetown in 1930-31. The smallest total by England is 76 at Leeds in 1907. South Africa was dismissed for 30 at Port Elizabeth in 1895-96, for 30 (including 11 extras) at Edgbaston in 1924, for 35 at Capetown in 1898-99 and foir 47 and 43 at Capetown in 1888-89. The results of the five test matches just concluded were as follows: First match, at Nottingham.— Drawn. England: 384 for seven wicket*, declared (Wyatt 149). South Africa: | 220 and 17 for one wicket. Second match, at Lord'r...—South Africa won by 157 runs. South Africa: 228 and 278 for seven wickets, declared (B. Mitchell 164 not out). England: 198 and 151. Third match, at Leeds.—Drawn. England: 216 and 294 for seven wickets, declared. South Africa: 171 and 194 for five wickets. Fourth match, at Manchester. — Drawn. England: 357 (Eobins 108) and 231 for six wickets, declared. South Africa: 318 (Viljoen 124} and 169 for two wickets. Fifth match, at Oval.—Drawn. South Africa: 476 (Mitchell 128. Dalton 117) and 287 for six wickets. England: 534 for six wickets declared (Leyland 161, Ames 148 not out).

AVERAGES OF PLAYERS

MITCHELL HEADS BATTING MOST WICKETS TO VINCENT B. Mitchell, South Africa, has a fine batting performance in the test matches by heading the averages. In 10 innings, three not outs, he scored 488 runs, the highest total of any player, at an average of 69.<1. His highest score was 164 not out. X. Balaskas, South Africa, heads the bowling averages with nine wickets at a cost of 11.44 runs each. The most wickets in the test series were taken by C. Vincent, South Africa, with a total of 18. The averages are as follows:

ENGLAND BATTING Ins. N.O. H.S. R. At. R. "W. V. Robins 3 1 108 1S2 66.00 TV. R. Hammond 5 2 87* 389 64.53 M. Leyland 6 0 161 342 57.00 A. Mitchell 3 0 72 170 56.66 A. H. Bakewe!l . . 3 0 63 137 45.66 R. E. S. Wyatt .. 8 1 149 317 45.29 L. Ames 6 1 145* 191 35.20 H. Sutcliffe . 3 0 61 102 34.00 D. Smith .. .. i 0 57 128 32.00 J. Iddon 1 0 29 29 29.00 .7 [i . LnnsTridpe 2 0 27 44 22.00 A. T. Barber 4 0 44 83 20.75 M. W. Tate 2 0 34 34 17.00 M. S. Nichols .. 6 2 30 6G 16.50 W. Farrimcmd 2 0 13 26 13.00 A. Sims 1 0 12 12 12.00 H. Verity 4 0 18 42 10.50 E. R. T. Holmes . . 2 0 10 IS 9.00 T. B. Mitchell . . 2 1 5 6 6.00 X. S. Mitchell-Innes 1 0 5 5 5.00 J. Hardstafj 2 0 10 10 5.00 G. Duckworth 1 0 2 o 2.00 TT. E. Bowes 1 1 0* 0 'Signifies not out,. BOTVLING Rude Wirt a. At*. H. Verity 250 12 20.83 Jflf . Laneridre46 2 23.00 TT R. Hammond 145 6 24.33 R. "W. V. Robias 264 9 29.33 W. E. Botres . . 412 14 29.43 M. S. Nichols .. 332 13 29.48 H. D. Read . . 300 6 33.33 M. W. Tate .. 87 2 43.50 T. B. Mitchell 164 3 54.66 R. E. S. TTyatt 64 1 64.00 A. Sims •• SS 1 6S.OO SOFTH AFRICA BATTING Ins. N.O. H.S . R. At. B. Mitchell 10 s 164* 488 S9.71 E. Dalton 6 1 117 244 48.80 K. J. Viljoen " 0 124 550 40.00 H. B. Cameron . . S 0 90 306 88.25 A. B. Lang-ten 6 o 73* 121 30.25 E. A. Bo-wan 10 1 62 246 27 33 A. D. Nourse 7 1 S3* 157 2fi~]6 I. J. Siedle S 0 59 205 25.62 H.. R "Wade S 2 40* 132 22.00 D. Tomlinscm 1 0 9 9 9.00 R. Crir.p 5 1 IS 29 7.25 C. Vincent ., 4 1 14* 19 6.33 X. Balaskas 1 0 4 4 4.00 R, Bell 3 1 S* 4 2.00 "Signifies not out. BOWLING Runs Wkts. At. X. Balas.ka.8 103 9 11.44 R. Bell 21S 7 30.85 C. Vincent 601 18 S3.39 R. Crisp .. 444 13 34.15 A. B. La.ngton 623 15 41.35 E. Daltoa 10*5 2 53.00 B. Mitehell .. l»l 2 77.00