CRICKET TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22859, 14 October 1937, Page 6

CRICKET TOUR

NEW ZEALAND TEAM PLAYERS FROM AUCKLAND COWIE AND WALLACE EXCEL (By the Herald Correspondent With Team) LONDON, Sept. 2S " This fellow is a very great bowler," Frank Chester, most experienced and most able of first-class umpires, declared at Folkestone, in a considered and merited appreciation of J. Cowie. His opinion is one that is subscribed to throughout England. Everywhere there is the highest appreciation of the truly wonderful fast-medium bowling of the Aucklander. Players, officials and writers are unanimous in describing him as equal to the best fast-medium bowler seen in England since the Groat War. Figures certainly bear out this conclusion. The New Zealander captured 114 wickets in first-class matches at a cost of 19.95 runs each. In tests he had 19 at 20.78. His test bowling was magnificent, perhaps the best work ever done with the ball by a New Zealander. Only J. 31. Gregory and E. A. McDonald, the famous Australians, have figures to compare with those of Cowie, and no overseas bowler has a record within measurable distance of his for only three tests. He employed an almost perfect action. His run to the wickets was not exceptionally long and it was delightfully smooth. There were no interruptions for jumps or twists, and in his final delivery he projected the ball with a full swing of the arms and the body. His fine accuracy, however, was perhaps the outstanding feature of his bowling. English conditions, too, suited him. In the heavier atmosphere he could swing the ball more than he does in New Zealand. Pace Maintained

Ho bowled 860 overs on the tour, nn immense number for a man of his pace. On the first two tours it. was rare for a medium or fast-medium bowler to bowl more than 20 overs in an innings. Cowie on this tour frequently bowled 30 and no fewer than 41 in the first innings of the first test. As physical feats some of his bowling performances were prodigious. If he wanted to make cricket his livelihood he could sign contracts that would ensure him a comfortable remuneration for some years in England. Few New Zealaiulers have made a greater impression on their first tour of England. None has taken great success mor« modestly. A brilliant combination of fast footwork, uncanny anticipation and varied strokes gave AY. M. Wallace tho outstanding batting record when he scored 1641 runs at 41.02 an innings in firstclass matches. This surpassed tho aggregate of I?. C. Blunt in 1927 and almost reached that of C. S. Dempster in 1931, His batting was distinguished for his ability to judge the flight and pitch of the ball. Driving was the main strength of his game, although he could also cut and hook with skill and power. He was at his best when not consciously forcing the pace, although his stroke play was so correct and varied that runs always came quickly, even when he was not hurrying. Regard in England If he has the same opportunities for participation in first-class cricket he will reach heights comparable with the best batsmen produced in New Zealand. Were he so disposed he could secure a professional engagement at almost any time, so highly is he regarded in England. His value to the team was enhanced by his brilliance as a cover-point. In that position he gathered and returned the ball with uncanny quickness and accuracy, achieving an imposing list of run outs. In his returns he developed an excellent understanding with E. W. Tindill. The ball always went straight to the wicketkeeper's hand, just at the top of the stumps. He -was, in addition, a very safe catcher. The team saw no better cover-point in England. Scoring 1118 runs, taking 49 wickets and making 18 catches in first-class matches, H. 6. Vivian, the vice-cap-tain, proved one of the all-round successes of the team. His runs were made at an average of 29.42, compared -with 1002 at 30.36 in 1931.

Brilliant Inspiration His non-success, however, never depressed him, seeming rather to make him more determined to succeed. M. L. Page must be given some of the credit for his recovery, for it was a brilliant inspiration to send the left-hander in, completely out of form, as an opening batsman against Middlesex. The vicecaptain gave two splendid displays of correct and forceful stroke making, scoring 56 and 73. The tour Avas then nearly one-third over, late indeed for a batsman to find his form, but the left-hander hardly looked back, being from that period one of the best bats in the team. Almost throughout the tour he was troubled by leg strain. He often had to bat with his left leg heavily bandaged, impeding his movements considerably. For several games, too, he bowled and batted with two fingers of the left hand bound together to protect a split suffered when fielding. However, he proved himself a cricketer of great natural talent. *His bowling was even more valuable than his batting. Throughout the tour ho delivered his left-hand slow balls with groat accuracy of length and cleverness of flight, and he showed himself abla at all times to keep down the rate of scoring even against the best of batsmen on the best of wickets.

Weir's-Aggregate A player whose worth to the side was not" by any means represented by figures was G. L. Weir, whose aggregate of 893 runs at nn average of 26.26 for first-class matches in England fell below his figures of 1035 at 25.87 in 1931. He played several invaluable innings, his best being a glorious 134 not out against Worcester. This was one of the great innings of the tour, the runs being made without a mistake against good bowling in difficult circumstances. If his batting figures were not a true reflection of his ability, hpwever, his bowling record was even more a. totally misi;epresentative chronicle of determined and able efforts. On almost every occasion he bowled with accuracy and liveliness, but time after time his best deliveries beat the bat and then missed the stumps or else snicked the bat and sped into the slips only to be dropped. Me was the most unlucky bowler in the team, having moro chanccs« dropped than even A. W. Roberts. A player whose natural style was unsuiterl to the conditions encountered. W. X. Carson, was hardly the success anticipated. He scored 027 runs at an average of 19. Possibly lie will be much more at home in Australia. Carson Not a Failure. The Auckland left-hander had two favourite strokes which yielded him many runs in New Zealand, but which often brought about bis downfall in England. One was a sweep to leg, hehind square leg, and the other a forcing stroke past mid-on, with which lie hit the ball on the half-volley and nearly always in the air. Carson cannot be dismissed as a failure, however, for it was by no means an inglorious performance to score as many runs as he did after only one season in first-class cricket before departure from New Zealand. Moreover, it has to be said for him that nearly all his best scores were mado when the team badly needed runs.