ENGLISH BATSMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22900, 1 December 1937, Page 22

ENGLISH BATSMEN

PROMISING PLAYERS OPINIONS OF MR. T. C. LOWRY COACHES' HAPPY MEMORIES ' England lias three or four young batsmen coming along pleasingly, according to Mr. T. C. Lowry, manager oi' the New Zealand cricket team, which returned last Friday from its tour • ot England and Australia. He said that the line summer, with hard and fast wickets, had helped in the evolution ot players who seemed to be well on the road to the tests. He instanced L. Hutton, of Yorkshire, who opened /or England against New Zealand, D. Compton, of Middlesex, who played a good innings at a critical time in the last test, and W. J. Edrich, also oi Middlesex, who is now doing well with an English team in India. Hutton seemed thoroughly established and the otuer two were well in the running. English bowlers who impressed most included W. R. Hammond, who. because of the steadiness of his length and the cleverness of his changes ot pace, was a tower of strength to the bowling of any team. W. H. Copson, who gave the touring team much trouble at Derby, K. Fames, who was not available for the tests, and A. W. Wellard, of Somerset, were the best of the fast bowlers, although A. Gover who played in two tests, accomplished the wonderful performance for a fast bowler of taking 200 firstclass wickets last season. T. B. Mitchell, of Derbyshire, who visited New Zealand with the English team under D. li. Jardine, and P. Smith, of Essex, were the best of the right-hand leg break and googly bowlers, and there were two fine slow off spin bowlers in T. W. Goddard, of Gloucester, who routed the New Zealanders on a wearing wicket in the second test, and J. C. Clav. of Glamorgan, who also had a field day when the pitch broke up at Swansea. VISIT TO AUSTRALIA VALUABLE EDUCATION The visit to Australia, said Mr. Lowry, had been an education for the young players, enabling them, in one tour, to see the best cricketers of both England and Australia. C. V. Grimniett, most famous of slow spin bowlers, bowled extremely accurately and it seemod with all his old spin, against the New Zealanders at Adelaide. F. Ward, the young player who was generally expected to succeed Grimmett as Australia's leading leg break and googlv bowler, was rather slower, but flighted the ball and turned it considerably. The South Australian spin bowling" was the best the team saw 011 the tour. . , Don Bradman, after batting half an hour the first day. was surprisingly and disappointingly out in the first over nes;t morning. This deprived the tourists of seeing the world's most famous cricketer in action and also undoubtedly had a great effect on the financial return for the match. C. L. Badcock and L. Hammence, both young, played very sound innings for South Australia. At Melbourne, L. O'B. FleetwoodSmith. famous because of his left-hand "googiies,'' failed to strike a length and was ineffective when attacked resolutely. McCormick, although of slight build, bowled very, fast, certainly faster than any bowler the team saw "in England. R. Gregory, another of the younger stars, was dismissed quickly in both innings, but very steady hands were played by two other .young players. L. Hassett and I. Lee. It was disappointing in Sydney not to see S. J. MeCabe in typical form, although his quick dismissal twice in the one match was a great feather in the cap of J v Cowie. E. Barnes and V. Jacksou, also colts, proved very fine cricketers and in the second innings the visitors were able to study the methods of J. Fingleton and A. G. Cliipperfield. W. J. O'Reilly was watched with interest, and it was impossible not to adnure the accuracy of his slow-modium right-hand spin bowling. The Sydney papers gave full credit to W. M. Wallace and D. A. 11. Moloney for forcing this great bowler to dispense, with his famous "suicide squad," the fieldsmen stationed close to the batsmen, a thing shat was never accomplished by the Englishmen. SUCCESS OF DEMPSTER FORMER COACHES MET Mr. Lowry mentioned that in England they met C. S. Dempster, a leading member of the 1027 and 1931 New Zealand teams in England, who was scoring very consistently for Leicestershire and who also played occasionally for the team conducted by Sir Julien Cahn. H-3 was one of the most successful batsmen in first-class cricket. K. C. James kept wickets as well as he ever did for New Zealand and also made a good score for Norfchants against the New Zealanders. It. 0. Blunt, who had married recently, was still playing with Sir Julien Cahn, and W. E. Merrkt seemed to be taking many wickets, as well as making some runs, in league cricket in Lancashire. The New Zealanders also met several English players who had visited New Zealand as coaches and all seemed to have the most happy memories of the Dominion. J. A. Newman, who coached in Canterbury,' was now a first-class umpire, and A. F. Wensley, who was in Auckland, was now coaching and playing in Scotland. E. H. Bowlcy had retired, but wen-, to Hove to renew acquaintance with the New Zealanders when tbev were playing Sussex. L. 0. Eastman, who was coaching for a time in Duncdin, played against New Zealand for Essex, and L. F. Townsend was still very successful with Derby. The New Zealand team attended a testimonial-dance in his honour while at Derby.