THE SECOND TEST TEAM

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11409, 4 January 1923, Page 8

THE SECOND TEST TEAM

j REPRESENTATIVE GRICKCT EXTRAORDINARY ACTION BY NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. - THE BARRING OF KORTLANG. ' INDIGNATION EXPRESSED. r There has been a good deal of discussion in Wellington (and Dominion) cricket circles at the exclusion—or rather barring—of Kortlang, of Wellington, from the second te6t team, after his brilliant performance in the I'lunket Shield match. His omission from the team came as a surprise particularly after the brilliancy of his performance in the shield match.' The report that the New Zealand Council informed the selectors (Messrs N. C. Snedden, Auckland) K.' H. Tucker, Wellington, and A. Martin, Otago) that Kortlang was not eligible, is also surprising, in view of the fact that the Wellington Association ,was , apparently well satisfied with Kortlang’e residential qualifications. On the point of eligibility there is great difference.of opinion between the local committee and the council, and the statement, has been made openly by the local "chairman (Mr 0 G. Wilson) that, despite the council's ruling, Kortlang is- eligible for inclusion in the Wellington representative team for forthcoming matches. If Wellington plays Kortlang—and assuredly they will—- , and the Cricket Council persist in. their extraordinary attitude, ' interesting developments may be expected, kortlang Indignant • ! 1 "NEVER CAME ACROSS SUCH: ACTION."- : . In conversation with a “Times” reporter yesterday,. Kortlang stated that in -all his experience in various parts of the world he had never come across such a coarse of action as that taken by the New Zealand; Council in barring a man, who, practically by birth, was entitled to play. ' He explained at the outset that , he fejd Ant aspired to selection.. The mere fpot that he held handed to 'Mr Wilson a team which, in his opinion, should represent New Zealand, and in which he had not included himself, was proof of . that. He was particularly (desirous of seeing the younger players coming on, and there were, quite a number whom he would like tofcee in the Wellington and New Zealand teams. Whan asked to take a place in the Wellington team (he had suggested that a younger player should be given a ohanoe, but had been informed that the player who would < replace him, if he were unable to play was, older in years. - As far as qualification- was concerned, he considered ■ that any player taking up permanent residence in a country had a right to be included in. a representative team if Ms ability, as a cricketer was good enough. -The council in this'case had taken .the power out of the hands of the selectors. Re considered that there should be no feeling in such matters. Its introduction would retard the progress of .the game. It .'had done so in Australia, until the Board - of; Control was set' up, and since then-there had bean nothing narrow and no "cutting straw#}" NEW ZEALAND HIS PERMANENT , /HOME SINCE 1919. ; To-some-extent ft might be said , that he-was "a -bird of passage,"-.but. Now Zealand,' lie said, had been - his permanent ' home sin'ce 1919. . His business ne- . ceceitated a good deal of travelling, . but what other men who were travelling-had been debarred on account of residential qualifications? Although he was born in Australia thirty-one years ago. his mother was a New' Zealander. He first came to the Dominion in 1912, and was here for eight months in the following year. He then went to South Africa, and afterwards to New York, subsequently'going to, the war. -He returned here from. (America in 1919, and eirice that time he had been absent for only; two or .three abort periods of three or four months. At the commencement of the present cricket season there was a likeli- . hood that he would play in Christchuroh, and he had actually ' had practices in that city without giving any undartak- , ■ in* to may for a club. He mentioned, incidentally, that after one practice at the nets in the southern city, he had been offered a place in a third eleven. Ms business, 'however, brought him baofc to. Wellington, and no immediately informed an official of tho-Wellington Club that he would be able, to play from December ,Bth,- hfiving recovered 1 fairly well from his war injuries. With the resi- ■ dential qualifications detailed, he considered'that there wa* no ground for the instruction' given by the New Zealand ; Council to the selectors of the New Zea- , land team. . 7- , According tot the rules, governing , Plunket Shield contests, a (player need only satisfy the authorities of his inten- ; tion to remain in a district for six months. 1 . . { NEW ZEALAND TEST TEAM j (To the Editor "N.Z. Times.’’) ] Sir, —Allow me to congratulate your < cricket contributor upon the common- 1 sense remarks made by him concerning i the selection of .the New Zealand team. The lamentable Attempt made at select- 1 ipg the first New Zealand team, and the 1 deplorable display given by that combination, will oonvey, an altogether wrong i impression to outsiders relative to the i standard of New Zealand cricket. The second test team is not even fully re- « presentative of the Dominion. Your 1 cricket contributor has . undoubtedly seleoted the team that should represent ! New ZfetUand in the next contest with > the M.C.O. eleven. We may not to-day < possess bowlers of the type of Erny Up- 1 ham, Alidk Downes, or Fisher (Otago), , or a stylish reliable batgpoan of the De ‘ Mans or Holdehip school, or a big hitter like Jim Baker or Arnold Williams (who in liis... day was New Zealand’s orack wicketkeeper), or a Lawton, Cuff, Frankish. Cobcmft, or AeEbolt, but your contributor has chosen a team that is far more representative of New Zealand crioket than those wMch the selectors < have picked. Fancy any selector worthy ' of’the name leaving Daore, Moßeath, or I Sandman ‘ out of' a New Zealand team. How ridiculous the Selectors are acting over Kortlang. Adopting the same principle New Zealand selectors in bygone days would; not have been acting cor- _ rectly if given any Considera- S tion to Lawton, "Pro." Robertson, Paine, Clarke. Harry Graham, Frank Shacklock, Cobcroft. "Tich” Macartney, Toni -Carlton,' Rolf, and the scores of crioket'ers from other countries who .have played the summer pastime in the Dominion, si For the honour of New Zeeland cricket I is (it not time that a change was made J in the selection committee? ii t BLUE AND GOLD. “ ■_ a.