YOUTH V. EXPERIENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12394, 13 March 1926, Page 17

YOUTH V. EXPERIENCE

“Quidnunc.”)

WHEN ARE PLAYERS TOO OLD?

(By

During the progress of the game between Auckland and Wellington recently, there were several discussions as to the advisability of playing veterans in the teams. Everybody knows by now all the reasons advanced by the partisans to support their particular side of the question. It has been said that a judicious blend of youth and experience is the ideal. Granted, but what is youth, and what is experience ? If we oonsider the player of between 25 and 30 years of age as a colt, and the player of 30 to 40 years of age a young player, then of course the old idea of youth falls by tho way. If one goes through most of our teams in New Zealand he will find that most of the bowling, for instance, is done by : men over thirty years of age. Taking past experience as a guide'and going over players in first-class cricket, whilst noting the exact period of their youth, one is prompted to ask why it is that New Zealand should be noticeable in tho age of stock bowlers? * » • * Since hearing one or two discussions by pseudo experts an the age question, I have been turning up that very fine reference work, “Form at a Glance.” I studied it carefully and got more than one surprise in so doing; incidentally coming to the conclusion that most of those who argue most strenuously in favour of the oldster are not disinterested, or else are quite ignorant of the history of the game. * * *' * It will come as a surprise to most people to learn that famous players like T. W. Garrett, Tom McKibbin, Geo. Palmer, and O. T. B. Turner were finished with Australian tours at or before thirty. Spofforth on bis last tour was thirty-three and showed a big decline; Huge ,Trumble finished at thirty; George Giffen was thirty-seven, Ferris only twenty-three, and Harry Boyle’s last effective tour took place when hie was thirty-seven. If these' men were not good enough to hold their places at. their respective age, how about our own men? To go further, Richardson, Trott - and Jones were to all intents and purposes useless for the first-class cricket at thirtyone. Again, the famous Teddy Peake was done at twenty-nine, Bobby Peel’s last good season for him was at thirtynine, whilst, J.T.Hearne: started sliding at thirty-one. I think we ■ have enough examples there to show s very gpod reason why. it is not policy to continue playing howlers past thirty to thirty-five years, of age. ' e ■# # *

Going through- tho records of the past one cannot find men retaining their best form later than that. The hatting side of tho argument is also in favour of the younger man. One cannot find- many instances of-men going into test teams or: participating in first-class ' cricket in pre-war times after thirty-five years of age. The war no doubt has’ been the means. of keeping many men longer in. tho ranks of first-class crioket than formerly. We shall see a reversion to the former state as .the number- of youngsters teeming along push their way into prominence. (

When, one /makes a statement like that immediately tunes -like 'Grace, Shrewsbury, and Hobbs are hurled at him. To me one gieat reason why these- players’ are kept so long on’ the green swaiW was- sthe fact that theit eyes did not fail them. I-think I am. right in saying that if another great race of fast bowlers arises, we shall scon see a dearth of older players. The lengthening Iho ’eyeHpht wonld soon find them out : when tryihg to pick Hie ball after it pitches. The niceties of timing disappear, and a batsman naturally becomes uncertain; • .• '

Cricket can be made a strenuous game.: and there is no earthly reason why. it should not be played with heart and soul. I am going so far os to 6sate that there are certain strokes

in batting which can only be exploited by a youngish man. • • • • Batting is not •» game solely of defence, and though it is very nice to have a man to wear the bowler out sometimes, he should be able, when necessary to take charge of the bowling. I do not think it was by playing defensive innings, and scoring only about twenty runs an hour, that Grace, Trumper, and Kangi attracted the crowds they did. I think it is going to be a sad day when such strokes as the cut and drive are eliminated from a batsman’s repertoire. If it is going to be a question of losing the charms of the game owing to the limitations of age, then for heaven’s sake sink old ago and savo us the game. * » • * I am in the sere and yellow as a player, and I have had all my fun. How 1 sit on the bank and criticise. One cannot help making comparisons, although there is the chance of falling into the error of making the geese of the past ‘ into swans, hut I would far prefer watching some of our past players make fifty than I would some of our moderns making two hundred. I have beard men say that the reason for the funeral-pace was the howling being so steady. Well, they might call it bowling, but because a cove throws up eight halls it does not say he is a bowler. All I have to say ie that if a batsman who has been at the wickets for an hour cannot take charge of most of our present howlers, then ne is better on the hank. , In spite of isolated cases it can hesaid without contradiction that cricket is more likelv to be maintained at its best standard when youth predominates. By youth I mean an average of say under thirty years of age. If as anticipated a New Zealand team is sent on a tour in England, it behoves the authorities to see to it that the great majority of the players are really youthful. In spite of what, some will say, the history of the game shows that there is always a grave chance of oldish chaps getting crocked owing to strenuous toil day after day ' . . .. * ' At any rate, cricket is not the only sport one can cite when com-" paring youth with age. The same argument holds good generally in football, athletics, rowing and boxing. Men stiffen, lose all their extra vitaU ity, power of timing Of distance, and also their nerve. '

Charles Rigoulot, the young Frenchman who won the Olympic heavy-weight-lifting title last year, and _ who has since gone over to the ranks ofhbe professipnal “strong men,’ gave <P re *~ delight: to a big crowd at the Cirque Royale, Brussels, recently. After he had raised a trifling matter of 150 kilograms (approximately 330 i pounds) with the two-handed snatch, he made four unsuccessful attempts, at a weight announced at 157k.500. His fifth essay was" successful, end- when the discladen bar was placed upon the scales it was found that, instead of raising 157k.500, Rigoulot had lifted 161 kite grams (approximately 3541 pounds).

Prohaihlv unique in the history at lawn tennis is Hie holding of a tournament at which tbe competitors will he entirety natives or their descendants. At Rotorua on April 3rd and the succeeding four days a .tournament will be held at the Government Gardena under the auspices of the Arawfc f tribes. The 'gathering is called New ZeOand'Maori championship, and handicap tournament, and in conjunQ tion with it'will be played the Mans maru . and Hinerapa challenge cutis. ,