McLAREN'S ENGLISH TEAM.

NZ Truth, Issue 881, 14 October 1922, Page 9

McLAREN'S ENGLISH TEAM.

An Note. Now that McLaren's English team has sailed for these shores we are acquainted with the personnel of the players.- 1 must say that I STILL DISAGREE with other writers that the English■men will be altogether too strong for New Zealand. The majority of cricketers will, if given a number, of innings m a season, generally play themselves into form — that is providing they have it m them. I wonder if the majority of players m New Zealand realize about the numbeiv^of innings that a firstclass county batsman has m a season at Home? Well, }n a fairly normal season leading county men play upwards of\ 10, and frequently more. If you will cast your eyes over the averages of Mr McLaren's players that have appeared m the daily papers of late you will find that not more than half of the team have an average of over 20 runs per innings, and only three over 30. Considering the amount of cricket which I have pointed out a county man has, their batting cannot be classed as v anything »beyond moderate.' Then "again, take the bowling. With the exception of Freeman, and perhaps the Hon. W. Calthoi'pe, their figures are again a long way from being good. In Freeman the Englishmen will have a really first-class bowler, as he has captured close on 200 wickets during the last season, but he will require a good deal of support, and, on figures, I fail to see where New Zealand has ANYTHING TO BE AFRAID OF. I have seen New.. Zealand up against Infinitely superior bowling sides on paper and they have acquitted selves well. Of course, it will m all probability be said that McLaren's team has all sorts of possibilities. Granted. So have the New Zealand players, but one can only form an opinion on the figures of the players extending over a long season m England. If, say, four or five players of the standard of Hobbs, Mead, Hendren or Rhodes were m the team, it could safely be said^then that we would have little chance of making a game of it with our distinguished visitors. As it is I think New Zealand will possess A GOOD CHANCE of extending the English team, and I would *not b\s surprised if they do not go one better. If a province was playing the visitors some of the players might suffer from stage fright, but I do not expect anything like that to happen wheni^a^ New Zealand team takes the field. The visit should be of immense value to 'the young cricketing enthusiasts of the Dominion, and they , can rest assured that the games will be played m that true sporting spirit which has helped to make the British speaking race famous. (