CRICKET GOSSIP

NZ Truth, Issue 889, 9 December 1922, Page 7

CRICKET GOSSIP

REPRESENTATIVE TEAM.

Suggestions and Comments.

Who are to be our eleven to meet the Englishmen on the 16th inst.? By the time these notes appear the team will probably have been made known, I feel sufficient confidence m our selector's judgment to feel justified In saying that the team will be well thought out and the different players' qualifications analysed before he is satisfied to place it before the public. Always the most important man m the team is chosen first, and that .is the ' wicketkeeper. Well, strange to say, Ken. has not inoluded one m the f9iirteen players chosen to practise. Warne, who kept wickets last year, is

now . one of Thprhdpn's bowlers, and therefore cannot be considered .m so important a, ppsitiqn m preference to some of the other players. Cate and Condliffe, to my mind, are the only players that can possibly be considered for ,this, position, as they are heail and shoulders over any other keeper m the province. At time of writing it is doubtful :t Cate, who, I, am sorry to say, is not m good health, could allow himself to be one of those seeking selection, so Condliffe would then be the only possible choice. On his day he »s brilliant, also a fair batsman. I next come to the bowlers, and tnis is at present the province's weakness. In Berneau. Brice. Collins. McGirr and possibly Warne we have plenty of the fast medium type. But on goo.tiwickets they, are going to find it hard to get good batsmen out reasonably. Only some of them can be included, and the ones that should get the preference are those that are batsmen as well as bowlers. Barclay is another useful two-hand player, being also a tried rep. Bowling right hand, about medium pace, he sometimes has a useful off'break. Hiddleston and Aldorsley are the slow bowlers, but hardly up to rep. standard. Why not give Holland, of Wanganui, and Grant, of. Manawatu, a chance? Holland is a really fine bowler, and- Grant is a glow left-hand but a very fine batsman. Dempster, Baker, Rpnajdson, Anderson and Bruce are all good bats, although ft couple Qt them have not yet got going. ' . London, of Wanganui, is another who ha? been showing exceptionally fine form. " . . Qjf course, it may be the selector will not include M/anawatu. or War nganul players, If he decides to dQ so my team would be: M.e<?lrr, Cjollins, Brice. Barclay, Grai\t. Holland, Hl<Wleston, Dempster, Ronaldspn, Bruce and Condliffe. with Berneau ana Baker next if Wellington players only are to play. The team I should like tp see play against Maclaren's Eleven is: Collins, McGlrr, Barclay, Brlce. Hiddleston, Dempster, Ronaldson, Bruce, Cpndliffe, Berneau and Baker, with Banks twelfth man. Brice should bowl hia slpws, and, with Hiddleston, they should materi* ally assist Collins, McGirr and Berneau (fast), and Barclay (meditfm). Everyone of the team is oapable of getting plenty of juns, and the lot constitute a good fielding side. V ; ' ." Later. ? ! The teanr actually selected is as follows:— D, C. Collins (captain), J. S. Hiddleston, #. L. Bernau, A. Ronaldson. W. A. Cate, W. S. Brjce, W. A. Baker, C. Holland, A. Grant, S. Dempster, H. M. McGirr. It is interesting to compare it with my anticipatory selection and comments.