IN WELLINGTON.

NZ Truth, Issue 890, 16 December 1922, Page 7

IN WELLINGTON.

The Rep. Team,

Comments on the Selection. / .. ■ (Mr Ken ' Tucker has chosen the players to represent Wellington against Mr 'Maclaren's "English team, and I congratulate him on his selection. In a previous issue I selected the same side with the exception of substituting Bruce for Berneau, making the latter .twelfth man.

I feel Bure the team chosen will put UP an "excellent fight and also that the selection will be well received by orlcketers m general. With Dave Collins as captain the generalship will be m good hands, and will be most popular with the players Cbllins-hashad a lot- of -experience,and, from. what I have seen of him, uses- his- bowling with the best of judgment. * A few remarks on the personnel of the team may not be out of place. D. C. Collins (captain) is one of the best all-round cricketers m New Zealand to-day. 'A lovely bat, with plenty of power behind his many strokes, particularly severed on the drive, while his on-side play is very correct. I expect this player to make a lot of runs . this season. He is also a good bowler, with a method m every ball sent down; bowls fairly fast, but has a good slow ball which he hides very well from the batsman. A good reliable field.

J. S. Hlddleston is a very fine batsman and always plays at his best when engaged m important matches: i This player haß scored most, consistently m representative games; gets busy from the start and if allowed to I stay any time makes runs quickly. Safe field, and as a: slow bowler, with an "eccaslbnal googly, often obtains good results. ' ' , A- Ro.naldson is one of the new players for representative . honors, but his consistent batting this 'year has gamed him a place m the team which all cricketers will agree has been truly merited. "Ronny" is a punishing bat and very safe field. =, W. A. Gate, I am pleased to say, has" consented to take part m the game. There is not the slightest doubt that Cate (with the exception of Arnold Williams) is one of the best wicketkeepers that has ever represented the province. I cannot speak too highly of this player's long career -behind the wickets. Standing,, close up to ourfast bowlers, he allows very few ex~> tras, while his stumping on both sides of the wicket is at times a revelation. He Is a player with a heart of a Hon.

: W. S. Brice, a club mate of Cate, is so well-known to all lovers of the game that .very little need be said other than at the present time Stan is at the top of his form, as the double performance against V.M.C.A. goes |p show: 228 runs with the bat and six for 10.

W. A. Baker this season has not been able to get going yet, but one must not overlook the fact that Wiri Baker is an ideal rep. batsman, as he possesses that dogged determination which is so necessary when up against high-class bowling. Baker may not be the class. of batsman, that some people prefer to see, he being of. the more "patient, "dig-jne-out type," but with any sort of luck the Englishmen will know they have been bowling before they see Baker's back. C. Holland, of Wanganui, I fully expected to be m the team, as when one looks at this player's figures and his success for the past three seasons he could not be left out. I expect Holland to be the most difficult bowler we will haye on our side. He is a very keen player. fi

S. Dempster has during. the last two seasons fairly played himself into the team. This young player has all the qualifications that are essential for a first-class batsman. He has a good variety of strokes combined with solid defence, and when occasions afise is not afraid to use his feet to get out to the bowling and drive it before the ball has had time, to do anything. A good future is "before this lad, and he reminds me very mrieh of "Tiny" Midlane. A brilliant field is Dempster, with a good return.

H. McGirr is a player that I would not leave out of any team m New Zealand. • He is wonderfully keen and always m good condition to see a long game through. Herb is an all-rounder, being a lively batsman, and if allowed to stay at the wickets for a short time is sure to give the fieldsmen a busy time of it. He is one of the fastest bowlers m the home side — if not the fastest— and although he has not .had • muoh :Sticcess .rthis season he always -reauires a - .lot of watching. A lovely -field, and" most popular player.

A. Grant, by his fine performances last season and this, has earned his place. This player hails from Manawatu and is a tower of strength to Palmerston cricket. A very fine batsman and a slow left-hand bowler, which is just what is wanted to help our fast bowlers to get Maclaren's team out.

E. J. Bernau is the fast left-hand bowler who" plays for the Wellington Club. Bernau, strange to say, has been far more successful this season as a batsman than as a bowler. Batting left hand, he is what the public like to sse a fast scorer. Bernau; When bowling, makes the ball fly 'off:: the pitch very fast, and I should say that, given a little, assistance from the wicket', would be mighty awkward.

The team should acquit itself well m the field and I fully expect it to put up a good showing. You hear all sorts of criticism on the Wellington team that is to meet the Englishmen. One of the bones of contention is the inclusion of Wlri Baker. Certainly Baker has not got going this season, but did it ever occur to those who are complaining of his inclusion to cast their eyes over his representative performances? They will find for the last ten years he na.s a record second to none." He Is batting well at the nets, and I feel suro he is just as likely to make runs as anyone else m our team. Baker is a player who puts his back to the wall and requires a lot of digging out, taking no risks until his eye is well m. If any player * deserves to be" successful It is young Dempster. He never misses a practice, and always remains long enough , to see that the other players have had their proper time at batting, etc..

I don't think the visitors will have any cause for complaints regarding the wickets that Brewer is preparing for them. Given a few fine days before the match they should be almost perf e<SL How very ; milk-warm some of our representative cricketers , are. I noticed only. two. up at the club nets on Tuesday evening. Was It because it had- the appearance: of rain?-.-0r was it that the majority of players imagine themselves fit enough to meet Maclaren's team. Seeing "that cricket was off on Saturday and no practice is allowed on the Basin on Mondays, and there is the risk of another couple of wet days on those set apart for practice through the week, I should have thought they would have been looking for all the practice they could get. I know it used to be quite different a few years back, when It was hard 1.0 drive them away from. the nets. Of

course there may be some good reasons for their non-appearance. Let us hope so! General Notes. Cricketers m Wellington are not getting a fair run this season with the weather, and Saturday last was no exception., Rain commenced to fall just about the time the umpires hud finished putting m the wickets, and continued all the afternoon. V.M.C.A. had won the toss from Wellington and were going to bat. Midland also had been successful with the spin against Institute. Among the juniors, Poneke did make a start against Johnsonville, , and rattled up aboui 90 for the loss of one wicket. McCardle is going strong for another century. The umpire should have drawn the stumps just after the game started, or, m fact, not started at all, as it was too big a handicap to ask a field- to stand out m the rain ' that was falling so thickly. One of the Johnsonville players, Cliff. Moore, m endeavoring to stop a hard drive from McCardle, was hit ln the pit of the stomach and had to be removed from the field. After a good massaging by Kortlang, of the Wellington team, he was able to again take his place m the field. Johnsonville, who came by an uncovered motor bus, must have hail a good time going home m the thick drifting rain. Institute and V.M.C.A. juniors made ' a start at Kelburn, the latter team losing one for about 24 runs. By the time these notes appear the Englishmen will have commenced their game against Auckland, and it is to be hoped that the changeable and wet weather is at an end so as to enable us to see same good cricket. The Auckland team appears to. be a fairly strong one, but their players this year have not done anything (up co the present) that one can guage their form on. Still, the Northern city is always able to make a 'fairly good showing, no matter- what the opposition may be. Burton, although batting fairly well, was not chosen m the first twelve. Anthony is retaining his form well; .su is Hemus, Sneddon will In aU probability be captain and Rowntree be m his usual place behind the wickets. Kortlang will be a regular player from now on for the already strong Wellington side. If he strikes form sorne of the bowlers are going lo) suffer. : Re. White, who has gone to Sydney, and. Westbrook , to Tasmania, both for a lengthy holiday, wilt cause the V.M.C.A. to be further weakened m to-day's match against Wellington. Now is the chance for some of the juniors to make good. The Cricket Association is making a number of improvements at the Basin, such as bringing the scoring board up-to-date, reflooring one of the rooms, and pulling away the old glassclosed partition m the grandstand used by the official scorers and press. I am given to understand that all the centre of the upstairs of the pavilion is only for the deadhead brigade. When the last ' Australian team was round a number of complaints were heard that some of the Australians could not get a seat m this part of the stand as it was taken up by members of the Cricket Council and Cricket Association. It is to be hoped there will not be a repetition at the English matches. i Why have the Umpires' Association seen fit to appoint ari umpire who has I been taking part m the junior games over the head of Mr. Jenness, wiio has officiated In senior cricket for a number of years and has always had the name of being a conscientious and fair umpire? 1 feel sure that this overlooking the gentlemen m question must have been a pure oversight on the part of the Umpires' Association. We can ill afford to lose the services of a good umpire, m senior cricket m Wellington. Would it not be better if during athletic sports on the Basin Reserve th 6 long jump and hop, step and jump were held m a corner of the grounu, as lt does not give the caretaker -muuii of a chance of having the ground present an attractive appearance, for tho turf is being consistently removed and replaced right m .front of the stand? Budge Brewer will be glad when the English games are all over, as he is Uept everlastingly on the watch preventing the youngsters jumping ovev the ropes on to the rep. wickets. What is to stop the association i sending away a team of colts to Mana- 1 watu, Hawkes Bay or West Coast? A j trip like this will do wonders with promising lads. A. fourth jf.ade game, could pc arranged- against the Boyn' League. Juniors and the lower grades , should be catered for as well .as seniors if we are going to popularise and Improve our cricket. The coveted "hat trick" is not a frequent occurrence m senior crickot. although through indifferent batting among junior players three successive wickets Is not unusual. In Oamaru, however, F. Ongley has established the unique record of "capturing the hat" ln three senior matches running*, which is the total number of 'game* played this season under the jurisdiction of the North Otago Cricket Association.