THE SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKETERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13945, 3 July 1907, Page 5

THE SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKETERS.

KEEN INTEREST IN ENGLAND,

THE FIRST TEST MATCH.

Press Association—By Telograph—Copyright. LONDON, July 2. Unusual interest is displayed in tlie South African cricketers. For their first test match at Lords England has selected her strongest team. .

LONDON, July 2. ■ (Received July 3, at 0.59 a.m.) The test match South Africa v. England began at Lords' to-day. The Englishmen in their first innings made 428. Braund contributed 104, Jo-sop 93, Tyldesley 52, Lilley 48, and Pry 33.

In tile course of jm interview. jwst after tho toa,m reached England the manager (Mr Allsop) said that t'he playci*3 were all, with the exception of Nourse, African born. Nourse hod been out there some vears. Sohwarz had played for Middlesex when ho was (it Cambridge, whilst Vogler, too, was playing in England for .a season or two. All of them had reall}' to work for their living, and most of l them came from Johannesburg. So far as ■ the prospects of the team are concerned," said Mr Alison. " they are distinctly bright, the side being certainly a powerful one nil round, and undoubtedly, the best combination that South Africa .has over sent over. I do not say that we shall emulate the example of the 'Springboks,' and practically carry everything before us, bocausc cricket as yet is not so generally • played ii s football. "One of the difficulties that has eonfronted us from the outset lias been the fact that there arc not sufficient cricketers of first class merit to fill up blanks, -and if one man stands out it makes a tremendous difference to us." • Mr Allsop, in the course of further conversation, said the team was distinctly strong in batting, and had no tail, the only man who eould Tiot bat very well indeed being Kotze, the fast bowler, who was thought to be in better form than on the occasion of his last visit, and whose pace was as hot as ever. He got a great deal more action on Jhq ball than he used to do. Then, in addition, so far as the attack was concerned, there were Sinclair, equally good at batting as bowling, and |by many regarded as the best all-round player in South Africa; Vogler and Faulkner, both with good reputations; and Snookc, who has previously demonstrated his quality in England. Among the batsmen, Tancred, who made „he most, runs on the last visit; Slierwell, and Sinclair, were all great batsmen; but the team as a whole had % lot of courage, and jould.be depended upon to make a lot of runs wlien the wicket suited. "The weather," continued Mr Allsop, "is a matter that is going to affect us considerably, as our men are, of course, accustomed to playing on fast, dry wickets. " Those are the conditions .under which they always play, and so, when the wicket is • a slow one, our towler3 may got in trouble, whilst the batsmen will bo equally handicapped. ' " Given a wicket that is fast, wo 6hall undoubtedly make-a good show against the very best of the counties and in the test matches."

Under the existing arrangements t.he team would probably sail for South Africa about September 18 or 20, but there was a prospect of an invitation being extended to tour in America.