CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20087, 2 May 1927, Page 9

CRICKET

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. ARRIVAL IN ENOLANIX X “A HAPPY FAMILY PARTY.** (Fren Association—By Telegraph—Oof.-right.) LONDON, April 29. “We are a happy family party, and all pull together,” said Lowry, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, when interviewed on landing, in glorious sunshine, at Southampton. He added: “The tour is largely an experiment. There is much to be learned, and perhaps unlearned, because cricket in the Dominion is in its comparative infancy. Then years’ cricket there is only equal to one English season, owing to time and light limitations, but the game is forging ahead.” Lowry referred appreciatively to the benefit from visits by MacLaren’s and Australian teams. “Our team is the best we could get together. It has the ad,vantage of youth. I don’t think they will be bothered by the pace of the wickets, because ours are natural grass wickets like yours. I fancy our batting will be bright, and we have useful attacks, but we all want to learn against the counties. We are not flying as high as tests, but that may come later.” The team are all bronzed and very tit. A few had influenza crossing America, but deck games crossing the Atlantic restored them to perfect health. Mr Douglas Hay (manager) says the New Zealanders are a fine party, and keen sportsmen. They are all happy, because they. have no worry about the finances of the tour. The team changed its plans and came direct to London instead of spending the week-end at Southampton. They have taken up their quarters at Berner’s Hotel. . A. P. F. CHAPMAN’S WELCOME. enlivenmEnt OF COUNTY. CRICKET. LONDON, April 30. (Received May 1, at 6.5 p.m.) “Let us wish the New Zealand cricket pioneers the heartiest Tda ora,’ ” says AP. F. Chapman, in an article in the Evenings News. “They are certainly all out to win, and will enliven the somewhat dreary monotony of some of the county cricket, where too much is thought of the first innings marks or percentage in the championship table.— A. and N.Z. Cable.

THE BOARD OF CONTROL. PREPARATIONS FOB COMING SEASON, (Frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, April 29. A meeting at Lord’s of the Cricket Board of Control of Test Matches, at which Lord Harris presided, appointed Mr H. D. G. Leveson-Gower (chairman) and Messrs Douglas and Carr (failing one of whom, Mr Calthorpe) the Selection Committee for the 1927 trial matches, with power to co-opt two professionals, one each from the north and the south. The meeting carried a resolution barring members of the committee and the players from making statements to the press regarding cither the discussions of the committee or the reports of matches before the end of the season. It was recommended that the following trials bo hold for 1928, at the end of which season a team is going to Australia ;—England v. the Rest, Gentlemen v. West Indies. Players v. West Indies (all before June 23). The meeting resolved, as regards covering the whole of the wicket, that the intention of the original motion is that captains must decide before tossing whether the whole of the wicket shall be covered from the dose of play on Saturday to 7 o’clock on Monday morning.—A. and N.Z. Cable.