CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21164, 23 October 1930, Page 4

CRICKET.

By Sup. OPENING OF THE SEASON. If the conditions are favourable senior «nd Second Grade. A matches will begin on Saturday, and it is probable that the players in most cases will find themselves ill-prepared for serious cricket. At this time of the;year Dunedin weather is usually very unsettled,' and- the past few seasons nave started very badly so far as the weather is concerned. It would be a pity if there were a repetition of the same unfortunate conditions this season, for the indications are for greater enthusiasm and keenness. Players; however, have had few opportunities for practice, and most of them may find themselves under a handicap, though, as bowlers and batsmen alike will be generally unprepared, there will be no cause for lack-of confidence. Cricket in Otago has made few advances for several seasons •past, and at the. conclusion of last season it was generally realised that a determined effort must be made to put the fame on a • stronger footing, . Lack of nance has been a severe handicap in the past, and in that respect the association (has just come through one of its most trying experiences. A successful attempt to improve the finances was instrumental in showing who were the. association s best workers, and the function which was held had a strong influence on the choice of members .for the association’s commit’ tee this year. The association itself made a very wise and very necessary move when it decided to place its affairs in the hands of a 'small committee, and players may rest assured that the present executive of nine contains tne best 'Workers that the game can produce w Dunedin. The selection' of members was one that inspires confidence, and if cricket does not prosper under their guidance one will be forced-to take the view that little can be done to strengthen the position of the ; game in .Otago. The change in > control *is one that nas given great satisfaction to those closely in touch with- the * association’s affairs, and it i® probable that it will have a greater influence on the future of the game than cricketers generally realise. , The engaging of Badcock was one of the Wisest-".moves that the association has made, and though he has not yet played in club matches, a general increase in enthusiasm as the result of his cdming to Dunedin.can be felt. In his winter Khool he has . already done good work, and the real "test will come when a f few matches have been played and the improvement in his pupils can bo watched. Badcock can and undoubtedly will do a great deal to improve play in these parts, but there is a danger that too much may be expected of him. Judgments can be formed too hastily, and it must be recognised that, in spite of all that a good coach can do, some time must pass before the standard that is hoped for in Dunedin cricket can he: reached. . Too much .also can be expected of the'; senior players, and there has been a .tendency in: the : past to belittle the efforts of a number .of prominent players. - It is to be hoped that" the public generally willrgive.’diie regard to the difficulties under which Dunedin players' labour, and that especially in representative matches the tendency generally will be to give greater encouragement.A debatable point that has, already arisen -is' whether the association ■ acted ■ wisely in allocating Badcock to Dunedin in' preference, to Christian Brothers, anda peculiar position arose when the Dunedin delegates, voted in favour of bis being sent to the Christian Brothers Club. The question, of course.has two sides, and it may be argudd that Badcock ’ will find better material 'to'work with in the Dunedin: Club,’ - The opinion of the writer, however," speaking in no spirit of condemnation, .is that the standard of senior’/cricket would, have been more greatly improved had the coach been allocated toChristian Brothers, Tor, in spite of-any success that the new-:club: may have achieved last season, it must be admitted that "some .weaknesses, must be. corrected before it can become a, good 'senior-.team, and under Badcock’s leadership’ the .side could be welded into a much more'. formidable combination. As matters stand, however,; he will still be able to see all the young players in action, and- will be no less able ,to pick out "the ■ weaknesses of senior play in Dunedin,

The forthcoming tour of England should prove strong encouragement for the more prominent players, and the Plunket Shield matches. should 'be ' fraught .with ‘ unusual interest. The- spirit generally in Otago should be one of optimism, and there, is every : reason to . expect that, the coming season will . find the ’ game more firmly estahlished in public ■ favour than'it has been for some ", time past. PROBABLE CLUB TEAMS. It.-is .probable- that, the Albion team will be much the same as' it was last season. Lack of a good stock bowler may still be its weakness, but its leadership last season showed that this may not always-be the handicap that it appears .to be; Vorrath, Shepherd, Binney, S. Duncan, Barron, Allen, L. Silver, Henderson, MBaffie,' and Wilson are all expected to turn out, and F. Kilby, the All' Black, who formerly played in Southland and-Welling-ton, way - play for" the club. Hamilton, Miller, and R._ Silver will, of course, have chances. of. inclusion, as may Scott, a wicketkeeper. M'Haffie, it may be mentioned, is said;to have made a - big improvement, as the result of the winter coaching. . It-is expected that-the Cariabrook side m its first two' matches at least will be practically the same as last season. The probable players include Blunt, Dunning, Pneat, Allan, Groves, Nimmo,- Cameron, Smith, a junior who. came from Australia, and who is a promising young batsman, and Hawkeoworth, G. Tynch, who wilJ transfer to Christian Brothers, will probably be. the club’s only-loss.-. Old Boys -.will • lose two pi ayers—D uncan, the wicketkeeper, ‘ who' is* retiring from the game, and Ibbotson, who will play for University. The club will still have available such players as A. W. Alloo, Dickin son. Gale, Giles, Moloney, Cherry, Earraway. Smith, M’Rae, Logan and Latimer. ■ Christian Brothers will have the assistance of Lynch and Dawson, an experienced Wellington player,, who is said to be a particularly good field. The club can still call on F. and T. Toomey, Blair, MTlroy Collett, V. M'Carten, Rogerson, Brookes and_ V. Cusack, and there are several good juniorsCwho can be-called upon if necessary. Sullivan is not expected to turn out.

Grange’s only loss will probably be Morns, who has done good service as an-opening batsman. The bid hands will a ßmn be playing, however, and the side •hfluld be as strong as usual. The team ® a y be expected to include Knight, Galland, Elmes, Demin, M'Mullan, Boyd, Chadwick, ,’Cranefield,, Chettleburgh, ana . 4 new player may be Elliot, of Auckland. In view of Badcock's inclusion Dunedin should be stronger than usual, and will, indeed, have a. very formidable side. The club has also regained R. Cherry, who should be a useful member if he regains his form. Others who are turning out are _ Cayanagb, Strang, Torrance, Monk, White, Ditchfield. Carrington, Claridge, Brown, M'Gregor, and Templeton. It is regarded as certain that Robertson, formerly of Midland, Wellington, a good left-arm bowler, willbe included in the team. FAMOUS PLAYERS’ ADVICE. The ball should be hit truly and with power. A powerful hit, if it goes to a fieldsman, is'less likely to be caught. If chances must be given—and they will he sooner or later in an innings—they might just as well be,made as difficult as possible. But the secret of power and hitting is not so much muscular force as ease of swing and perfect timing.—J. B, Hobbs. . Make the batsman play forward as much as-possible; thenyou will know that you are bowling the right length.— Maurice Tate. . . Stand on the whole foot, not on the toes. Never point your fingers to the oncoming ball —they should point downwards. This will save your fingers, and the hall will hit the palm and not the

thick part. Seep your eye on the ball and do not grab or snap at it.~H. Strudwick. PLAY IN THE DOMINION. Commenting upon cricket in New Zealand at the conclusion of their book on the ■1929-30 M.C.C.’s team Australasian tour, M. J, Turnbull and M, J. C. Allom place the Dominion in an intermediate position between England, where the game is under the control of a close oligarchy, the M.C.G., and Australia, “a democracy of long , standing.” The reason seems to the writers to be that there is little money behind .the game in New Zealand. The game, they say, is, not held in the same regard as in Australia, ;and unless cricket can be encouraged by the. interchange of .tours, the man in the street will never .interest himself in it sufficiently to warrant his being' catered for as he is in New Zealand racing. * A comparison is also made with regard to umpiring. “We don’t know what the Australians think about it,” they write, “ but in New Zealand they agree with us that in England it approaches near to the ideal.” The Englishmen considered’the umpiring.’ in the major association" matches’good—with one or two exceptions—elsewhere much of it was just the reverse, and the New Zealand Cricket Council is recommended to endeavour to control in some way the appointment of umpires for all hie matches.

With regard to the standard of cricket m New Zealand, the writers say that the.calibre of the Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury teams quite astounded them, and was well up to the best English standard. Theirs was not an allconquering march, they write, and they had to leave several citadels untaken behind. them. The improvement that has taken place in the Dominion’s cricket during the last five years is attributed largely to the 1927 tour of England, the work of the professional coaches, and the visits received from English and Australian teams. NOTES. W. Trevathah, playing for Pembroke against Queenstown at Pembroke on Saturday, knocked up a-score of-142, which is said to be a record for Central Otago. It may be added' that Pembroke has already played three matches this season.

The executive of the O.CA. made a good move when it decided to appoint a sole selector for the coming season. No announcement has yet been made as to whom is to fill the position, but the mem* bers probably had someone in mind when they came to a decision. A’good man closely in 'touch with the game should give greater satisfaction than a committee. ; . . The match between the Colts, led by Badcock, and the rest of Dunedin, to be played on Monday, should attract a good deal of interest. In playing the matchthe association is catering for’both players - and the public, and in - additionit: should provide excellent opportunities for'the jrounger players, 'B. Coupland, of Invercargill, who was chosen- to practice with Otago players last season, and who bowled so well against the'Englishmen, has been transferred to Dunedin. ' D. Sandman, the ex-Canterbury and New Zealand representative bowler, who Ha's been out of the game of cricket for four seasons, has returned to the playing field, and has turned out to assist nis old club, St. Albans. One of-.the’ features of the Methven -Cricket Club’s,.opening' was the- play of Ji t.. Blair, familiarly known as “Daddy.” Although close on 80 years of age, be batted, well, and ran bis own. runs, as well as taking his place in the field. L. G. Hemus, the ex-Auckland and New ’Zealand cricket representative, who has .been . stationed. in . Hamilton for some seasons'past, is now a resident of Christchurch. . He has thrown in his lot with the West Christchurch Club. H. Larwood bowled with such pace for Nottinghamshire .against Northamptonshire recently that in taking three wickets in. each of two spells .of bowling he knocked the off stump out of the ground four times, - with deliveries which broke back; sharply. His six wickets cost him only 38 runs. Commenting on the individual players in the Australian cricket team, an English writer said: “M'Cabe is simply -bubbling over with class, and it cannot be very long now, surely, before he is hailed as one of Australia’s great men. At the moment he is rather too impetuous. In a year or two this should right itself, 1 and _ we will undoubtedly find M'Cabe vieing with Bradman and Jackson in attractiveness.” Diack is one of a number of promising cricketers who will have, left the province since last season (states a Southland writer). Ken Cox, Harry Sheriffs, Reg. Cherry, and Charlie Diack have all represented Southland, and they will be missed.

The members’ roll of the Sydney Cricket Ground for the year is the biggest trust had ever had. At the Rugby Union test .match against the British team the members’ reserves seating accommodation; was taxed to its utmost capacity. The revenue , from the members’ subscriptions for the season which ended on September 30 was over £17,000. The Wellington Cricket Association’s coach, in the limited time available for him, can hope to, handle only a small proportion of the promising cricketers of the city, and the association might well consider supplementing his efforts by the purchase of a new .film entitled “Cricket” (states a writer in the. Dominion). Taking an hour to run through at ordinary pace and longer by slow motion, the film shows Hobbs and Sutcliffe in action together;.Hobbs. Hammond, and Chapman demonstrating batting, Hobbs fielding, Strudwick wicket-keeping, and Macdonald, Freeman, R. Tyldesley, and Tate bowling. The bowling demonstrations should be particularly valuable, for although Dempster’s coaching in batting and fielding will leave nothing to be desired it is not likely that he will be able to do ipuch, if anything, to improve our bowling, attention to which is particularly necessary these days. [lf Wellington makes the purchase the Otago Association might well consider obtaining ’the loan of the film.] According to the London Chronicle, Miss Turner, a member of the Cuckoos ■ Chricket Club, recently knocked up 73 runs- in 45 minutes, hitting three sixes and five fours off one over. < • ...