CRICKET TOURS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21358, 11 June 1931, Page 7

CRICKET TOURS

ARE THEY OVERDONE? ARE PLAYERS OVERWORKED? (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 23, ’ Mr H. D. G. Leveson-Gower, the wellknown cricketer and chairman of the Selection Committee last year, contributes and article £0 the Athletic News on the subject of “ Tiring Tours,” Cricket tours, he says, have increased considerably of late years, until now there is never a winter when the M.C.C. is not requested to send a side abroad. Mr Leveson-Gower proceeds: Cricket all over the world? A very excellent thing, you may say. Yes, but what effect is it having on English cricketers, this continual playing year in and year out? Does it offer a reason for a lack of “class” bowling in England today? After all, there must be a limit to what a cricketer can do, and rest, is imperative if skill and health are to be maintained. It may be said; “ There are so many cricketers in England, why send out always the same? Rest those who have played in test matches in England and give others a chance.” PLAYERS’ VIEWPOINT. Let us look at this from the players’ point of view and the case of the man who is not selected, though obviously has preferential claims. The cricketing life of a first-class cricketer, as a rule, is not a very long one, and in a comparatively short space of time he has to make as much money as he can, in order to provide against times when “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” and his powers as a first-class cricketer begin to wane. If he is rested in the winter the money he would get for a tour abroad is not forthpoming, and he is so much the poorer. Few countries, if any—at least, I surmise so—would be in a position to compensate him. This is a vexed question. Undoubtedly, the cricketer of to-day is overworked. Possibly it may mean, in the near future, that there will have to be longer intervals in fixing foreign tours, at any rate, outside Australia and South Africa.

Perhaps it may result in a curtailment of the county cricket programme in an English season, but it is a problem that will have to be faced —and, to my way of thinking, before very long. THE WANDERERS’ GROUND. One sometimes hears that only cricket played on grass is the real game If that was the case, how many really great cricketers would have been lost to the game? The Wanderers’ ground has produced several remarkable players—players to be compared with the best that England and Australia have given us. Very few wicket-keepers have been excelled by Halliwell and Sherwell, and, to-day, it is doubtful if there is anyone better than Cameron. i remember, shortly before the greatest of all cricketers passed away—- “ W G. ” —discussing with him the merits and skill of wicket-keepers with whom he had played—and his opinion —“ Halliwell is as good as ever I have, seen.” That, from one with experience second to none, is praise indeed. And take the batsmen the matting wicket has produced—Routledge, Gordon White, Sinclair, Faulkner, Taylor, Nourse, and Hathorn. to mention only a few. The game of cricket would have been poorer—widowed of such players. And then the bowlers. What finer trio of their era than Vogler, Faulkner, Schwarb, the first-named on his day, probably without superior? Nor must one forget the pace of Kotze, and the “immaculate length,” and skill of Pegler, Yes—we have a lot to thank the Wanderers’ ground for—and to those supporters of the game, especially Sir Abe Bailey, who spared neither time nor money to produce the best—and to make it possible for the exchange of visits between England to South Africa, which have bad nothing but good results.