Extra Day May Be Secured For Cricket Test Matches On Next Visit To England

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27221, 26 October 1949, Page 8

Extra Day May Be Secured For Cricket Test Matches On Next Visit To England

PA WELLINGTON, Oct. 25. The New Zealand cricket team could not be allotted any four-day tests on its recent tour of England, but there is every prospect that an extra day will be allowed when the next team goes Home. This was indicated in an interview with the manager of the team, Mr J. H. Phillips, on the Rangitata on which the tourists returned home to-day. Mr Phillips said the question of an extra day for the fourth test was discussed with, the MCC, which was most sympathetically inclined but was unable to change fixtures already prepared. The MCC also appreciated the position of the New Zealanders who had no spare days to fall back upon either before or after a match.

“ It asked us exactly what our view was,” said Mr Phillipps, “ and was very fair about the whole thing. An itinerary, however, had been arranged and to have changed it would have caused serious difficulties. We arrived at the ground ready to play on the Saturday morning and there was only one day after the match, which we used to travel to Sunderland. We thought we had to keep faith with the counties which we were already committed to play. The fact that the MCC discussed the matter with us is, I think, an indication that we can expect four-day tests on future tours.” Mr Phillipps emphasised that his prediction of four-aay tests was purely his own personal impression. Praise for Opponents Dealing with the tour as a whole, Mr Phillipps said the team had unquestionably created a highly favourable impression. Both Mr Phillipps and the captain, W. A. Hadlee, had nothing but praise for the manner in which the opposing teams had played the game, and they were particularly enthusiastic about England’s captains, George Mann and Freddie Brown. Hadlee said that when a declaration was made by Mann on the first day of one of the tests the fact that a breach of the rules had occurred did not worry anyone. A point which all of them overlooked at the particular time was that a different law operated for county matches.

Discussing experimental laws in England, Hadlee said the change from 45 to 65 overs before a new ball could be introduced was regarded as having worked very satisfactorily. Hadlee, referring to the tests, reiterated the comment he made in England that each of the four-day matches could have been finished in three days had the side holding a momentary advantage been sufficiently strong to press that advantage home or, alternatively, if the opposing side had not been sufficiently strong to save itself from the temporary difficulty. High Standard of Fielding

Speaking of the general play of the team, both Mr Phillipps and Hadlee quoted the remark by the former New Zealand representative, Roger Blunt, that the 1949 team was stronger all round than any previous New Zealand team which visited England, but particularly so in respect to its fielding. “ The principle we worked upon,” said Hadlee, “ was that we expected our bowlers to combine accurate direction with accurate length. The two must always work together. Fortunately, our bowlers were, able to do what we wanted in this respect, and they backed it up by highly efficient fielding. Vital catches which had been dropped on previous tours were held this time.”

Hadlee said that never at any time did New Zealand set a defensive field —it was always an attacking field. Admitting that the team’s attack had been to some extent affected by the inability of Hayes to play on many occasions, and also by the sprained muscles which Jack Cowie suffered from time to time, Hadlee said the remaining bowlers had done a wonderful job in carrying on without one or both of the best men. Another earlier comment which Hadlee confirmed was he would almost have welcomed more wet weather to give the younger New Zealanders additional opportunities to develop their batting on what were commonly regarded as typical English wickets. All the same, he said, there had been a marked improvement in the batting of several members, including Sutcliffe, Reid, Mooney and Rabone.

One of the great assets of the New Zealand team, continued Hadlee, was its excellent spirit and its determination to perform well. “Towards the

end of the tour it was little more than will-power which enabled us to perform successfully in the last three matches,” said Hadlee. “The strain by that time was being very severely felt, but the players all managed to produce what was required.” Hadlee said that when it came to strong play there was no question that Merv. Wallace was still the finest batsmen in the team, if not in England. Turning to English cricket, Hadlee said that, generally speaking, he would say there was less resistance in English batting from No. 7 down than there had been previously. What England lacked mainly in the bowling line was a slow left-hander, such as Verity, and a good off-spinner. Baillie and Bedser he would describe as equal to anything in that fine that England had in 1937. Mr Phillipps said New Zealand’s share of the gross takings was £40,000. This was five and a-half times greater than that of the 1937 team. He could not state what the final expenses would be. but he estimated that the net profit to New Zealand would be £15,000.