CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 20014, 30 October 1926, Page 18

CRICKET

(By

"Onlooker.")

TO-DAY’S SENIOR GAMES. Bluff v. I.C.C. in liiggnr Street. Appleby v. Union, at Queen's Park. Marists a bye. Seniors make a start to-day. Initial matches to be played on matting wickets. The Showgrounds will not ba re r about a month. Wednesday Competition opens on Wednesday next. Bluff and Union clubs got in some good practice on Labour Day The Port club is confident of making a good showing in Senior cricket. Competition games commence m Dunedin this afternoon. “Sixer” Brice completed his century last Saturday. Included in his score of 127 were 6 sixers and 13 fours. "Charlie” Oliver (100 not out last Saturday) was the first centurion of the wwon in Christchurch. He plays with Billy Patrick in the Sydenham tram. There is every likelihood of Jan Lynch assisting the Marist team this year. He will be welcome. Jack Doig has again got his team nf colts going this season. He spends a lot of time with the hoys and Is desiroira of making a proper job of them before heading them over to the Southland selectors. To get them good, you’ve got to get them young. The Marist dub held a successful meeting of players on Thursday evening when about 40 playing members discussed wav» and means of organising the club f<»r this season. Enthusiasm was the keynote of the evening and indications pninl to the Marists haring a very eaircrssful year.

It is the opinion of the ex-Aiistrafian representative cricketers, A. Noble and Clem Hill, who both saw the Nev Zealand cricket team perform in Australia, that the Dominion side should be capable of beating the average first-class county in England. That opinion was expressed by them in England to Mr A. Siins, who mentioned it in a letter received last evening by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council. Mr Sims stated in the letter that if good publicity were given to the tour, and a good start were made, he expected that a profit would be made. In places like Durham and Swansea it was not impossible that 15,000 to 20,000 would see the matches. An endeavour was being made to arrange a match with Ireland, the Dublin people being very anxious to see the New Zealanders and being prepared to guarantee £2OO to £250 a week. The second annual match between John McGlashan College (Dunedin) and Southland Boys’ High School is to be played in Dunedin shortly. E. H. Bowley, the newly-engaged Sussex cricket coach for Auckland, is expected to arrive in the Dominion any day now.

It is pleasing to report that Jim Lynch has again taken the game up seriously, and will be available for Southland this Lynch turned out for Lumsden against Union on Monday last and displayed firstclass form.

Wellington leads. In view of the tour of England by the New Zealand team, the governing body in the Empire City has made an early start with big games as “try-outs” for the colts and others. Last Monday (Labour Day) a strong Wellington side was pitted against a Colts’ team and next month a game will be played with Manawatu. This is just how it should be. Associations in the Dominion arc too prone to wait until after Christmas before making a commencement with their big games. It is these games that hasten players to get into form, and also provide the means to discover and bring out youthful talent. Cricket in Southland would be benefited if more foreign matches were played annually and the earlier they are arranged the better. It has been suggested that Southland negotiate for matches with North Otago, South Canterbury’ and Ashburton this season. A splendid idea, and with the prospect of a visit from a South Australian side was pitted against a Colts’ team and season could be made a brighter one than any of the past two or three. “Onlooker” suggests that the Otago game be played at Dunedin in late November or early December. If this were arranged, there would be a reasonable chance of getting a return game at Invercargill in January or February. “Who will be the manager of the New Zealand team to tour England next year ?” asks “Mid-on” in the Dunedin Star. It is evidently a much-sought-after position judging by the number of names that are mentioned thus early, but from all accounts it looks as if Mr C. G. Wilson (late of Dunedin, but now of Wellington) will be the one who will be labelling his luggage “England” next March. And so he ought to be, as there are few who have done more for the game in the Dominion than “Gillie.” The Rev. E. 0. Blamires has at least one enthusiastic advocate, and next to Wilson he seems to have the best claims for consideration. Mr Dan Reese would have, of course, been the ideal manager, and had he been available probably no other candidate would have been mentioned. It is understood that he is taking a private trip home two years hence, and naturally thinks two visits in as many years a little bit of a luxury. “Onlooker” concurs with “Midon” in his views. “Gillie” Wilson is the right man for the job.

At the last meeting of the Southland Cricket Association the Otago Association came in for a good deal of criticism for what was described as the contemptuous manner in which Otago treated the Southlanders in connection with representative matches, says Dunedin Star. It was alleged that the teams Otago despatched south were composed largely of second-raters, and consequently local cricket was not improved by the games. One delegate moved that Otago should be cut out of the Southland representative matches, but it was eventually decided to do nothing further at the present time in view of the fact that Southland play Otago at Dunedin this year. It is hoped that the game will take place in December, as the selectors will be given an opportunity to experiment with some of the younger players. The number of players who may be regarded as likely candidates for the New Zealand team is probably greater in Wellington than in any other province, says “Not Out” in the Evening Post. As a matter of fact, Wellington at the present time has more New Zealand representatives than are required to make up an eleven.

Among the players with experience of big cricket—and players of this type should be taken on this tour to England—may be mentioned: J. S. Hiddleston, D. C. Collins, H. M. McGirr, T. Lowry, C. S. Dempstey, R. de R. Worker, H. Tattersail, K. Janies, E. McLeod, B. J. Kortlang, E. H. L. Bernau, W. S. Brice, H. Lambert, M. Henderson, R. Hope, G. S. Banks, and W. A. Baker. There are others, and more again from the ranks of those who have as yet had little experience of representative cricket, while Bad cock (the coach) must find a place in Wellington’s team. Wellington is, indeed, well off for players this season, and when it comes to the selection of the Plunket Shield team the selectors’ trouble will be to decide who shall be left out. W’ith regard to the selection of the New Zealand team, it is obvious that Wellington must supply a big quota if the team is to be the best that the Dominion can field. Of course, some of the players mentioned will be passed over, and some will not be available. But should, say, Hiddleston, Collins, Lown-, McGirr, Dempster, Worker, Kortlang, Tattersail, James, Brice, Lambert, and Henderson all be available from the Wellington Province, the New Zealand selectors will indeed have a problem to solve. OTAGO'S PROSPECTS, BLUNT, THE BRILLIANT. WILL HIS STAR CONTINUE TO SHINE. Blunt’s debut in local cricket is being looked forward to with interest, and it is certain that there will be a big crowd out to see him in action next Saturday, says “Mid-on” in the Dunedin Star. Blunt is recognised as one of the most brilliant batsmen in the Dominion, but last season he took a great stride forward as a bowler. In recent years he has been concentrating on spin, but after his return from the Australian tour last season he sent down a faster delivery and got a dangerous spin on every ball. He has now a wonderful control over the ball, and at the end of last season had the Canterbury batsmen nonplussed. The fact that he could not turn very much on the Australian wickets may have caused him to aim at getting more pace off the wicket than he usually did and trying to beat the batsman on the off side by flight and pace, instead of relying on leg breaks. If the season is a reasonably dry 7 one there is no reason to suppose that Blunt will not be as successful here as he was in Christchurch. With two trundlers like Blunt and Dickinson, to say nothing of Douglas, Carisbrook’s attack should cause no end of wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst their opponents. Otago will play both Auckland and Canterbury here this season. There is also a likelihood of a South Australian team visiting the Dominion, and a test match will probably be staged here. Dunedin is certainly overdue for one.