CAPTAIN OF ENGLAND

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1934, Page 11

CAPTAIN OF ENGLAND

CHOICE FOR CRICKET TESTS WYATT THE MOST LIKELY. (From Our Own Correspondent).. London, April 5. Although the M.C.C. have not yet dealt with the letter of D. R. Jardine, asking them not to consider him for the ’ Test matches against the Australians, I think they will -have to accept the position and turn elsewhere for _ a captain. There are four candidates, R. x E. Wyatt, M. J. Turnbull, C. F. Wah ters, and B. H. Valentine. The first three are captains of county elevens, while Valentine is the vice-captain of Kent, and has been in charge. of the side on many occasions. Wyatt, who is 32, is the oldest of the four; Turnbull and Walters are both 28, and Valentine 26. ' ■ , No choice is likely 'until the selection committee has been appointed, but Wyatt seems to have the best qualifications for the captaincy. It may be recalled that he was called upon to succeed Percy Chapman in the fifth Test during the Australians’ 1930 tour, and altogether he has played in six Tests, the last five during the leg-theory storm of last winter in Australia. Moreover, he has also played in South Africa, India and the West Indies. Walters seems definitely to have succeeded. Jack Hobbs as England’s opening batsman. He was the only amateur who played in all three Tests against the West Indies last summer, and he had an ayerage of 33. This winter he has been to India, with Valentine as one of his colleagues. The latter, like Turnbull, is a Cambridge Blue. As a matter of fact, they played together in the ’’Varsity eleven of 1929, and Turnbull missed his Rugby Blue only through injury. He has, however, secured his Welsh international Rugby cap as a half-back. Valentine is an excellent batsman, and finished second to Ames in the Kept records last summer. In fact, even if he is not chosen as captain, he may be played for his batting. There is still another possible candidate for the captaincy. This is Percy Chapman, but his election would depend on his batting form. He is a great leader, with an inspiring influence in the field, but he would have to be able to get runs to justify his selection. Chapman is a member of the M.C.C. committee.