English Press Praises N.Z. Cricketers For Dashing Style.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18187, 21 June 1927, Page 4

English Press Praises N.Z. Cricketers For Dashing Style.

FAST SCORING IN OPENING MATCHES AT ONCE GAINED PROMINENCE FOR TEAM.

(Special fo the “ Star.”)

LONDON, May 17. Bright hatting by the New Zealand cricketers has impressed critics greatly. All newspaper comments give the tourists credit for providing entertaining cricket, and “ The Times ” says that, although they have not yet the prestige of the Australians, before long it may become the fashion to go and see them.

Tlis "Star,” May 6. “The Australians appear to have mistimed their visit. Last year they had a strike and millions of gallons of rain to greet them, whereas it looks as if we are now in for a really hot summer. Still, it was a timely drop of rain that helped us to regain the Ashes, so we are not complaining. The New Zealanders look like having luck with regard to the weather, and, if their batting in first-class matches is as forceful ‘ and carefree as it was at the nets at Lord’s last week, the crowd will be as pleased as the tourists.” Th« “Times,” May 10. “The New Zealand team began the first match proper of their tour yesterday, when they met an amateur team collected by Mr Martineau on his lovely ground at Ilolyport, near Maidenhead. As a result of a full day’s play in beautiful weather, the visitors scored 586 runs for the loss of nine •wickets, and, whether the match be considered serious or regarded merely as a practice game, it must be granted that the manner in which the batsmen obtained the runs was most impressive. It was well known that they were a young—the average age of the team is just over twenty-five 3-ears —and enterprising team, and even if the bowling was a trifle weak, they- gave a hint of what can be expected in more important games. Nothing but the strictest accuracy of length can hope to curb such a dashing and confident combination of really- excellent batsmen.” “Already they have clearly established themselves as a side well worth watching, and it may be that they will introduce a wholesome breath of fresh ■ wherever they go.” The “Times,” May 12. , “The match between the New Zealanders and the M.C.C., which was begun at Lord’s yesterday, attracted a disappointingly small number of apectators. The fact is surprising, because the personnel of the M.C.C. team promised excellent entertainment for those who appreciate stylish hitting, and the New Zealanders had scored at the rate of 100 an hour for upwards of five hours at Ilolyport on Monday. At the close of play the New Zealanders had scored 51 without loss in reply to the M.C.C. total of 392. “Our visitors have not 3-et acquired the prestige which attaches to Australian touring teams. But they gave some indications yesterday that before long it may become the fashion to go and see them perform.” The “Times” became almost lyrical in its description of the second day’s match with the M.C.C., and said: “Mr Dacre’s batting was of such quality that only a player of Hobbs’s class could safely challenge comparison with him. . . “Before the3 r separated the members who had watched from the pavilion would assuredly have welcomed an opportunity to pass a vote of thanks to their guests collectively, and to Mr Dacre in particular. Gratitude being a sense of favours to come, it would have been accompanied by an expression of hope that the bacillus of safety-seeking will not infect them during their tour.” “MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.” May 13. “The brightest batting of the day was that of the New Zealanders. Once the 3' seemed to be in a tight corner, but that did not prevent them from adopting aggressive measures, and they carried the score from 106 to 460 in three hours. “It was raid that these young men had come to England to leant, but if they continue in this way they will be teaching Englishmen how to recover the old style of making runs.” “The New Zealanders are evidently going to hold their own with our best, and they are likely to do it without turning sport into tribulation. They are fortunate in not carding any sense of national responsibility, which lay like galling fetters round the limbs of last year’s Australian eleven. The fate of the cricket if there were test matches every year is dreadful to contemplate. Recurring at decent periods, they' may be valuable as a check on slackness and as a challenge to the virtue of tenacity, but as routine they' would frighten the spectator out of his seat and the sun out of the sky. Freed from the tyranny of too much attention, our new visitors have ‘jumped to it’ with alacrity, and have given a sorely needed example of the old maxim that it pays to knock a bowler off his length before he starts to find it. There may come times when their breeziness will blow a gale in the wrong direction, so that the cautious may nod their canny heads and knowingly restate the case for safety first. But we imagine that the way of gallantry will lead more often to success. If that is so, the New Zealanders will be, not only our entertainers, but our instructors. There are ' some heavy clouds about the game for j which the new breeze from the Pacific ' may be an admirable solvent.” “MORNING POST” P. F. Warner jays: “The New Zealanders played fine cricket at Lord’s yesterday, and May’ 12 will alway-s be a red-letter day in the annals of their cricket, for on that date they established themselves firmly in the estimation of the English public. They are a capable side, and people will, in future, flock to see them play.” “In a few years they may be asking for test matches, and on their form of yesterday-, with the improvement which will follow on the experience gained on I this tour, there will be reason for their request. They have made a great imJ pression.” , “The match between M.C.C. and New Zealand ended yesterday at Lord’s, in a draw, after a perfect orgy of scoring, and seldom, indeed, in a first-class game can runs have been obtained at such a tremendous rate throughout three days. The wicket was perfect, the outfield fast, and the fielding on both sides not up to the mark, but in the bitterly cold weather fieldsmen cannot be expected to be at their best. Frozen fingers mean missed catches and slovenly ground fielding. “ The New Zealanders have proved ! themselves a strong batting side, and an attractive one, and if they can smarten up their fielding and find a

' couple of good length bowlers they should win many- matches.” “ DAILY MAIL.” May 12. “It was the form of the New Zealanders which presented the chief interest of the cricket. On the day’s play they were an exceedingly keen Side. They chased the ball to the boundaries eagerly-, even when they had little chance of reaching it. But they- were slow to anticipate, and their was much butter on their hands—to recall an old cricket phrase—when it cama to catching. Titchmarsh, for example, was badly missed at slip when he had made only- a single. A costly mistake, truly—a mistake that cost the side nearly two hundred runs. The best of the bowling was of the googly type, with W. E. Merritt showing the best form. lie sent down 39 overs, took four wickets, and had 104 runs hit from him. But the fieldsmen were unkind to him. He bowled better than his figures suggest. He takes no run to speak of—just two steps and a halt, followed by a fairly high delivery, with the ball well flighted. But he is so slow in the air that a batsman quick on his feet, if any of that breed still exists, might hit him with severity-. Merritt is still a boy—he is not yet 19. And although he is strongly- built there is danger ttM. he will be ‘ bowled to a standstill ’ the phrase goes, if he is given as much work to do, week after week, as was the case yesterday.” “EVENING NEWS.” IT. A. 11. Carson makes the interesting suggestion that an English team of about the same age could and should be got, and suggests one which “could give them a beating”:—A. P. F. Chapman (captain) 26 C. T. Ashton 26 XV. R. Hammond 24 G. T. S. Stevens 26 W. S. Duleepsinhji 22 R. E. S. Wyatt 26 E. M. Dawson 24 IL M. J. Enthoven 24 G. O. Allen 24 H. Larwood 22 W. H. V. Levett 18 He says:—“lt is no secret that the New Zealanders are over here on an educative tour. They have come, not to win Test matches, nor to achieve (I think that's the word) an unbeaten record; they- have come here to see first-class cricket is like and to learn what they can. My earnest wish is that, in adding to their knowledge, they will exercise at least a modicum of discrimination. “I do not for a moment think they could beat Yorkshire, or perhaps any of the Big Six. but here and there thev will bring off seme surprise victory which will please us just as much as it wil’ please them.”

“It'is easy to enjoy- cricket when you are sure that the men arc playing cricket because they like cricket/ I often think that the funereal pomp which is associated with our Test matches is caused in a great measure by the presence of so many players who are more or less conspicuouslymourning their loss of youth!

“This charge cannot be brought against the New Zealanders; they are youngsters almost without exception, and the pace at which they- run round the boundary and the pace at which they return the ball to the wicket always gives one something to admire and to wonder at.

“I do not wish to convey that their throw-in. which has just a suspicion of the baseball player about it, is invariably accurate: we who are used to seeing Oldfield receive the ball just over the middle stump may wonder how- the New Zealand stumper, K. C. James, 'of Wellington, will carry- on through the long season. lie is pretty active, however, and if his hands are not hard now they will have every opportunity to become so before he goes home.” “THE OUTLOOK.”

“The Australian cricketers last year were not quite so great a team as their advance press-agent notices suggested: the New Zealanders, who arrived almost unheralded, on the whole, shape rather better than their very modest preliminary claims. Their batting is bright and good, and the team has the valuable asset of a kick i:i its tail. I should be inclined to size them up as roughly- equal to all the first-class counties, except, perhaps, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and Surrey- on Surfev’s day-. With any- luck, they should win about as many matches as they lose against the counties.” “THE DAILY NEWS.” Frank Thorogood writes: —“Leading so good a batting side, Tom Lowry mayhave cause to regret the lack of a really fast bowler, but they are a keen side, full of the joy of life, and promise to lend a new zest to the cricket season.” “ATHLETIC NEWS”—MAY 16. “No team has ever created a more favourable impression on a first visit, to Lord’s than the New Zealanders under T. C. Lowry, one of the most popular of cricketers. “Members of the M.C.C. are not given to adulation regarding newcomers, but the exhilarating batting of the whole team was greeted with the highest praise on all sides. “The pity- is the bowling and catching are not on the same level. If they were the side would be a very- formidable one. “The two batsmen who particularlypleased the veterans were R. C. Blunt and C. C. Dacre. Of the two Blunt is the sounder, and will probably prove the most reliable run-getter, but Dacre possesses a magnificent drive and hook shot, both of which are equal to, if not actually' better than, anything seen in present-day cricket. ‘EVENING NEWS ’—MAY 11. IT. A. IT. Carson writes:—“The New Zealanders were at Lord’s to-day to meet an M.C.C. sid.3, which, although without professionals, was sufficiently strong to test their cricket pretty- thoroughly, because Douglas, Calthorpe, Enthoven, Allen, Haig, and Falcon are about the best collection of bowlers \vc have amongst the amateurs. “The M.C.C. batted first. Just before the hundred went up Merritt was put on. He is the y-oungster, or baby’ of the team, who bowled so well at ilolyport. He was a bit short to start with, but be almost had Titchmarsh guessing before he had finished his first, over. Merritt tosses the ball well up, and though he is not fast through the

air he can be very fast from the pitch with a leg spin, while at rare intervals he sends down a very well disguised ‘wrong un. Merritt kept Titchmarsh very quiet, though he had been hitting the fast stuff all over the field.” “MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.” MAY 14. “Fotir of the five first-class matches that remained fur decision yesterdayended in draws, and m the fi ve nearly 630'J runs were scored and only 147 wickets fell, so that for each wicket the batsmen averaged about 12 runs. “At Lord’s the M.C.C. and New Zealand match yielded 1.502 -uns for 2.8 wickets, and thus set up a new aggregate record for a match in England. The previous highest- was 1492 f or 33 wickets bv Worcestershire a' l /! Oxford University at Worcester m IDOL