IS LOWRY A CERTAINTY FOR CAPTAINCY OF N.Z. ELEVEN?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19270, 6 January 1931, Page 8

IS LOWRY A CERTAINTY FOR CAPTAINCY OF N.Z. ELEVEN?

Page Has Impressive Record Which Cannot Be Overlooked.

THOUGH the name of T. C. Lowry has been associated with the captaincy of the New Zealand cricket team since the side toured England a few years ago, there are competent critics who, after the present series of Plunket Shield games, advocate the claims of M. L. Page, of Canterbury, as the best man for that important position. Lowry is well known as a skipper, and time and time again he has shown his ability, both as leader of the New Zealand team and when captaining Wellington in hard fought representative matches. On the other hand, Page, who has been in charge of the Canterbury eleven on the field practically since the retirement of \V. R. Patrick, has established a record that cannot be overlooked.

Page’s record is rather remarkable. The instinct of leadership was brought out when he was at the Boys’ High School. There, he was the bright shining star of a very strong school team, and was regarded, for a schoolboy, as a long-headed and inspiring captain. On leaving the High School, he went straight into senior and first-class cricket, playing for the province under Patrick’s leadership. He has played against English and Australian teams on Lancaster Park, in many Plunket Shield matches, and was one of the first selections when the last New Zealand team was picked to tour the Old Country. Profits By Experience. Since taking over the captaincy oi the Canterbury man, Page has shown that experience is far from wasted on him. No fine point of the game is past him, he rises to the hardest occasion and inspires by personal performance when things are going hard with the side. Above all, he has the heavensent gift of getting the best out of his men without any particular effort, lie is a great batsman, a heady change bowler, and a splendid field in anj* position. There are some who say that Lowry handled the Wellington bowling badly in the second innings in the Canterbury match, but that could not be seriously advanced against him when the captaincy of the New Zealanders is being decided. He was without his most reliable stock bowler, Blundell, and in any event, one slight lapse could not

mar a record such as Lowry’s. His handling of the team in England was recognised as masterly. Lowry’s Claims. Lowry has had plenty of English experience, more than Page, though that will not be the deciding factor in the choice. Though Page has captained sides, from school teams to representative elevens, Lowry has handled a team in more first-class matches. He certainly could not be keener than Page. That is an impossibility. Lowry is . a splendid batsman, but in the event of his not being selected as captain of the side he would probably be passed over in favour of a younger man of equal calibre, of whom there are a few* offering. There are enough men besides Page who went on the last English tour to ensure a stifficiency of 44 experience ” for the tour. Mills, Dempster, Blunt, James, and Merritt, have all played good cricket in the Old Country. The question of captaincy can by no means be called settled. Lowry’s ability cannot be gainsaid, but the Canterbury man has very, very strong claims. It is interesting to note that “Makiri,” a cricket writer in the “ Auckland Star,” says: “One of the real difficulties is the selection of a captain for the team. The -writer's unhesitating choice would be Page, who is a splendid strategist, likewise a player who can get the best out of his colleagues on the cricket field.”