DEMPSTER AMONG BEST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 365, 5 March 1932, Page 1

DEMPSTER AMONG BEST.

Wisden’s Honours N.Z. Batsman.

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 4. Wisden’s photo panel of the five best cricketers of the year includes O. S. Dempster, of New Zealand.

Dempster has been an outstanding batsman in New Zealand cricket for the last five years, and has been a source of great strength to the Wellington provincial side in Plunket Shield matches. He has represented New Zealand in practically every Dominion team in the last five years. . He did wonderfully well in England on the 1927 tour, and followed this up by a series of splendid performances in England last year, only illness preventing him from joining that select band of players who made 1000 runs during the month of May. He has a fine century to his credit in the first Test against England at Lord’s, and on the tour he scored at least six centuries. He is a solid batsman with a great defence, and once he has played himself in he

scores with a brilliant variety of shots. He is a fine fieldsman in almost any position on the ground. He failed in his batting in the first Test against South Africa at Lancaster Park, and it looked as though he had gone “ stale,” but his brilliant innings in Wellington yesterday was a reflection of his true form.

It is a great honour for a cricketer to be included in Wisden’s list, and in this case it was thoroughly deserved. On the previous occasion when a New Zealand team went to England R. C. Blunt (Otago) had the distinction of being mentioned in Wisden’s.