TOURISTS RETURN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19992, 8 November 1927, Page 5

TOURISTS RETURN

N.Z. CRICKETERS Trip a Success—But the Weather Was Awful BAD FIELDING COSTLY. {Per Prw Association.} WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. The New Zealand cricketers arrived from Sydney by the Tahiti this morning. They were met by a large crowd, including Mr D. Reese, chairman of the Cricket Council. The tourists all agreed that the tour had been a wonderful success socially, but the weather had been the worst experienced in England for the last fifty years, and this made the tour in a way disappointing. The standard of cricket in England did not come up to expectations, although admittedly there were some very fine sides. Bad fielding had cost the tourists dearly. The need for a slip fieldsman was felt at the outset and Dempster had to be played there most of the tour. James had improved out of sight as a ’keeper and great praise was due to Merritt, but they needed off-break bowlers. The main strength had been in the batting. Dacre said that he had received an offer in England, but he had not finally decided to accept. His health, he said, iis not too good and he may not play jin the New Zealand matches. Opinion of the Skipper. In conversation with a reporter Lowry stated that a marked improvement had been made in the team’s batting department. Six of the players had made a thousand runs in first-class matches, a feat no county side had accomplished and one not achieved by the Australians jm their tour last year. Regarding the ranking of the team with first-class counties, Lowry expressed the opinion that at the outset of the tour it would be about seventh [or eighth but he now thought it was entitled to third or fourth place. Speaking of Merritt, Lowry thought that he was a bit too slow, though he was accurate and kept a good length. Blunt and the other bowlers had done useful work at 'times. While the batting had improved very greatly, the bowling did not improve to any extent. CAPTAIN’S IMPRESSIONS THE GAME IN ENGLAND LOWEY GIVES HIS VIEWS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 7.

Interviewed, Lowry said that, after the first month in England, when Allcott came into the team, there had been practically no trouble through sickness or injury. In fact, nobody had had a day’s sickness in England. The team, the captain continued, had been very well received and entertained throughout the tour and created quite a considerable amount of public interest, chiefly because they got their runs a good deal more quickly than most other sides.

He thought that th® English people would be pleased to sec the New Zealanders again, probably in 1931, and if another tour were undertaken two-day macthes, he considered, should be cut out. There had been a great deal of travelling on this tour, but after the first month some relief was provided by the spells afforded by the rain interfering with the progress of play. Test Match for Visitors. “There was talk,” he said, “of a. test game being provided for the New Zealanders on their next visit, but I think it would be better to start on some of the Australian sides first.” The captain added that there was no doubt that the public of England had been interested and the team had apparently done better than they expected. The tour would undoubtedly be for the good of the game in New Zealand and further progress, he pointed out, depended a good deal upon the support given by the public here to the game. England’s National Game ‘ Of course, there was much more time for play in England, said Lowry, and the grounds and conditions were better. People in England took more interest in cricket than the people of New Zealand did in Rugby football. The game was taught thoroughly right from the schools, where cricket was a compulsory part of the activities, and it was no uncommon sight to see hundreds of children on the various grounds playing their games of cricket. Women, too, were very interested in the game. Referring again to the hospitality extended to the team, Lowry paid a tribute to the New Zealanders in London for the keen interest in the team and also for their generous spirit in making a presentation to each member of the side. England. Short of Bowlers Discussing English cricket, he mentioned that there were now fewer good amateurs playing and there were no outstanding new bowlers, while some of the bowlers who were good a year ago had lost some of their nip. There were several very good batsmen, notably Jardine, Chapman and Hammond. Regarding the next contests for the Ashes, most people in Australia and in England considered England would win.

Jupp was a great bowler and he was also impressed by Rhodes, who, although fifty years of age, was England’s best slow bowler. Barnes, Wright and Freeman had also bowled exceedingly well against the New Zealanders but Larwood had played against them on a wet wicket, to which, of course, he was not suited.