"FINE LOT OF FELLOWS”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 12, 15 January 1932, Page 12

"FINE LOT OF FELLOWS”

COMMENT ON SPRINGBOKS ' N.Z. COUNCIL SECRETARY “They are a fine lot of fellows, all of them,” said Mr. W. H. Winsor, secretary of the New Zealand Cricket Council, discussing the South African team on his return to Christchurch on Wednesday from Australia. During his stay in Australia Mr. Winsor approached the Australian Board of Con-| trol on matters affecting cricket in the Dominion, and he also discussed details regarding the visit of the South African team with the manager (Mr. J. H. Tandy - ). Tentative Fixtures Mr. Winsor said that financial arrangements for the Springboks’ tour had been completed, and that the Australian Board of Control had agreed to the South Africans’ engagements with Victoria and Australia (fifth Test) at Melbourne being advanced a day so as to give the South African team extra time for the final test and make the way easier for the team to connect with a steamer leaving Sydney for Auckland on February 19. The tourists, with the exception of Steyne and van der Merwe, would reach Auckland on February 23, and, to an itinerary which had been mapped out, they would play their first match of the brief New Zealand tour with Auckland on February 23, 24 and 25. It was probable that the South Africans would proceed from Auckland to Christchurch to play a Test here with New Zealand on February 27 and 29 and March 1 and 2. They would afterwards go to Wellington for a match with Wellington on March 4, 5 and 7, and would leave for Sydney on March 8 to complete their Australian programme —a match with West Australia—and leave Frcn/ntle about March 23 on tehir return trip to South Africa. Keen Sportsmen. “They are keen sportsmen, and look cricketers every inch of them,” said Mr. Winsor. “They do enjoy their cricket. I think that possibly over here they may play a different game from that which they play in the Test matches with Australia. “This man Bell is a bowler a bit out of the ordinary,” Mr. Winsor continued, in giving some details of the players. “You would not call him a fast bowler, and I do not consider him to be quite as fast as Ebeling, who visited New Zealand some yoars ago. He is of the fast-medium type—a fine, upstanding man who can bowl all day and who keeps the ball on the leg stump and just off it all the time. The left-handers, Quinn and Vincent, are also good bowlers. Quinn, who is not as fast as Henderson, bowls over the wicket and keeps an immaculate length. Ho is of about the samp pace as Newman. Vincent is a slow-medium bowler with a very deceiving hall—one which is thrown up and drops suddenly. He is able to turn the ball both ways, and in the third Test he had the best of the Australian batsmen, even Bradman, thinking: in fact, he appealed threa times against Bradman. I think mvself that the first appeal against Bradman must have been very close, hut Vincent was successful with his third appeal. McMillan is a slow right-hand log-break bowler, but on his performance in Melbourne he did not appear difficult. Fine Fieldsmen “As regards fielding the South Africans are a perfect side. Morkel is a brilliant field, and Cameron is a wonderfully safe wicket-keeper. In the match that I saw he> was a safer man than Oldfield, but I do not think he is quite as good as james. “Mitchell and Curnow are most difficult men to got out; they are very steady batsmen. Christie looks as though on the right occasion he would be brilliant. Cameron is a good, forceful batsman, and Morkel goes for it too. I was impressed with the fact that they can all bat, and in the first innings of the match which I attended every man on the side reached double figures. Viljoen played a really good knock against good bowling. He is a young player, and it WM his first cen-

tury in tests. The South Africans are players who do not leave their crease; even in facing Grimmett they stretched out to play him. ’ ’ Bradman and Company It was in the match to which Mr. Winsor has referred that the Austra lians lost three valuable wickets cheaply in the first innings. “The Melbourne wicket is always difficult before lunch,” said Mr. Winsor. “and the Australians, winning the *oss, had first strike. During that innings Bell ! was able to kick the ball head high, but when South Africa batted the ball never rose above the stumps. As regards Bradman, on his display in the second innings he is a marvellous bat. There is none of this stepping out and driving with him. He plays back and forces the ball like Hammond. He has a nice, easy stance, and always lifts his bat, being so quick in bringing it down that he can guide the ball any where. Another thing, he keeps the ball on the carpet. “Woodfull played a wonderful fighting innings, and I was impressed with the way in which he holds a side together. I enjoyed every minute of his batting; he is always doing something and never poor to look at. Kippax vs the nearest approach now to the Trumper type of batsman, but. of course, we have seen him here. He is in good form, and he has more powethan Bradman. A noticeable feature of the performance of these three batsmen was that, while at times they scored very quickly, there were periods when they' would be very slow. Where the occasion demanded they would play out a maiden over. There is no question about Bradman being the idol of the Australian crowds. This was the first chance the Melbourne crowd had had of seeing him really get going in a test, and they enjoyed it. As a field, well —he is streets ahead of any of the others. Grimmett was the next best in the test at Melbourne, and he fielded wonderfully well.”