NEW ZEALANDERS IN COUNTY CRICKET IN ENGLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1950, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS IN COUNTY CRICKET IN ENGLAND

Topical Sports Jottings From U.K.

LONDON, April 28 (Rec. 6 pm).—Although the New Ze<> land left-hander, Martin Donnelly, who is now living in Manchester, will not play cricket regularly this season, he still expects to be able to turn out occasionally for Warwickshire.

Ihis county finished fourth in last season’s championship, and has high hopes of doing even better this year.. It has a most formidable attack, headed by the New Zealand fast bowler Pritchard, and has at least four very sound batsmen to support its captain, Dollery, and Donnelly. This season Yorkshire, which shared the county championship with Middlesex last year, is determined to win conclusively. Captained iby Norman Yardley, it will have all of last season's players available with the exception of Robinson and Close—and the latter, who is on military service, may be able to play in a few matches. MIDDLESEX LACKS BOWLERS Hutton will take his benefit this Setason with a match against Middlesex at Leeds on July 15. Middlesex are again faced by the ■problem of finding bowlers. At the moment they have only their twe mainstays, Sims and Young, and it will be for their veteran captain, R, W. V. Robins, to find the necessary support for this overworked pair, Worcestershire, who finished third last year, have lost C. H. Plainer, who has been appointed secretary of Leicestershire, but have all the rest ol last year’s players available, with Res, Wyatt to captain them. One of last season's most improved counties was Northamptonshire, whe will be further strengthened this yeai by the addition of Livingston, the young New South Wales player who captained th e Commonwealth team which toured India this winter. Livingston is a most successful left-hand-ed opening batsman, and should be oi great assistance to Brookes and Oldfield, both of whom made 2000 runs last season. Derbyshire will be strengthened bj the arrival of the former Cambridge captain, G. L. Willat, who has alsc previously played for Notts and Scotland. He will take over the captaincy of Derbyshire in August. Preliminary skirmishes are now at an end and the season proper opened this week-enf with lour first-class matches, two in London and the other two at Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. The West Indies tourists start their torn at Worcester on May 6.

DAVIS CUP TENNIS. G. Cucelli, the brothers Marcello and Rolando del Bello and G. Caccia have been selected to play for Italy against Great Britain in the first round of the European section of this year’s Davis Cup competition to be held on May 6, 8 and 9. The British team will be Mott ram, Paish and H. T. Baxter. I It is probable that Mottram and ■ Paish will play in five matches, and that Baxter will be held in reserve in case of accident. Cucelli, the leading Italian, has been beaten once at Wimbledon by Mottram, but on that occasion the British player survived no less than five match points. Rolando del Bello beat Mottram in three straight sets in Rome last week. Caccia is a fine doubles player, but is not ranked among Italy's first 12 for the singles. It, therefore, is considered likely that Cucelli and Rolando del Bello will play the four singles matches against. Mottram. and Paish and that Caccia and Marcello de! Bello will be held In reserve for the doubles. SOCCER LEAGUE. Portsmouth are heading for the title of Soccer League champion for the second year in succession. With 51 championship points they have only two more matches to play, the first against Arsenal at Highbury on May 3 and the second against Aston Villa, at Frat ton Park on May 6. If Portsmouth do win the title for the second year in succession it will be the first time it has been done since Arsenal’s hat trick in 1933, 1934 and 1935. Wolves, Blackpool and Sunderland, however, are still in the championship race. The Wolves have 49 points, with two matches to play. Sunderland have 48 points, also with two matches to play, and Blackpool are on ‘even terms with Sunderland, but with j three matches to come. Tottenham. Hotspur are already comfortably certain of promotion to j the first division with Sheffield United, | Sheffield Wednesday and Southampj ton also in the race. Notts County I and Doncaster Rivers are sure off pro- ' motion from lhe third division, and are j almost certain to replace Bradford and Plymouth Argyle.—-Special CorI respondent, N.Z.P.A.