"How's Zat?"-Chester Holland Looks Back At Cricket

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 October 1950, Page 8

"How's Zat?"-Chester Holland Looks Back At Cricket

First Played For Wanganui Club In The 1907-08 Season

Cricket personalities and memories of other days were recalled by Chester Holland, former New Zealand and Wanganui cricket representative player, in an interview by the “Chronicle.” Coming to Wanganui in 1907, Chester played for the Wanganui Cricket Club, which in those days, fielded two senior teams.

In the 1913-14 season his bowling prowess won him a place in the New Zealand eleven against a strong Australian side, which included such giants of the game as Victor Trumper, W. W. Armstrong, most colourful of Australian test captains in later years, JI. A. Noble, Arthur Mailey, V. S. Hansford, C. E. Dolling, L. A. Cody, H. L. Collins, and Arthur Sims, who was the captain of the visitors. He said that the batting of Trumper for sheer artistry and fluency of stroke play had to be seen to be fully appreciated. New Zealand was beaten in the test and the match played against Wanganui was drawn. In a long and colourful representative career for Wanganui, Chester Holland played against the Australian team of 1920-21, the New South Wales side of 1923-24, the Victorian team of 1924-25, and the Australian team of 1927-28. In the last named side were Victor Richardson, W. M. Woodfull, W. H. Ponsford, A. Kippax, W. A. Oldfield and the late Archie Jackson and K. J. Schneider. In the 1922-23 season an M.C.C. (English team captained by the late A. C. MacLaren played against'Wanganui. Among the personnel of this side were T. C. Lowry, who for many years resided in the Taihape district and who is now in Hawke’s Bay, AP. F. Chapman, who in later years cap-

tained England and regained the Ashes from Australia in the fifth Test of 1926 and led his countrymen in the successful tour of Australia in 1928-29. An all-rounder Chapman while at Uppingham School was a member of the school teams at cricket, Rugby, fives, and hockey, and captain of all but Rugby. Chester Holland remembers him on the New Zealand tour as a hard-hitting left-hander and a brilliant slip fielder. With George Orr, who is at present in Melbourne, Chester Holland has more than once been selected for the Wellington Punket Shield team. One had to be more than a good cricketer to get into the Wellington side at this time as it comprised such stalwarts as Kortlang, Dempster, Baker, Brice, Hiddleston, and Herb McGurr.

Recalling some former names in Wanganui cricket, Ches paid tribute to the Cave brothers, who were associated with cricket in the district from its earliest days, and who gave the game such valued service down the years. The name is being perpetuated by the deeds of Harry Cave, who toured with the New Zealand team in England last year. During his long association with Wanganui cricket Chester Holland played in all the Hawke Cup matches from 1911 until his retirement from serious cricket. His record: 1044 overs, 279 maidens, 214 wickets for 2634 runs, an average of 12.30 is a feat of achievement to be proud of. With R. W. Orton and L. A- Wood, Chester Holland has scored more than 1000 runs in Hawke Cup Cricket.