THE CRICKET TOUR.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18256, 18 February 1931, Page 6

THE CRICKET TOUR.

VISIT TO ENGLAND. EAGERLY LOOKED FORWARD TO. MR H. D. SWAN IN HAMILTON. Mr H. D. Swan, -who is the representative in England for the New Zealand Cricket Council, was in Hamilton to-day. Mr Swan recently arrived in New Zealand to discuss with the New Zealand Cricket Council details concerning the forthcoming tour of England of the New Zealand team. In conversation with a Times reporter, Mr Swan said that eight years had elapsed since iiis last visit to this country when lie was out here as manager of A. C. Maclaren's M.C.C. team in 1922-23. As lie leaves by the Ruatiine- on his return trip from Wellington on February 28 he will be back in time to finalise the arrangements for the coming tour and to meet the team when it reaches Southampton at the end of April.

In discussing the programme ahead for the- New Zealand team Mr Swan said that prior to the 1927 tour it was not so easy to arrange first class matches hut the team of four seasons ago had performed - so well and left such a favourable impression generally that the coming side’s visit was being eagerly awaited. Meeting Best Sides.

The programme for the coming tour was very much belter than in' 1927. There was a match against Combined Minor Counties and matches with Stafford, Durham and Norfolk, three of the strongest minor counties, while all the rest were first class matches. Five of the first class counties were having a return match with the New Zealanders. These were Lancashire (the champion county), Essex, Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan.

A match which would he eagerly looked forward to towards the end of the tour was against Sir Julien Calm's eleven. Sir Julien, who did much to promote cricket, had beautiful private grounds at Nottingham. Last season Sir Julien catered for a three weeks tour of the Argentine, on which Mr Swan accompanied the party. Discussing the larger wickets, which would be uscil on the tour by the New Zealanders, Mr Swan expressed it as his own personal opinion that they had come to stay. They were now almost universally adopted. First class counties, the universities and the public schools all used the larger wickets.

Mr Swan said that the New Zealanders’ visit was being eagerly looked forward io and they were assured of a popular reception. He felt that they would do well against the sides they had to meet at Rome.