N.Z. CRICKETERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18395, 31 July 1931, Page 11

N.Z. CRICKETERS.

FIRST ENGLISH TOUR. INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONS. > s ADDRESS J3Y MR D. HAY. Some interesting recollections of the first English tour of the New Zealand cricketers are furnished by Mr D. Hay, manager of the 1927 team. A brief account of the tour was given by Mr Hay before the Hamilton Civic Luncheon Club, at its weekly luncheon yesterday. The occasion, said Mr Hay, reminded him of a big function he attended just after the team left 'England. It- was a dinner given by the Lord Mayor of London, at the Mansion House, In honour of the -game of cricket. On previous occasions the Lord Mayor 'had honoured Australia and South Africa by inviting ther cricket team to dine but this was the first occasion on which the game itself was so honoured. It was attended by all the presidents captains and secretaries of the Coun.y clubs, among whom were many of the the great men in the Old Country. An innovation -at this dinner was the presence of some six of the leading professionals—. Tack Hobbs, Frank Woolley, Sutcliffe and one or two

I others. Many of Hie English Proj fes'.sionuls were fine types of men. Jack Hobbs, was specially honoured by being asked to support the toast to the -Lord Mayor—Sir Rowland Blades. “People who know England and its ways will appreciate the great change which lias taken place there in regard to the -amateur players attitude to the professional,” added Mr Hay. “Partly I think it is the result of a broader outlook generally by the better class of Englishman, but it is also -a result -of the type of man engaged In professional cricket. Aucklanders have seen -many of the type I refer to—Frank Woolley in the last English side to visit us—an attractive gentlemanly well educated man; Ted Bowley, coach in Auckland for four years, Is another. Earlier still, and the best coach the country has ever seen, Albert Relf. He also came to Auckland for four seasons in succession.

“At the Mansion House function Lord Harris, the Grand Old Man of English cricket, made the speech of the evening. He was then 78. He had just made 2(3 not out in an annual matcli ‘Belmont’ his home against the village. He explained to me that his eyes were fairly right, but he had to have someone to run his runs for him. Lord Harris is a -typical English aristocrat. As a middle-aged man he was at one time Undersecretary for War and spent other years of hi-s long life as Governor of more than one of the Indian Provinces. He is still -an active member of the House of Lords and treasurer of the M.C.C. He wound up his speech by saying that -after the experience of a life time he confidently believed that those phases of the national life which counted most had no better ally than the game of cricket. He said it was true to say so of home life, of school life, and of church life and' he was equally certain the same could be said regarding its relation to the State itself. “The other speech which I particularly remember at the same function was a verv witty one by Lord Ulswater—once Sir Wm. Lowther, and Speaker of the House of Commons, lie told us that his two great interests had been politics and cricket. He expressed, on behalf of that great gathering of past and present cricketers their sincere thanks to Hie Lord Mayor. The longer he lived the -more confident, lie was that the game would always remain the national game of Englishmen.” Cricket Fundamentally the Same. A study of the history of cricket, the speaker added, showed that the game itself was fundamentally the same as it, was a century ago and tho average Englishman looked upon its practice as part of his sons education. The only big variation during the last I no years was Hie adoption of overarm 'bowling in place of underarm. Doubtless pilches have improved, for in speaking of the two most, celebrated howlers or those ancient days, David Harris of Hie llambledon Men and one Lumpy of Surrey, it is said Hint “Harris always chose a ground when pitching a wicket where his I,all would rise. Lumpy endeavour-

ed to gain the advantage of a declivity where his might -shoot.” “To play county cricket it is necessary to give up one’s time 'for at least five* months of the year,” continued Mr Hay, “and this eliminates from first-class cricket a great many amateurs who either need or desire to work as well as -play. This is a pity because experience in Australia has shown that cricket is one of the games at’-which-men have become expert without giving up their whole lives to its -pursuit. Any man who has been well grounded at school can keep in the best of form by devoting an hour or two after his day’s work to practice at the nets. This is all many of the -more famous Australian cricketers have done and it would seem likely that a country that draws from all sections of its population will beat the -country that doesn’t. The tendency to-day in. England is for big sides to lean more and more on their professional players. Excellent in type and ability a-s these men are it is regrettable. Many men -could play for their county for say six weeks; very few of them In these strenuous times -are able to -spare a whole season. The position in this respect in England requires, it seems to me, earnest consideration of the leaders of the game.” “When we arrived in England there were a number of articles in the various papers which amused us very much. Tom Lowry, whom the English papers knew most about, was very often the theme. While some of these articles toy Lowry’s old friends were very entertaining, they were also full of praise of the cricketing ability an\i the personality of our Captain. Truth to tell they knew a great deal -more about him than we did. This was the sort of thing. From the Evening News by ‘A Cambridge Friend.” ; It started ‘New Zealand is famous for mutton, patriotism and springs with natural hot and cold laid on, as well as a number of other estimable and unusual characteristics, including the All Blacks. But to the Cambridge of four or five years ago none of her exports equalled the three indubitable pieces of Empire produce known as Tom, Jim and Ralph Lowry. And the greatest of these was Tom.’ After recounting Tom’s deeds for Cambridge University (and they were greater than New Zealanders know) Hie articles proceeded ‘to the sorrow of all English cricket lovers he decided at last to go back to the haunts of his youth. There, to judge from all accounts, he drives a snappy Ford around the Dominion, and raises sheep by the bushel, or whatever it i-s one does raise sheep by—Tom is wedded to cricket and his sister lias done her best to follow his example by marrying A. -P. F.- Chapman, the English Captain,” Position of Crloket. “So soon as we reached England 'again and again things happened to impress upon us the position which t e game of cricket holds in English aooiety; in the Englishman's education ;.s well as In his recreation and entertainment. It Is true that greater lumbers of spectators watch other forms of athletics —Soccer football for instance —but with -thousands of those who put their country first all the time cricket counts most. It is In the Englishman’s outdoor learn games which he has played for generations that he has differed more than in anything else from his neighbours. I recollect many years ago reading a book by a -German General and this habit of the British to him was a real puzzle. He marvelled at the amount, of time rich and poor alike spent playing games and how it was they made a success of their lives at the same time. The fact of course is that England for generations has always had a proportion of its big men playing for the side and not for themselves. These men may not be very numerous but they are sufficient in number to permeate the major services and activities of the Empire. They pass the ball on—they chuck their wicket away when others least expect them to they leaven the whole of their own side—they confound all opponents. To my mind one of the most important movements of the present time is the spread of British games—team games in particular—to many other countries. "Colonel Philip Trevor, C.8.E., writing in the Telegraph, after the team’s game at Hblyport against -Mr Martineau’s eleven, summed the side up in this way, remarked Mr -Hay:— •The New Zealanders are a young side, in the pink of training. They win doubtless realise how unnecessary it is to give runs away. I reassert that the bowling was only moderate in quail tv, but the capacity of a batsman is Judged by his capacity to make strokes These New Zealanders can certainly bat, and especially well do thev, and can they, hit the bal. in front of the wicket. The majority of English County sides would not have got in the day more than 000 odd runs -against the bowling from’which the tourists got nearly 600. On one day they have done enough to attiact the attention of all the people in England who are interested in cricket Thev have on their side at least hall a dozen batsmen who will count in anv class of cricket in which they play, and there is not one of them who believes he is doing his duty to his side by just letting the ball hit the bat. First Big Match. "Everyone who follows cricket renorts will remember New Zealand’s first match at Lords—the headquarters of the famous Marylebone Club. It was of this match that the London Times wrote after the second day s play. ‘Those who stayed away very possibly missed the treat of the season ’ The phrase ‘We have not seen anything like.this for years’ was in all men’s mouths, while the New Zealanders were making JusEover 400 runs between 11.30 and 4.15. Tills and similar comment was most frequent during C. C. Dacre s innings which was the star turn of the programme. The temptation to rhapsodise -about an innings which few cricketers of to-day—except Andrews, the Australian —have the capacity amt ttie will to -play Is irresistible. T. C. Lowry also made a hundred by fierce and clamantly strenuous hitting. He and Dacre put on I 15 hi about threequarters of an hour. During this partnership Dacre made ills captain look almost like a fast - howler enjoying an unwonted triumph with ttiie hat. H was not that Lowry slogged rashly and clumsily. Dacro’s balling was of such a quality that only a player of Hobbs’ class could safely challenge comparison with him.” This match ended in a d-aw with New Zealand ahead on the flest innings, 4 26 runs to 392. llic .otal number of runs scored 1502 constituted a record for a three days’ matcli. “New Zealand made over 4 00 runs between 11.30 a.m.-and 4.15 pan. In Hie test now in progress 312 runs were scored between 11.30 and 6.30 pan. added the speaker “evidence -that

the crack English bats, although they were very successful, must also have proceeded with unusual caution. “.Merritt in the first Innings of the M.C.C. match of 1927, took four wickets for 102 runs. 'He bowled ; 39 overs and scored 40 runs; an exceU-nt performance for an 18 years old boy playing in his first big game against the best of English amateurs and on Lords’ ground. It is not possible to deal with matches played seriatem in so short a time, but I would like to say the 1927 batting performances for the most part on soft wicket-*, were first-class and quite up to the standard of the present side. After the first month’s crioket when the side lost four matches, all our games were either won or drawn until we were beaten by Kent—this only, by a small margin after an excellent game. The side had 13 wins (7 in first-class games) 20 drawn games and 5 losses. Present Team Superior. (Mr Hay thought that the present team was superior to the 1927 team in possessing a better fielding side and better medium fast bowlers. The 1927 team was supposed to have them —Cunningham distinguished himself against the Australians in Australia the previous season, but did nothing in England. .Bernan was not first-class and Henderson also disappointed. It would only be fair to say that some of them may have done much better if the slip catching had been even moderately good. Merritt, Blunt, with occasionally help from McGlrr and Allcolt, however, got the opposing side out. Indeed from the time the team played M.C.C. at the beginning, to when they met Kent, almost at the end, no side made over 400 runs. The bowlers in Tom Lowry’s hands did their job and given a moderately good fielding side no county game need have been lost. Among the New Zealand batsmen, the team • had six who made over 1000 runs in all matches. They wex-e: — Runs. Aver.

Ten men, with averages of over 20. AV. E. Merritt took 172 wickets for an average of 19.47. R. C. Blunt took 98 wickets for an average of 24.23. Roger Blunt had the honour of having his picture in AVisden’s as one of the five cricketers of the year. It was a great record for a new side playing almost altogether on soft wickets to which they were unaccustomed. The calibre of the team will only be fully appreciated when the present tour is finished and the records of the 1927 and the 1931 sides are compared. “It is not generally known 'that after the showing of' the 1927 side New Zealand was practically invited to ask for three Tests in this visit,’’ concluded Mr Hay. "Even the authorities In Christchurch failed to recognise the merits of the New Zealand side and hesitated to ask for the tests."

c. S. Dempster • 2165 >54.12 R. c. Blunt 2063 51.57 C. s. Dacre ...... 1877 43.65 J. R. Mills 1629 39.73 T. c. Lowry 1493 36.41 M. L. Page 1381 32.11 H. M. MoGlrr 809 22.47 W. R Merritt 663 25,45 c. F. W. Allcott 734 21.58 K. C. James 644 20.01