ON THE PLAYING FIELDS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20189, 8 May 1937, Page 8

ON THE PLAYING FIELDS

On the historic Oval to-day the New Zealand cricketers will commence their tour. The opponents are Surrey, probably led by E. R. T. Holmes, who captained the English team that visited the Dominion a few years ago. Among the players the county can command are Fishlock, who has just returned from a tour of Australia, and Gover, one of the fastest bowlers now playing at Home. It will be interesting to see how the New Zealand representatives fare against fast attack. In 1931 the opening match was against Essex, and the overseas players compiled 425, Dempster making 212, and the bowling honours went to Merritt who, in the second innings, took eight wickets for 41 runs. Surrey will probably bo a more difficult proposition, and the visitors will hardly have had sufficient time to strike form. They are reported to have been practising steadily, and it is to be hoped that they make an impressive start to their lengthy list of fixtures. The captain, Page, has expressed his confidence in the batting strength of the side, but evidently regards the bowling as a more or less unknown quantity. It may take some of the younger players a little time to become accustomed to the slower wickets at Home, but after all they do not differ so greatly from New Zealand wickets, for it has been suggested by a leading authority on the game in Australia that teams from the Commonwealth should visit New Zealand in order to get some play on pitches that resemble those found in the Mother Country.

The team has been warmly welcomed by sportsmen at Home, and the Dominion is confident that it will maintain the splendid reputation won by previous representatives. Win, lose or draw the last eleven always played keen, enterprising cricket, and was exceptionally popular. One or two incidents made a very strong appeal to the British players, such as the prompt action of a fieldsman who had taken a catch in notifying the umpire that his foot had been over the boundary lino when he actually took the ball. Both on and off the field the New Zealanders were popular and there is no reason why this team should not win the same reward in exactly the same way. There will be many things to command the attention of the people of the Dominion during the next week or two, but time will be found to follow the doings of our eleven on the playing fields of Old England.