| Tour of England
1937 Captain: M L 'Curly' Page | |
| | | | |
| Second New Zealand
Test tour (March -November 1937) Second Test-playing tour of England
by New Zealand
(previous tour 1931)
| The New Zealand Cricket Council
dismissed the strain put upon players by the lengthy 1931 tour, and would not
allow the 1937 team to have a fifteenth player to help, despite a schedule of
more than forty matches played in twenty weeks. When slow bowler Bernie Griffiths
was obliged to stand down (despite protesting that he was fit) and was
replaced by a batsman, Jack Lamason, it was feared that the four main bowlers
would have to play almost continuously and be overworked. until the senior
players insisted and an extra bowler was added at the last moment. The New Zealanders had a moderate
record, losing to five of the first-class counties, but were surprisingly
resolute in the 3 Test matches, twice averting defeat and losing only at Old
Trafford. After the final match of the
British tour Jack Dunning needed to return directly to New Zealand and the bespectacled Cyril
Parsloe was summoned for the three-match Australian tour. He should have been
in the tour party all along because Cowie was the only fast bowler. While in Sydney
he stopped a runaway horse on Sydney
Harbour bridge. The
horse shied and threw its driver from his cart but Parsloe grabbed the
animal. | All New Zealand
tours Previous tour. England 1931 Next tour England 1949 Next tour of
England 1949 | |
| Members of the Test
tour party (15) Opening batsmen: Walter Hadlee, Jack Kerr. Middle-order batsmen: Merv Wallace, Martin
Donnelly, Curly Page, Bill Carson, Jack Lamason, Lindsay Weir. All-rounder: Giff Vivian, Sonny Moloney. Wicket-keeper: Eric Tindill (and
Tom Lowry in reserve) Spin bowlers: Jack Dunning, Norman
Gallichan Fast bowlers: Jack Cowie,
Alby Roberts. | W N
Carson | A | 21 | LHB (LFM) | | J Cowie | A | 25 | RF | | M P Donnelly | W | 19 | LHB SLA | | J A Dunning | O | 34 | RHB OB/RM | | N Gallichan added | W | 31 | SLA | | W A Hadlee | C | 22 | RHB opener | | J L Kerr | C | 26 | RHB opener | | J R Lamason | W | 31 | RHB OB | | D A R Moloney | W | 26 | RHB LB | | M L Page | C | 35 | RHB captain | | A W Roberts | C | 27 | RHB RM | | E W T Tindill | W | 26 | LHB WK | | H G Vivian | A | 24 | LHB opener LM/SLA vice-captain | | W M Wallace | A | 20 | RHB | | G L Weir. | A | 29 | RHB RM | | |
|
Average age of team at time of first Test match (26 June 1937) : 26
yrs 6 months. Provincial representation (Plunket Shield teams) A - Auckland (5) C - Canterbury (4) O - Otago (1) W - Wellington (5) | |
| Test Appearances
made before the tour | Page 11, Weir 10,
Kerr 5, Vivian 4, Roberts 3,
Dunning 1, Carson 0, Cowie 0,
Donnelly 0, Gallichan 0, Hadlee 0,
Lamason 0, Moloney 0, Tindill 0,
Wallace 0, Parsloe 0. | | |
| Tour Officials | Tom Lowry | Manager | Bill Ferguson | Scorer / baggage |
Ferguson was just finishing the
lengthy 1936-37 MCC tour and sailed with the New Zealanders from Wellington. | | |
| Selectors | A W Duncan (Wellington), J J M McMullan (Otago), N C Snedden (Auckland) and
H B Whitta (Canterbury). | | |
| Selection | Unavailable
: The New Zealand Cricket Council refused to consider some leading
cricketers playing professionally: Bill Merritt (in league cricket for
Rishton), Stewie Dempster (Leicestershire),
Ken James (Northamptonshire), Roger Blunt (Sir Julien Cahn's XI) or
Ted Badcock (Werneth in League cricket). The first eight names for
the touring party were announced on 11 February:- Page, Kerr, Vivian (these
three were only ones who had been to England in 1931), Hadlee,
Roberts, Moloney, Carson, Wallace. Tour Party Announced : 23 February 1937. Not selected:
Arguably, Ian Cromb (fast-medium bowler), L J Groves (leg-break bowler
from Otago) or Cyril Parsloe (Wellington fast
bowler) should have strengthened the bowling while Paul Whitelaw (Auckland opener) or
batsman Ken Uttley, who could also keep wicket, may have helped. Tom Pritchard was aged
only 20 and had not yet played a first-class match but Don Cameron wrote
“Pritchard, the Taranaki Terror, probably the fastest and best bowler in New Zealand
in 1937, was ignored because he lived away from a main centre”. [New Zealand
Herald] Withdrawal : Bernie Griffiths lost his place on
the tour on 9 March owing to an adverse doctor's report, and next day Lamason
took his place. Addition: The New Zealand Cricket
Council would not increase the size of the party beyond fourteen, saying that
manager Lowry could relieve the wicket-keeper if necessary. But at the last
minute, in response to a request from Page, Vivian and Lowry, slow bowler Norman
Gallichan of Wellington
was added to the tour party on 23 March. | Time
between selection and departure from New Zealand 32 days (23
February to 27 March) | |
| Travel Wellington T Southampton ‘Arawa’ | The team left Wellington
on Saturday 27 March on the ‘Arawa’,
immediately after the drawn match with M.C.C.
The ‘Arawa’ developed engine
trouble three days out from Wellington
but lost only 30 hours making repairs. It sailed via Pitcairn (16 April) and Panama, and berthed at Southampton
at 8 am on 4 May. After being greeted
at Waterloo Station, London,
the team went straight to Lord’s Ground for their first practice. | Time
spent in England 144 days (4
May - 25 September) | |
| On-tour selection
panel | ‘Curly’ Page (captain), ‘Giff’ Vivian (vice-captain), Tom Lowry (manager). | | |
| Reinforcements | Manager Tom Lowry played in nineteen matches on the tour. Fast bowler Alby Roberts missed matches in
mid-tour with a shoulder injury.
Journalist W H Bickley (United Press Association) played for the New
Zealanders against Scotland
at Dunfermline. ‘Curly’ Page missed matches
after the Test seies was over with stomach muscle strain. Cyril Parsloe left New Zealand on
15 October to reinforce the team on their short Australian tour because Jack Dunning
could not get further time off work and had left the tour party. | | |
| Fixtures/Results | a | Kennington Oval | Surrey | Drawn | b | Lord’s | M C C | Drawn | c | Cardiff | Glamorgan | Lost 6 w | d | Oxford | Oxford University | Drawn | e | ϯ Worcester Park | Maori Cricket Club (postponed from earlier) | Drawn | f | ϯ Stoke on Trent | Staffordshire | Won 158 r | g | Cambridge | Cambridge University | Won 8 w | h | Old Trafford | Lancashire | Lost 8 w | i | Northampton | Northamptonshire | Drawn | j | Derby | Derbyshire | Lost 202 r | k | Worcester | Worcestershire | Lost 136 r | l | Lord’s | Middlesex | Drawn | m | Preston | Lancashire | Lost inns 74 r | n | Trent Bridge | Nottinghamshire | Drawn | o | ϯ Lakenham, Norwich | Norfolk | Won 8 w | p | LORD’S | ENGLAND First Test | DRAWN | q | Taunton | Somerset | Won 7 w | r | Bristol | Gloucestershire | Drawn | s | Leicester | Leicestershire | Drawn | t | Headingley | Yorkshire | Drawn | u | ϯ Sunderland | Durham | Drawn | v | Glasgow | Scotland | Won 3 w | w | ϯ Dunfermline | Scotland | Won inns 52 r | x | OLD TRAFFORD | ENGLAND Second Test | LOST 130 r | y | Kennington Oval | Surrey | Won 142 r | z | Swansea | Glamorgan | Lost 332 r | a’ | Edgbaston | Warwickshire | Drawn | b’ | Chelmsford | Essex | Won 4 w | c’ | ϯ West
Bridgford | Sir Julien Cahn's XI | Won 9 w | d’ | KENNINGTON OVAL | ENGLAND Third Test | DRAWN | e’ | Portsmouth | Combined Services | Won 9 w | f’ | Bournemouth | Hampshire | Drawn | g’ | Canterbury | Kent | Lost 1 w | h’ | Hove | Sussex | Won inns 232 r | I’ | Folkestone | An England XI | Drawn | j’ | Gainsborough | Minor Counties | Won 7 w | k’ | Scarborough | H D G Leveson-Gower's XI | Lost 145 r | l’ | Dublin | Ireland | Won 8 w | m’ | ϯ Dublin | Ireland(extra
match) | Won inns 52 r | | | | | n’ | ϯ Colombo | Ceylon(1-day) | Drawn | o’ | Adelaide | South Australia | Lost 10 w | p’ | Melbourne | Victoria | Lost 5 w | q’ | Sydney | New South Wales | Lost 8 w |
| † not first-class Time spent in England
before First Test: 53 days (4 May - 26 June) | |
| Test appearances on
tour | 3 -
Cowie, Donnelly, Dunning,
Hadlee, Moloney, Page,
Tindill, Vivian, Wallace. 2 - Kerr,
Roberts 1 - Gallichan,
Weir. 0 -
Carson, Lamason | | |
| Match
appearances T Test match x other match ∙ played for opposition W won L lost D drawn T tied N no
result A abandoned u unknown
result | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | a ‘ | b ‘ | c ‘ | d ‘ | e ‘ | f ‘ | g ‘ | h ‘ | I’ | j’ | k’ | l’ | m’ | n’ | o’ | p’ | q’ | W N
Carson | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | | | | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | | | x | J Cowie | x | x | | x | | | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | | T | x | | x | x | | | | T | x | | | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | x | | x | M P Donnelly | x | x | | x | ∙ | x | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | | T | | x | x | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | | T | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | J A Dunning | | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | | x | | x | | T | x | | | x | | T | x | x | x | x | x | x | | | | | | | | N Gallichan | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | | | | x | | x | | x | | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | | x | | x | x | | | | x | x | x | x | x | | | | W A Hadlee | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | x | T | x | | x | | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | | T | | x | x | x | x | x | x | | | x | | x | x | J L Kerr | x | x | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | | x | x | x | T | | x | x | x | x | x | | T | | x | | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | | | x | x | x | J R Lamason | | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | T C Lowry | | | | | | x | x | | | | x | | x | x | x | | x | | | | x | x | x | | | x | | | x | | x | | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | D A R Moloney | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | T | | x | x | x | x | x | | T | x | x | x | | x | T | | x | x | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | M L Page | x | | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | T | x | x | | x | | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | | T | | | | | x | | | x | x | | x | | | C K Parsloe | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | x | x | x | A W Roberts | x | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | T | | x | x | | x | | x | | | | | | x | T | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | E W T Tindill | x | x | x | x | | | | x | x | x | | x | | x | x | T | x | x | x | x | | | | T | x | | x | x | x | T | | x | x | x | x | | | | | | x | | x | H G Vivian | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | | | T | | x | x | x | x | x | | T | x | x | x | x | | T | x | x | x | x | | | | | | x | x | x | x | W M Wallace | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | | | | T | x | x | x | x | | x | x | T | x | | x | x | x | T | | | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | G L Weir. | | | x | | x | x | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | x | x | | x | x | | x | | x | x | x | x | x | T | x | x | x | | | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | W H Bickley | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | x | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R E S U L T
S | D | D | L | D | D | W | W | L | D | L | L | D | L | D | W | D | W | D | D | D | D | W | W | L | W | L | D | W | W | D | W | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | W | D | L | L | L | | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | a ‘ | b ‘ | c ‘ | d ‘ | e ‘ | f ‘ | g ‘ | h ‘ | I’ | j’ | k’ | l’ | m’ | n’ | o’ | p’ | q’ |
| |
| Highlights | • Sonny Moloney (64) and Alby Roberts (66*)
added 104 for the eighth wicket in the first Test at Lord’s. • Merv Wallace scored a fifty in each
innings of the Lord’s Test match; Giff Vivian did the same at Old Trafford. • Jack Cowie’s bowling return of 4-73 and
6-67 in the second Test at Old Trafford was the first time a New Zealand
bowler had taken 10 wickets in a Test Match. • Cowie took 19 wickets in the three Tests
at less than 21 apiece; and 114 in the first-class matches on tour. • Six of the batsmen topped 1000 first-class
runs for the tour, Wallace being the first to do so on 20 July, and the
eventual top scorer with 1641 runs. | New Zealand’s previous Test tour result: in England
1931 (3 Tests) - lost 0-1 | |
| ⋆ Tour Summary | in British Isles | F | W | L | D | Aban | Test Matches | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | Other first-class matches | 29 | 9 | 8 | 12 | - | †Minor matches | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | - | All Matches | 39 | 14 | 9 | 16 | - | | | | | | | including
during the sea voyage home | 43 | 14 | 12 | 17 | - |
| F Fixtures W Won
L Lost
T Tied
D Drawn
Canc Cancelled Aban abandoned | |
| Return to New Zealand Gravesend T Fremantle ‘Orontes’ Sydney T Wellington ‘Awatea’ | The touring party (less Dunning and Tindill) left Gravesend on
the 'Orontes'
on 25 September. Eric Tindill left the tour early to visit Paris separately with his wife as their
honeymoon. On 11 September he boarded the ‘Orion’
to rejoin the tour, passing through Fremantle a fortnight before the team
arrived there. Jack Dunning was unable to get time off to play in Australia and, leaving Gravesend on the ‘Rangitiki’ on 16 September reached New Zealand by way of Panama on 21 October to return to
work.. The main tour party sailed via Gibraltar, Toulon,
Naples, Port Said,
Aden and Ceylon. After the one-day match in Colombo
on 16 October, they were entertained by a display of devil dancing on Mount Lavinia. The 'Orontes' arrived
at Fremantle on 26 October but no match was played at Perth
and the team moved on to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney
for the three-match Australian tour. The fifteen players arrived home from Sydney
on the 'Awatea', which docked at Wellington on the
morning of 26 November. | Time
away from New Zealand 244
days (27
March to 26 November) | |
| Finances | In England
the tour lost £1000. On the way home extra
matches between New Zealand
and Australian states were played to help cover debts incurred in England. | | |
| Written
accounts of the tour | The tour was described in : “Tom Lowry - Leader in a Thousand” (2010)
by Bill Francis (Trio Books) “Merv Wallace - A Cricket Master” (2000)
by Joseph Romanos (Joel
Publishing) | | |
| Postscript | While most touring parties make a forlorn promise to play
brighter cricket, Lowry said “As club cricketers … we will try to play as
brightly as we can but we are not going to sacrifice any game to obtain this
win.” | | |
| Other Test tours in
1937 | None | | |