CRICKET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 80, 14 January 1928, Page 3

CRICKET

ASH BURTON ASSOCIATION MEETS AUSTRALIANS TO VISIT ASHBURTON.

The Ashburton Cricket Association met' last evening, those present being Messrs H. Millichamp (chairman), J. B. Nicoll, A. Gourley, L. A. Charles, McNicol, F. Pritchard, F. Lennon, and J. P. Hanratty. A letter was received from the South Canterbury Cricket Association, suggesting that the annual senior and junior matches be played on January 21. As this date coincided with the picnic of the Timaru Friendly Societies, which would be occupying the Oval, it was decided on the motion of Mr J. B. Nicoll, to advise that the suggested under consideration, it was suggested that the matches could be arranged at the latter end of the season, when the competitions were nearing completion. In discussing a letter from the New Zealand Cricket Council stating that the association's request for a game with the touring Australian team was : under consideration. It was suggested that South and Mid-Canterbury with North Otago should combine. The opinion was expressed that in view of the intense interest taken in Ponsford (Victoria's great batsman) there was little risk in accepting the conditions of the £IOO guarantee. Mr F. Pritchard, however, considered the guarantee too high, and suggested that the New Zealand Council be requested to reduce the amount of money required for the guarantee to £SO. The fact that Christchurch was so easily accessible" to Ashburton. people and that many would travel there to see the two big matches, would cause a depreciation in the gate and a consequent difficulty in making sufficient out of the match to repay the guarantors. Mr Pritchard's suggestion was adopted, and it was decided to communicate with the Council asking for the reduction. A suggestion that the Celtic and Tinwald Clubs be made a donation of ten shillings each for the use of thengrounds in the recent Malvern matches was agreed to. _ , . . Mr Nicoll expressed his opinion that players who were picked for the Junior Rep. team and who failed to appear at matches, giving no notice of their intention of not playing, should not be considered by selectors in picking teams for future fixtures. It was resolved to recommend to the selectors that they should disregard the claims of the delinquents on future occasions. On the motion of Mr F. Pritchard, it was agreed that a. manager should be appointed to control all representative fixtures, whether senior or junior.