CRICKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 89, 25 January 1938, Page 2

CRICKET.

COMPETITIONS TO BE PLAYED. OCCASION OF REPRESENTATIVE GAME. The advisability of continuing with senior cricket matches when the representative team is away playing the West Coast on February 5 was debated at the meeting of the Management Committee of the Ashburton County Cricket Association last evening, when there were present the president (Mr F, Pritchard), who presided, and Messrs R-. H. Biggar, J. B. Nicoll, R. T Drennan, E. T. Kensington, A. A. Todd, R. G. Ross, and S. W. Kerr. After Mr Kensington’s motion that the games be played as usual received some support, it was pointed out that the Ashburton Club, which would probably be more depleted than any other team t would have to default its game, on this occasion to Kia Ora, the Kia Ora Club would thus obtain four points, and this might have an important bearing on the competition. The advisability of substituting friendly games was discussed, but finally the difficulty was overcome by an agreement to rearrange* the draw, so that Ashburton would not have to meet Kia , Ora, but probably Technical, the fifth team in the competition, with the result that if Technical gained four points the position of the leading team? would not be affected.

Mr Kensington said that to hold-up games for 66 players when only eleven were away would be a retrograde step, and the president agreed with this attitude.

Mr Todd said that if four or five players from the Ashburton Club were away the Club would have to default its games.

Mr Biggar also said that it would probably make it very hard for the Ashburton Club, and would make it virtually impossible for them to field a team.

The president said that it was difficult for the Ashburton Club, because it had no juniors to draw upon. •‘The Ashburton Club usually has to carry the baby,” said Mr Nieoll, who said that he was not opposed to the motion, and by taking a broad view was prepared to vote for it. He said the club had had to make many sacrifices in the past, but he agreed that it was not fair on this account to keep five other teams out of a game. Air Kensington said that after hearing Mr Nicoll’s remarks, he was p>repared to withdraw his motion, in favour of friendly games being arranged for players not in the representative team.

Mr Biggar said that this would be a more desirable course to take. If Ashburton defaulted to Kia Ora it would have a strong bearing, on the competition. “After all, does it matter much?” asked Mr Drennan.

After further discussion Mr Biggar moved that competition matches be played, but that the draw committee make such arrangement as would bear least unfairly on the result of the competition < He said that the draw committee would almost certainly arrange for Ashburton to play Technical.

The motion was carried, Air Nieoll saying that Ashburton might yet be able to field a scratch eleven. The West Coast Cricket Association advised that February 4 and 5 would be suitable dates to play the Ashburton representative team at Grevmouth in the final match of the Minor Association’s competition. Arrangements were made for the match, and the Ashburton team will leave on the Thursday, travelling by rail, and returning on the Sunday. Air Kensington was appointed manager.

A report on the biennial conference held last year was received from the New Zealand Cricket Council.

Air Biggar reported on the recent representative match against South

Canterbury, stating that the Ashburton team acquitted itself very well. I. M. Hamilton and A. McCall gave good batting performances. A serious bowling weakness did not occur', and the fast bowling of S. Duncan was a feature. The game was most pleasant and a satisfactory collection was taken.

It was decided to ask club secretaries to draw the attention of team captains to the state of the score books, requesting that more car 6 bo taken with names and initials and the adding up of scores.

KIA ORA’S ONE POINT LEAD.

FAIRFIELD NEXT IN SENOIR. By gaining a four point win on Saturday, the Kia Ora team is leading in the senior competition of the Ashburton County Cricket Association. Fairfield is next, one point behind, with the other teams well hack. In view of the close position of the leading teams, there should Ire considerable interest in their meeting next Saturday. The position in the junior grade is also close. Technical is one point ahead of Old Boys, and here again the other teams are a fairly large number of points behind. Details of the positions of the teams are:—. Senior Grade. Kia Ora 22 Fairfield 21 Ashburton 15 Public Works Irrigation .. 9 Technical 6 Old Boys 3

* Junior Grade.

Technical ... 30 Old Bovs 29 Tinwald 21 Coldstream 17 Lauriston 17 Methven ... ... 7 Public Works Irrigation 4 Kia Ora ... 4

THE REPRESENTATIVE TEAM. SIX FROM ASHBURTON CLUB. The Ashburton Club will have the largest representation in the Ashburton County team to play the West Coast at Greymouth on February 4 and 5 in the final match of the Minor Associations’ competition. There will be six players in the team from the club, the same number as in the previous representative team. Two players in the previous team, A. McCall and Don. McKay, both of the Fairfield Club, were not able to make the trip to Greyfnouth. Their places have been filled by C. T. Dacre (Public Works Irrigation) and H. Jordan (Kia Ora), both men who have given good performances, so that the strength of the team will not be appreciably weakened.

The team, which was selected last evening, is: I. M. Hamilton (captain), A. A. Todd, H. E. Cook, J. B. Nicoll, P‘ Harper, R. W. Biggar (Ashburton Club), L. Whinham, C. T. Dacre (Public Works Irrigation), H. Jordan (Kia Ora), S. Duncan (Old Boys), Dave. McKay (Fairfield).

SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH . 7

NEW SOUTH WALES VERSUS VICTORIA. SYDNEY,-January 24! The Sheffield Shield cricket match; between New South Wales and Victoria' was resumed on a good wicket after week-end rain. New South Wales in its first innings made 371 (Barnes 110, W T hite 52, Old* field 62). Barnes w r as struck on. the jaw by a ball from AlcCormick, and retired temporarily. White was struck on the chest by the same bowler. Bowling for Victoria, FleetwoodSmith took four wickets for 118 runs, earson two ofr 27, Sievers two for 91. Victoria in its first innings made 78 runs for five wickets (Hassett not out. 30, Pearson not out 15). O’Brien secured three valuable wickets, those of Rigg, Lee, and Gregory, for an aggregate of 17 runs.