SCHOOLBOY CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1925, Page 11

SCHOOLBOY CRICKET.

HOPE OF NEW ZEALAND.

SPECIAL AUCKLAND EFFORT.

AN APPEAL .TO ENTHUSIAST^

fiie policy of getting our cricketers in the school' stage and providing them with a continuous'incentive for effort to make the' best of their gifts in .this direction ig in process of inauguration in 'Auckland. For years past our Australian cousins have, time and again insisted that there is all the material far great cricketers in New Zealand, and have stressed the need, for combined incentive, coaching and good wickets to j develop that material. We have been j told hy Nobler Trumper, ■ Ransf ord,Bardsley and others that the boys must "be caught young and supplied with tbe essentials mentioned. After that there will be little need to worry, for when they have found their powers as cricketers their very -enthusiasm will infect the public; and New Zealand will then have the cricket spirit in summeras it now has the'football spirit in* the winter. '.••••

Efforts have 'been made in the past, with -limited finance, to supply the coaching and improve the wickets, and this has certainly met with such improvement of : the general - standard as surprised many members of the Victorian team which visited the Dominion last season. But the work among the boys has been, rather along the lines, of helping them from the outside instead of getting among them and giving them the confidence and determination which comes from making' use of the natural competitive spirit that is so strong a characteristic of colonial youth in games. Now,' however, an endeavour is being made to develop -the cricket powers and interest Of; schoolboys through a spirit of emulation among themselves. 'During last season Mr. A. J. Williamson, a member of the A.C.A., worked at getting together from among the most promising boys : of the schools a special club, which he called the Windmill Cricket Club, and at the end of the season he had these lads pitted against teams, of junior's and members of the Suburban Association for the benefit of the experience." Mr. Williamson, during the off season, has been in communication with the authorities in Wellington,- Christchurch and Otago on the -subject of a schoolboys' representative. cricket team visiting those centres in the forthcoming: season, and: playing local rep. teams of schoolboys. The idea was suggested to him by Mr. E. E. Beaq, manager of the Victorian team which toured the Dominion last year. Mr. Bean stated the annual inter-State matches among schoolboys'in Australia had a deal to do _ with the cricket spirit there, and assisted largely : to bring good boys into the limelight through the incentive supplied by the competitive spirit among the State schools. • In the course of his correspondence, Mr.. Williamson has found the ..suggestion enthusiastically welcomed by the Southern centres,' especially bj Wf'Kngton. I. ; Finance is the great stumbling block to this, as to all cricket projects in this Country, and at present an effort is being made to overcome the obstacle. The Ordinary sources of thee A;C.A. revenue, are unable to contribute any supply in this direction, but Mr,' Williamson has found a benefactor in one of the .art union projects at present on the market, which has; agreed that a p6rtibn ~,of , the r fuh<? :• raised will go io. his cricket project, fie has esti-' mated tm|t the cost of a tour of the Auckland rep team to Dunedin (arrangements being made to billet the boys) will be £125, and this offer from the art union makes it possible to obtain a large portion of that money. ',' i In the effort to finance the project Mr. Williamson is also accepting donations, for it is niost unlikely that the art union percentage will do more than supply an acceptable assistance to the scheme. In the event' of more money being received than is needed for the actual .venture South, it is proposed that the surplus shall go to the club funds of the Windmills Club, whose: special function is to further.the, advancement of schoolboy and ex-schoolboy cricketers under Mr. Williamson's personal guidance. Meantime, however, he is making ; an appeal to all cricket enthusiasts to ;help the hoys to get their interprovincial rep, scheme under way .by making, pos- '" sible a tour South this coming season by the Auckland schoolboy'reps.