The Oaks Look Down.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Oaks Look Down.

SPIRIT OF THE DOMAIN. Sweet Memories Of "Country Week," 1940. (By C. J. WHITAKER.) The live days of cricket which comprised "country week" of 1940 for Auckland city, suburban and provincial players leaves sweet memories with the players concerned, as well as with the shifting circle of spectators, who renewed their youth and enlarged their fund of reminiscence bv observation from grandstand and oak-sliaded slopes.

Incidentally, the Domain cricket ground itself provided an ideal background and atmosphere for the play. Players of an older generation know that this pleasant sunken sward was reclaimed from raupo swamp in the first place by cricketers in the pioneer days when they made their own grounds. They can relate incidents of the years when certain visiting country teams were champions of the province, and recall matches on the Domain by notable visiting English, Australian and interprovincial teams. English oaks on the northern and southern slopes fringing the expansive playground, with an Australian eucalypt grove to the east and Xew Zealand totaras to the west, give a pleasing imperial setting for the play.

The Domain has a wealth of cricket tradition accumulated in the days when the shady oaks and totara and gum groves were growing up—and it seeped softly into the atmosphere as the oldsters gravitated surely to the love of their youth, mingling with young and not-so-younpr players of the tournament and spreading in reminiscence their recollections of the past. Somehow, the Domain seemed the right place for tli® country week tournament; somehow a cricket spirit apart from the fierce rivalry of Test matches and Plunkct Shield games appeared to spread its benison over the play. This peculiarly enjoyable character of the tournament was largely helped by the varied programme that had been arranged for the several days. Among the ex-Servicemen who engaged the country players in their "byes" were players from other countries and centres, whose cricket had been played in many climes and conditions; the personnel of this team chanped from day to day, afe id that of an A.C.A. side, which ranged from colts to veterans; a suburban team had a number of interesting cricket personalities. as had suburban and A.C.A. junior sides, as well .as the four country teams taking part in the tournament. Also there was one appearance of the Wellington Brabin Cup juniors. All these sides brought interesting personalities together in congenial conditions, many of them with colourful cricket careers to their credit, and just as many more in ttages of development which might be the prelude to still greater achievements than is yet dreamed of by them. But the great feature of it all was that they played the game with a gusto that bespoke their rightful appearance in the cricket company of good companions, and in grandstand, dressing room and dining room they were glad to drop the solo parts of the field and merge into the cheerful chorus. Where wiU all these good companions be when 'country week" of 1941 rolls round? Echo answers: Where, indeed?