PONSONBY-BALMORAL SUGGESTIONS FOR JUNIOR CRICKET

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 232, 30 September 1944, Page 1 (Supplement)

PONSONBY-BALMORAL SUGGESTIONS FOR JUNIOR CRICKET

Recommendations that as early as possible all senior cricket clubs support teams in all grades 'playing two-day cricket, and that all minor clubs playing two-day cricket should be placed in separate sections, were made by the Ponsonby-Balmoral Club at the annual meeting of the Auckland Cricket Association this week. Ponsonby-Balmoral suggested that the leading teams in the sections of major and minor clubs should play off at the end of the season. It was suggested that this would build up clubs' strength by narrowing the field of opportunity for juniors of ability, as the Ponsonby.Balmoral Club considered that too many promising players gravitated to minor clubs without realising that they were affecting their prospects of development. It would also make the teams more competitive and facilitate coaching. Junior grade games were also the subject of a Ponsonby-Balmoral recommendation, a number of representative matches being suggested. It was stated that in normal years there were seven grades or sections from senior B to fourth grade, .and that from these one team, the junior representative side, was chosen. It might include secondary school players who did not take part in grade cricket. During four wartime seasons there was an average of 53 teams annually, representing 580 junior players. Ponsonby-Balmoral suggested that matches be arranged each year as follow:—

Junior representatives v. The Rest, and/or secondary school representatives; champion grade team v. champion secondary school team, and/or secondary grade representatives v. The Rest; third grade representatives v. champion second grade team, and/or The Rest; grade representative teams v. City and Suburban representative teams.