Wellington Wants To Turn Cricket Losses Into Wins

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 232, 30 September 1944, Page 3 (Supplement)

Wellington Wants To Turn Cricket Losses Into Wins

(Special Correspondent) "THAT the lesson Auckland gave *■ Wellington on the cricket field last season has not yet been forgotten was apparent when the Wellington association held its annual meeting this week. Not for many years has there been such a large attendance of delegates, and a large proportion of ,the time was taken up in discussing plans which might result in Wellington being able to turn the tables on Auckland next year, if not on Canterbury also.

At the same time there was a distinctly "political" flavour about the meeting, with an impressive number of vice-presidents making their appearance for the first time for a number of years. The explanation was to be found in the election of the management committee, nominations for which came with the rapidity of Bren gun fire.

City cricketing circles had seethed for weeks with rumours of tickets, with the axe for one or another sitting member and a seat for this newcomer or that. In the finish the changes were scarcely as sweeping as many had expected. Of the old committee Messrs. J. D. Howitt, L. J. Brabin, J. Reid, W. A. Baker and B. Pegler were returned. Mr. H. E. Moore (University) missed and Mr. R. W. Coupland stood down in favour of Mr. J. A. Standidge, from the same club, Karori. Mr. A. Ronaldson did not seek re-election.

Newcomers are Messrs. G. L. Whyte, slow right-hand bowler and secretary-captain of the Wellington College Old Boys' Club, R. W. Peacock, a colt from Petone and formerly of Karori, and Standidge. There was also a change in the secretary, Mr. J. A. Carrard retiring, and being replaced by Mr. H. L. Cooper (Midland Club) who, among other things, is secretary of the Wellington Fire Board.

The meeting lasted over three hours, compared with not much more than an hour and a half last year, and much of the time was occupied in discussing a scheme brought forward by Messrs. Jack Reid, veteran administrator, and J. B. ("Brownie") Watson, well known as an umpire. Jt aimed at having a "super grade," comprising four teams drawn from the clubs on a district basis and standing apart from the senior competition, which would continue as usual.

• Delegates recognised that it might serve as a glorified and continuous practice for players in the running for the representative side, but that did not make them, relish it the more. They did not like the idea of losing the star players from their top teams and were also inclined to doubt whether it would achieve the desired aim. It was also felt that it would be better to start at the other end and develop the colts. It was something which hit* at the club basis of cricket and was foredoomed to failure, though all the speakers started by paying tributes to Mr. Reid for the energy and courage with which he had pursued his objective.

The question of returning to twoday club matches also aroused lively debating. Petone had given notice to move that it should apply in the coming season to the two top grades, while Kilbirnie moved that a full return should be made to the prewar system. In the finish the delegates agreed by 29 votes to 21 to have two-day matches in the senior grade only. The closeness of the voting, it might be explained, did not mean that there was any substantial objection to the return to the two-day order; it was mainly a question as to how far down the grades it should extend.

Mr. Harold Osborn (Midland-Wel-lington) suggested that a recommendation should be made to the committee in favour of no more than eight teams in the senior grade and ten in the second grade, but no recommendation was actually made, Delegates were too much concerned with the possible fate of their own clubs to wish to tie the matter up too much.

Apart from that the meeting did not get very far, and a suggestion by Mr. Howitt that they should discuss the advisability of adopting the six-ball over fell upon silent tongues.

However, there are signs that Wellington cricket is definitely trying to pull up its socks, and maybe the results will eventually be seen on the representative field.