Minor Associations Neglected

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15117, 28 October 1949, Page 4

Minor Associations Neglected

Australian Cricketers' N.Z. Tour

Problem Of Wickets In

Tauranga

(By "Square-Leg")

First shot of the 1949 season was fired at the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association's annual meeting at Matata by the president Mr Musgrove of Rotorua when he made it known in no uncertain manner that he took a dim view of the treatment meted out by the controlling body to the junior associations over the tour of the Australian cricketers this season. It may be some comfort to Mr Musgrave to know that whatever form his protest takes he will have the wholehearted support of not only the Bay cricketers, but their fellows in the minor associations throughout the country. The high-handed manner with which the major body arranged the itinerary without extending the courtesy of consultation to the minor associations calls for an explanation and Mr Musgrave should make it his business to see that the explanation is forthcoming. This high-handed attitude appears to be catching in this country. A select group at the top arranges matters to suit the chosen few. The wishes of the vast majority the cricketers themselves are conveniently forgotten. Cricket will never get far in the smaller provinces unless overseas teams play matches there. The usual howl of fianance is raised when awkward auestions are asked, but the profits from the recent tour were substantial and the dropping of a few pounds is a small price to pay for fostering the game away from the main centres for a change. Auckland's Performance.

The record of the Bay of Plenty cricketers against overseas teams at Rotorua is one of which they have no reason to. feel ashamed. I'm afraid the same cannot always be said about the others. I still have painful recollections of the Auckland performance against Yardley's team at Eden Park. The public paid a lot of money on that occasion to see what they were entitled to expect some good cricket. The game was a fiasco and as one "wag" put it afterwards "the Auckland Association or whoever was responsible for fixing the charges should have been reported to the Price Tribunal for over-charging." The decision of Bert Badeley not to seek office as selector again will be received with regret. A genial personality, Badeley was popular throughout the Bay and he filled the difficult position with credit. The "one-team sub-association" from Whakatane came un for lengthy discussion and delegates showed a reluctance to come to any finality on the problem. While one can sympathise with United in their predicament there is only one way to break the impasse the majority must rule. It is not a question whether cricket should be played on Saturday, or Tuesday morning. Whakatane has decided that Sunday is the day that suits the convenience of the greatest number and there the matter should rest. By attempting to adjudicate on a problem that should be settled at a lower level the Bay Association is running the risk of becoming involved in local disputes not a wise procedure. Big news in local cricket so far is theTlecision of the Te Puke Club to stay in their own back-yard in future. The news did not occasion much surprise to those who keep their ears to the ground, but has been the subject of much discussion. Among the proletariat genera'l opinion tends to follow the line that the change will work out for the best. In the first place there is a fair reservoir of cricketers in the To Puke district who in the past had not had full opportunity of playing competitive cricket. With their own association now, the needs, of these players should be fully catered for. Another point is that it will give both sub-associations competition at the representative level much nearer home a big factor in the Bay of Plenty. There is no doubt that Tauranga should be able to run a strong competition on its own. It has done so in the past when the population was much smaller than at present. A member of one local team wps bemoaning the fact that his side would have no opposition now that Te Puke was gone. If my memory serves me right, I seem to recail seeing the same team routed for about 20 runs in half-an-hour last season. Looking the matter over dispassionately, I don't think this player will have over much to worry about. The saying goes that Tauranga is the home of the tired and the retired and that its worthy citizens will put up with almost anything. Well, cricketers are going to be put to the test when they hear that the Domain Board has already let the Domain to other organisations on several Saturdays, including the official opening day, November 5. After this was done cricketers were

blandly informed that they had better "be in for their chop" while there were a few Saturdays left. It would be interesting to see the repercussions if they tried the same stunt on the Rugby union. Last, year the Domain was not usable for cricket until after. Christmas. This was not due to any fault of cricketers, but simply because the ground was not much better than a ploughed paddock after the footballers had finished with it. Due to the generosity of Mr A. M. Nicholson, the college ground was made available while the borough plot had a well-earned rest. This year, however, Mr Nicholson has decided (and rightly so) that his beloved acres are not going the same way as the domain, and anyhow it is not his responsibility to cater for the snorting needs of the town. The question is going to be asked "where do we go from here". Perhaps the Borough Council can provide the answer to that one.