CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9817, 28 August 1897, Page 2

CRICKET CHAT.

[By Dark Blpk.] I "Weekly Press and Referee." I At a meeting of the committee of the Otago Cricket Association, held recently the seoretary reported that £11 4 3 6jj jjiJ " been collected towards the presentation of bate to be made to the Olngo team which defeated Canterbury last February. Xh ß secretary was given a free hand in proeurint the bata and he was to arrange with the players to select their own bats and to Hay«! them presented at the annual meeting of the AHsoeiation. Mr \V. fl. Skitch having made an offer to give a shield for the Third Class competition, provided the Association aotwlin - like manner with regard to the Junior, it was resolved that Mr Gootoh and the secretary ' be given power to purchase a trophy for the latter, the price not to exceed £10, and to have the names of the previous winner* inscribed thereon. It was decided to hold the annual meeting on September 25th. A rough balance sheet, showing a small loea oa the season's play, was submitted by the secretary. A letter from the Canterbury Association asking that tho date of the * annual match, which is to be played in Ciiristcliut'ch nex6 season, be fixed foe January 15th was discussed, and the eecrfc tary intimated he had written stating hi« ; committee would try and fall in with the request of the Canterbury Association, TfoJ matter was left over for further con« eideration.

The Anckland "Special" of this journal wires : L. A. Cuff left for Sydney in the Westralia this evening. A number qt cricketers and athletes assembled on tW wharf to wish him good-bye. Hβ has made a number of- friends during his twelve months residence here, the cricketers especially being sorry to lose him. The Hawera Cricket Club have engaged as caretaker and ground bowler, G. Gudeiu, who recently arrived from England with a good reputation as a batsman and bowler. L. T. Cobcroft, the well-known Sydney cricketer and his wife, arrived in Christchurch from the North on Saturday, aHd he was met at Lyttelton by several pronu* nent cricketers. He informs mo that he l» not made up his mind which olub he will join, but whichever he doos, his presence ia Christchurch should do a lot of good to C«»< | terbury cricket. The 'Sydenham and Addington Club's urt union was drawn on Wednesday last. I w glad to chronicle that the affair was a great success. The club will, I hear, clear Boitiething like £300 by their undertaking, end the thanks of the members are due to Mr T. Jacobs and the committee for the energetio manner in which they worked the matter up, I hear that eomo supportors of the Leu&» harut Club, Sydney, are talking of putting DeMaus into an hotel, |

Neither Iredale nor S. R.. Waiford will play for the Central Cumberland Club tha season, as they have taken up that residences in other suburbs of Sydney. The following dates have been fixed for the test matches to be played in Auatwlii next season by Stoddart's team :—Ducembot 10th at Sydney, December 31et at Melbourne, January 14th at Adelaide, January 29th ai Melbourne, February 25th at Sydney! <- ft will be remembered that in the previous tour the final contest clashed with the V.B.C. races, but in the present case no clashing will take, place. i Tho following motion was unanimously carried at the annual meeting of the Nβ* South Waleß Cricket Association, -which va held in Sydney on August sth:—"That* recommendation be directed to the Aw , tralasian Cricket Council, suggesting forth* incoming season an alteration in the follow* on rule, 89 that the side batting first end leading by 120 runs on the first innings vm have the option either of batting or com* pelling the opposing side to follow on."