The Coming Cricket Season.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19104, 13 September 1927, Page 8

The Coming Cricket Season.

Although the annual meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association is not quite the same thing as the first game, the fact that it fell this year on the day on which the team in England began its last match justifies some general observations. Everyone agrees that the results of the English tour are most gratifying. The New Zealanders have met with success so far beyond the hopes even of the most optimistic that they have, so to speak, placed New Zealand on the cricket map. There are, of course, respects in which the tour has been unfortunate. The weather has been particularly unkind, and this, more than anything else, has made the tour something of a financial failure. Another regrettable fact has been the weakness of many of the elevens opposed to the New Zealanders. Most of the second-class counties were quite incapable of extending our men; and there was a far too large proportion of games against second-class sides. It is quite clear that those responsible for arranging the programme had a very poor idea of the strength of New Zealand cricket. It now remains to be seen whether the trip has been worth while on other grounds. This will depend to some extent on the policy adopted, and the manner in which it is pursued, by the various Associations for the betterment of New Zealand cricket. In this connexion some of the business considered by the Canterbury Cricket Association on Saturday evening has an important bearing on the mattei'. Perhaps the most important discussion was that on the proposal to revert to "district" cricket jn Christchurch. Those who oppose the system are mostly players, many of them young and inexperienced, who prefer to take their cricket with those with whom they have been associated in their school or college (Jays. If, however, a vote were taken of old-time cricket legislators and the more mature players of the present day, there would probably be a substantial majority in favour of an unqualified scheme of district cricket, and that for the simple reason that it would make for the betterment of the game in general rather than for the improvement of this or that team. Australian cricket has reached the highest pinnacle under district—or, as it is called there, electorate—cricket. One result of the present system has been to admit eight teams to the Association's championship competition. Those who follow the game closely know that this is not for the good of Canterbury cricket, since it necessitates the admission to senior rank of numerous players who are only good enough for lower grades. This gives a fictitious value to the standard of the better players, and is not conducive to that improvement that can reasonably be expected where players of equal strength are always meeting. In the course of the discussion on Saturday evening Mr D. Reese, the chairman, gave sound advice when he urged the delegates to sink partisanship and take a long-sighted view of the matter. Although Canterbury is getting a firstclass English coach for the coming season, so that the prospects for the game are distinctly bright, there never was a time in the history of Canter'bury cricket when the necessity for a wise policy for future advancement was more urgent.