EIGHTY-FIVE ENTRIES FOR COMPETITIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25309, 8 October 1947, Page 4

EIGHTY-FIVE ENTRIES FOR COMPETITIONS

MEETING OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

“This club is attempting to make a start in cricket. New players are being brought in, and the club should be encouraged,” said Mr D. A. Colville, moving that the Cathedral Cricket Club’s- application for affiliation with the association should be accepted, at a meeting of the management committee' of the Canterbury Cricket Association last evening. The chairman (Mr R. C. Saunders) said that it had been the custom not to accept the affiliation of new clubs unless

they were able to guarantee a good Wicket for <their competition teams. It was decided to admit the club, provided it could obtain a suitable wicket of reasonable standard, and secure a share in another wicket if it intended to enter three competition teams. Entries from 20 clubs for the current season totalled 85, which was probably a record and showed an increase of nine on the figures for last year, said the report of the competitions committee. Because of the large entry it was thought advisable to add another subdivision to the second grade competition, the report continued, and include school teams in the competition. All grades playing twoday games now contained eight teams in each subdivision, and there were no byes. The inclusion of this extra division made ;it possible to fhclude most teams in the grades desired by clubs with the minimum of reshuffling. It was thought desirable to include the school teams in the second grade C competition so that the B section could, if required, start at 10.45 a.m. In the meantime it was proposed to start the B section at 1 p.m., pending an indication of Clubs* wishes, stated the report. Now that all cldbs had again become established on. their own grounds it was

necessary to draw attention to, the association’s rules, which provided that each club should have one matCh wicket for each two teams entered in the competitions, said the report. At present the Hagley Park group (Old Boys, Riccarton, St. Albans, and West Christchurch Clubs), the Lancaster Park group (Lancaster Park and East), and Cathedral, University, and West High School Clubs were not providing their quota. The shortage of wickets was at present being overcome by some of the schools providing more than their quota, but the position woftld become aggravated during the school vacations.

. On the motion of Mr E. R. Caygill, it was decided that the competitions committee,’with the treasurer (Mr D. T. Ager), should investigate the wicket shortage, and refer their findings and suggestions back to the management committee. The Auckland Cricket Association advised that the age limit for the Brabin Shield competition would be under 20 years on October 1. Messrs J. L. Kerr, C. G. Crawford, and W. J. V. Hamilton were appointed as the selection committee, with the power to consult team captains. Messrs G. F. Ayling, I. A. Baxter, and W. E. Mapplebeck were appointed as the Brabin Shield selection committee.