COUNTRY TEAM FOR TOUR

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 12

COUNTRY TEAM FOR TOUR

CRICKET

DELEGATES’ ANNUAL MEETING RECOMMENDATION TO ASSOCIATION A composite team from the five mA. associations and the four minor assocU* tions in the Canterbury Cricket Associttion’s area is to be chosen this year for a tour of three matches over the holiday period. This was decided at the annual meeting of the sub-associations’ and minor associations' delegates last evening. The meeting recommended to the Can. terbury association that the team should be picked after two matches against a Canterbury senior team in Christchurch on successive The first team to play the Canterbury side—probably on November 26 and 27—will be picked from South Canterbury. Ashburton, Ellesmere, and Banks Peninsula players. On Decern, ber 3 and 4, it is proposed to play a team from West Coast, Buller, Suburban,: North Canterbury, and Malvern aganist the same Canterbury team. The Canterbury selectors will be asked to pick a combined team from the country players and to appoint an experienced player as captain. It is hoped to arrange a tour to the West Coast, where two games would -be played, and to finish with a match in Christchurch early in January against a Canterbury team. The proposal arose from suggestions by delegates as to how country players could be brought to the notice of the Canterbury selectors arid- given more match experience. Mr D. N. Stokes (City and Suburban) asked what opportunity was given the players too old for the Brabin Shield, team to be picked for the Plunket Shield team. Mr I. M. Hamilton (Ashburton) agreed that there was too little match experience for promising country players, and suggested that a touring team should be selected from all the minor and sub* associations. Such a team, which might be called the Canterbury second eleven or third eleven, might play South Canterbury, Ashburton, and West Coast-Buller. This would help to bridge the gap between minor association cricket and Plunket Shield cricket for country players. Mr Stokes asked whether this team could play a game in Christchurch about mid-December to show the Canterbury selectors the best of the epuntry playert Mr T. A. Tucker (chairman of the Canterbury association’s management committee) said that it might be possible thU season to select a fairly strong Canterbury team, mainly of young players, to Elay on consecutive week-ends early ia lecember. He suggested the team should play one country team the first week-end and another team the next week-end/ Mr I. M. Hamilton said this did not quite meet his wishes; he would like a country team to play at least three gam« as a team.

Mr C. G. F. C. Hamilton- will be the convener of the selection committee of the northern group of associations, and Mr I. M. Hamilton convener of the other selection committee. Sub-Association’s Games The draw for the Sub-Associations’ Shield matches for the 1954-55 season ii u follows: First Round.—Ellesmere v. Malvern, at Malvern; Banks Peninsula v. North Canterbury, at Banks Peninsula; Suburban a bye. Second Round.—Suburban to play the winner of the Banks Peninsula-North Can. terbury match. The draw for the junior cup matches is as follows Suburban v. Malvern, at Malvern: Ellesmere v. North Canterbury, at Banks Peninsula. Trophies won last season were presented as follows:—The sub-associations’ shield. Christchurch City and Suburban; sub-associations’ junior cup. North Canterbury; minor associations’ cup, Ashburton.