Competition Cricket For Schoolboys

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28700, 25 September 1958, Page 15

Competition Cricket For Schoolboys

TFhe decision of the Canterbury A Cricket Association to conduct a competition for primary schoolboys on Saturday mornings will be warmly welcomed by all those with an interest in the improvement of playing standards. Because of the poor quality of the pitches on which primary school games are often played, qnd because of the long holiday break, young cricketers have little competitive play, and match practice is probably the most valuable form of training. Now the boys will have an oportunity of playing on properly prepared pitches, for the later starting of men’s matches will make club pitches available in the mornings. It seems that clubs will have to sponsor boys’ teams, for already those primary school teachers—and there are not so many of them now—who are sufficiently interested to coach have competition games during the week. Not many years ago, there were plenty of teachers willing to stay after school for cricket, but perhaps the 40-hour week outlook has affected teachers as it has others.

It is to be hoped the Canterbury Cricket Association will take every possible step to ensure that the competitions are properly run

and that the boys are not allowed to feel that they are not wanted. Team games such as cricket suffer by comparison with swimming and tennis during school vacations, and the new scheme should do much tp combat that. Moreover, regular matches on good pitches, supplemented by advice from seniors during the course of the game, will do mucn to improve the standard of play and keep more youngsters in the game. Costs Perhaps the cost of equipping teams will be considerable, and that should not have to be borne by individual club .players, for whom the game is already expensive. If the association’s finances are unable to meet pew demands, the money could be raised by some new effort. Other sports bodies have met similar challenges by raising funds. The Canterbury Umpires’ Association has expressed its willingness to help by providing umpires, a fine gesture. Similar enthusiasm from the management committee could provide Christchurch’s young cricketers with excellent