CRICKET 1960-61 Programme For Plunket Shield

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29193, 2 May 1960, Page 18

CRICKET 1960-61 Programme For Plunket Shield

Canterbury’s Plunket Shield cricketers will play three three-day matches within 12 days over the Christmas and New Year holiday period next season. This is disclosed by the Plunket Shield programme for next season, which was approved by the New Zealand Cricket Council at its meeting in Christchurch on

Saturday. Introducing discussion on the programme, the chairman of the council (Mr J. L. Kerr) said that it was usually arranged by agreement between the presidents of the six competing associations, but the next season's programme had been complicated by the fullscale tour of the Dominion by an M.C.C. team.

The secretary (Mr R. G. Knowles) said that the presidents had reached agreement, apart from a dispute over the match between Wellington and Canterbury. Wellington in the original programme had no match at home over the Christmas period, and wanted to play Central Districts at Wellington at that time, and to meet Canterbury in Christchurch in midDecember. Mr C. F. Collins (Canterbury) said that the proposed programme seemed to have gained approval from all associations apart from Wellington. Wellington had a match against the M.C.C. team over the New Year holiday period, said Mr Collins. Wellington’s suggestion would mean no match at Christchurch at either Christmas or New Year, and playing a match in mid-December would cause difficulty to both players and administrators, and would not attract support from the public. In answer to a question from Mr H. W. Osborn (Wellington). Mr E. Hayes (Otago) said that the Otago association was not fully satisfied with the proposed programme, but had decided to make the best of it because of the difficulties caused by the

necessity to fit in a full programme of matches against the M.C.C. side. Curtailed Programme Mr W.‘A. Hadlee suggested that the Plunket Shield programme be curtailed for next season, with perhaps 10 matches instead of the usual 15. Mr Knowles answered that the rules for the competition specifically stated that every team was to play every other team, and that there was no provision for any departure from this. The programme was referred to a sub-committee of the council and. after amendments had been made, was approved as follows: December 24, 26. 27.—Canterbury v. Otago at Dunedin; Wellington v. Central Districts' at Wellington. December 28, 29, 30.—Canterbury v. Wellington at Christchurch. December 29, 30. 31.—Otago v. Central Districts at New Plymouth; Auckland v. Northern Districts at Hamilton. January 2,3, 4.—Canterbury v. Central Districts at Christchurch: Otago v. Auckland at Auckland. January 5. 6. 7. —Otago v. Northern Districts at Hamilton. January 6. 7. 9. —Auckland v. Central Districts at Wanganui. January 10. 11, 12.—Auckland v. Wellington at Wellington; Northern Districts v. Central Districts at Palmerston North. January 13, 14. 16.—Canterbury v. Auckland at Auckland; Northern Districts v. Wellington at Wellington. January 18, 19, 20.—Canterbury v. Northern Districts at Hamilton.

February 10. 11, 13.—Otago v. Wellington at Dunedin.