CRICKET Good Pitches Needed For Coaching Scheme

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29339, 19 October 1960, Page 19

CRICKET Good Pitches Needed For Coaching Scheme

To get the maximum value from the coaching scheme, the Canterbury Cricket Association had to insist on pitches being of a good standard throughout for grade cricket, the convenor of the grounds sub-committee (Mr F. F. Dan-son) told members at last evening's meeting of the association's management committee.

Grounds were of great importance to cricket in Canterbury. Last season a coaching scheme had been established which had been acclaimed throughout the province. It had given a great boost to Canterbury cricket but the association could not lose sight of the matter of grounds. Practice wickets, also, had to be kept up to standard. Mr Dawson said.

After the discussion on a remit passed at the annual meeting, a decision had been made at the last meeting of the grounds subcommittee to convene a meeting of the special advisory grounds committee on Thursday evening, said Mr Dawson. The function of the special advisory grounds committee was to carry out the task of advising schools, clubs, and other bodies which were concerned with the preparation of wickets and to investigate suitable soils and grasses and the availability of the soils. Invitations had been issued to the director of reserves, the assistant director of reserves, secondary and primary schools’ groundsmen, representatives of the Haglcy Park grounds committee and some clubs, and other interested persons. It was proposed that the special grounds committee elect its own chairman and that liaison with the Canterbury Cricket Association be through the grounds subcommittee. The functions of the two committees were quite different, said Mr Dawson. The former was technical and the latter purely administrative. Coaching Scheme

During January, it was hoped to conduct intensive net practices for those promising secondary school pupils who were unable to attend the present series of classes conducted by the association's professional coach (M. Bear), the convener of the coaching committee (Mr A. E. L. Britten) said.

Two group coaching classes had begun on Monday with 48 pupils. The Friday class of 24 would bring the afternoon class numbers to 72. A slightly disappointing feature of the group coaching scheme was the lack of demand for the Monday afternoon classes, said Mr Britten. For the Friday afternoon class there was a waiting list.

Today, an intensive series of classes would begin at the Christchurch Teachers’ College, where about 16 post-primary students would be available for coaching. The first net coaching sessions for secondary schools (preliminary selection) and colts (general discussion) had taken place yesterday at Hagley Park, Mr Britten said. The primary schools’ and colts’ sessions today and further secondary schools' and colts’ practices on Thursday would complete the normal weekly cycle to the end of November, he said.

A suitable car had been purchased for Bear to travel around in during his stay, Mr Britten said.

If a club wanted to use school gear for the primary schoolboys’ cricket matches on a Saturday, it would have to come to a private arrangement with the school concerned. members agreed. Clubs had no right to the school gear for Saturday cricket matches, said Mr W. A. Hadlee. However, some schools welcomed the chance to give their gear an airing on a Saturday morning. When the scheme for primary schoolboys’ cricket had first been started, schools had been asked to contribute their gear. Since then, it would appear that some clubs had made no effort to find gear, said Mr M. Chapple. It was not fair for the schools to have to let gear out on Saturday mornings. The Lancaster Park Club had provided enough gear for three schoolboys’ teams and there was no reason why other clubs could not do the same, one member said.

The primary schoolboys* cricket competition would start on October 29, Mr C. G. Snook said. A donation of £lo—£s for the coaching fund and £5 for the general fund—was received from Mrs M- C. Bishop. “It gives us a great thrill to get this.” said the chairman (Mr J. T. EltoXt). A decision to make the donations fund more widely known was made.