CRICKET North Canterbury Team Not To Play In City

Press, Volume C, Issue 29599, 23 August 1961, Page 22

CRICKET North Canterbury Team Not To Play In City

Permission for the North Canterbury Cricket Association to enter a team in the town senior competition was refused by the management committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association last evening.

After considerable discussion. the committee decided to inform the North Canterbury association that it could not see its way clear this season to allow the association to enter a team, and the secretary (Mr E. D. Bennett) was instructed to outline the discussions of the committee to the North Canterbury association and to suggest a meeting between the committee and delegates of the association.

Earlier, with the motion refusing permission to enter a team, there was a suggestion that the association form a club and apply for entry in the town second grade competition, and if the team proved itself it could apply for entry in the senior competition. However, the suggestion was not put with the motion, which was unanimously carried.

' Mr J. McGuiness said he was right against the association being allowed to play in town. It would create a bye, and this, with wet Saturdays and holidays, would mean that a lot of cricket would be lost. Doubt whether the North Canterbury team would be up to the standard of the town senior teams was expressed by Mr T A. Tucker. “If we allowed it to enter it would create a precedent.

and all other sub-associations could apply to play in the senior competition, and we would have to let them in,” said Mr J. W Grocott.

Mr G. P. Dryden said that if the team played in town, either one senior side would have to be dropped or another brought in so that there would have to be a bye. He considered the lowest team in the competition might be more than a match for a North Canterbury team. “Our first duty is to provide for our own people.” said Mr F. P. Hill. He said that there was nothing to stop a country player from joining a club in town. The suggestion that the association enter a team in the second grade competition and work its way up was then made by Mr W. A. Hadlee. It could then be considered by the grading committee. he said. Mr C. G. Hamilton said that it might be better if the association formed a club team to play in the second grade for a season or two. The chairman of the association (Mr J. T. El toft) said that North Canterbury had a good side at the moment, but this might not be so in two or three years.