CRICKET Standard Of Club Play Has Fallen

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 20

CRICKET Standard Of Club Play Has Fallen

Although the numbers of club cricket players in Christchurch have improved since the pre-war years, the standard of batting, bowling and physical fitness had fallen, said the retiring president, Mr T. A. Tucker, at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association last evening.

Mr Tucker was giving the delegates bis ’ impressions of ch.miges in the game over the last 25 years. He particularly deptored the failing attendances at club practices This silx.uld be corrected, said Mr Tucker, especially in view of the great improvements in both match and practice pitches over the last few seasons at Hagley Park. AJso on the debit side. Mr Tucker found that the standard of the dress of players had slipped, and that there seemed to be evidence that younger memtors of most clubs were not pulling their weight in administration. On the credit side. Mr Tucker pointed to the evidence of good club roirit and genuine effort by players to improve their playing conditions in the last few seasons This is particularly evident in the building of new pavilions by a number of clubs in recent years.' Bert tcr-c rga.n i sed coach ing. and in particular the organisation of the cricket competitions for primary schoolboys on Saturday mormin>gs under

the control of the aduM club*, are seen by Mr Tucker evidence of a posesnble revival in the standard of club play. Later in the evening the meeting gave the management committee the power to frame by-laws to control the dresa of players in matches under the control of the association. On behalf of the Old Collegians’ Club. Mr A. R. Mac Gibbon moved for the calbng of entries foj a new grade in the coming reason. This grade, to come between the two-day second Grade and the one-da v president’s grade, would cater for players of a good standard who were not at all times available for two-day matches. Mr MacGtbbon said that, at the present time, a senior player who was not available for pne day of a two-dav match had to go down to either the president’s crade or the third R grade. To place younteu players of abilitx in the president's grade, said Mr Mac Gibbon was moving away from the purpose of this grade The motion wa< lost, as most other clubs felt that they could not enter teams in the proposed new grade Motorway Protest The meeting adopted the suggestion of Messrs C. G. Crawford and A G. Williams that the association should protest against the taking of receeatioi 1 fl Kinds in Hagley Park for the proposed motorway to the west Club competitions will commence on Saturday, October 13. Officers elected were:— President. Mr W A Hadlee; vice-presidents, Messrs I. A. Baxter and J C, Saunders; honorary secretary. Mr D. B. Hughex . honorary assistant secretary. Mr G. P. Drvden; honorary tre tstirer. Mr E. D Bennett management committee Messrs J. T. Eli oft. F F Dawson. J W Grocott. C G. F. Hamilton. A R Mac Gibbon. A. G. Williams. C L Sugden. P. G. Z Harris. A G. Duckmanton. R. T Dowker. Cyclist Injured.— An 11-ycar-old boy cyclist suffered lacerations to the mouth and a hand in a collision yesterday with a car in Bealcy avenue near the Carlton Mill bridge. He is Brent William Rollo, of 17 Belfield street. DaLlington. After treatment at the Christchurch Hospital, where he was taken by a St John Ambulance, le was discharged.