CHANCE OF DATE

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30739, 1 May 1965, Page 16

CHANCE OF DATE

No Play On Christmas Day The Canterbury Cricket Association has agreed to an Auckland request for the dates of the Christmas Plunket Shield match to be changed. Originally set down for December 25, 27 and 28, the match will now be played on December 27, 28 and 29. The request was made because Christmas Day play would have necessitated the Auckland team leaving on December 24, playing little more than four hours on December 25, and spending Boxing Day, a Sunday, idle. The chairman (Mr A. E. L. Britton) and Mr J. C. Saunders pointed out the Christmas Day play tradition would be lost, although Mr Britton thought the tradition “seems to be fading.” Mr Saunders said: “I don’t think it’s right, this chopping and changing. Christmas Day is looked on here as a day of cricket and we have had some big crowds in the past.’ Under the revised draw,, the Canterbury team will have nine days’ play in 10 days, and the first four three-day Plunket Shield matches will be played in 16 days. The draw for Canterbury’s early games will now be:— December 27-29: v. Auck'and at Christchurch; December 30, 31, January 1: v. Northern Districts at Christchurch; January 3-5: v. Wellington at Wellington; January 7,8, 10: v. Central Districts at New Plymouth. Shortly after returning to Christchurch, Canterbury will probably be playing the touring Fijians.