Cricket Captains Reprimanded

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 22

Cricket Captains Reprimanded

The action of the West-University and Riccarton captains, B. F. Hastings and R. C. Motz, respectively, in abandoning play in last Saturday’s senior match, was condemned by management committee members of the Canterbury Cricket Association last evening.

Reporting for the competitions and postponement committees, Mr A. G. Duekmanton said that the captains criticised the C.C.A. for their key match being placed at Ham and not Hagley Oval. “But,” he said, “West-Uni-versity and Riccarton went ahead the previous round and got their seven points while Lancaster Park and Sydenham could not play. Nothing was said then.” In his view, Ham was one of the top three pitches in Christchurch. The West-Uni-versity club, however, had recently resolved that senior A clubs based on Hagley Oval should meet there but Ham would be available for other senior matches. West-University had also reprimanded its senior captain for speaking, without authority, for the club. “Bee In Bonnets” Mr A. R. Alabaster said the captains were wrong in calling off the game so early; there could have been play at about 2 p.m. “I think they had a bee in their bonnets,” said Mr Duckmanton. “They probably thought from the start that the game should not have been at 11am; if it had been at Hagley, they would have gone ahead.” “I don’t know if the captains have the right to call off a game,” said Mr R. T. Dowker, “and I think they were very, very wrong to do so. And these two gentlemen were captain and vicecaptain of last year's Plunket Shield team.” It was decided to advise clubs and senior captains of rule 63, which places the fitness of play in the hands of umpires. Mr J. H. M. Dawson later successfully moved that newly-cut pitches could be made available for wet days, but this would not indicate that the postponements committee felt the grounds were unfit.

Trial Match.—The Brabln cricket trial scheduled for yesterday and today has been postponed to next Tuesday and Wednesday because of poor weather. The Brabin squad will

not be announced until after this match.

Managers. Representative match managers appointed were: Otago, at Dunedin, December 24. 26, 27. Mr D. J. Elder: Central Districts, at Christchurch, December 29. 30. 31. Mr M. C. Stonyer; Wellington. at Christchurch. January 2.3, 4, Mr G. W. Frampton. Mr F. F. Dawson was earlier appointed manager for the Canterbury team's northern tour. The managers for the Brabin and Rothman’s tournament teams are Messrs I. P. Anderson and D. N. Stokes, respectively.