N.Z. Team To Play Canterbury

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 16

N.Z. Team To Play Canterbury

Confirmation of the New Zealand cricket team to play Canterbury at Christchurch on the eve of the seven-match tour of Australia in November and December has been delayed.

The team was chosen by the tour selectors B. W. Sinclair (captain), V. Pollard (vicecaptain) and J. C. Alabaster when the New Zealanders trained in Gisborne a fortnight ago, and the two omit-

ted from the 13-rnan squad were K. Thomson, the Canterbury batsman, and B. W. Yuile, the Central Districts slow left-armer —with the intention that they would play in the Canterbury side. However, at its meeting on Saturday the New Zealand I Cricket Council's board of control delayed confirmation of the team choice after several members had expressd dissatisfaction with the selection. “It does seem incongruous.” said the chairman, Mr J. G. Leggat, “that Yuile should play for Canterbury.” He suggested that Alabaster, now living in Christchurch, might replace Yuile in the Canterbury side. "We were led to believe,” said Mr J. C. Saunders, the Canterbury delegate, “that Canterbury players would be playing for Canterbury. “If this is not so, it bcomes a Canterbury invitation team. On this basis Canterbury will be without its opening bowlers, R. C. Motz and B. R. Taylor. What do we do: invite R. O. Colhnge down from Wellington?” Mr G. C. Burgess (Auckland): : I would think that the New ZeaI land side comes first. ! “It is a Canterbury side,” said ;Mr Leggat, “and who are we I to say that Yuile will play for 1 Canterbury.” “It could just as easily be i New Zealand versus a CanterI bury XI,” said Mr Burgess. ! “rather than emphasise the point that it must be a Canterbury team.” The meeting decided to ask i the tour selectors if there was ! any urgency in the choice of ! Thomson and Yuile to- play for the Canterbury side. At the suggestion of Mr J. L. Kerr, the board decided- that the eight-ball over would be used in the pre-tour match. After a complaint about the supply of gear to the New Zealand team, made by Mr W. K. Jagger at the annual meeting of the council on Friday, the board decided to issue members of the team with longsleeved sweaters for the Australian tour.

Earlier arrangements had only short-sleeved sweaters in the gear issue. Mr K. I. Sandford (North Island minor associations) who moved that longsleeved jerseys be issued, said that the team should have a complete uniform.

Little Ships.— Officers electei at the annual meeting of the Little Ship Club of Canterbury were: president, Mr E. P. Smith; vice-president, Dr D. W, Walker; secretarytreasurer, Mr K. G. Talbot: committee, Messrs R. G. Bell land G. Thomas.