Ashley Cricket Anniversary Dates In Doubt

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31627, 13 March 1968, Page 13

Ashley Cricket Anniversary Dates In Doubt

ALTHOUGH the AShley Cricket Sub-association will celebrate its seventyfifth anniversary on March 23, the history of cricket in the district goes back more than a century. Cricket was played at least as early as 1853, when there was a match between the “gentlemen” of Kaiapoi and Christchurch, and in 1855 a team from Christchurch was unexpectedly beaten by a Rangiora team. Rangiora had an official club by 1859 and was playing regular matches with Kaiapoi. Representative cricket probably began in 1862 when Kaiapoi and Rangiora fielded combined teams against Christchurch teams. As the settlement of North Canterbury progressed clubs were formed in other areas and gradually a regular fixture became established. Details of the formation of the sub-association are uncertain. Records date only

from 1911; those before that date were destroyed by fire. The sub-association is celebrating 1893 as the date of its formation. This date has been established from the minutes of the annual meeting of 1911, which records the nineteenth annual meeting with a marginal note that the first annual meeting was held in 1893, and from the senior championship trophy, the Ashley County Cricket Association Cup, which was first played for in 1893. The possible existence of some earlier controlling body is suggested in the district history, Beyond the Waimakariri, by D. N. Hawkins. In addition to the Ashley Club the history mentions that in the 1870 s there was an “Ashley County Cricket Club, which was probably the forerunner of the North

Canterbury Cricket Association.” The inclusion of “county” In the subassociation’s original title stems from the fact that the association’s area was originally identical with that of the former .Ashley county which then extended from the Waimakariri River to the Waipara River. These rivers are still the boundaries of the sub-association. The first fully representative team chosen from Ashley dubs was most likely the Ashley County team, which played Carisbrook at Dunedin in 1881; again suggesting organised cricket goes back beyond 1893. In 1911 the sub-association changed its name to North Canterbury but on the formation of the Canterbury county sub-association’s into the North Canterbury Minor Association in 1962, the sub-association reverted to its former name of Ashley to avoid confusion. Ashley has an excellent record in the inter-sub-association representative series. It has won the competition for the Senior Shield 17 times out of 38 since the shield was first awarded in 1921. An even more impressive record has been achieved in the Junior Cup competition. It has had 20 wins out of 33 attempts since the series began in

1924-25. Today the sub-assodation has 14 clubs with 21 teams playing in its three open grades. Another 10 teams play in the schoolboys competition on alternate Saturday mornings. Many fine cricketers have played in the sub-association but until recently their opportunities for higher representative status were limited. Some of the more promising players transferred to the Christchurch competitions. Under the new arrangements, however, the Canterbury and New Zealand under 23 representative, R. C. Merrin, can still play his dub cricket in Ashley. He can also play for Ashley and North Canterbury in representative fixtures. Several prominent cricketers have made their contribution to the sport in the district. For about 20 years after the First World War the former New Zealand player, J. H. Bennett, played for Loburn and the former Canterbury representative, D. C. Nixon, played for Woodend. The New Zealand representative I. Sinclair, learned his early cricket at the Rangiora High School,

where he captained the first XI, and with the Femside Club. J. Capstick, who toured Australia in a New Zealand colts team in the mid-19505, began his cricket in North Canterbury but later transferred to the Christchurch competitions. Now in the Hurunui sub-association, A. F. Rapley is another former Canterbury representative who began his cricket in Ashley. F. Smith (Woodend) and G. Coull (Amberley) also played for Canterbury. An important contribution to cricket in the district was made by the former Otago player, A. L. Lockhart A master at the Rangiora High School for more than 20 years after World War I, Lockhart influenced the cricketing careers of many boys who were later prominent representative players for the sub-association. Another former Otago player, D. J. Blakely, was prominent in inter-club competitions, representative fixtures and as an administrator and selector during a 10 year period before transferring to Banks Peninsula. From the start of the present records in 1911, the subassociation has had only six presidents. One father and son association with the executive extends back to 1908, when the late Mr H. A. Bennett was elected. Later he was president from 1923 to 1939. His son, Mr R. R. Bennett, joined the executive in 1935 and has- been president since the mid--19505.