Cricket club protests

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33665, 15 October 1974, Page 20

Cricket club protests

The immediate future of the I latewood Cricket Club will be decided at a special general meeting of the Christchurch suburban association on October 23.

Harewood, the winner of the senior B competition last season, has protested against a decision of the association's management committee not to promote it to the senior A grade. I The president of the Harewood club (Mr D. J. Ca.se) [said yesterday that delegates to the special meeting would i be asked to support a move I to rescind the previous ; motion. If this was successful, a further motion would be put calling for the automatic promotion of Harewood and relegation of Woolston W.M.C., the bottom .senior A side in 197374 “We had no trouble in gaining the signatures of : officials from five clubs to call the meeting. We took a petition to some club opening days on Saturday and i have more than 100 players backing us — at several ! grounds there was a 100 per

cent response," Mr <a ■? »aid. “Other clubs hate joined us because they are worried I that a similar situation could involve them tn futuie Unfortunately, the mat'.-r will not be resolved tint:: after suburban cricket resumes next Saturday and Mr Case said that Harewood i was concerned that perform ances on the firm day mig'v [ have too much influence on ‘ voting at the special meet- ' ing. MAY NOT PLAY “If we start well in senior B it could be cnibai- • rassing for the management committee; on the other hand, a poor beginning . would be bad for us. Our club will meet later this week to decide whether t > i play at all on Saturday," Mr Case said. It is unlikely that Harei wood will withdraw all of its teams from the first da\. I because of the inconvenience ; to other clubs and its own I lower grade players. But ■ there is a chance that the Harewood first XI will await the outcome of the special meeting before taking the field. Mr Case said lhat Harewood had still not been told why it had been denied sen- ; ior A status — “some people have said that we ate too late in taking action, yet our protect was made within 12 hours of the decision [ being made.” Harewood was still pre- ' pared to have an independent judge look at the team [lists of Harewood and Woolston W.M.C. to evaluate the respective strengths, and Mr Case suggested Mr D. N. ! Stokes — a life member of the association and a former Canterbury Plunket Shield selector — as a person qualified to do this.