CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 8

CRICKET.

QUALIFICATION OF PROFESSIONALS. A NEW RULE. (bt telegrafh—pbess association.) Chrlstchurch, August 5.' The New Zealand Cricket Council recently . - decided to communicate with the Marylobone • Cricket Club in regard to tlio qualification of professionals engaged in tho Dominion, and to ascertain; whether the new rule would apply to a Dominion or provincial team 1 playing imported professionals agaiiist foreign teams. Mr. F. C. Raphael (hon. see- , retary) has handed in the-following correspondence'on the subject:— • . F. E. Lacey, Esq., Sec. Marylebono Cricket Club, . Lords Ground.. London. Dear Sir,—l am directed by tho Committee < of the'. Now Zealand Cricket Council. to communicate with, the M&rylebone Cricket Club in connection with the new rule lately passed ! by, your Club dealing with' professionals taking part - in. cricket matches out of England. My , Council has merely seen a brief cabled report of . the new rule,: and we would therefore be, glad'to have the ruling of the Marylobone CJub in regard to tho ■ following points :—(1) Would an English professional.engaged, as a coach- by, say >tbe' Canterbury Cricket Association, be. debarred 1 from playing in a match;for Canterbury against either England or any : of the Australian States? (2) Would such a professional as described a.bove ,be debarred from playing for Now Zealand against an English team or: any of tho, Australian States? I would venture to point _out to you- that cricket in this Dominion -is s at,present- at a low ebb, as yoii will-no doubt havo gathered '■from the., members of the late,' M.C.C. team which recently toured- New Zealand; and we are straining every nerve to get firstr class English'coaches: for-each;of our .chief centres solely with the view, to improving ' the standard of cricket as played out here. , Under the above circumstances, I venture to submit:to tho consideration of your com-, -'mittee that we in New Zealand should not be looked .upon by you in the same light as , : any of. the Australian States, and if wo aro . .debarred from playing English, coaches whom we maybe able ..to. securo solely for tho iin- : provftment of cricket it : will add . to the. already serious, difficulty of raising the necessary,-funds.—l am, sir,-yours faithfully, . : FREDE.C.,RAPHAEL,:

Hon. Secretary. F. C. Raphael, Esq.,' Hon. : Secretary N.Z. Cricket, Council,; Christchurch.' - Dear Sirj—ln auswer to your letter of April 1, 'ISOS, and the questions contained therein, 11 have the honour to enclose for the information of- the -N.Z. Cricket -Council the ..'opinion- of:- tho Cricket- Coinmitteo ./ of. tho. Marylebone. Club, which.has been reported to the Marylebone Cricket Club' Committee, who have confirmed thatBelieve me; yours faithfully; F. E. LACEY, ; ; Secretary, M.C.C.' , (Opinion.). " "It is-the opjnion of the :-M.C;p;; Coinmit- ■ tee that'a province in' the' Doininion of New Zealand is not included in the words 'a British colony, dependency, or State', in the rules of coirnty 1 cricket, • Rule 1/ whereby' a residential qualification: for an • English county, is affected. It is tho'ight,' however, that evils will',arise'in New Zealand if English, professionals are brought over ■to take part in interprovincial .cricket; contests in tljat country.. ' ' : ••• '■- : . "F. E; LACEY, - -...... - "Secretary M.C.C."