CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 7

CRICKET.

WELLINGTON CENTRAL CLUB. The annual meeting of the Wellington Central District Cricket Club was hold at the Y.M.C.A. Rooms last evening, Mr. 11. W. Burbidge presiding over a fair attendance.

The election of officers resulted as follow*:—President, Mr. V. M. B. Visiter, M.l'. ; vice-presidents, Messrs. K. A. Wright, JI.P., J Hyams, !,. li. St. George/ —. Osbornc, R. Sanders, \V. 11. Jienuett, -. Schnadt, R. W. Burbidge, ami -. Webb. lte. Pidgmn, Ansnn, L-'yHo, M'Kve(iy, and tho Ven. Arehdeacon Harper; secretary, Mr. A. Birch; hcasuiTr, .Mr. V. i l . Webb; assistant secretary, Mr. K. jr. Beechy; elub captain, Mr. 0. A. Jliekson; management committee, Mcsirs. W. S. Hood, J. Dougla-i, Patterson, Smith, \. C.i. Hainos, 11. W. liurbidgc, and (.i. Hake; auditors, Messr.-i. C. Mitchell and L. E. St. George; 'selection committee, Messrs. C. A. Hickson, D. NaugMon, and E. M. Becchey; deU'gates to Cricket Association, Messrs. \V. S. Hood, V,. M. Beechey; and K. W. Burbidge; special deleaate,.2to..E. M. Beech«..

The annual report stated that the- past season had not been ?:i successful as tlio precwliii;; one, but nevertheless several (particularly ou tli? part of the A senior grade) destrved special mention. Tho A senior srade played 8 matches, won ,"., lost :!; points fur 13, agniiiit. ti. Mr. A. linitf headed the baltiiiff list with an average, of .">O.S.i, and the l!<"v. K. O. HlamiiT.-. followed very c1::f?1v with ..!7.7f) per iniiiiius. In tho bawling department, Mr. F. A. Laws Die lwst average with 26 wickets at 12.20 per wicket. Air. A. Uruci- was a very stronfr runner-up with an average of 13.50, capturing 21 wickets. The "B" senior grade played S matches, won 2, lost li—points scored for, 1, against 18. Mr. Stephens.™ heads (he batting with an average of 21.50, and .Air. A. I'atersim played consistoutly fov second place with 13.10 per innings, hi the bowling none of tho averages arc conspieuously low, Mr. C. Mitchell capturing nine v.-ickcts for 12.11), and"Mr. Ktephenson with 18 wickets for 10.00, both of whom trundled creditably. The junior grade tairii played 4 matches, won 1, \at 3—points scored for 8, against 0. Messrs. Smith and Donaldson headed thn .batting averages with 11 and 13 respectively, hi tho bowling Itessis. C. Kobinson nnd C'avniaii captured 22 and 17 wickets respectively at 7.50 each. The third grade eleven played 21 matches, won 7, lost 13—drawn I—points scored for 14, against 1!). The batting average was won by Mr. A. Donaldson, and Messrs. Robinson and Knapp [ made valiant efforts to reach tho same pedestal. In the bowling department. .Messrs. Ilnlse and Carman showed out the most prominently. Mr. G. Halfc secured 41 wickets at the low rate of 5.90 runs per wicket, hi representative cricket Mr. I). Naughton represented the club. Tho thanks of the club were due to the following {or assistance (financial and otherwise). rendered throughout the season:—Dr. Pigeon, and Messrs. T. P. Webb, Anson, Skinner, Bnrbidge, Hood, Wright, St. George, and Sanders Bros. Hegret was expressed at the'departure of Messrs. Hawthorne, Stephenson, Laws, ami Bruce from the central district. The financial affairs of the club are not in a very satisfactory state, tho liabilities exceeding the assets by ,W 3s. 10d. The income.for the year totalled ,£67 7s. 7d., and the expenditure amounted to Ml 75., leaving a bank balance of 7d.

: HOW TO IM.PKOVE THE GAME. How to make cricket more attractive' and incidentally to augment the finances of the Wellington Cricket Association formed the subject of a few remarks by Mr. E. W. Burbidge at the annual meeting of tho Wellington Central Cricket Club last evening. In dealing with the financial aspect of th-e matter, Mr. Burbidge stated that as cricketers they were keenly interested in the affairs of the association, and he thought that their special delegate should go carefully into the matter, and ascertain whether the association could not devise some method whereby the receipts could bo increased. As things stood at present the association could hardly avoid increasing its liabilities. Last year, for instance, there.had been no representative match in AVcllington, and ho considered that, had such a match been played, the association would have benefited to the extent of about .£SO. Ho also, thought that something should bo done to .make cricket, more interesting from a spectator's point of view. If one wont and mixed with the crowd at theBasin Keservc when, a match" was being played the expression most frequently heard was: "Pretty slow!" or words to that ed'ect. The association must really do something to arouse public interest in the game from a playing point of view, although he was not much of a player himself he had followed cricket for many years, and thought he knew something about it. If the rate of scoring could ba altered—say, for every inaidpii over, (ho team fielding were credited with two runs —this would certainly bo a step towards making tho game livelier and keener all round—it would stimulate interest, and thus produce larger gates;