CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1246, 30 September 1911, Page 5

CRICKET

WHO I'LAY? AND WHO PAY? One soiuid there was that charmcd— .Still charms to-day: •'Tis when the umpire's voico Pronounces, "Play!" A Meeting Draped in Black. The verse, of course, is very pretty, but who can 1)0 "charmed" when tho builifl" is insistent for admittance? It was, indeed, au interesting meeting—that meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association, but", unfortunate!}', it was a meeting draped with black. How to pay? Hoiv to carry on? How to keep good whito faith with certain generous guarantors? H° ,v to enact tho role of "Jack" in"Tho Beanstalk" by slaving that ugly financial deficit ? Those bo the questions which edged the mooting with mourning. Fortunately, ono can seo hope from the tono of tho meeting. Tho gentle, but clear straight-forwardness, which indicates a wise guiding hand was everywhere evident. Mr. H. D. Bell, 3lr. J. P. Firth, and one of the auditors all touched the situation as it should be touched, while a tribute to the work of the groundsman fell from Mr. Crombie. Mr. Martin Luckie, as it seemed to tho writer, was a little optimistic for, when ono is out to slay giants, a sword is better than cheerfulness. Only ono wrong word was said, and that camo from Mr. Burbidge—something about the coaching. It seems shocking policy to carry warfaro into one's own ramp, when a common enemy is thundering at the gate.

The Usual Crude New Zealand Way. And, because the word of Mr. Burbidge was such a bad word, it shall be laid low first. It is everywhere the blot on tho New Zealand way that results must come at once or (according to tho current, crude way of thinking) it is no progress at all. That is why we havo so many fantastic and totally unworkable acts on the Statute Book of Now Zealand. And, when tho tree of progress doos not grow as wo think it should, what do we do? Why, pull it up to inspect tho roots, and then plant it again for another (rial. Of course, it is all very bad for tho tree. Mr. Burbidge wants livelier cricket, and, in! this, he is not alone. We all want it. But, does it not occur to hill) that this is the very thing which the groundsman is helping to bring about by the capital wickets which lie is giving us week after week? By-aiid-by, if batsmen cannot gain sufficient confidence to hit out on them, it will be clearly their fault, and we shall know where to lay tho blame. In the meantime Mr. Burbidge should endeavour to see that his fantastic proposal to alter the rules, so that every maiden over counts two runs for the fielding side, will not do. The Marylebone authorities and others are in charge of these things, and they know enough about cricket to be trusted to mind their own business efficiently. As for ourselves, the wickets have rightly been looked for as immediate, and they have arrived. Saunders has done splendidly. The coaching is, and must be, evolutionary and gradual. Even New Zealand's somewhat violent way of thinking cannot alter that.

The Paying and the Playing. To get back to finance. A current proposal is to charge all players who uso the Basin Reserve, whatever charge may 1» necessary for upkeep. It seems a very fair proposal. At present the winter players disfigure the ground most, hut, strangely enough, pay least. In the Saturday cricket players.pay a certain ground fee, which seems hardly enough. Tho 'Wednesday cricketers pay lis. per team per day. Tho Wednesday hockey players find*2s.. Gil. per day per (earn, and, ot this Is. 3d. gees to tho City Council for marking out tho grounds. If the City Council were lo charge Gd. per man per gamo for all winter fixtures—half the rate which a Wednesday cricketer pays— they would tlien achieve a revenue of lis." per day per game. Counting in hockey, "soccer, and lacrosse that would be 335. per day.' At present the council gets about 4s. per day, and this, of course, is absorbed by tho cost of markins out the lines. "Soccer" jieople certainly should bo called on to contribute. ' They have disfigured the ground very badly this winter, but bad as it is, it might have been minimised if the "soccer" spectators had been kept outside tlio fence. Tho boot marks down tho lines, and the bare patch behind each goal are still all too evident.

If tho money, coming from these damaging winter sports were anything like adequate, the Cricket Association, which puts so direct a return into tho ground, would liavo a far le=s drain on its capital. And this would be welcomed by some of tho winter people. Look at (he Wednesday hockcy men who prefer to pay Is. 3d. per man per game (Is. car fare return and 3d. ground foe) to go to Ifarori, for the sake of getting a ground fairly freo from hummocks. Theso people would far rather play and,pay on a city reserve. Gentlemen, A Levy? As for tho general question of tho Wellington Cricket Association's finances, it would seem to be rather premature to say much. A general levy on the Saturday players has been suggested, and, it is to be" hoped that this suggestion will bo looked at with clear eyes. Ono very fine note was struck at tho association's meeting, when Mr. J. P. Firth stated that, cricketers must help themselves. If they do, others will help them, for tho finest of all summer games is not likely to perish without a struggle.

Tho District Scheme. A question which is causing a good deal of discussion in cricket circles at present is tho district scheme, which superseded tho old club system a couple of years ago. One of the main arguments used in favour of the district schcinu was that men (and women) would take an interest in a district club where tnc.v would not have any particular interest in an ordinary club, and that thereby the clubs and tho sport would be strengthened.

This, however, does not appear to havo been the case so far. The old club associations cemented by many years of trial aii'l tribulation, have been broken up, and, with tho old clubs, many of the non-play-ing enthusiasts have lost their keenness. To date, the district residents have not supported their clubs as might have been expected, and tho result has been a hand-to-mouth existence, and generally unsatisfactory balance-sheets.

However, it is only fair that tho district plan should be given another season's trial, but, if the prospects are not brighter this time next year than they are tc-day. supporters of tho club system will doubtless bo justified iu demanding that the association should revert to tho old style. While Wellington does not lend itself particularly to a set of districts there is no reason why the present system should not bo a success if the enthusiasm of residents in tho various districts could ouco be aroused. And it could be done.