CRICKET DEADLOCK

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 59, 4 December 1923, Page 8

CRICKET DEADLOCK

AUCKLAND V. WELLINGTON MATCH

TO BE PLAYED ON COLLEGE GROUND

The deadlock that arose recently through the Caledonian Society securing for Boxing Day the Basin Reserve, which has for many years been at the disposal of the Wellington Cricket Association for the annual Plunket Shield match between Auckland and Wellington, has been overcome, for the association, at its meeting last night, decided that the match will be played on the Wellington College oval. On Friday last, the association received a letter from the Caledonian Society, in reply to their representations, stating that’they had been fully discussed at a meeting of their Sports Committee, and that a change of ground would now be disastrous to the society. They were, therefore, reluctantly compelled to decline the association’s offer to submit the matter for negotiations on a financial basis. “We have acted in all good faith,” said the secretary (Mr. G. W. Jenner). “We applied for the use of the ground early in August, and a letter was received from the Town Clerk, dated August 27, granting tho society tho use of the ground on December 26. Evidently the council did not notify your association re the booking, hence the overlapping.” The association thereupon appointed a special sub-committee to deal with the situation which arose. The chairman (Mr. C. G. Wilson) reported that the sub-committee had carefully considered the matter from every possible viewpoint. They felt that the match had been looked forward to for so many years as a Christmas attraction by the people of Wellington and visitors from the country that it should not be postponed or abandoned. (Hear, hear.) The subcommittee were agreed that the best alternative location for the match was the Wellington College oval, and they recommended that the match be played there. At the college ground there was a wicket that, with expert care in the interval, could be made perfect. The enclosure was a natural one to accommodate a big crowd, as the hill slopes rose conveniently on two sides of the oval. The sub-committee were in a position to guarantee seating for 4800 people, and a big crowd could see the match in comfort. He moved formally that the match be played at the college oval. Mr. H. J. Buck, endorsing the chairman’s remarks, said that the question of the right to charge for admission to the college oval had cropped up, and the sub-committee had sought the opinion of the Attorney-General (Sir Francis Bell), acting upon whose advice they were quite satisfied of the legality of charging admission fees. They also learned that the Lawn Tennis Association had had the use of the oval, and had charged, for admission. “While we were interviewing Sir Francis Bell, a very pleasant little incident occurred,” said Dlr. Buck. “We congratulated him on having been elected a life-member of the New Zealand Cricket Council, and he asked us how our financial position was. When he was the association had a credit balance that ran into four figures, he said that, in the old days, whenever a representative of the association came to him, he immediately reached for his cheque-book. (Laughter.) Sir Francis Bell complimented the chairman of the association (Mr. Wilson) on what he hail done for the game, and said that its progress and success were a tribute to his able administration. (Hear, hear.)” The association unanimously decided to agree to the recommendation that the match be played at Wellington College oval.

Detailed arrangements for the conduct of the match were put in tho hands of sub-committees. It was also decided to arrange with proprietors of buses to run a regular time-table from the suburban, centres on Christmas Day, when trains were not running. The original dates set down for the match —December 24, 25, and 26—were adhered to. /Admission was fixed at one shilling.