CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 296, 13 September 1927, Page 15

CRICKET

CLUB SYSTEM OR DISTRICT SYSTEM? CHANGE DISCUSSED BY CANTERBURY SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO REPORT Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, September 12. Holding that tlie years 1908-1944, when district cricket reigned in Canterbury, were the most prosperous in the history of the game in the province, several members of the Canterbury Cricket Association urged a return to that system at Saturday night’s annual meeting of delegates. Opponents of the suggestion said that the club spirit was the real foundation of successful cricket, and it had vet to bo shown that this would be improved- by the rcintroduction of the district scheme. Tho matter was put in the hands of a special committee to be appointed by the Management Committee, who are to make the fullest investigation and report to a meeting of delegates before the end of the present year. . Mr. A. T. Donnelly (West Christchurch), who introduced the subject, said he did not think they were getting the best results from club cricket as it stood to-day. Organisation at the present time was of paramount importance, because there never was a tunc when our opportunities in cricket in New Zealand had been better than they were to-day. Partisanship should not' enter into the policy of club "organisation, but they should look at the good of the game as a whole. * lhe tone of cricket is set by the first. grade teams,” continued Mr. Donnelly, and wo made a mistake by admitting the Boys’ High School Old Boys Club and the Old Collegians to the competition. Eight senior teams, he thought, were too many for the size of the. town. It reduced the standard of first grade play, and this had had something to do with their early representative failures. Such a club as West Christchurch had its supply of players cut off and tho club could not last much longer than the coming season under tho existing arrangement. It was proper now to look round calmly and see. if it was not possible to make provision tor the oiganisation of district cricket This system run on proper lines without any exemptions was the life of cricket. They must not consider tho problem in n sectional way, but from tho point o view of tho good of the game as a whole. , . . . Mr. A. Ley was of tho opinion that eight teams were not toq many tor Christchurch, as Wellington had twelve. He was a strong believer in tho club snirit. for that was tho root from which tb Mr. ie H."S°L’cliry!'tall (Old Collegians) maintained that tha action of admitting the two Old Boys’ clubs had brought many new members into the game who would have otherwise been lost. The present scheme had not yet had a tail tr Mr. H. S. Baverstock (Old Boys) said many promising’ cricketers on leaving school went out of the game because they did not rise immediately into grade cricket Again, many more promising bovs left because they had no direct link, such as an old boys’ club, whereby they could join up. He could g.iye forty or fifty examples where promising youths were lost to the game Dr. P. S. Foster (Christchurch West) said the schoolf did not found cricket in Canterbury. At present gome clubs were blocking the progress of others. District cricket was dropped because, after the war, they found it hard to keep going. It was tho best yet played, and the standard of last season’s grade cricket was the lowest on record. Mr. D. Reese said there was need for investigation. The introduction of old boys’ clubs certainly had brought many young players into the game, but the question was a far bigger one than the one of the old hoys’ clubs. The time would como when even old bov cricketers would not be able to get a game in the first grade for their club. . He advised tho delegates to sink partisanship and take a long-sighted view of the matter. CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING. Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, September 2. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association on Saturday night, Messrs. E. R. Gaygill, H. B. Whitta. and W. H. Winsor were appointed selectors for the ensuing season. A motion in favour of a sole selector was defeated. Several delegates objected to active players being, appointed as selectors owing t> their inability to watch the various p’ayers in action, but eventually a compromise we 3 effected in the appointment of Mr. Winsor to the selection committee as the non-player. CRICKET IN ENGLAND TEAM FOR SOUTH AFRICA PLAY THORNTON’S ELEVEN BY TBLEGBAPn.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Copyright. London, September 11. Prior to their departure for South Africa, the Marylebone team played an eleven selected by Mr. 0. I. Thornton at Scarborough, the game being drawnThe touring team made 205, in the first innings, Tate taking eix wickets for 43 runs. Thornton’s eleven declared m the first innings when nine wickets had fallen for 364 (Jupp 83, Tate 65, Sandham 61), Wyatt taking five for 90. M.C.C. BEATS KENT London, September It. Tho match between Kent and M.C.O. was concluded at Folkestone on Saturday, the latter team winning by 188 runs. Marylebone rnado 343 in the first innings (Hendren 119), Wright taking six wickets for 116 runs, and declared in the second innings when eight wickets had fallen for 275 (Hendren 102, Hearne 100). Kent’s first innings realised 223 (Woolley 141 not out), Durston taking eight wicket, for 110 runs. In the second innings Kent made 207 (Ames 55. Ohaprqan 60), Durstop taking five for 6-4. Owing to rain, there was no play on Saturday in the match between Lancashire (the champion county), and the Rest of England, a four days’ match at tho Oval.

WELLINGTON MERCANTILE LEAGUE. The annual general meeting of the Wellington Mercantile Cricket League was held last week, Mr. J. Adams presiding over a largo attendance. The report and balance-sheet were adopted, and showed the league to have had a successful year, both as regards play and finance. During the evening a presentation of a chairman’s mallet, suitably inscribed, given by the vice-presidents, Messrs. A. w ■ Gibson and P. L. Laurenson. was made. Four new teams joined up, namely. Messrs. Picot Bros., Ballinger nnd Co.. Combined Shipping, and Samuels and Kelly, and it is hoped to have twenty-two teams playing in the competitions lor the coming season. The election of officers resulted as lot-lows:-Patron, Hon. R. A. 'Wright. M.P.: president, Mr. A. G. Cate; vice-presidents, the Mavor (Mr. 0. A. Troup), Messrs. J. Cable, M. Cable, Hope B. Gibbons, R. B. Gibbons, J. 11. Haligan, E. A. Heron, H. U Hindmarsh, W, S. Hood, A. 0. Hunter, F. H. Johnson. J. B. Jordan. A. W. Gio-

son, P. L. Laurenson. J. D. Mitchell, I. Nicholson, C. J. B. Norwood, S. OdJin, W. J Preedy. J. G. Proudfoot. P. N. Rundle, Britton Smith, S. Kelly, E. Picot. J. Young; hon secretary. Mr. 11. J- Laurence; hon. treasurer, Mr. G. Buckman; recording secretary, Mr. L. Gornall; hon. auditors. Messrs. S. Milne and 0. W. Robinson; management committee. Messrs. J Adams. E. Cottenll. A. Croull, J. Cunninghanie. S. Martin, D. Muir, H. J. Lawrence. G. Buckman. —. Haddon, and L. Gornall.