"THE GRAND OLD GAME"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1924, Page 7

"THE GRAND OLD GAME"

STIMULUS TO CRICKET

WARM PRAISE FOR PLUNXETSHIELD MATCH. "■ .."

(>T TniOKAPB.-BFICIAt.TG 181 POST.)

DUNEDIN, This Day. The "Star," in an editorial on the cricket match, says: "Unquestionably a stimulus has been given to cricket in Dunedin. The match will act as a tonic to the players. The interest of the public in flhe grand old game will be increased/anU cricketers of other days, men of experience.. and judgment, - and ot weight hi the community, taay;be! expected to give willing assistance in any forward movement for the benefit of the game. To the victors, the winners of the Plunket Shield, the people of Otago ■will give their homage, and congratulate them not only on their win, but-on, the fine sporting spirit which they displayed right through the match. Fortune was kind to them, it is true, but in the ideal conditions under whirfwtho. match" was played they did not receive' any J preponderating advantage1, and,:their'sup.cess was entirely deserved." , ■ At a function after the matcTi, Mr^ "" C. G. Wilson (chairman of the Wellingi ton Cricket Association) said, he-was pleased as an old Otago representative to have been here to see how the efforts of those wh,o had striven- in the'past toforward Otago crioket had been re- ' y-arded. The wicket at Cari ß brook was ' absolutely the best in New'Zealandr He [had advocated for years the:riecessitv [tor good -wickets. Good wickets, had made Australian .cricket,! for the players were compelled to use their heads as well as their arms. In regard to the umpires, he. wished to especiaUy thank them. In Wellington they had an Umpires' Association, the member's of which gave their services freely and ungrudgingly though they were often only rewarded by bricks. It was the ° duty of every cricketer ,to, help the- urnu 0 - imProve themselves, Node was infallible, yet no one more than' the umpire himself regretted any mistale he might have made. Mr.^A. C. Hanlon, in the course of an entertaining speech, expressed pleasure at the esprit de corps noticeable amongst cricketers. > He instanced the action of. the^WellingtDn fieldsmen who , walked up to M'Mullan'and shook hands with him when he had completed his century. The match just concluded was one of the very best he had ever seen in Otegoi not excluding those played against visiting English or Australian elevens, and it would live in the memory of every person who was privileged to 8C k -A j H^ nlon referr^to. the days when it had fallen to his lot to.take the reins of office (he was president for eleven years) and t 0 the "struggle the association had had to become financial Supporters, then as now, had been compelled to put their hands in .their'pockets pretty freely. But he hoped thai !ni U.l Urf -*? 13 WOUW "ot be Pessary and that the association would be in a position, to pay its way. Mr HaYift'n congratulated, the Wellington teSno" its win, and expressed the opinion that it was m part due to the ster&g wicketkeeping of young James. He also con : gratulated 6tago on >he splendid fight and said that the match had caused his cricket blood to flow/ quicker in^h * St^irusedadesi^^^