TEST MATCHES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 23

TEST MATCHES

WHY OTAGO WAS LEFT OUT,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, 4th February The quarterly meeting 6£. delegates to the New Zealand Cricket Council was held to-night. A motion by Mr. E. R. Caygill that for

Plunket Shield purposes Marlborough bo included in Wellington province instead of Canterbury, as heretofore, was earned. Regarding Otago's complaint' that the council had not fulfilled its promise bygiving them a Test match, Mr. D. Reese (chairman) said that past experience had taught them that the only Test matches which paid the council were those played in Christchurch and Wellington, where the gross receipts were close on £900. He pointed out that at tke last Test at Auckland the gross receipts were £257, and. the last Test at Dunedin produced a similar amount. It was therefore fairly obvious, that if a Test was to be played in either Auckland or Dunedin there would have to be three Tests to makf the thing pay from the council's point of view. With members of the New Zealand team going away on a seven months' tour, the council had cut down their leave to a minimum. "I think Test matches against the Melbourne team should be played by the men going to England, with the object o£ finally tuning them up," said the chairman to a chorus of "Hear, hears." "The council's attitude in arranging only two Test matches was justified in the present instance. We hope to carry out our promise and give Otago a Test match at an early date."