CRICKET INTERESTS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 72, 26 March 1930, Page 13

CRICKET INTERESTS

WELLINGTON'S POSITION

REPLIES TO MR. BROAD

In his policy statement, published in "The Post" on Saturday, Mr. I. B. rfroad, i-hairmaa. of the Wellington Cricket Association, mentioned that the association was guarding againsl: a drift back to the state of affairs that existed, in cricket twenty years ago. "To my mind," writes Mi1. A. F. Wiren, "one cannot compare the position of the game to-day with that of twenty years ago, because of the change of conditions. It is true that the association was hard up—in fact, was working on an overdraft guaranteed by old-timers — about that time, but it is equally true to say that, owing to happenings then, the workers for the game in Wellington gradually brought about a better state of affairs, which id helping Wellington cricket to-day. ... I would like to point out that our population has increased by a little over 28,000 iv the last twenty years, and this, added to the fact that our country friends now come along in their cars in greater numbers, all helps to aug.ment our gates of the present day." Dealing with the Plunket Shield matches, which began, in 1907, Mr. Wiren draws attention to the fact that in the first place all games had to be played on the ground of the holders/ of the Shield. "Wellington never succeeded in winning the Shield until December, 1918, when a bit of plucky play by Stan Brioa and Jack Hutchings at the crisis won the Shield from Canterbury," states Mr. Wiren. "Of course, there were others who helped to win that game. From 1007 to 1918 the holders "of the Shield were either Auckland or Canterbury, and during tin's period of alcven yours Wellington did not have u v Shield match on its own ground. Moreover, it was found that teams passed through Wellington in quest of the Shield without playing matches here when visits were due. Wellington, therefore, very operly pointed out that this was doing no good for cricket, and suggested that all matches, wherever played, betwfcen the major associations should be Shield matches. This was afterwards agreed to by the New Zealand Cricket Council, and later a programme was adopted by which the four big cricket associations, viz., Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington, should play one another each season. One year an association would have a match on its own ground and the next season it would have two. By this method each association would be sure of having three matches on its own ground in a period of two years. This is a vastly different thing to going without a Shield match for eleven years, and our income is at once put on a sound footing. It is true, of course, that we had for several years an annual match with Canterbury, which, with few exceptions, was loyally kept up by both associations, but our other fixtures were most uncertain."

Looking at the Wellington Cricket Association's report and balance-sheet for the season 1910-11, Mr. Wireu finds that no representative match was played in AVellington that season. A team, however, journeyed to Auckland at a cost of £72 2a Od, and Wellington obtained £06 16s 5d as its share of the match, leaving a debit of £5 6s 4d; so it will be seen that it is not fair, states the writer, to compare the position of twenty years ago with that of to-day. He also points out that dealings with the City Council in regard to financial matters are not new, the previous chairman of the association (Mr. C. G. Wilson) haying had many interviews with the council. Mr. Wireh also calls attention to the history of the English county championship and Australia's Sheffield Shield .matches to show that the public turns up in larger numbers to its own grounds when its representatives are winning than when they are losing, and he holds that if the coaching question is shelved for ln Te years Wellington cricket will go back with dire results to the local association's finance. "As the City Council takes a percentage of the gate receipts," says- Mr. Wircn, "it is aii important matter to that body as well as ourselves that Wellington should have a strong team capable of drawing a crowd." Various other points are touched upon by Mr. Wiren, who agrees that good' practice and match wickets are of the utmost importance. "But we have always had this question to attend to," he states, "and to provide £100 further is nothing out of the way. We will easily get it back if it means making the games last the full four days." With regard to the Otago match, he mentions that in the 1926-27 season it showed a profit of £277 4s lid (Wellington's share being £189 13s lid and Otago's £87 11s), and he considers that if the match is played on suitable dates next year those figures should be equalled. Dealing with the risk the association has to lake in the matter of the weather for its matches, he suggests that in part it can bo combated. More than once when guarantees have been required in connection with visits from overseas teams tickets have been sold, and on one occasion £100 was netted by this means. The payment of travelling expenses by players, Mr. Wireu states, has been a past experience in "Wellington, and in his young days calls were made on the players (then about 200)— the first of 5s and the second of 2s '6d—to assist in having the ground top-dresaed. While appreciating what has been achieved this season in the honorary membership campaign, he draws attention to the fine work accomplished in this direction in the 'eighties and 'nineties by Charles Bcnlow and Frank Allen. Mr. Wiren offers a suggestion to the Management committee that when there is no visit by a team from overseas an inter-Island match.be played, the four associations and the New Zealand council to share equally in »he profits, which should yield at least £50 apiece, and should grow with the years. The NorthSouth match should be played in the centre having only one Shield match in the particular season.