WHAT IS IN STORE?

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 47, 24 February 1934, Page 20

WHAT IS IN STORE?

CHANCES" BEING MISSED

PROPER PLANNING ESSENTIAL

. Since the cancellation of the Australian toatn|s visit/".to New Zealand, thore has been some talk of staging an inter-island match. Such an evont iwould^be.moro: than welcome, especially as Nor.th and South.have met at cricket 'on only two previous occasions in the long history of the ./game in New Zealand. The- first, inter-island match was played in January, 1904, when South won by two wickets/ The other match, North y. South, took place at.Christchurch' in March, 1922, North winning by. five .wickets." ( With nothing else in the way. of 'a big. attraction, an interisland, match tliis season.'"would help to fill a big gap created'through the loss of a, tour which-had . better prospects than was considered at headquarters. Since /Wellington are' playing a special match' in' Christchurch, the inter-island match, if/it is decided to play one, shimld-be allotted to Wellington; However, in the lightof what has happened .one does not .feel too confident about the/proposed event coining, off, More big cricket is badly .wanted in this country, and the controlling authorities should be only too eager to take all that is offering and only too willing to provide as much as possible wher there is nothing offering frbni overseas—a blank which.,'should rarely be drawn. The/field on which to draw for the provision of cricket attractions for New Zealand is very wide. It is no exxagertion to say that a team could:be brought from Australia almost every year, and there are also visits from England; the West Indies,, South Africa, and India to" be considered—all possible /if the of tours is properly undertaken.'lt ; is a' fact that New Zealand ha'si. missed .good opportunities in the past, and the outlook for the fiture is riot improved by the precipitate action of the New Zealand Council in cancelling the tour that should now have been ■under ~way. -In planning .ahead—a matter of considerable- importance in arranging tours—New Zealand has been sadly lacking. 'Some cricketing countries know' th"eir "^ fixtures for years ahead; New Zealand does iiot even know what its, cricket programme, is for next season:■'•.:-..', V «■:.- \-...'.- ■-..■,••--