ONLY ONE GAME

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 55, 6 March 1934, Page 12

ONLY ONE GAME

FOR YOUNG CRICKETER

A MANAWATU COMPLAINT

A complaint regarding the treatment of E. Hatch on the southern tour of the Wellington, representative cricket team was received from the Manawatu Association at last night's meeting- of the management committee of the Wellington Association, at which Mr. P. B. Broad presided. The committee decided to take no action on the grounds that the selection of the teams during the tour was the responsibility of the captain (K. C. James) who had the confidence of the association. The Manawatu Association mentioned that Hatch had paid his own expenses in order. to play in the Town v. Country match to qualify for inclusion in the representative team. Though included in the original twelve players for the tour he had been given only one game in. the three played. Remarking that whoever had been responsible for Hatch's omission had ignored the wishes of the sole selector, the association stated that a grave injustice had been done to a young player. Unless a repetition was guarded against it was considered that country players would decide that it was not worth while endeavouring to qualify for the Wellington team. In conclusion it was stated that the protest was made on the association's knowledge of the facts and that no complaint had been received from the player concerned. In the course of a discussion on the matter it was stated that the committee would not entertain, such a protest from one of the local clubs, and the present letter had to be regarded in the same light. Whether the captain had chosen his players correctly might be a matter on which opinions differed, but the committee could not question, the captain's decision. It was decided to write to B. W. Tindill congratulating him on his fine batting performances this season. The third grade competition will be declared closed after the matches on March 3In reply to a request from the Manawatu Association for a Wellington team to play a two-days' match at Palmerston North during Easter, the chairman said that it would probably be difficult to get a team away at that time. However, the matter would be kept in view.