AN INITIAL DISAPPOINTMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 22

AN INITIAL DISAPPOINTMENT

Those who have had long experience of. Wellington's October weather know only too well of the cricket disappointments that the month' offers. Experience has shown, that any attempt at a etart early in tho month is inadvisable, and oven after tho middle of the month, the usual time sot down for the commencement of the season, there is a good deal of uncertainty. This season's competitions aro boing anticipated with much keenness, evidence of which was shown in the largo musters at tho special practices arranged for last Saturday, but the present week has been a bitter disappointment in the fact that practices had to be postponed. Local cricketers were eagor to loosen up in preparation for the official opening of the season, which was sot down for this afternoon, and when prospects of getting in some practice on Thursday wcro ruined by rain there was a fairly general feeling that the start of the competitions should be delayed until next Saturday. Club selectors were placed Tinder a handicap in not being able to ccc their players at the nets this week, and in many cases the filling of places 5n the various teams would have to bo carried out in tho dark. Apart from the initial disappointment, local cricketers should, from the keenness and interest being shown, have an enjoyable club season, with plenty of life in the various grades of competition. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Right from the start of the season the players of senior rank will be striving not only for championship successes but also for representative honours, and tho amount of talent offering is such that selection of representatives will be no easy matter for Mr. A. W. Duncan. No doubt a preliminary selection will be made, and to this end the selector will be noting form from the Beginning of the season. Before Christmas a representative team will be required for a special match with Auckland, to be followed immediately _by the Otago-Wellingtou match. In view of these matches, it would be well to tring the special net into use at an early date, and, as pointed out last ■week, it would serve also as a place in which some of the promising colts, not quite ready for representative cricket, might be developed. The programme of representative matches for the season is.as follows: — pecember 21, 22.—Wellington v. Auckland, at Wellington, jjocember 24, 25, 26, 27.—Wellington v. ■ Otago, at Wellington. December 25, 26, 27, 28.—Auckland v. Canterbury, at Christehureh. December 31, January 1, 2, 3.—Wellington v. Canterbury, at Christehureh. December 31, January 1, 2,.3— Otago v. Auckland, at Dunedin. January 18, 19, 21, 22.—Wellington v. Auckland, at Auckland. ■February 8, 9, 11, 12.— Canterbury v. Otago, at Dunedin. It is expected that- something further will be done in the matter of a visit from Australia, but if no tour eventuates there will be an inter-island match.

WEATHER UPSETS LOCAL PRACTICES