KEEN ON THE MATCH

Evening Post, Issue 52, 2 March 1935, Page 22

KEEN ON THE MATCH

TOWN V. COUNTRY

The playing of the town-country cricket match appears to be keenly desired ,as an annual event by most of the minor associations in the Wellington Cricket Association's big Plunket Shield territory. The Nelson Association is particularly interested in the. match, as shown in a letter from that body received at this week's meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association's management committee. Having noted in a report that there was a suggestion that the country associations were weakening on then? request for the playing of the • town-country cricket match, the Nelson Association, through its secretary (Mr. E. R. Neale —a' player with a great record in minor association cricket and as keen an en-* thusiast as there is to be found anywhere), wrote: "In a letter from Mr. Ongley a day. or two ago, asking for nominations from this association, he stated that when he returned to Palmerston North he found that his association'was not particularly enthusiastic about playing the match this season on account of the difficulty of getting leave and the fact that the Plunket Shield matches were completed. Apparently the Manawatu Association has now written to you on similar lines.

"We suggest that this represents the view only of the Manawatu Association, and, as that association has held the' Hawke Cup and its players have had to get a fair amout of leave lately,' it is obvious that they may have difficulty in getting their players away, but this will not apply to any of the other associations. As you know, our association has always been keenly interested in the town-country match, and as far as the majority of players are- concerned it would appear to us to be very much easier for them to get leave now than just before Christmas,- when most people are very busy. We trust the association will go ahead with the match, and can assure you that wo can supply at least four or five good players who will be only too glad to come across." It-came as a surprise to find only one Nelson played included in the country team.