PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 94, 17 October 1936, Page 23

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

CASE STATED FOR A DEFINITE POLICY

What with preparations for the start of the W.C*A. competitions (set down for next Saturday), the opening of the M.C.C. team's Australian-New Zealand tour, the move for a fifth Plunket Shield district, and the question of promotion and relegation in local cricket, there has been any amount to indicate that another cricket season is at hand. The relegation of the Petone Cricket Club to second-grade status has certainly caused a stir, but even a special meeting of delegates could not come to any decision as to, the best course to adopt in preventing other clubs from receiving in the future the same shock which was experienced by Petone. An.endeavour was made by Mr. A. M. Hollings to have a scheme endorsed for future guidance, but not quite sufficient support was forthcoming, the voting being very close. However, there was thej evidence that something should be done, and, striking Avhile the iron is hot, Mr. Hollings makes a presentation of his case in a letter to "The Post." The action taken by the management committee in promoting Institute Old Boys and demoting Petone was not affected by any vote taken at the special meeting of delegates. ' '>

Mr. A. M. Hcllirigs writes as follows:—-'. .'.'.':.. "The extremely contentious and important question of promotion and relegation of senior clubs playing under the Wellington Cricket Association received a good thrashing by club delegates last Wednesday evening. As the mover of the proposal which started the ball rolling and which was subsequently very narrowly defeated I had hoped to have the opportunity oi replying to "the criticisms made. Not having had such opportunity and considering that this matter is one cf vital importance not only to senior but to all ciubs in Wellington I trust, this letter may be published in" full to enable cricketers" and in particular cricket committees. to have ■ before them the ideasv: both pro con, behind any scheme for promotion and' relegation as put'forward by delegates. This matter must, come up again at a future "date and I hope through. airing the views expressed that some.finality may-be reached on the next occasion. "MEETING "A FARCE." "Wednesday's meeting proved a farce. The delegates did not seem to know what they wanted "The recommendation which I moved and which was ably seconded by Mr. Aim (Hutt) who appreciated-the full significance thereof reads.as follows: — 'At; the commencement of each season there shall be automatic promotion of the club winning the second-grade championship in the previous' season and' automatic relegation of the lowest senior club in that season provided: lvv -That, the winning second grade team'desires promotion (and) 2. That such second grade team represents a .club not already having senior status (and) 3.' That such second grade club has both entered and maintained throughout the season in which it won the second grade championship • asj many or more teams in the W.C. Association competitions as the senior club to be relegated had maintained.' "After hearing several speakers discussing classification of players by the association I should now add a separate clause thus: 'The management committee of the W.C. Association shall have no power to classify players in the senior club relegated to prevent such players playing for the relegated club.1' .. "At Wednesday's meeting I was amazed at the standard of criticism levelled at the scheme suggested.' Constructive criticism was conspicuous by its entire absence and every single speaker against the motion spoke without reference or any regard at all to the crux of the motion, namely, proviso 3. , . NEED OF DEFINITE RULE. . "That meeting was called for the express purpose of arriving at some concrete basis of promotion and relegation —it arrived at nothing. At present it is left entirely to the management committee to decide if and when any club shall be promoted or relegated. Whether relegation (which is the sore point) should take place therefore is. a matter for the opinion of certain men who undoubtedly do their best but whose opinion, like any opinion, is always open to question, argument, and consequent friction:. Hence -the uproar each year. It is manifestly unfair to the management committee to throw the whole onus of such a decision on to its shoulders, especially when a definite rule can avoid all unpleasantness. A rule is definite and a known quantity. A rule leaves no room for differences of opinion and consequently none for friction. The only criticism raised.at the meeting against this contention was to the effect 'that the rule would .VBmain till some club was relegated and then the trouble would start again and a new rule be made.I'l flatter the speaker when calling this criticism. Why have any rules? Why don't batsmen get together -and change the rule that 'a batsman is out when'bowled' —batsmen don't like the rule. Is there any argument when a batsman is bowled? Why not? Because of the rule. Is there' any argument when a batsman is out ,-lbw? Why? Because he is out in the opinion of the umpire. In my opinion these comments etsablish the necessity for a rule on the subject. PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. "The main principles involved in promotion and relegation are:—l. The .necessity for a watertight and known scheme. 2. Interchange of lowest and highest teams in grades concerned. 3. The qualification of club, not team, strength. "Taking these in order (1) has been covered by the above comments oh a rule as opposed to an opinion. Regarding (2) any principle other than relegation of lowest teams and promotion of highest in their respective grades must lead to chaos and cannot possibly be legislated for by any rule. There are many reasons for (3) such as the fact that strong clubs mean stability and permanency. They offer greater betterment to cricket in so far as they have the facilities to encourage young cricketers offering them promotion by easy stages to the top. No rapid promotion and consequent disappointment at early failures. Also strong clubs have no reason to 'tout' for players. They have men coming up through the grades all the while and loss of a few leaders is soon made up. "If it is conceded that all cricketers should have the opportunity of reaching senior status then the best argument for the principle of strong, meaning numerically strong in teams, clubs having senior status is that such clubs provide cricket for a far greater number of players than weaker clubs; thus they offer a greater number of cricketers senior prospects. BUILDING UP STRENGTH. "Now arguments such as the following were raised against the proposal: 'That Midland, winners of the senior championship last season, might be bottom this season on account of loss of players

and such like—are they to be relegated on one season's performance?' The answer is definitely 'yes' if the winners of the second grade are not a senior club and if such winners are a club as strong or stronger than Midland. "The speaker went on to say that Midland will build up and be very strong again in a season or so. Probably so, but why? The speaker unconsciously hit upon the strength of the proposal. It would again be strong because of the club strength behind the senior team the players in the lower teams building up the strength of the senior team after gaining the necessary experience. When such club's first eleven had worked up to real cricket strength once more it must force its way back to senior status —at the expense of a deteriorated senior team or weaker club. The senior competition would thus always be maintained, at high standard; this is actually what is aimed at in promotion and relegation... The speaker lost sight of the fact that any club displacing Midland (with its present club strength) would be particularly strong and an asset to senior cricket. OTHER ARGUMENTS. "Another similar argument was that 'every club has its lean year.' What of it? The arguments above regarding Midland apply but if the club at the bottom of the senior'ladder is .displaced (and such club must be ho stronger than the club displacing it) then it is most probably not merely a lean year but a reflection of the genera! state of a declining club—which in my opinion should not be bolstered at the expense of a growing club. "The argument was raised that a club might be weak in its two top teams—surely this indicates that an amalgamation of those teams in the lower grade is called for. CRICKET POPULATION , COUNTS. '' "A further argument stated that because of the large population of a district maintaining only a weak cricket club, such club should remain senior. Ordinary population hardly enters into the picture. It is cricket population that counts and that is reflected by the club strength alone. "It will be noticed at once that these arguments and, if I may say so, all the other arguments raised failed entirely to appreciate proviso 3 'of the motion. "A factor not considered at the meeting was that most of the second-grade teams represent clubs already having senior status so that a team to be promoted must belong to ai club not only having its first eleven strong enough to defeat the second elevens of the senior'clubs but also such team must be backed by a particularly strong club so that it will have the reserve of players necessary to maintain the strength of the first eleven. "Lastly my sole idea in bringing forward the proposal is to have something definite for clubs to work on for the future. The proposal may be unsound, so far no arguments have shown this, and should it be proved unsound then I sincerely trust for the good of the game someone will propound some other definite scheme to be put into the form of a rule for future guidance. The main thing is to eliminate argument so that we can get on with the game."