CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 89, 12 October 1937, Page 16

CRICKET

WELLINGTON CLUB'S

STATUS

SECOND GRADE TEAM

The effect the relegation of a second jrade team would have on its senior Dleven was discussed at the meeting Df the Wellington Cricket Association last evening. , A letter was received from the Wellington Club saying that as there was a possibility of its second grade team being relegated to junior A it would like to point out that a senior grade team without a second grade was at a great disadvantage, as there was no nursery for bringing along senior players, the jump from junior A to senior being too big. This acted as a deterrent for prospective members. It was feared that as the club had passed through a lean time a further setback woi 1 make it difficult to recover. Mr. L. J. Brabin, chairman of the junior championship committee, said that it had decided to recommend to the association the playing of the Wellington Club's second grade team in the junior A grade. The chairman, Mr. J. H. Phillipps, said that it -was a question of whether the Stop Out Club, which for some time had been incorporated in the Wellington Club and which was now recommencing play under its old name, should be considered a new club and be given second grade status while the Wellington Club's team was drafted to junior A. The performances of the Wellington Club had been bad. he S3 Mr E t C. Wiren declared that if the recommendation of the junior championship committee was adopted it would be the beginning of the end of a senior club. If a man in a senior team was not playing very well and the captain decided to place him in the next team he would have to go to junior A and would have little chance again of recovering the big gap to senior. Petone had had a second grade team put down to junior, he said, and after that the club started to go downhill, and if Wellington were relegated the same thing would happen. The senior clubs were the mainstays and should be encouraged. It was not fair to judge the team on one season s performance, because three years ago the team had been unbeaten in the grade. The Wellington side had six grades and Stop Out two. The move would be a decided death-blow to the club. Mr C. W. D. Bell thought that it would be killing a senior team if the second grade team was relegated. Mr E. T. Aim said that it was not possible to judge a team on performances in the second grade. He felt that a senior team must have its feeding ground." It was decided that the Wellington team should stay in the second grade and that Stop Out should be placed in the junior A grade. CHRISTMAS CRICKET. Mr. Phillipps reported on a meeting that was. held between representatives of the Mercantile Cricket League,, the Hutt Valley Cricket Association, and the Wellington Cricket Association, at which arrangements for a Cricket Week at Christmas were discussed. It had been decided, he said, that the times of play would be 1.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Christmas Day. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on other days. There would be a game at the Basin Reserve, and one at Athletic Park, the other grounds having to be allotted. It was proposed to set up a subcommittee from each body at a later date. , . . . The Johnsonville Club wrote asking permission to change its club colours to royal blue and sky blue, using royal; blue as L a background. Mr. Phillipps remarked that it was time for the association to keep a system of registration of colours for reference purposes. It was decided to ask all clubs for information about their colours before giving sanction to the Johnsonville Club's proposed change.