WOMEN'S CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 20

WOMEN'S CRICKET

At a recent meeting of. the executive of the Wellington Women's • Cricket Association, notice was' drawn to the fact that two intermediate teams had defaulted last Saturday, and that one had withdrawn from the competition. It was stated that many players in the grade had lost heart owing to the fact that they had batted perhaps threequarters of an hour and fielded the rest of the afternoon. The, grade was dominated by .four teams, just as the senior grade was also split into two sections. This being so the games were becoming very one-sided, and it was considered high time steps were taken to keep the players' interest sustained and make their games more enjoyable. It was decided that championship matches • should be closed- in the near future and a new competition instituted, with certain teams regraded.

This is a .step in the right direction,, for such teams as College Old Girls, Technical Old Girls, Kilbirnie, Hutt United, Technical Day Girls, Y.W.C.A., Wellington and Trinity could enjoy evenly matched games, although College and Technical Old Girls would still be considerably stronger than the remaining sides. Midland, Aitkens, Randwick. Lever's. Onslow, Y.W.C.A. (second), College Old Girls (second and Technical Old Girls (second) would also be more evenly matched.

Technical Old Girls soundly beat a depleted Wellington side, by over 200 runs ■ recently. At the beginning of the season, with such players as M. Corby, B. Porter, E. Daniells, D. Simons, JV Mack, M. Wilkins, and B. Chittenden, Wellington appeared to be a. team that would have to be reckoned with, but withdrawals have weakened them.

Y.W.C.A. is another club that has been affected by the transfer of players, and have recently lost the services of H. Haigh, who was a very useful performer for the club. They, like Wellington, have had to fill the gaps with young players. They turned on a spirited performance against College Old Girls last week.

The performance of- the Institute cricket teams throughout is helping to all showing good promise, the club championship. With a preponderance of young players in the lower grades all showing good promise, the club should retain its high position in Wellington . cricket.