PLUNKET SHIELD SERIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 22

PLUNKET SHIELD SERIES

POSSIBILITY OF BREAK MENTIONED

>' v^^rfyetrthe. war, except, that clubs have- lost some of their-players .'thrbjUgh, enlistments, has not interfered unduly with cricket and other \--sports; activities in New Zealand. But it might. No one can forecast :.wiith..ariy, !degreei of. accuracy, what the position;is likely to be.- If the :;War continues and develops into a, long and. bitter struggle,. for .which .Aeyentviality vthe British Empire has been urged to be prepared, then .by '^next,summer- there will most certainly be big changes.in the sporting '-^ scene as we; know' it at present in this country. ••: This possibility is not \ being" overlooked ■by sports - officials^ and was mentipried'in Auckland ;:55the;:Pther,, evening, by Mr t W. R.Fee, chairman of the Auckland ■y^C^icket'^Associatipn. •,. . .^vMiv^Fee}; was speaking at a * functipiMat ;which; members of, the, successf^^vckiand representative team -and thet^uixiiiires p who officiated in; the matches'were entertained by the man: committee "of the Auckland Cricket Association. In welcoming the gatiiering: the chairman of the associatiori,;?Mr/ ,W.; R.;!Fee, said that, .with they possibilitythat this season's Plunkißt|Shield "series would be the last tor^dorrie ;'years, the committee had felt ' that; such "a-successful' year could not bjl;aildwed-;to, pass, without celebration. He 4 wished to^ convey to, players ajid ptfcrals'lthe' committee's: sincere appfeciation'pi their efforts on the field and ■their'/ assistance generally in the intiirest's of the" game! fie doubted "if at any! time, in |the. histpry : pf. Auckland cficket the standing of the association hta) beten: as high as- it- was at.pre- •, WLr::see:'..reviewed the -team'svPlunket

allowing it to be clouded from outside,: then his .' selection should meet "with', pretty general approval.

the flkft.^ recpyery: staged .after the initial seiback'at'Wellington. The future of Shield'cricket;was:indefinite;.he faid, bttt?|tj seemed useless-to imake .'any\decisipn 'in,the, niatter ; at present.. v-£is& D-v Hay; chairman of the Eden PatK-; Board, of Control; congratulated the-Aufcklarid captain, W: M. Wallace, oill&is,; team's;! display.. As regards persojiicp,' he ,did not think that the provin|^:" .Had ever had. better representa■Kon^ 'Inion'ly one departments runnmg\;b.etweeii ?the ; : wickets, would he giyetpreference to players of the past; j His! itask as .captain had been.; made eo&p&ratiyely ,easy owing to the excelieiii; support he had received from; inemßers". of the team,, said, Mr': -Wai-: -lacevl^/lle^paid a tribute to the'assist? ancei given 'by the' manager of the side, Mr:"'E.,'R:' Sutherland, and. complimented; JVTr. H. Watson i s groundsman ati^Edeir Park, on the wickets provided for^thev Canterbury and Otago games.

Mr. JE.-R. spoke on bebalf of ;the umpires. IJe expressed ap-preciation-of ..the-vspprtsmanship.. .of. Ayclcland representative cricketers,, ■wKo^he said, accepted; decisions withc^ut^emur. ; v : : j Presentations of representative tropjiies* were, ; made as.;follows:-—Mr. D. Hay's.'bat; V. Scott,, for 198 against G^nterbury; Mr. H. W ; Brien's trophy. for 211 against Canterbury; 'Mr. 1 Wi R. Fee's trophy (crys^l^water 'set) % . J: Cowie, -six for 44 a'gajfest :Otag6;; Mr. W. Batger's bat, •Ty^|3^^WaUace/--for.\.'highestv-mdividual ssn£ '-"by, an ;Aucklahder in Pluiiket; Siiilld'vseries; Mr. ■¥. G. Maunsell's lia^i'V.'.S.'Sale and G.L. Weir, for battibg: and bowling: respeetiyely ;agaihst Wellirigton. ; , ; '.V .'.. \A[Ch:'^\V-^\ -■■■- \