THE CRICKET FIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 65, 16 March 1940, Page 22

THE CRICKET FIELD

KILBIRNIE'S GOLDEN JUBILEE

CHAMPIONS HAVE NOTABLE RECORD

The achievement of the Kilbirnie Cricket Club's senior team in winning the championship this season is fitting, as the club is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. To that succesjs is added another •which, perhaps, is more important, as showing the strength attained by the club. Kilbirnie has won the club championship. Neither success is new for the club, which in its fifty years has built up a great record. Arrangements are beings made to have the Golden Jubilee celebrated in a manner worthy of the occasion, and it is > expected that the functions will attract a large gathering of oldtimers, as well as the strong body: of present-day members. Down through the years Kilbirnie has played a conspicuous part in cricket, even though it is comparatively young in years as a senior club. Its championship successes have been many, the first being gained in the first season in which the club entered the local competitions.

It was in July. 1890. that the Kilbirnie Cricket Club was formed, and in its Second, season it took part in the W/.C.A. competitions. -The kilbirnie thirds won their championship, after a/keen tussle-with Wellington College; ahdm the next two seasons they were also successful, with the result that the:Dixon Gup, awarded for that competition,, became the club's property.. It! was the Kilbirnie Club : which was mainly # instrumental in having the Kilbirnie; Reserve set up for cricket, and in late yeax's the club has put in some fine work there, as an aid to City Council develppmental work, to make it a, grand home for cricket. IN THE EARLY DAYS. , : Keen to have' their ground ,in good -order for cricket, the club's first-year enthusiasts formed a "working bee," ahd- one. of the. first published notices tin record regarding . the .Kilbirnie Club's activities indicates that early days of preparing the ground and pitch were made doubly pleasurable. The notice, published in "The Post" on August 15, 1890, read:—- > - j. KILBIRNIE CRICKET CLUB. The' Wdrking Bee will start : at 1 o'clock, with other amusements at 4 o'clock, tomorrow (Saturday). . It was on October 25, 1890, that the Kilbirnie Cricket Club had its opening match. Teams representing the married and single members were announced as: follows:—Married: Barren, V. arid W. Claridge, Crowther, Fogerty, C. Jorgensoh,' Marlow (2), Preston, Topp, Wall; emergency, T. Clark. Single: Barlow, Burns, Clark, Claridge^ Hoar, Hackworth,. Jorgenson, Jounnax,Tfelspn, ;Randell, Redding; emergen-

cies, Henshaw and McDonald. The notable event was reported ~as follows:—1 ■ ■ ';■•' •. . ■.'..'. : ': "The recently formed Kilbirnie Club opened the season ; with a match between, the married, and single members on'their own pitch on Saturday afternpojv Owing to: the >am each; team played only one innings, and the match will, be continued, next Saturday. The Benedicts ran .up a score of 19, the Bachelors making,.. exactly twice as many, ' vi 2., 38, towards which Hoar contributed^ 12. The club now numbers between 40 arid 50 members, and a very successful season is anticipated. Tomorrow a match will take place at Kilbirnie. between teams representing the local club; and the Alberts." ' ' ,

The match with the Alberts being Kilbirnie's first, with another club, the brief account of it is worth repeating in this, the club's fiftieth year. It took place on a notable occasion for Wellington—the day on which,the inauguration of the Eight Hours' Movement was first celebrated. It was then known as "Demonstration Day." The match, Alberts v, Kilbirnie, resulted in a win for the Alberts by 121 runs. The report stated: "The Alberts, who went to the wickets first, scored 84, the Kilbirnies following with 25, just, saving a follow-on by one run. The second innings of the winners closed for 82/ The Kilbirnies went in again but stayed there • a very short time, only making 20- runs."' Kilbirnie's next venture was against "all-comers," and then they played matches with House and other teams, one. of which ,was the Torpedo Corps. Kilbirnie defeated tho Torpedo r Corps by nine wickets; ;f

The club's first president was Mr. H. D. Crawford, and one of the first vice-presidents was Mr. F. Sidey. The first secretary-was Mr. Albert G. Jorgeilsen, but after the first year the secretarial duties were taken over by Mr. F. K. Kelling, who was a prominent figure in the in those days and who ha>-.-. since followed cricket with the" keenest of interest.