UPWARD TREND

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 56, 4 September 1945, Page 8

UPWARD TREND

WELLINGTON CRICKET

REVIEW AND PROSPECT

Already having experienced a revival of interest in the past season, the Wellington Cricket Association anticipates a big forward movement in tn? .coming season now tnat tne war ha: ended. In its report, tne management committee says that already many cricketers who have been fighting overseas have reappeared on Wellington's cricketing grounds and many more can be expected back in the gam*, during the coming season —the first iv tne post-war cricKet era. The return to two-day .matches in the senior grade is stated in the repdrt to have been fully justified, arid the strengthening of the personnel of the various clubs is mentioned as a strong reason for the question of further grades returning to two-day match play being raised at the annual meeting of delegates, to be held at the Basin Reserve on September 19. The committee regards the renewal of activity by the Wellington Boys' Cricket League and the Saturday morning competitions for boys in Wellington and tne Hutt Valley as one of the most outstanding cricket happenings of the 1944-45 season, and in drawing attention to this it states: "From the boys must come our future cricketers, and it behoves the Wellington Association to look well after these organisations." With a successful season of local cricket, a very full programme of interprovincial matches was carried out with a worthwhile degree of success. There was a pronounced improvement in the play of the Wellington representative side, and another gratifying feature was the excellent spirit prevailing between the other associations and Wellington. The report specially mentions Canterbury as having made a splendid contribution to Wellington cricket by following up its fixture with Wellington at Christchurch with "a special match at Wellington. The billeting of visiting players, in which generous support was given by enthusiasts, aided the financial side of the representative programme. Financially the year showed a marked improvement; in fact, the excess of income over expenditure (a matter of £255 17s) had been exceeded only twice in the past 23 years. Dealing with the local competitions, the report congratulates the Kilbirnie Cricket Club upon the performance of its senior team in winning the championship for the ninth time in the club's 20 years of senior grade cricket. Special mention is also made of the winning of the club championship by the Institute Old Boys-St. Patrick's Old Boys' Club. It is also stated that interest in all the lower grades (for which 53 teams entered, with three subsequent withdrawals) was keen throughout the season, and most championships- were in doubt right to the final round. Junior and colts' teams played representative matches. Appreciation of the coaching work done by Messrs. L. J. Brabin and N. R. Jacobsen for the boys is expressed, and it is anticipated that before long Wellington cricket should see the result of this work, in which 90 boys were coached during the season. The system of coaching had proved a great success, and it had been adopted by the other main associations. On the administrative side of the association's activities real teamwork was shown, the numbers far exceeding an eleven. The report expressed appreciation of all who assisted the association' in various ways.