FEILDING CRICKETERS

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2304, 5 September 1929, Page 5

FEILDING CRICKETERS

WILL STICK TO FEUDING PALMERSTON’S INVITATION IS NOT ACCEPTED UNA XI .MOT'S DECT SION ® Frihling cricKefers dcc-ided without a ilissedtient voice to stick fo the Feilding Association competitions and not to link up with the Palmerston competitions. The decision was made at a- special meeting of all cricketers ’.bold last night in Air Ja&> Jenney’s rooms. Air Y. E. Smith, President of |he Feilding Association, was in the chair, an<|. informed the cricketers, of whom there was a. representative attendance, of the invitation made by the Palmerston Association, through a deputation which had waited oil ilie Alanagemout Committee, namely, that Feilding phould enter one or two tennis in the Palmerston competitions. Personally, he was not able to support the proposal, for it; seemed to him if, would support Palmerston cricket af, the expense of Feilding cricket. To take the best players out. of •; the four Feilding A grade teams and make up one team to play, at Pal-, merston was certain to weaken Feilding cricket all round. However, ho asked for an expression of opinion from the erickters. Air E. H. Lange described; the scheme as proposed by the Palmerston deputation, that Feilding should place one or two tiaras in the Palmerston competitions, choosing the strongest players for those teams. Palmerston had offered that Feilding should have twice as many

gainer played here as in Palmerston.

Ho felt sure that if a, team were selected to play in the Palmerston competitions, that t pam would improve their cricket bv meeting stronger opposition. He appreciated the fact, ’however, that the ofleet would 'he detrimental t° iFeikling

cricket on the whole, as it ‘ would,

much weaken the other teams, and he did not think they could carry on

(lie competitions here *as formerly. Personally, if i}lfe cricketers decided to accept the Palmerston proposal, and he were chosen as a member of the team, he would be willing fo pl a >' in Palmerston, but be would 1 vote against the proposal. Mr A. E. Sand Ford put the question from the point of view of the young and promising players. Tf a team of such cricketers were drosen. to play in the Palmerston •competitions, they would certainly improve their cricket. There- had been promising material produced in Feilding in the past four years or so, but those young players bad not improved, and if they had ehancc with the outside teams, they could improve. Air Rand lord named a team, chosen from t^° l fmir A grade clubs here,, which might bo selected for the Palmerston proposal. The re- ' quest of the deputation should not be turned- down without discussion from all angles.

Mr 0. V. Wiki was satisfied) the young promising If eliding players would their cricket 'by playing in the Palmerston competitions, hut he was not prepared t° sa y a 't present that Foil ding could afford to spare them from the local competitions. He mentioned tike difficulties they had had last season in keeping jhc B grade competition going, and seemed. t° think the difficulties would he greater in the coming season unless there were

some rearrangementMr G. -T. Fitzpatrick conic! not find any cricketer in Fcdlding wr/o wished to play in the Palmerston competitions. Reference had beer, made to “sending” a team to Pal merstnn, hut he asked who was going to do the sending. Feilding cricketers could not he compelled fo play in Pelmerston. Tf a, number of players desired to play.in {he outside competition, they could leave their old •clubs and form a new one—that was the only wav to carry out proposal, and if the players wished to do so, no objections could he made. Put {here was not "the slightest desire on any one's nart to do so.

Mr B. Connell said lie could speak for the High School Old Boys ’Club, and say they played their cricket for- the enjoyment {,hev got out of it. Tf the Club were broken by choosing out some of their players to play elsewhere, the rest of the {earn would .play tennis. They desired (,o stick {o {heir club and play their cricket for the fun they go out of it, hut the be spoil( if the team were dislocated.

Mr W. Power was sure Feilding cricket would suffer if the proposal were adopted. He pointed out that it would require 13 or 14 players to bo associated in the outside team, as they could not always put the same, eleven in the field, and this would; add to the difficulties, Mr T. Donaldson thou gift {ho Feilding Association would have difficulty in providing aIJ the teams to

beep the compel itons going in {becoming season. They bad difficulty last, season in keeping the grades going and, be thought {bjpy would have <grca.{.er difficulty. But he thought the young cricketers would have better opportunities if they played iif the Palmerston competition.

After furher discussion, Mr Randford said be agreed wi{h {he view that Feilding should' stick if, its; own arrangements, bn ft he bad put the opposite view in order that {ho promising young players might he given fltje chance of expressing their feelings on the question. He did no(; want it {o be said later that the question had been settled without looking at it from all sides. He bad now ascertained, {lie views of {lie Old Boys, who did not wish to play in the outside competitions. Mr Sandford thoroughly agreed that it would be detrimental to {lie Foifiling competitions to place a {earn in the Palmers(ou competitions as- questedOn the motion of Messrs Sandford and Wild, it wa« decided unanimously to reply to {he deputation saying that, while appreciating the invitation, Feilding erieke|,ers could no{; recommend it for acceptance,