CRICKET BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COAST’S NEW SEASON

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1947, Page 9

CRICKET BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COAST’S NEW SEASON

The newly-elected management committee of the West Coast Cricket Association has made a commendable move to ‘improve‘the standard of cricket in the district by limiting the ' number of teams in the senior competition. The association was almost “flooded” with entries this season and a single competition for senior players would have been unwieldy, besides perpetuating the evils associated with having too many teams in the principal grade. The season will be officially opened on the November 1-2 week-end with five teams in the senior grade, eight in the.senior reserve and seven in Iho-.jnnior competition. This is a considerable advance on last season and the prospects are bright.

New entrants this season, confined to the senior reserve, are Camerons, Nelson Creek and Ngahere. Blackball, which came into the district competition during the latter half of

this year. One of them has been placed in the senior reserve. United will have two teams; and Cobden, for the first time for some years, will have two senior teams, one in the senior reserve.'

last season, won the combined competition and has this year been placed, in recognition of that performance, in the senior division. The Marist Club fielded three teams last season but the loss of several of its prominent players has weakened the general strength and only two senior teams ' were nominated

The concentration of the main strength in the senior championship should assist' to advance the standard. During the lean war years and again in the last season or two there were too many ■ teams depending upon the ability of three or four batsmen and one or two bowlers Tor their'chance of winning matches.