AGAIN REFUSED

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3308, 31 March 1926, Page 3

AGAIN REFUSED

AFFILIATION TO CRICKET COUNCIL. MANAWATU OPPOSITION. [By “NOT OUT.”! The Peilding and District Cricket Association first applied for affiliation to the New .Zealand Cricket Council, in October, 1922, and in spite of repeated refusals, has continued to apply, only to meet with the same answer, which is based on nothing further than the opposition of the Manawatu Cricket Association. It is difficult to see what advantage the Manawatu Association can gain by repeatedly vetoing recognition of the local Association, which has done so much for cricket in the town and district it represents, unless the Manawatu body recognises ip the Peilding organisation the growing power it is. Cricket in the Peilding district was more noted for its quality than for its quantity in the years prior to the Great War, when there was no local Association and only the one Pending Club, which journeyed to Palmerston North to participate in the Manawatu competitions. Those were the days when Peilding boasted, but few cricketers, though in their ranks there were many Manawatu representatives. Immediately after the war, however, an energetic and capable committee was formed in Peilding to secure the first essential towards the improvement of cricket. This committee is still in existence as the Kowhai Park Committee, which has, by a variety of means, raised a sum approximately £I,OOO, all of which has been expended' on making ICowhai Park, the splendid area it is to-day. No sooner was Kowhai Park In a fit state for play, than a meeting of all interested in cricket was called and a local association w r as formed in 1921. This association, which, owing to Manawatu’s opposition, is refused recognition by the New Zealand Cricket Council, has organised Peilding cricket, as it was never before organised, and brought hundreds of players out who otherwise would never have heard the sound of bat or ball in P eilding. Eight teams entered in one or other of°tho Saturday competitions during the past season, while about a dozen teams of primary schoolboys overrun Kowhai Park every Saturday morning. Already, in fact, the worst difficulty is that of accommodating all the games that might be played. Fortunately, a good wicket is available on the High School ground, while ICowhai Park can comfortably house three men’s games. ,

Though Feilding is in the district apportioned to tha control of the .Manavvatu Association, there has never been any evidence of control or interest in the sport in this district by the so-called controlling body. Naturally, with a body of energetic sportsmen behind it. Feilding sought separate affiliation and direct recognition by the New Zealand Cricket Council for the town and district embracing Apiti, Kimbolton, Kiwitea, Cheltenbam, Colyton, Halcombe, Sanson and so forth. All this territory is naturally described as Feilding and district, and without our Association, there never would have been the cricketing enthusiasm that is evident on all sides to-day. The scheme of going to Palmerston North for a game each Saturday was a failure as far as encouiaging and developing the sport in this town and district was concerned. The birth of the Feilding and District Cricket Association has ni'ide the sport boom in the district, and surely an organisation, which has done so much on behalf of cricket, should be recognised by the body which is charged with fathering and fostering the sport throughout the Dominion. The new Association’s first application to the parent body for affiliation was refused. Nothing daunted, the Association advanced further reasons in support of the request, but without avail, until it became perfectly obvious that the one serious obstacle was the opposition of the Manawatu Cricket Association. Finally, the local Association approached the opposing authority for reasons for its pronounced and unjustifiable opposition. When the reply came, the Now Zealand Council was again approached, without result. Having no representative on the Council, and apparently no friend, Feilding was again downed by the purely self-centred interests of the IManawalu Association. As a cricket association, the local organisation is without the law. Its promoters can, however, carry on in the full knowledge that they have brought together hundreds of cricketers and given interest to a go.odly company of interested townsfolk who enjoy their Saturday afternoon on one of the prettiest cricket grounds on the West Coast—Kowhai Park. Affiliation

or no affiliation, cricket is a good game to play in Feilding; and whatever the Manawatu Association may solemnly promise to do—"to further and foster the game in the Feilding district” —it is obvious that the Feilding and District Cricket Association can thrive alone and Manawatu can do little or nothing to help it. lu order that something of the opposition to Feilding's recognition may be understood, a few extracts from the official correspondence on the subject arc appended. In a letter dated November 25 last, the Manawatu Cricket Association said: “Evidently your new committee is not cognisant of the details and position, otherwise it would not make unfair demands for such reasons.” The letter went on to complain of Feilding's “back-door” application to the Cricket Council and then set forth the following reasons for opposing Feilding’s application:—(a) The territory of the Manawatu Cricket Association was too small to concede any to another Association; '(b), the formation of a minor association at Feilding, although not perhaps at present, must in later years weaken representative selection; (c), the Feilding Association has always received consideration from the Manawatu Association; (d), the Feilding Association has never become affiliated with the Manawatu Association, as a Sub-Asso-ciation; (e), the Feilding Association players at one time participated in the Manawatu Association’s competitions and there is no reason why the same, should not continue; (f), that in the event of the Feilding Association wishing to carry on its own competitions, a match could be played between its winning Club and the winninig Manawatu Club; (g), Mr. A. M. Ongley would donate a cup for competition in such championship matches; (h), that no reasons have ever been received from the Feilding Association why the Manawatu Association should grant its consent to affiliiation.

Of late years, Peilding has on only one occasion had one man chosen in a representative game in Manawatu, and the fact that, in later representative matches, Peilding was passed over, is sufficient to justify the local Association declining the request to nominate players for a Hawke Cup qualifying match. Peilding supplied many representatives afr a time when Palmerston North was but a small town. The local Association’s main reasons for desiring separate affiliation are because it is not possible to organise the local competitions in conjunction with Palmerston North and as a sub association, Peilding does not anticipate reasonable treatment. Peilding’s replies to the Manawatu Association’s objections are briefly that not one player would be taken from Palmerston North or the Manawatu organisation if affiliation were granted; the Manawatu Association has neither fostered local cricket nor treated Peilding as anything but a Cinderella: local enthusiasts have provided no fewer than four trophies for the Peilding competitions, while the local High School holds a Cup presented by a Taranaki gentleman for competition amongst the High Schools of Now Plymouth, Stratford, Hawera and Peilding; that the Peilding Association has carried on most successfully for some years as a separate body and at present controls four A grade teams and four B grade teams, and about a dozen primary school teams. A grade matches cover 2 days, the leading team’s average is now 166 runs per innings. B grade matches are finished in one day, thus allowing for a greater number of teams; the Association has the use of one splendid ground of about ten acres with a prepared wicket; that complete fusion with the Manawatu Association would be exceedingly disastrous. This was done in football, with the result that Peilding provides but one senior team and there is much friction between the two centres. TJhe local hockey association broke away from the Manaw'atu Association some years ago and is now an exceedingly powerful and progressive body. Peilding still desires affiliation and intends to remain a separate association and to battle away until the powers that be’, recognise the injustice of their attitude.