HAWKE CUP MATCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 December 1924, Page 5

HAWKE CUP MATCH

SELECTORS’ BUNGLING

OVER APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN

TEAM PLAYS AN. HOUR WITHOUT

LEADER

Now that the Hawke Cup match against Hawke’s Ray lias been played and meritoriously won by Nelson, one or two points regarding the captaincy of tho Nelson .team demand attention. It should firstly fee noted that at the beginning of last year a resolution was carried by' tho cricketing bodies that in future the selectors should appoint the captain when, the team was stead of as previously leaving it to players on the ground. No exception, wo think, can be taken to this instruction to the selectors, and it, was put into etlcct in representative games last season. In tho first representative match this season for the Hawke Cup, Marlborough v. Nelson, the selectors failed to appoint the.’captain, and the team were not finformed until tho last, minute that they had to make the choice themselves. In the game against Hawke s Ray the selectors again failed to make an appointment at the time the team was selected; and shortly before the game was set'down to commence a Motueka play** notified' the other members of the team that he had a letter from the Motueka selector, to be handed to the Nelson selector (Mr Kemnitz, who was also a member of the Nelson eleven). Kemnitz was spending Ins holidays at Wai gamoa and had not been able to reach Nelson in time for the start of the came. Having reason to believe that fhe communication contained information' relating to the appointment of captain, tho members of the team took it upon themselves (m the absence of Kemnitz) to open the letter, which sta - 1 ed 6 that the Waimea and Motueka selectors (Dr. W. H! Pearless and Mr Scott, respectively) had appointed Kemnitz captain. In the absence of Kei tern. found itself somrtat in a quandary, and expressed the d sire to follow the method adopted m the match against Marlborough and api their own captain. The appointment wasthen offered to Neale (who was almost unanimously elected to fill the position' against Marlborough); but he - sidered it would not be. right to set aside the decision of the selectors; and eventually Blamires undertook to carry on until the player appointed arrived. After play had been in progress about 4U minutes Kemnitz put in an appearance (having been unavoidably detained on the road). The game was* suspended and he was notified Of his selection. He was apparently under the impression that Neale had been carrying on .in the meantime, and expressed his desire that he continue. When play was resumed the temporary captain (Blamires) thought Kemnitz was carrying on: while the latter was under the mistaken impression that Neale had consented to do so. One result of the misunderstanding (due entirely to the selectors not carrying out their instructions) was that the Nelson bowling was not changed until some time after it should have been, 'then, too, the extraordinary position could not but have a bad effect on the Nelson team. , . ■ •Another misunderstanding was m regard to the wicketkeeper, and apparently no one was selected for this position. It was stated that Smith was informed by the Motueka selector that Kemnitz had been chosen; while the latter was equally certain that Smith had been. No less than three Nelson men were given a trial behind the

wickets. , i , . • Another point to bo emphasised is ' that owing to the failure of the selectors to appoint a captain in time, there Was no one with authority to act tor Kelson prior to the match. It seems to have been no one’s duty to/see to the of tho wicket, and this, we understand, was put in hand without instructions from the authorities. N°r was the-n anyone to decide as to whether" the ground was fit, to play on—-a most important point in view of the weather conditions prevailing.

, MANAWATU V.. NELSON (United Pr>«“ * “-wlatlon.) \ r PATjMERSTON N.,’ liis Day. The Mahawatu Hawke Cup team against Nelson will be : —McVicar, Mullins, Eyre, Bennett, Harrison, Hope, Burke,‘Donaldson, McSweeney, Perrin, Gallichan; emergency, McDonald. V The team, leaves on Friday. s

In connection ' witli - this telegram, 1 it may be stated'that the Nelson Association is endeavouring to have the match with Manawatu put off for a few days. Telegrams have been sent to Palmerston North to this end, but up to the time of going to press no reply had been received. It is felt that the . tpie is tor* short to prepare a wicket lor a match on Monday.