CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12663, 17 September 1904, Page 7

CRICKET.

The membership of tho.Pon9onby District Club this season will be about the same as last year; all the old senior players are still in the district.

At the annual meeting of the Eden District Club on Wednesday evening last the members presented the hon. secretary (Mr. J. B. Kyd) with a handsome pair of gold sleevelinks as an appreciation of his services during season 1903-04. The recipient was one of the leaders ot the movement to secure a ground for the club and worked untiringly to that end.

The Ponsonby Club havo put down two asphalt wickets and are making a pitch on the Richmond Road ground suitable for matches on "off days." In agreeing to contribute their proportion to the guarantee in connection with the visit to this colony of the Australian eleven, the Grafton Cricket Club expressed regret, at the fact that a team of amateurs should charge such an excessive sum as the amount stipulated by the' Australians. The sum asked for five matches is £1250, and some of the Grafton members did not hesitate to suggest that the visit was In-ing taken with the idea of making money rather than encouraging the pastime in this colony. The Kingslaml Cricket Ground had an animated appearance on Saturdaj last, some 40 members of the Eden Club mustering for practice at the nets. Unfortunately, the weather broke down, and a severe thunderstorm caused a hasty retreat to the pavilion. Judging from the conversation indulged in during their enforced wait in the pavilion, the Eden players are very enthusiastic, and the Domain caretaker (Mr. Yates), who had paid a visit of inspection, seemed to be surprised at the improvement made on the wickets during the winter season, and also at the large muster of players so early in the season. Mr. Yates has many friends" out at Kingsland, for the Eden players feel indebted to him for the interest he has displayed in the laying out of their ground. Eden purpose holding a members' day on October 12, when the new players will be given a chance of showing their merits and the junior players an opportunity of ousting players in the grades above them. Elden have four wickets now, and it is anticipated that they will all be required on members' day. The annual meeting of the Birkenhead Cricket Club was held in the Zion mil schoolroom on Thursday evening, when Mr. James MePliail presided. The report of the committee, which was adopted, stated that during the season arrangements were made for a lease of ground from Mr. Johnston, of Birkenhead, for a period of three years, and at the end of the season a most successful concert (the proceeds of which were in aid of preparing the wicket) was held. Eleven matches had been played during the season, of which the club won three and lost eight. In the averages the captain (H. Stewart) headed the list with an average of 13.28, and W. Meredith was second with 8.78. In the bowling G. P. McPhail led by the fine average of 4.02 runs per wicket, being in all 44 wickets for 177 runs; while James Ward was second with an average of 6.50 runs per wioket. The financial statement s-howed that the receipts were £14 12s 3id, and the expenses £13 lis 9d, leaving a credit balance of £1 0s 6id. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patron, Mr. E. W. Alison. M.H.R.; vice-patron, Mr. E. V. Miller; president, Mr. A. Keyes; vice-presi-dents. Messrs. H. P. Taylor, £, G. Skeates, W. Mackenzie, S. S. Kinnaird, Dr. J. F. Carolan. Dr. Bennett, Messrs. I. F. Newton, and Alf. Tavlor: committee, Messrs. v. Dlewellvn, W. Woolley, H. Stewart, H. Covle, "James Ward, and James vVilson; captain, Mr. A'. Meredith; vice-captain, Mr. John MePhail; secretary and treasurer, Mr. F. A. Osmond. The club decided to open the season shortly by playing a married versus single match. As some slight recognition of his services as secretary, Mr. 1. Osmond was during the evening presented by Mr. James McPhail, on behalf of the members, with a silver-mounted pipe and case.

DISTRICT CLUB BOUNDARIES. As many of our cricketers appear to be very hazy 'about tlw district boundaries, the following information thereon will be no doubt welcomed: — City district: From west of reclamation, along" Hepburn-street, Beresford-street, Pittstreet, Kaiangahape Road, Symonds-street, St. Martin's Lane, Cemetery Bridge, Park Road, eastern boundary of hospital, western boundary of Domain, Stanley-street, and along the foreshore to starting-point. Grafton district: From corner of Karangahap* Road along Symonds-street, St. Mar« tin's Lane. Cemetery Bridge, Park Road, Carlton Gore Road. Newmarket-street, across Khyber Pass, along Gillies' Aveuue, past old windmill to School Road, along Windmill Road, Mount Eden Road, and Sy-monds-street. Parnell district: From Stanley-street along the Grafton boundary. School Road, Hillsborough Road, Clifton Road, to ManuItau Harbour, along foreshore and the outride boundaries of parishes of Manurewa and Pakuranga, to th« mouth of Tamaki River, thence along foreshore to Stanleystreet. Eden district: From Oakley Creek along PoßSonby boundary, Beresford-street, Pittstreet, Karangahape Road, Symonds-street, Mount Eden Road, Windmill Road, School Road, Mount Albert Road, Hillsborough Road, Clifton Road, foreshore of the Manukau Harbour to the boundary of the county of Eden, thence along that to Whau Bridge, and along foreshore to starting-point. Ponsonby district: From opposite Hep-burn-street along foreshore to Oakley Creek, along Great North Road, Williamson's Avenue, Maekelvic-street, Great North Road, Ponsonby Road, and Hepburn-street to starting-point. North Shore district: AH that district north of Auckland within a radius of 10 miles of the Devonport Post Office.