SPORTS DISABILITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18890, 12 December 1924, Page 12

SPORTS DISABILITIES.

Vneven cricket pitches. PLEA FOR IMPROVEMENT; DOMAIN . AND VICTORIA PARK. For tho purpose of advocating improvements to the cricket pitches at the Domain cricket ground aud Victoria Park, a deputation from the Auckland branch, of the New Zealand Sports Protection League and various sports bodies waited upon the City Council last evening. Mr. R. B. Lusk, president of the branch, prefaced his remarks with a personal explanation to the Mayor, Sir James Gunson. At the annual meeting of the branch he had deplored the transfer to the hospital of some four and a half acres of the Domain, and it had been interpreted that he had labelled the council's action "underhand." Sir James had taken exception to those remarks and he (Mr. Lusk) now wished to withdraw what apparently had been misunderstood. Apart from that apology, however, he still maintained that the council had done wrong to make the exchange, y Proceeding, Mr. ,Lusk said the deputation was gravely concerned about the condition of the playing areas at the Do main and Victoria Park. A few years ago they were the best playing areas in the Dominion. Since 1910 they had dateriorated until now neither tho match nor the practice pitches were fit to play on. The bsd condition of the grounds, moreover, had reacted on the play, so that whereas Auckland could hole its own in the world of cricket a few yuars ago, it had now gone back until men declined to play because of the bad pitches. Tho Domain had been originally set apart for the purpose of cricket, so that cricketers had a strong moral claim on the council to havo the ground put in order. Crick jt was losing every year hundreds of boys who found they had no chance to play the game they wanted. Mr. E. C. Beale, a member of the management committee of the Auckland Cricket Association, said th*t in 1902 and 1906 the captains of .the M.C.C. teams spoke of the Domain and Victoria Park as ths best cricket grounds in New Zealand. Now they were by 'no means the best. He suggested extensions to the grounds and the storage of suitable soil in a shed on the Domain. % Mr. E. S. Stallworthy, representing the Suburban Cricket Association, said the condition of the pitches made them actually dangerous, and with a swift bowllr on the field the men had to be constantly turning and ducking to avoid injury. Mr. C. E. Major urged the removal of the corrugated iron shelters on the Domain, characterising them as an eyesore. Mr. H. Frost, president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, asked for two anore football grounds on a site adjacent to the new War Memorial Museum.

Another speaker was Mr. A. J. Williamson, representing the Auckland Public Schools Cricket Association. Sir James Gunson said he accepted with pleasure Mr. Lusk's explanation regard ing the exchange of the Domain area. He pointed out that expenditure on the playing areas had been proceeding steadily for years and the council hacf done it 3 best as regards their upkeep. If that upkeep had not been suitable the council would willingly review the position. As regards the Domain shelter sheds, it had been the council's policy for six years to have them removed, but at the request of the Education Department, which was then experiencing a shortage of accommodation for teachers, they had been applied to educational purposes. When the new training college was completer! at Mount Eden the present position would terminate. '

On the withdrawal of : he deputation, Mr. F. W. H. Brinsden expressed the opinion that the patches v; ere* not as bad as speakers had made out, He main tained the grounds were in better ce-ndi. tion now than they had been for a nuan ber of years. ( The matter was referred to the Parks Committee, with a request that the deputation be invited jto confer with it on the subject.