Cricket.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 285, 14 July 1877, Page 21

Cricket.

THE PAST SEASON. By Tom Brown. (Continued.J To summarise the season's play one cannot help thinking that our players in all stages of the game are lamentably behind those of the other leading cities of New Zealand. No doubt the want of suitable ground on which to practise militates greatly against their making themselves proficient; but still, the best use is not made of the only available ground, i.e., the Basin Reserve. There is a great want of system apparent in the present mode of practice. We all want to be Jupps, Hill-', or TJllyetts, an impossibility under existing arrangements. One has only to give a look in at the Basin Reserve during the season, to see, perhaps, half-a-dozen players hanging around the wickets waiting for their turn to bat or bowl. Heaven save the mark! No one seems to think that fielding is an essential qualification to make a man a good cricketer. Many of our players, to their cost, had their eyes opened to their deficiency in that department of the game when the Englishmen gave them such a leather-hunting. They may expect to be treated similarly by the Australian team, should they come here before visiting the old country, unless more attention is devoted to it. To make the practice systematic and pixintable each club at the beginning of the season should appoint one of its number, and the one who is most frequently, or who will make it his business to be on the ground, to take charge of the practice. His duty would be to say who should bowl, care being taken to " put on" only those who can do something in the trundling line, and place the men at his disposal in their respective places in the field, shifting them about until he finds in which position they show the best aptitude, as it is a recognised fact that a man may be good in one position while in any other he might be the veriest duffer; and it is only by this means that a man's proper position in the field can be arrived at. The batsman should be allowed not more than five minutes' grace, and then out when bowled or caught, and not to remain longer at the wicket than fifteen minutes should he succeed in keeping it intact. Each man should take his turn at batting in the order of coming on to the ground. Two bowlers should only be allowed to bowl at a time, and not longer than fifteen minutes if there are other change bowlers on the ground. By this means every one would have an opportunity of showing of what he was capable of doing, and when a match took place the captain would be in a position to know on whom he could depend. In the event of the practice captain—as the person elected may be termed —being absent, then it would be wise that those present, should elect one in his place for the afternoon. If this suggestion is carried out, I am confident a great improvement in all branches of the game would be the result ; and therefore I recommend it to the serious consideration of the committees of the various clubs, so that they may be prepared by the opening of the season to initiate a better system of practice. In most clubs of the other colonies, printed practice rules are hung up in the pavilion for the guidance of players ; and I would like to see the same plan adopted here, as it has been found to work well. Bravo, Councillor George. The thanks of the community, and especially the cricketing portion of it, are due to you for the persevering manner in which you succeed in getting your fellow-Councillors to agree to do a sensible work, i.e., the planting of treas, &c, round the Basin Reserve, and otherwise improving it. The least the club committees can do is make him an honorary member of their clubs for interesting himself on their behalf. I consider, however, that the Mayor is right in thinking that the Council should have some control over a reserve on which they spend money for improvements. In many of the large cities and towns of Victoria similar reserves are vested in the Councils, who have the power to lease to a cricket club or association the sole right to the centre portion of the ground for cricket purposes, and a portion of the reserve for a pavilion and ladies' lawn at a nominal rental, and only to be paid if demanded. The club or association being bound by their lease to expend a specified sum on improvements to the leased portions of the reserve, and also to have the right to charge an admission at the gate for match 3s or sports held under the auspices of the lessees. In the city of Sandhurst and one or two towns of lesser the club's right to the ground i« yiven direct from the Crown and vest 1 I.L the club's committee. For the benlitof the Lands Department, City Councils, and cricketers generally in New Zealand, I

give a few of the regulations published in the Victorian Government Gazette of March last, and referring to the ground of the Bendigo United Cricket Club. I have the whole of the regulations by me, and should any interested person wish to see them I shall bo most happy to place them at his disposal. The following are the regulations referred to. "Regulations.—l. The reserve is parcelled out inte the following divisions :—(1.) The grand stand, pavillion, members', ladies', and carriage reserves ; (2) the playing ground ; (3) the remainder of the reserve. All persons shall be admitted to the third division free of charge, from sunrise to sunset, except on days whereon international, intercolonial, cup, and other important cricket matches rIuUI he played, and also on days on which sports shall be held in the said reserve. 2. No person shall enter at any time into any part of the first division except on production of a ticket issued by the committee of management duly authorising such person in that behalf. Any person committing in the reserve, or in any of the buildings or erections for the time being thereon, any of the following offences shall be removed from the reserve, notwithstanding such person may have purchased and shall or may be in possession of a ticket of admission to the reserve or any part thereof : —(1.) Assaulting any other person. (2.) Being drunk. (3.) Crossing or trespassing upon the playing ground during a cricket match or sports, or during practice at cricket, or when crossing or trespassing upon the ground would be injurious to it as a cricket ground. (4.) Using profane, indecent, or obscene language. (5.) Using any threatening, abusive, or insulting words. (6.) Behaving improperly or riotously. (7.) Being found in any part of the first, second, or third divisions and not producing upon demand or (if required) not surrendering to any gatekeeper or other person having authority from the committee of management to demand production of the same, a ticket duly authorising admission to that part where such person shall be so found.

The present system in vogue here of vesting the Basin Reserve in three trustees, representing respectively the public cricketers and the Caledonian Society, is an absurd one to my thinking. Why not adopt a system like the foregoing, or something approaching it. In the first regulation the public are provided for, and the others provide for the cricketer. But to satisfy that august body—the Caledonian Society—let the reserve on New Year's Day be kept for their especial use ; and if the other national societies also want the reserve for their use —say, for instance, on St. George's or St. Patrick's Day—by all means let them have it ; but as cricketers make the most, and the best use of the ground, then let the reserve be vested in their association. I believe I am correct in stating that the Cricketer's Association have spent more money on the reserve than all other secieties put together. The Caledonian Society does not spend any money, or if they do, it is a very small sum, on improvements to the reserve. Our football clubs are allowed the use of the ground, and for what purpose? The only use evidently made of their privileges is to ruin the playing ground of the cricketers, who have spent at least during last season a considerable amount in getting both the playing and fielding ground in something like condition, only, as already stated, to have it ruined by a body of men and boys who contribute nothing to its maintenance. It is manifestly unfair to cricketers that they should have no control whatever over a reserve on which they spend a large sum of money yearly. It is high time they woke up to the injustice done to them as a body, and agitate for a better system of management. In this it may be confidently asserted the voice of the people and their purses too would be with them, in ventilating and bringing to a successful issue so laudable an undertaking. Great improvements could be made at a comparatively small outlay, and should the means at command • not be sufficient, debentures could be issued on the same principle as that adopted by the Melbourne Cricket Club, who raised £7OOO by this means. These debentures I believe would be readily taken up by all lovers of cricket and the " sporting " public generally—if I may be allowed to use the term—and by this means we would soon have a cricket ground and recreation reserve, of which we might be proud. The matter should be taken up at once and a little more enthusiasm thrown into the subject than has been done in the past.