A VICTORIAN CRICKETING TEAM.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4196, 1 September 1874, Page 3

A VICTORIAN CRICKETING TEAM.

• The following.letter, dated the South Melbourne Club, August 12, and written by an experienced Victorian cricketer 'to a friend in Dunedin, is published in the Daily Times : "I notice the Dunedin, papers have 1 mooted the subject of a visit of 'a Victorian cricketing team to New Zealand. The paragraph has been copied into the Melbourne papers. Pending the! receipt of a.definite offer from your side, the subject will not receive much ■ attention, but what cricketers.l.have seen are pleased with the idea ;aud I have little doubt that a very good team can be got ; but as I explained to you, and indeed as you are aware, the quality of- the team, entirely,depends upon the time that the trip will occupy, and it will be necessary to arrange that/ it will not extend over five weeks. If you decide upon making the offer, I would suggest that the matches to be played should be arranged in such manner that a steamer via Bluff, leaving Melbourne i about seventeen days ; after the team, should pick theni up at Nelson.' This would enable you to play four matches of two days each, leaving nine days for. travelling and recovering from, tho sea, voyage..,.' I cannot., see . how a match can be played at Auckland on account of tho time that it would take to get there and back to catch a steamer,, unless Wellington and Nelson be left out of the programme ; and in arranging your prpgramme you will, of course, pay due regard to the timo occupied in tr»-. , veiling, bearing in mind that five weeks is all the team will have from'date of. leaving Melbourne, and it must be, of course, a matter for your discretion whether it would be better to play three, matches—say" at Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland ; or four matches—say at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington,- and Nelson. In for steamers, 'I think that McMeckan,Blackwood and Co. would accommodate the venture by sailing with the team, upon a Saturday, and following the same route upon the next Wednesday fortnight. This would give a clear seventeen days in New; Zealand, and the team would meet the steamer at Nelson. These are merely suggestions - that have struck me in thinking how much can be in | the short space at command. The only tiling that I have to impress upon you is that any ' programme that you may submit must be ■ subject to the timo named, otherwise tho I strength of the team will be' materially weakened, if, indeed, one could be arranged at all. There are several intercolonial matcli.es in prospective for the coming season, viz., New South Wales, Tasmania, and Adelaide ; it is therefore of importance that you should be early in the field. I would suggest that February would be a'good time ; to leave Melbourne, as many of our loading cricketers giet : their holidays about that time, and I am confident that anyone who can arrange for so long a trip would prefer, the New Zealand tour to any other. Trusting that your efforts to bring about this visit will be successful.—l am, &c, W. J. Rooting, Hon. Sec., S.M.C.