Where Cricket Rests With Tide

NZ Truth, Issue 1148, 1 December 1927, Page 14

Where Cricket Rests With Tide

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin

Rep.)

Crloket? Aqua - froiloo would appear to be the more suitable pastime on the inland seas which Svthe Dunedin City Council is oonJtent to call its playing areas.

''AREAS" they certainly are, but for **• the most part, absolutely unsuitable for anything other than water - polo.

•Dunedin has been very generous m Its allocation of money for flowergardens, but the council's vision seems to' be so blurred. One moment of sooer* recollection of their erstwhile joys as small youths on school playing fields, should inspire them to make provision for the sportloving youfigsters of to-day. . AElower-gardens are all very well, and c'lPfaJniy'most desirable, but, if we remember ' aright^ Eton's playing fields, and. not;- itsJM^tfvered walks, were the places yhere Britain's nation-building endurance, was inspired.

The Dunlin City Council is said to have QUdted^iiOgan Park as a pattern pi -wflatifttetf : a&ve done g,ud sue doing, ;P4' . " "

towards cultivating the sporting Instincts of junior Punedin.

It they have honestly misled themselves m this belief, then "N.Z. Truth" feels the necessity for jogging a very short memory.

All, or practically all, the money spent upon this particular piece of ground was contributed by investors In an art union, organized by the Dunedin sports' bodies three years ago.

Again, the senior wicket on the Oval is but the veriest wraith of its description, and woe indeed unto visiting teams who should be so unfortunate as to attempt an exhibition of firstclass cricket.

Cricket! Given a favorable breeze, a low tide, and a straight bowler, the ball should trickle its way to the three wobbling sticks at the other end of the stretch.

In cricketing 1 parlance, it is quite time the Dunedin City Council drew stumps, retired to the pavilion, stripped off the coats of lethargy, and cleaned a pitch that is now overgrown with the weeds of careless indifference and misplaced optimism.