OTAGO CRICKETERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10474, 25 September 1895, Page 3

OTAGO CRICKETERS' ASSOCIATION.

shs annual meeting of the Otago Crleketen' .4 ssociation w»« held at Wain's Hotel last eveniiig. Mr J. Smith, jun. (president of tho asssr.Ubion) occupied the chair, and there wero 20 t-ffictra and delegates present. ANNUAL BEPOET. The report submitted by the retiring commit t:o wns as follows:— From a cricket standpoint the pa3t season's results were of a highly satisfactory nature, and ' it is a matter for congratulation that your committee can reiterate the remarks of their predecessors— th-it the popularity of the game, which ba3 been steadily revived in our midst during the last few year*, is still on the increase. Of the quality of the play it may be eaid that collectively it was above th'i ay-erase. Though in representative matches the display of h&ttim; suffered somewhat in comparison with that of the ; [ireccdiDK season, yet in club matches—both I setiior and junior—there was a distinct improve- ! fuent in this branch of tbe same. Bowline, both in representative and dub cricket, hns invariably btcu of a superior quality with us, unii in this respect the past teasqn proved no exception to Ihe rule, whilst tho fielding was quita up id the usual standard. * j In ri-praeotitive match/is our players again \ &cqaitttjd themselves creditably. Four matches were played, two being won; one lost, »nd one drawn. In the annual match with Southland our men gained a decisive win by 17S runs. A visit ! for tbe first time of a Wellington team resulted i. in the defeat of the local players by 46 runs, our i batsmen failing lamentably in their second inniuc* wlieo victory seemed well within their srasu. Owing to the inclement we»ther, the piny in the match with the Fijian team was confined to one day, and the game was drawn greatly in ' favour of the home eleven. Considerable interest ; was centred in the couclr.diug fixture — that ; against Canterbury, played at Curistchnrcb, and won by Otago by four wickets. Tho feature of this match was the excellent batting performance t>f A. Clarke, who contributed 41 and «4. Mention must also b« made of the fine bowling of A. Dowi.es and A- Fisher, who dismissed the Canter- I bury Kleven iv their first innings for a total of IC. ' Hats w«repre«e>ited for competition in repr»?ent.ir.ive matsbes by rhe Uunediii Amateur Ground Company, and were won by J. Baker and VV. Parker, the former with a batting average of 2CS for eight completed innings, and t!ie latter with a howling average of 69. linker was closely followed in batting by A. Dnwnes aud A. Clarke with averages of 223 and 210 respectively. A. Dowues is also second in Ihe li^t in bowling, and considering that bis ' average of-B'6 for 17 wickets was obtained in the matches against Canterbury aDd .Wellington it must be ranked as a Hrat-c'.ass achievement. It is with deep regret that your committee record the deaths within tho las', few months of Mcssis H. Rose aud \V. 'Hendley, two promineut representatives o? the province in days gone by, and wljo each in his own manner did hin utmo-t to encourage and fostar thr. gamo in Duncdin. The late Mr Kosc wae for some time an officebearer of the association, and subsequently his' assistance whs at various times of material benefit to your committee. \ ' ' . The Cup matches again proved decidedly interesting, ;Six teams took part'in the contest for j the Senior Challenge Cup, which for the second year in succession fell to the lot of the Garisbrook ; A team, their record being nine wins out of 10 matches played. The Grange, Opobo, Duntdin, Albion, and Carisbrook B followed in the orctar named. The junior competition, for which 12 teams entered, was deservedly won by the Dunodiu Club's No. 1 Eleven, which experienced but ont) ruverao ia 16 matches: Thc;Q.coana were next with two loses iv v like number of watches, the other teams sustaining defctt on four occasions and over. Messrs Patsrion and Barr presented trophies for the beat batting and bowlihs averages in Senior Cup matches. The batting trophy was awarded to A. Clarke witU an u.yera»o of oB'B A difference of opinion existed as to which player was entitled to the trophy for bowling, and us tho association has not any ruin governing »uch competitions it was decid»d to refer the question to the cricket editor of tho Australasian—a recognised authority — and abide by his ruling. Unfortunately, a reply has not been received yet. As there is a probability of »n unusually large number of junior teams being placed in the field thin SK&son, your committeo would suggest that each club should only b« Allowed to cuter one learn in tbe.Jnuior Cup competition, and that a thiril-class championship, fur which the lemainiog teams may compete, lie recognised. \" Since the last annual ineetins a New Zealand Orickut Council him been formed for tha purpose of controlling and arranging interprovinciol matches, visits of intercolonial teams, etc., aud to this body the association has been affiliated. Meß«rs C. W. Kattray and A. M'Oonald have acted as deloßales in tbe past, and have already been reappoiuted for the ecsuiue year, so that they might arrange to actenii the council's annual meeting on the 27th In'st. The council has invited the New South Wales Association to send a team to New Zealand this season, and, we have agreed to guarantee that the council shall receive 70 per cent, of the receipts (i.e., gross Ukingp ltss firound-chargee) of any match played here. From ' atest advices It 1* evident that the New South ; Wales team will tour in January or February law. .■■•. •■..-.- -'~.. • ; ; ''.; . v } i"y " i'ive senior arid Bye junior cliihswera affiliated to tho isßociation last year; one of which, the Anderion's Bay, is now defunct.. . Coniinitfee mtetingß, though irequent, were satisfactorily attended. ; '. ' ' ' That financially: the association "has not made any headway, is greatly to be deiil^red. Tlis receipts, including a balance of £14 .1.lsr'4d from pre»io-ii:ytar,-!»mont.l«d U> i'l7' 10j!'M, an-J j the expenditute reachud •', £UH Sa, leaviiii; , a I turn of '£% Bi-7d in hand. Toe-balance sheft shows that the assets (coueistirig of cash in hand, pavilion. Challenge Cup. material, <tc) are valued at £71 133.7 d, and that the liabilities (madn up of balanre of ii-12 doe to Mr Hurper and unpaid accounts) amount to £sfi lU.: There is thus a balance on the credit side of jEIC 2j 7fr, sis asaihet £16 Ills Id for the year 189:i-94i It was reasonably expected that wi'h tbe aiHiiitance'of leyie.s'uhd«r Cup roles and Riven fair gates atreurttseutatiyd mutches the inilebtedneM of the oasociuion would have been substantially reduceci. during the year. Indifferent weather, howaver.'iilfected the attendances at the •'■'outhland and Wellington matches, and instead of deriving a benellt, a-lots eventuated From experience your coinmittca deem itnseUes to anticipate that, the liabilities wilL.be wiped out in tbe oidinary course witbiu a considerable time. It therefore behoves, riot only the office-bearers, but cricketers' themselves, to band together* and make a strenuous ecdeavou r outside of any already lesorted to to relieve tbe association of this burden which has hampered the efforts pf successive committees. ;i / The Chaieman, in moving the adoption of the report, referred to the loss, which ciiokfeb throughout Otago had »n»taitted through too death of Morsrg Rcse and Hendley.; IV] r Rose bad done more financially (ban any other man to belp cricket forward in .ptago; and •■'.■ be was mre that .. cricketers".',■ would aHmiss him very rarich, ~ With so mtny clobi competing last >ear for the Jnnior Cup there bad been a Uiffioulty.in getting one or two rounds completed, and it bad,been thought better tfeat this yesr the second elevens of senior clnbi and the first elßvens of junior club* ebould compete for tho Junior Cup, and aaother competition for other elevens should be iustituted, -;.: The New 2Seala.i<|, Cricket Oduncil, which hud Keen formed ninee the last; annuM meeting oi tbe association, bad already brought about. good results; for »; visit was promised this aeaiiou from a New South Wales team which wonld be accredited by, the New South Wales Asaocialiun, and would not be like the last—a roving team accredited to nobody. He,regretted ibat the Caaucfs-of tbe association bad not'.'bsen imptoved-during theyear, but he hopfd that Vtitb "good;. weather there wouid bs a largo attendance '-. a,t the matcii this year t with Cantetbary, and that; the,'. association would make some money over it. There w»s a -little feeling in Cbristchurch l*st year over the.interprovincial rnitf-b, but he believed that the Canterbury Association had since bad the ball with which the Qiago team dinmißsed Canterbury for 46 in the flifnt" innings 'mounted and bad presented Mr Riittroy witb.it. ,/-.V ''.. ... . •: Mr ('. W. Rattray, in seconding the motion, Itid on tbe tible the ball presented to him by the Canterbury A»Bociation.' The lact that be h--.<l received-thit token showed a kindly iappreci^tion of the Otago victory, and ptiowtd a nicd fieiiog'-ori' tbe p*rt of the't'anteibisry men. That showed alto thtt the feeling which took place afcer the match did nab come from those wh«t had chargoof cricket in Canterbury. Mr G. Ij. Botwn said hi! h»d been instructed to prupose that tbe leanjH competing for tho Junipr Cup should beel»snfi«d into, two ct»s«es aud thab the winners thanld. play oH for tfce Cup,,*,;' ~-~ -- .-.-•/.; •;■:> ■-:,: ■ ■ ' Tno motion wag carried nnanimooely. > : .: ■'■ KI!W CLUBS, ■• '■"•',' , TheTaieri.Morniogton, and University Clubs were »ffiliated to tbe association. ': ' ■ KLECTION OK OFFicB-nEAHEBS. '-•; The election of offic.e-be»rerß for the ensuing' year re«ulted an follows:—president', Mr .7. Sruitb, juo. (re-elected unanimously); yioepresidtnts, M«»Brs C. W. Rattray and A. M'Douald (both re-elected); hob. 'secretary arid treasurer, Mr J. Smyth (re-elected);. com-miWec—-Messts J. Baker, P. D. Clajton, L. C. Goocb, Vf. Maclean, B. Rioger," and T. Ritchie.' . " THR JCKIOB CUP CONTEST. ' . Mr BctuN moved—"That it be an instruction to the committee to, if pofaible, claasify; the jciuior ttams in sections A and B, the' wove.is of each competition to play pit for tbe Cup." •■■•■■■:: • "■■ ■'■■■■■■ After tome disenfsion, in which a preference wi« f3tprei!»td for the suggestion shadowed forth in toe leporfc'of tho retiring committtej tbo motion wan withdrawn. Mr Rattbait then moved—" That the recomni>jiid»tion of the outgoing committee with regard to itifttituting a third series of competitiona be adopted, and that tbe committee may at their option allow any club to enter more than one team for the third-cl&sn championship." • i M/ A. M'DoKai.d seconded tbe motion, which was carried atßnimously. : SBLECTItoH Of KKI'«IiSBNTATIVE TEAMS. Mr A. M'Lean moved—" Tb»t it bs an | in«truotion to the General Commlttse tbdfc'a m»tch oomfiittce of three bs appointed for Ihe enduing'yyni'." ■ , Mr M'Donai,d seconded the motion, which was supported by Messrs W. Elder, L. C. Goooh. and K. A. Kva, and oppoied by Me^^rs Raltray, W. H. Skitch, J. Smytb, and W. Maclean, The motion wan carried by 10 yoten to 8. , MISCKLtANKODS. On the motion of Mr KATTfuy, it was remitted to the General Committee to con»ider ■12 Packets Charming Flower Seeds, Is.—W. Buh.

tb.o advisability of promoting a carnival for the joint b:mefi!> of the association and of the c!uba. A vote of thanks fco the chairman and retiring cffice-bEarers oonolnded tho bminess. c