CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20309, 18 January 1928, Page 4

CRICKET.

OTAGO v. WELLINGTON. If the expectations of cricket followers are realised, they will find plenty to interest them in the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Wellington, which will be commenced at Carisbrook on Friday, and continued until Tuesday. The strength of each side lies in its batting, and as the wicket which has been prepared, given good weather conditions, will be in first-class order, there should be plenty of run-makng. . , The Wellngton side is comprised ot players in whom cricketers as a whole are particularly interested. Among them will be T. C. Lowry, who captained the New Zealand team so excellently at Home. He was known there as a forceful and enterprising batsman. K. C. James, considered to rank next to Oldfield among the world’s wicket-keepers, and a very useful batsman, will also be a member of the side, and a third member who was with the New Zealanders is H. M’Girr, who was one of the best all-rounders of the side. F. T. Badcock, the coach, who made a century against Otago at Wellington, R. Worker, well known to the Dunedin public, and S. Brice, the veteran allrounder, will be watched with particular interest, and others who have found a place in the team are H. Foley and J. R. Lamason, promising batsmen. H. Lambert, useful both as a slow bowler and batsman, and H. B. Massey, a fast bowler, who secured not a few Otago wickets in Wellington. The Otago team will be strengthened by the inclusion of R. C. Blunt, the best all-round cricketer in the team which toured England, and G. Dickinson. All the other members were included in the team which was defeated by the Wellingtonians on their own ground. The Wellington team will arrived by the first express to-day, and will be quartered at the Grand Hotel.

THE WELLINGTON TEAM, INCLUSION OF TWO PROFESSIONALS. CRITICISED BY AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 17. At a meeting of the Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Association to-night regarding the rule which permits a province playing an imported professional in Plunket Shield matches the subject was introduced by Mr E. C. Beale, who said he noticed that Wellington intended to play Taylor, the Australian professional resident in Nelson, as well as Badcock in the match against Otago. He expressed the opirrfon that it was very doubtful if the rule gave Wellington the right to play a professional imported by another association. Wellington had a resident professional, and if it had imported another it would have every right to play him, but he did not think it was ever contemplated that it could play a professional imported by another association, even although such association was allied with Wellington for Plunket Shield purposes. “It seems to me it would be very much better if Wellington did not play Taylor,” added Mr Mr N. C. Sneddon said he thought Wellington was acting within the letter of the law. The point was whether Wellington could play a coach not engaged by its own association. . Mr J. Watts said if Taylor played m minor association matches he should not take part in Plunket Shield games also. Mr Beale: It is bad taste to do it. They are going to employ Taylor to beat Otago and Auckland and help them to win the Plunket Shield. It is not cricket. Nelson is part of the Wellington Association and not part of the province. - The rule says that each province shall have the right to play one imported professional. That rule misses the point about playing someone else’s professional.

VISIT OF AUSTRALIAN TEAM. OMISSION OF INVERCARGILL RESENTED. (Per United Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, January 17. The Southland Cricket Association at its meeting to-night voiced strong disapproval at not being allocated a match against the visiting Australian team and passed the following resolution:- “ That this association records its strong protest against the action ot the New Zealand Cricket Council in omitting Invercargill from the list of towns where matches are to be played by the Australian team during its forthcoming visit to New Zealand, and points out further that there can be no adequate reason tor ignoring the claims of Southland which from the point of view of district population and of that of’ its capital town should have surely been one of the first places included. This association draws attention to the fact that two matches are to he played in Dunedin, and one each at Oamaru and Ashburton, which is grossly unfair when they are arranged at the expense of Southland cricket. This association feels that it is not too late for the present injustice to be remedied and trusts that the council _ will immediately do the right thing including Invercargill in the itinerary of the forthcoming tour, especially .in view of the fact that in the past this association has loyally stood by the council and at considerable expense to itself has helped to finance previous tours. DAILY TIMES MATCH. A match between the day and night staffs of the Daily Times, played at the Caledonian Ground yesterday afternoon, resulted in a win for t£e d £ y /? P l° yee j bv 74 runs. Night staff batted first, and compiled 85 (H. M'Gregor 43, L. Cameron 18 O. Watson 12). Day staff replied with 159 (V. Perry 117 retired. W. Bowie 32). Perry’s score included live os. ror day staff. M’Connochie, Bowie, and Hopcraft each took three wickets, and Palenski, Cameron, and Sinclair were the best night staff bowlers.