CRICKET IN SOUTH OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20361, 19 March 1928, Page 13

CRICKET IN SOUTH OTAGO.

APPEAL BY WAIWERA. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRAWN AND ABANDONED GAME. (From Our Own Correspondent.) BALCLUTHA, March 17. A special meeting of the South Otago Cricket Association last night was attended by 18 delegates, Mr IE H. Inglis (president) occupying the chair. The President explained that on the previous Saturday, at Balclutha, the shield match between Freezer and Waiwera was stopped owing to rain after Freezer had one wicket down for a -score of 80 runs. The Grade Committee of the association had met and decided that the game would be given as “ abandoned.” and that tiio fixture stood as before. A letter had been subsequently received from the Waiwera Club appealing against this decision on the ground that it was unfair to ask them to plav at Balclutha again when they had already travelled twice there in this competition, whereas Freezer had only Seen once to Waiwera. 1 Mv L. d. Edwards (Waiwera) said his club was not asking for the match to 1)0 played at Waiwera, but on some neutral ground, and be moved accordingly, Mr Powloy seconding the motion. Mr James Henderson (1‘ reezer) said he understood that at the annual meeting of the association it had been mane a "recommendation to the Grade Committee that the position with regard to teams that had travelled moat in the previous season bo reversed in tae cuirent season. season Lrcezei had been twice to Waiwera, and the latter team only once to Balclutha. hence it Waiwera camo twice to Balclutha this season it would equalise matters. Mr D. Hepburn (Lovell's Flat) pointed out that there had been two distinct competitions last season, and the cases were not analagous. The instruction to the Grade Committee bad been to minimise travelling as much as possible. In answer to Mr M'Lachlun (Clinton), the Chairman said the match bad been abandoned, therefore it was as it it had never been played, and that put the teams equal in the matter of travelling. ‘Mr Edwards said he had written to the host authority in Dunedin on the subject, and the reply was that unless the association had by-laws governing the mattei the match should have been declared a, " draw,” and was not au abandoned match at all. , , , Mr Hepburn agreed that the match was, properly speaking, a draw. I'liere uas nothing in the by-laws providing tor an •■abandoned” match. Mr Edwards cited a case at Milton where a match had been stopped by rain and declared a draw. Mr Gardiner moved that the match between Freezer and Waiwera be piajed at Balclutha. .. Mr Alexander Murray (Clydcvalo) said that on the previous Saturday the match between the Valley and Owaka had been stopped by the rain under similar circumstances, and had been treated as a draw, and he failed to see bow the match in dispute,,could be anything else but a draw. The Chairman: There is no quetsion about it. It was an abandoned match. The captains made no arrangement to treat it as a draw, and the decision or the Grade Committee was that it be abandoned, and a fresh game played on the following Saturday. That decision cannot be questioned. It is merely the question of a ground that ia in dispute. Mr Edwards: By declaring the inarch abandoned you say. in effect, that Waiwera did not come here at all, whereas we were here, and did just the same amount of travelling as if the match had been played to a finish. The Chairman: The rules say that any question not provided for in the rules can be determined by the Grade Committee. Mr Hepburn: The committee also has power to cancel any match. . Mr Edwards: Even supposing it is a match to decide the premiership of the south side? I cannot see why Ireezer should have the advantage of playing the match on its own ground. We could have asked for the match to be played at Waiwera, but we did not do so. Mr Hepburn: You suggest that the ground does give an advantage? Mr Edwards: It does, and we would have the same advantage at Waiwera. In football I consider that it means a threepoints handicap to the visiting team. Mr Henderson (Kaitangata) argued that it meant a big thing for cricket generally if tbc match were played, at Balclutha, where there would be a much larger attendance. Mr Edwards: They ore not much interested in cricket at Balclutha to judge by the attendance hithe ro at matches. Mr G. G. Menzics (Milton) quoted from the rules to the effect that if a match were postponed it should be played on the first Saturday available, and presumably on the same ground. The Chairman said in the case under notice the rule had not been availed of; the captains had not consulted. They could have arranged the matter then and there, but instead, when the umpires declared the ground unplayable, the captains walked off. Mr Edwards: All the shield competitions are one-day matches and cannot be postponed. Mr Menzios: If the match had been postponed where would it have been played the following Saturday? On the same ground ? The Chairman: Naturally, if no arrangement to the contrary had been made. After further discussion traversing practically the same ground, Mr Gardiner gave it as his opinion that a team had to chance the luck of the game and go where the committee decided. Did Waiwera want the match declared a draw? Air Henderson (Kaitangata) : It is all a question of ground, and I consider it should be played on a, neutral ground. Mr James Henderson: The north side premiers did not play on neutral ground. Mr Menzies said that in his opinion it came under the head of postponed matches and should be pla: td again on the same ground. Mr Edwards: It it had been a draw, then it would be J‘ rcezor’s turn to come to Waiwera and play off, but we are not asking that. We want a neutral ground. Mr Hepburn: If you cannot beat Freezer on a ground like Clutha you ought to be content to let Freezer be champions. Mr Edwards: Why not have the same apply to the Waiwera ground? The Chairman pointed out that it often happened in first-class cricket that matches wore treated as abandoned, and the fixture treated in wiped out. Mr Ilepbiuti said that unfortunately the association had no by-law to meet such a contingency. At a subsequent Hage Mr Hepburn read a rule to the effect that the decision of the association was final in all matters. Finally, a vote was taken on a motion that the match bo played on a neutral ground to be chosen by the association. Seven voted for the motion and nine against, and the Chairman declared the motion lost. It was decided to return Waiwera’s deposit money of £l. Some discussion followed on the subject of neutral umpires, and it was pointed out that except when a club had an official umpire the rules provided that any umpire appointed had to bo first approved by tiic captain of the opposing side.