CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 16

CRICKET.

VISIT BY THE ENGLISH TEAM, As is generally known, a visit by a strong team of English' cricketers, comprising both amateurs and professionals, willbe made to New Zealand during the coming summer. The New Zealand Cricket Council has submitted to the Otago Cricket Association.the itinerary of the tour which includes a match against Otago on December 31, January 1 and 2, subject to the Otago Cricket Association giving a guarantee of £375 for this match. The committee of the association has come to the conclusion that the state of its finances makes it impossible for it to guarantee an amount of this- magnitude. It fools, however, that it would be very unfortunate if the English team were to come to New Zealand and not play in Dunedin, and, regarding the matter' as one in which the reputation of the city being at stake, the community might he prepared to assist the association, it has asked us to place the whole position before the public -in the anticipation that a sufficient number of citizens would see their way to guarantee it against loss if it should accept the terms proposed by the New Zealand Cricket Council. The Otago Cricket Association is disposed indeed to suggest that .citizens, might give a guarantee for a larger amount than £37s—possibly, for £750 —so that if any loss might occur oh the match the liability on any particular guarantor might be reduced to a small amount. For various reasons, among which it is only necessary to mention the fact that the population of Dunedin is smaller than that of other centres that have been asked to provide the same guarantee against loss, the support that is accorded to cricket is not sufficient to provide the Otago Cricket Association with the funds enabling it to finance visits from playei's overseas, without considerable difficulty, but it is to be assumed that the public is anxious to have the English team visit Dunedin. In, this belief, the Cricket Association has asked us to place the matter before the- citizens, relying upon them to stand behind it, and . guarantee the amount that is necessary to -ensure that the English cricketers will play in Dunedin. v