CRICKET ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24826, 28 January 1942, Page 6

CRICKET ASSOCIATION

THE SENIOR COMPETITION NORTH-EAST VALLEY PROMOTED ONLY ONE CARISBROOK TEAM A meeting of the committee of the Otago Cricket Association was held last night and was attended by Messrs F. N. Binney, president (in the chair), A. G. Valentine, W. S, Armitage, H. D. Kerr, C. Gaynor, J. M. Kennedy', J. A. Robson, J. M. McMullan, A, R. Knight, W. Harvey, T. Hughes, G McGregor and L. J. Groves. It was notified that the Taieri Second Grade B team had had to be withdrawn from the competition. The chairman said that. the principal business before the meeting related to the question of the number of teams which were to play in the senior competition for the remainder of the season. It was pointed out that there was a proposal for University to join the Carisbrook Club and thus enable the A and B teams still to function. This proposal did not meet with the approval of the meeting, as it was stated that University would be at full strength on Saturday. In the circumstances it was decided on the motion of Mr Valentine to ask the Carisbrook Club to withdraw one of its teams. All the other senior teams, it was stated, would be able to continue as usual.

The question of the bye which would occur was then discussed, and it was stated that every centre in the north had been forced to have a bye in its competition games. Mr Hughes said that he thought the North-East Valley intermediate team should be promoted to senior grade. It was already 13 points ahead of the next team with six games played. This suggestion met with favour, and Mr Valentine then moved, pro forma, that the Valley team be raised to senior, rank for the remainder of the season, the motion being carried without dissent. The question of one or two teams m the Intermediate Grade being reduced to the Second Grade, to enable a bye to be allocated, was stated to present few difficulties as one club at least said it had not wanted to play in the Intermediate Grade at the start of the season. It had desired to play in the Second Grade, but had been promoted to the Intermediate Grade to prevent a bye. It was decided that the Grade Committee should consider the question of reducing a team or teams from the Intermediate to the Second Grade, and that the grade rules be made elastic so that a team could fill up any vacancies on a Saturday by permitting players who would otherwise have to stand on the bank to get a game. This plan will obtain till the end of the season, the Grade Committee to have the final say in the matter.