CRICKET JOTTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1191, 26 September 1874, Page 7

CRICKET JOTTINGS.

By Jack Eobinhoa',

A concert will be held on Monday night in the Masonic Hall for the purpose of placing the treasury of the Dunediu Cricket Club in funds ; and as the entertainment will be one of unusual excellence, those who attend will effect a double object by passing a pleasant evening, and also assisting to place the Committee in a position to carry ont necessary improvements to the ground. The geueral meeting will follow the concert ([ don't mean on the tame night), and I again press niy suggf stion in reference to the desirability of incorporating the tivo clubs. I am positive that this course of action would not only be to the interest of playing members, but also to the general public. Another matter of great importance should be entertained — the absolute necessity of obtaining from the powers that be exclusive control over that poi tion of the ground now used for cricketing purposes. When, as a matter of fact, some five thousand [pounds has been expended on that piece of ground used for cricket, it surely is not too much to oxSect that those most interested should aye the power of exercising some control over it. There need be no objection to vesting the ground, jn. Tiwtefis=~/3on?Q to be

chosen from the Council and the others fiom thu Clvb — although hi the Au&tialian Colonies the different Governments have been mobt liberal in granting large and numerous pieces of gtound for the exclusive use of Cricket, and vesting them exclusively in the Clubs. Jam sure that representations need on'y \)(j mndc to obtain the cuncurience and support of our city magnates for the furthermice <>f so disir.ible :'n objeot. Outside tho inner fence, and A\ithiti the outride one, there i-i ample room for xccrcativo purposes of another character, so thab no possible objection can arise in complying with whab appears to mo to bo an exceedingly fair request.

To enable a correct return to be made of the batting averages, and an analysis of the bowling in the piineipal niaich.es pla\ed during the 1 Reason, it is necessary thut the scoring bi ok should be propeily attended to, and as the present pavilion is somewhat limited in space, it would bo an adv.;utag' to erect a small and ine.\p' jisive building in line and adjoining the pavilion, for the exclusive usj of ihe scorers, and also a framewoi k to contain a board for the purpose of showing spectators at matches the state of the game The sooner the sw ard is cut and the ground well rolled, the better.

I had occasion, List week, to compliment the Albion Club on the state of their balance sheet. I regret that I cannot congratulate them upon the state of iheir ground. I fancy M'lntyreor Cosstiek bowling. "Send in another man — oh, it's all right, we have only carried four men oft' the {.'round to. the Ho-pital this morning ;" the abrasions and blood letting would be something awful. A portion of the ground in the centre might have been properly prepared and ptofected with posts and a single wiie or rope running through them. It is too late to talk of improvements now, unles-s a ten-ton roller can Le procured, which by frequent use may remove some of the inequalities. 1 don't know who is supposed lo bj in charge of this fine block of land, or if there is any particular party — but 1 know t'ns, that the outhouses, and some of the entrances, are — to put it mildly— in an execs able state. The fences in places are in a dilapidated condition, and there are strong and general premonitory symptoms of decay all around. If attention is calied to the existing state of things my object will be gained. It requires no prophetic gift to predict the difficulty that will arise with our rapidly increasing population in securing, suitable and adjacent to the city, gmumss for cticket. In looking around ihcre seems to be not such a convenient situation as Forbury Park, and if a portion of it could be secured — not in any way to interfere with the course — depend upon it that it will come in very handy one of these days, and, as we will have a railway running within the next twelve months, the distance from town will be practically bridged.

Mr Hunting's letter that appeared in the Times is indignantly commented upon from Auckland. The writer asserts that as the Auckland cricketers are the champions of New Zealand, that under any circumstances if a Victorian team visits us that Auckland must not be ignoi ed, and certainly not excluded in favour of Wellington and Nelson. He also suggests that the Chiistchurch and the Dunedin teams should visit at the same time with the Victorians to take their revenge.