CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 36

CRICKET.

A NEW ZEALAND TEAM TO VISIT AUSTRALIA.

Tha idea of sending a New Zealand cricket team to Australia i 3 cot a new one. The matter has been ditcusaed for o some years" past, but there seems now «i probability of its being carried out. At a meeting of the committee of the Otago Cricket Aseeciation held on the 13^ ulfc. tha folio-wing letter from the New Zealand Cricket Council v?aa read :—: — The Hon Secretary Otago Cricket Association,

l)unedin.

Dear Sir, — T beg to advise you that arrangements are being made to send a team, to Australia this yeai-. The tour will last six weeks, and matches will probably be played in Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales.

At a recent meeting of the council it was decided to ask all associations to forward a list of players who, in their opinion, are worthy of a place in the team ; also to instruct their delegates as to how the appointment of a Selection (Jonioiittee should be made. Your early attention to the above will oblige. — Yours, &c , G. A. U. Tapper, Hon. See. Mr Tapper was present at the moating, and at the request of the .chairman (Mr A. C. Haolon) gave tbe committee some further information in regard to the proposed visit. Mr Tapper said ib was his idea and also that of Mr C. R. Smith, who was also present, thab a New Zealand team should be sent to Australia no matter what it cost. Major Wardill, of the Melbourne Crickeb Council, had been interviewed, itnd that gentleman had not only approved of the project bub had offered the New Zf aland Council a guarantee of from £300 to £350 That, of course, was only a verbal offer, and he had f-inco written asking fil«jor Wardill to conGrtn it. A wply hsul not. yH been received, and uiitil that came they could not go any Further. The council, however, had made up their minds to ssnd a team in November if Major Ward ill's reply was at all favourable. It was absolutely necessary that a firstclass team should be sent, but he did not think there would be the slightest difficulty in this respect. The team, he hoped, would leave early in November so as oob to clash with the intercolonial matches in

Australia. Six matches would probably be plsyed ; two in Tasmania, two in Victoria, «nd two in New South Wales. The tour would lasb abont six weeks, and the cost was anticipated as from £300 to £325 ; the latter figure being a maximum estimate. With regard to the selection of the teams, bbc council waß in favour of one selector. The Canterbury Association, he might add, thoughb that if three selectors were appointed they should be chosen from one centre.

In reply to questions Mir Tapper said two alternative offers were before thß council. One was bhab the Melbourne Cricket Council should allow them £300,, they to pay their own expenses ; the other was that the Melbourne Council should pay all the expenses of the team and limit them to £300. In the event of aay loss ii would be borne solely by the New Zealand Cricket Council, which body had, he might say, about £130 to its credit.' Mr Tapper said he could notgiva any definite reply as to whether the council would pay men who could nob afford to Je*ve their work without oonapens&fciou, an equivalent to their wngeu, bub he believed the council would meofc such esses.

Mr C. R. Smith said in making up an estimate of the cost of the tour he had allowed for such payments; ' He reckoned that even if ib cost the' council £150 to £200 ib was a most desirable thing -to send a team across. New Zealand cricket would improve exceedingly by each a visit, which, he believed, would have been made before bub for the visit of the Australian Eleven. They never anticipated so favourable an offer as that of Major Wardill'a, and he thought they should take advantage of it. Considering the importance of ths trip, and that this would be the initial one, employers, he thought, would meet them in a fair spirit in respect to granting leave of absence to employees selected for the team. The matter of a selection committee would require thought. Personally, he was in favour of a single selector. If three in different cities were chosen, ib wai often difficult to geb them together, and the expense was greab. Asked if he could suggest any single person likely to make a good selector, Mr Smith mensioned Mr Wilding, of Christchurcb, who was a gentleman who could safely be entrunled with such a task.

Mr W. Mac Lean moved that three selectors be appointed, and these to be from Christchurch.

The Chairman thoughb the motion premature. He strongly agrced-with what had been said, and had no doubb if such visits were made they would be reciprocated. As far as their association w*« concerned, h« thought they should not comt to any conclusion just then, but should postpone ocueidc ration of the letter until a later meeting, when there was a larger attendance of the committee and when they would probably ba aware whether Major Wardill's Gffer hftd been confirmed.

Mr Mac Lean accordingly withdrew his fksb motion, and instead moved that consideration of the letter be deferred until next meeting. —

The motion was carried.

A vote of thanks was accorded Meaars Tapper and Smith for their attendance and explanation.

A London cable states th*t the committee of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club have endorsed tha proposals of Lord Havrka that the Marylebon© Club should selecb the players' and' : grounds for future test matches England v. Australia, and that one of the matches be played in Yorkshire.