OTAGO CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 43

OTAGO CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Otago Cricket Association was held at Wain's Hotel on Saturday night. Mr A.» C. Hanlon, vicepresident, occupied the chair, and there were 22 delegates present. The Secretary read the annual report, which was as follows: — Although the past season cannot be said to have been an unqualified success, still it will be seen from the increased number of competing clubs and the keen competition shown" in tho various shield contests that the game is making steady progress. The most interesting feature of the season was the visit of the representative team to Chustchurch. This match is invariably looked upon as the match of the season, and although the team finally despatched might have been strengthened in one or two instances still it was confidently anticipated that they would be able to place another win to the credit of the province. Such, however, was not to be, for after a most keenly contested game victory rested with Canterbury by four wickets and three runs. Through Canterbury's success both provinces are now on an equal footing as regardr> the number of wins, and the next match, which is to be played in Dunedin, should be vested with additional interest on this account. In deference to the wishes of the Southland Association, your committee despatched a team to Invercargill, where your representatives suffered defeat by two wickets and one run. The Otago team (although the best available) was a decidedly weak one, and, without wishing to detract from the merits of Southland's victory, littlo hopes of the team's success were held by local partisans of the game. Later on in the season the Southlanders decided to return the visit, and on this occasion your team made amends for their previous failure by defeating their opponents by an innings and 71 runs. The inauguration of shield contests for the shields donated by Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co , saw six teams entered for the Senior Championship. By virtue of their having only one defeat recorded against them the Carisbrook A Team top the list for the second year in succession. History repeated itself by the Grange Club being runners-up. The Oceana Cricket Club again asserted their supremacy by winning the Junior Championship. The final issue of this contest was splondidly competed for, and until the finish it was extremely difficult to define the actual winners. The Taieri, Roslyn, and Mornington Clubs also occupied -honourable positions. Twenty-two teams entered for the Third Class Championship, which was won by the Oceana No. 1 team for the second year in succession, with the Port Chalmers runners-up. Tho competition between the various schools in Dunedin and suburbs for the shield presented by Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co. saw the North-East Valley School (t ! ie preßont holders) again premiers. Your committee regret that, in connection with this competition, their award was not in accord with the judgment of the Schools Committee. In future, however, they have decided, now that they understand a schools association has been properly formed to conduct the school cricket, to put control of the competition for this shield entirely under the management of that associaI tion. In respect to finance, your committee regret thsy are unable to report headway. The cost of sending teams to Canterbury and Southland was a heavy draw on 4>he funds, while the only match of any importance played locally — viz., that against Southland — did not prove a source of much revenue, albeit it is the first occasion that a loss has not resulted over this fixture. Tho association started the season with a credit balance of £86 10s 6d. The balance sheet now presented shows a credit balance of £72 18s 3d, thus showing a loss of £13 12s 3d on the gross transactions. Against this, there is the Senior Challenge shield, ordered from Home through Messrs A. Briscoe and Co., which has just come to hand, costing £26 13s net (the money for which was received from Messrs Bing, Harris, and Co.), yet to be paid for, leaving an actunal loss on the year of £40 5s 3d. The assets are estimated at £160 8s 3d. Failing the completion of negotiations which are at present pending between tho New Zealand Ciicket Council and the various Australian Associations anent the proposal to send a New Zealand team to Australia this season, your coirmittee contemplate the advisability of sending an Otago team to the North Island. ! Your committee are pleased to observe a dis- j tinct increase of interest in country cricket, and trust that this will be fostered by clubs arranging matches with country teams when- i ever possible. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said it was to be deplored that the Otago team had not added another victory to their credit in the contest with Canterbury, but although they had been defeated they had not been disgraced. So far as the Southland match was concerned, Otago suffered defeat also. That defeat was partly owing to the fact that a comparatively weak team was sent by, Otap-

to Southland, a good many of the best players here being unable to take part in the match. At the return match at Dunedin the Otago team were, however, able to work off their former defeat by inflicting defeat upon their opponents. It had been suggested that as a team could not be got to go to Australia, one should be organised for a tour throughout New Zealand during the coming season ; and it was hoped that that desire would be consummated. As regards the unfortunate dispute that had occurred in connection with Bing, Harris, and Co.'s shield to the schools, it appeared that the North-East Valley School had won the shield, and it was awarded by the association to them. There was, however, an association called the Schools' Association, which had submitted the matter in the first instance to the Cricket Association, who held thaiuihe prize had been fairly awarded to the NorthEast Valley School; and they awarded the prize accordingly. A was then sent into the association by the Schools' Association, and that protest was considered at a meeting of the committee a few evenings ago, when it was decided that the committee were unable to interfere with the decision they previously gave. As, however, they had ascertained that there was an association called the Schools' Association actually controlling the game in connection with the schools, they decided that they would recognise the Sohools' Association and abide in future by decisions given by that association. It behoved all cricketers to take an interest in what he proposed to bring before the association during this coming season if he had the honour to be elected to the association, and that was the appointment of an umpires' association. — (Hear, hear.) If there was one thing more lamentable than another in cricket it was bad umpiring ; and they knew that not only in junior cricket, but also in senior cricket, the umpiring was not what it should be. He was, therefore, very desirous that they should have an umpires' association controlling cricket as football umpires controlled football. Mr C. W. Rattray seconded the motion. Mr A. M'Lean moved as an amendment I — " That the words ' competition amongst the I various schools ' down to 'the management of that association ' be deleted and the follow- : ing inserted in their place: — ' In accordance with the recommendation of the Schools' Asso- ', ciation the schools' shield has not been awarded this season.' " Mr A. Hunter seconded the amendment, which, after considerable discussion, was negatived by 11 to 9. Mr F. H. Campbell then moved—-" That as there is some doubt as to the bona fides of the Valley School team, a committee consisting of the chairman, Messrs Rattray and Allnutt, be appointed to inquire into the matter." The Chairman ruled that this was out of order. Mr Campbell thereupon moved—" That the whole clause in the report referring to the awarding of Bing, Harris, and Co.'s shield be deleted. This, on being put, was lost by 13 to 5. Mr A. R. Barclay referred to the want of another cricket ground in the city, and said there was a movement on foot to try and get a piece of ground opposite the Botanical Gardens. It appeared to him that the association was a proper body to take some steps in connection with the matter ; and he trusted that the committee would next year take it into consideration. The motion for the adoption, of the report was subsequently put and carried. A letter was read from the secretary of the Dunedin Cricket Club, in which he stated that his club thought it now time steps were taken by the association to form an Umpires' Association. Any steps taken in this matter would have the support of the club. The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year : — President, Mr A. C. Hanlon; vice-presidents, Messrs C. W. Rattray and L. Gooch; secretary and treasurer, Mr W. Maclean; committee — Messrs O. R. Smith, A. Maclean, T. Ritchie, W. Skitch, A. Restieaux, D. Smyth, F. H. Campbell. The Chairman returned thanks to the association for electing him as president, and said that he would do all that lay in his power to further the interests of cricket generally in Otago during the coming year. A vote of thanks was accorded to the secretary for the services rendered by him to the association during the past year. The Chairman subsequently presented the shields won by the clubs referred to in the renort; after which the meeting terminated. *■__' ..I i .■■in