OTAGO CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2637, 28 September 1904, Page 58

OTAGO CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

The ' annual meeting of -.the Otago" Cricket Association was held in Wain's .Hotel; on' Saturday evening, 'the president (Mr "A. C. 'TECankm) occupying the ' chair, and there beirig a good attendance of delegates. An apology was received for the absence of Mr L. C Gooch, one of the Your committee, in presenting the annual' report, congratulates mombeis on the success of the past season. The season from a -weatßer ■point of view -was one of the best we have 3iad for years, and tended in -a measure to litlp on the game. The annual fixture with Canterbury was played at Christchurch. during - Christmas time, and, though Otago was strongly represented, our men failed badly, i»nd were beaten .by 169 runs. Our batsmen i failed to adapt themselves to the fast wicket ,'at Hagley Park, and bad fielding a-t one stage }of the game proved very costly to Otago. f-Baker, Howden, Austin, Fisher, and Downes t all showed good form with the bat, the former .'especially batting in the best of form. ShackHloek, who secured 12 wickets in Ihe two .•innings, bowled really well; while Fisher did likewise in the second innings. ■ The Southland match was played at CarisIjrook at New Yeaar, and resulted in a win for -'Otago by 10 wickets. In this match G. G. batted in his true form, and played a . beautiful innings of 182. Graham and Baker 'also showed "good form with the bat in this 'joiatch. G. C. Wilson, of Southland, also TilayecP a fine innings of 117 (not out). G. "ißeaorclon and H. Graham bowled well for Olago in this match. A team went to Balclutha in March, and played a match against South' Otago, which Otago won by nine .wickets. ,In the North v. South Island match your province was represented by J. Baker, C. E. Eowden, H. Graham, and F. Shacklock, who .worthily upheld the honour of the province. r The colts' match was played on November 9 »t Caiisbrook. The colts, with the assistance of- Shacklock and Graham, defeated the Otago team by 25 runs. For the colts, F. Shacklock, ,B. Torrance, H. Granary and M. Thomson

showed good form with the bat, while Shack- . lock, R. Torrance. and A. Given bowled well. The match, notwithstanding that the weather was not too promising, attracted a fair number of spectators, and this year's success will no : doubt lead to this being an annual fixture. The various championships were keenly con- ' tested, and the teams were much, more even than in past years. The fact of the Carisbrook dividing their A and B teams up lent a great deal more interest to the First Grade charn- ; pionship, -which was eventually won by the I Carisbrook B with an unbeaten record. The newly-instituted Second Grade championship proved a most interesting contest, and the Dunedin and Port Chalmers teams tied for pride of place. A play-off was arranged, but the match was unfinished, so the two teams are bracketed as winners of this championship. The Boslyn Club succeeded in I carrying off the Third and Poxirth Grade i championships. The association engaged F. Shacklock as .professional coach at the beginning of the season to coach the schoolboys and colts from the various, chibs, and -we hope that some of the young players will show the benefit of , this coaching in the coming esaaon. The ' High School Club also had the services of H. Graham as coach, and he has made a decided improvement in the play of the boys. As both of these players are still being retained in Dunedin it is hoped that they will bring some of our young players to the front. The thanks of the association are due to iMessrs H. A. Boddington and D. H. Thomson, • who acted a-s your delegates 'to the New Zea- • land Cricket Council; to Mr C. R. Smith, for placing his office at the disposal of the committee; and to the press, ior the prominence • given to the affairs of the association. { There are prospects of a visit from the : Australian Eleven during the coming season, which should help to keep up the interest in , the game. j Financial. — The _ association started the , season with a -credit balance of £207 3s sd, ; and the balance sheet now submitted shows j the association to have a credit balance of i £110 18s 4d, -which cannot but be considered satisfactory. The following are the batting and bowling .averages in interprovincial matches-: — .Batting. I. jST.O. H.S. T.R. Aver. G. Austin .... 3 1 182* 215 107.5 iH. Graham .... 4 1 64* 129 43 !J. .Baker .... 4 1 51 104 34.6 JA.\H. Fisher ..2 1 30* 30 30 Ai Downes. .... 2 1 19* 22 22 }y. Shacklock ..3—27 29 9.6 •' E. C. Howden ..3—23 28 9.3 H. G. Siedeberg.. 3—14 26 8.6 A. E. Geddes . . 3 — 24 - 24 8 G. Reardon 3 — 13 13 4.3 Williams .... 3 — 5 9 3 H. Harraway (one innings for 4) and Ferguson (one for 0) also batted. Bowlikg. Balls. Mdns. Runs. T7kts. Aver. Jff. Graham ..132 1 86 6 14.3 -F. Sh-afcklock .. 387 14 220 13 16.9 A. 81. Fisher .. 298 14 124 7 17.7 - G. Eeardou ..193 9 110 6 18.3 G. G. Austin . 264 14 82 4 20.5 Geddes (two for 67), A. Downes (one for 61), Ferguson (none for 36), H. G. Siedeberg (none for 12T, and E. C. Howden (none for 10) also bowled. Tlie Chairman moved the . adoption of -, the ..report and! balance sheet. He • mentioned that the report had been cir- - oulated,- and, as it dealt very fully with the .work of the association during the '• past year, and ihe balance sheet gave full particulars as to the financial position, he -would content hini3elf with merely for- ' mally moving their adoption. Mr C. R. "Smith seconded the motion. -There was, he said, very little debatable matter in the report, and it -was not necessary for him to refer in detail to it. , Be would therefore follow the chairman's ; lead by seconding the motion without further comment. The report and balance sheet were then adopted. Mr H. A. Boddington, Naseby, wrote i acknowledging the receipt of a letter 1 thanking him for his good offices in connection with the work of the association. He hoped the association would extend its interest to country associations. He understood there was one in Maniototo, and in some of the more southerly parts, j The letter was received, and it was rej solved that it be a recommendation to j the incoming committee to consider the j matter of country cricket referred to by Mr .Boddington, The Secretary of the Dunedin Cricket Club wrote that it was desired to enter -.two teams for the Second Grade Championship, and asked the approval of the association. — T-he Chairman said this was a matter for the committee. The Secretary of the Roslyn Cricket Club wrote applying for permission to enter a team for the Second "Grade Championship. — R was -pointed out that the writer had not complied with the- rule j > regarding seven clear days' notice being given, and that the application • was not, therefore, in order. — Mr F. H. Campbell remarked that he also- was an offender in this respeGt, as he had intended to propose that the .High , School be admitted as a Second Grade team this year. He had not yet written the application, as he thought I • the matter would come before the com- j mittee. — A decision as to the application from the Roslyn Club was deferred i^nding consideration of proposals to amend the rules. As the subject of the communi- j cation was not again referred to, it was apparently intended to treat it in the same ] manner a3 an application from the Mor- ! nington Cricket Clvb — that was, to call a j special meeting later on to consider the matter. Mornington Cricket Club applied | for affiliation, and intimated that it was intended to play one Second Grade team j ' and two Third Class teams. — It was de- j cided that the committee call a special j meeting to deal with the matter, the j necessary seven clear days' notice not having been given. I The following amendments in the rules were decided upon: — That Rule 6 be rescinded, and that there be substituted for it: — "All clubs affiliated to •the association shall forward to the hon. secretary, at least 10 days before the opening of the season, a list of the teams they are entering in each grade. Siich entries shall be • submitted to the committee of the association for approval and revision. All motions for I revision must be carried by a two-thirds j majority of the committee present." That Rule 27 shall read as follows- — "Tho association shall have the control and management of all representative matches played under its auspices, and shall have -the control of all club and grade matches, and make the rules governing them subject to Rule 28." That Exile 28 be altered as follows :— " The General Committee shall have power to maiie additional rules for grade matches provided they do not contravene any rule passed by the association. Such rule or rules shall remain in force until the next general meeting of the association, -when it or they shall be submitted for approval.'* '

That Rule 8 in grade matches be altered to read as follows: — " No player shall be allowed lo play for two teams in the same grade during tho same season unless a transfer has been granted by the Trans-fer Committee; nor shall any club having teams engaged in more than one grade match at the came time play any one man in more than one match." It was further decided that the portion of Rule 2 of the constitution, commencing ' ' Clubs desirous of ' to the end of the rule, be deleted, as it was in conflict with the amendment of Rule 6 previously agreed upon. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows: — President, Mr A. C. Hanlon ; vice-presidents — Megjrs L. C. Gooch and C. W. Rattray (Mr C. R. Smith was nominated, but withdrew in favour of Mr Rafctray, whom he nominated for the position) ; secretary and treasurer, Mr E. S. Wilson ; committee — Messrs C: R. Smith, W. H. Skitch, A. M'Lean, J. J. Clark, and W. Maclean (representing senior clubs) and Messrs F. H. Campbell and J. L. Jamieson (representing junior" -clufes). — Mr C. R. Smith said he would like to move a similar resolution to that carried at last annual meeting, which had been to the effect that the committee be authorised to make a donation of not more than £20 for the season to the secretary, in recognition of his services. — He moved accordingly, the motion being seconded by Mr F. H. Campbell and carried. Mr Smith also suggested the _ desirableness of holding a general meeting of cricketers belonging to affiliated clubs for the purpose of presenting the shields and having social intercourse. In Christchurch this had been a pronounced success. Another matter to be considered was the question of umpires, but possibly the committee would take that up. He thought they should make a special effort to secure the services of a few reliable umpires who might be called upon. Possibly a small retaining fee might be paid to six or eight men capable of acting. He moved that both these matters be recommended for the favourable consideration of the committee. — Carried. The Chairman presented the certificates representing the .shields, Mr Davidson (Port Chalmers), in acknowledging his, mentioning that there was a little doubt whether Port would have a team competing in the Second Grade this season. The club's meeting had not yet taken place. It was decided to open the season on the 22nd October, the Grade Committee to have power to postpone the opening a week if it was found neoessary. A 'vote of thanks to the press closed the meeting.