“JOLLY GOOD COMPANY”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18938, 13 February 1936, Page 4

“JOLLY GOOD COMPANY”

TOURING CRICKETERS FAREWELL GATHERING GISBORNE CLUB FUNCTION "Without reservations, we feel that this is the most delightful experience we have had, among the many thoroughly happy occasions on which we have met New Zealand cricket enthusiasts off the field,” remarked Mr. E. Rv T. Holmes, captain of the M.C.C. touring team, in responding to a valedictory address at a gathering held last evening at the Gisborne Club, in honour of the visiting players. Mr. Holmes stated that the team would carry away the warmest recollections of their visit to this district, and that when they saw the names. Gisborne or Poverty Bay in the future, they would associate them with memories of a particularly happy visit in the course of their tour of New Zealand. The gathering 1 was exceptionally successful, and included, many cricket enthusiasts of Gisborne to whom the- privileges of the club were extended in connection with the visit of the M.C.C. team. A short programme of musical and vocal items was given, outstanding contributions being those of a small orchestra, comprising members of the Savage Club, under Mr. Mainland L. Foster. Messrs. Bees and Athol Allan, V. Caulton and W. Kohn contributed quartets, and songs were, heard from Messrs. Rees Allan, R. Nicholson, and A. Ansell while Mr. Will B. Keaney also delighted the gathering with humorous songs and monologues. The “hit” of the evening, however, was a turn by one of the M.C.C. players, whose vocal reproduction of familiar noises, ancient and modern, caused riotous laughter. M EMBERS' SATISFACTION During an interval for supper, the president of the club, Mr. F. Wrey Nolan, referred to the satisfaction felt by members of the Gisborne Club in this opportunity of welcoming distinguished exponents of cricket from overseas, their satisfaction being mingled with a feeling of regret that Mr. Holmes and his, team could not spend more time in the district. There had been opportunities in the past of welcoming individual guests from abroad, and these had been w.igerly embraced, but an occasion such as this, on which the club .entertained a whole team of men selected ny so elevated an organisation as the Marylebone Cricket Club to carry its colours on an overseas tour, was not likely to be forgotten, Mr. Nolan expressed the hope that the touring side would continue to enjoy the remainder of its time in New Zealand, ail'd would depart on its homeward journey convinced that the visit to the Dominion had been as worth while from the M.C.C. point of view as it undoulitedly would he from the point of view of the game in this country. In his reply, Mr. Holmes expressed deep appreciation of the hospitality extended to his team, and warmly complimented the Poverty Bay representatives in the match concluded yesterday afternoon upon the performance they had registered. The bowling and fielding had been really excellent, he considered. The M.C.C. team bade farewell to Gisborne this morning, when a number of Poverty Bay Cricket Association officials and supporters assembled to witness their departure for Rotorua.