NO POINTS TO BE AWARDED

Southland Times, Issue 23773, 22 March 1939, Page 12

NO POINTS TO BE AWARDED

CRICKET MATCH ON SATURDAY ACTION OF MARIST AND APPLEBY CRITICIZED The action of the Marist and Appleby senior cricket teams in making a twoday fixture a one-day match by declaring their first innings closed on Saturday after one over had been bowled was strongly criticized at a meeting of the management committee of the Southland Cricket Association last night. It was decided to award no points for the match between these teams.

“It is very much against the interests of cricket,” stated the president (Mr R. Taylor). He could not understand why senior players should do such a thing. The same thing occurred in 1934. It was stated that the football clubs would be holding their opening day next Saturday. “It is unfair of the football clubs to decide to hold their opening days before the cricket competition is finished, ’ Mr H. Grace said.

They would have to frame a rule, but it was too late to do it this season, Mr Taylor remarked. “I am prepared to move that no points be awarded,” Mr H. Drees said. That would not do any good, Mr Grace said. If the teams were going to be penalized, there should be a heavier penalty. If the clubs realized that they would receive no points for doing such a thing they would not persist with it, stated another member. It was a deliberate attempt to take advantage of the association’s rules.

There was .nothing in the Marylebone Cricket Club’s rules to say that the teams could not declare, it was stated. Fixture shortened

The association set down a two-day fixture and these two teams made it a one-day match, Mr Grace said. That was not right. The other teams that played on Saturday were continuing for the game’s sake. The captains, who were old representative players, should have known better, said Mr J. S. Brass. Mr Drees’s motion was carried with one dissentient and the matter was declared open for discussion. He thought that they were starting at the wrong end because the difficulty lay in another direction, Mr G. Agnew remarked. There should be a better understanding between the association and the Southland Rugby Union. He had always been opposed to any suggestion that the cricket season should begin before the recognized dates. He thought that provision should be made in the match rules.

One of the members explained that the football clubs were only opening the season on Saturday and that the union would have no jurisdiction over thht.

Mr Agnew suggested that if the union appealed to the football clubs not to infringe on the cricket season something might result. “When the matter was brought up in 1934 some rule should have been framed to prohibit this," Mr Taylor stated.

Mr Drees: The teams have infringed a rule by making the fixture a oneday match. Mr Agnew gave notice of his intention to move at the annual meeting that he would frame a rule making provision for the subject under discussion. His motion would be on the lines of the one passed in 1934 which required teams taking part in one-day matches to play for at least 60 minutes in the first innings, unless the side was dismissed within that time.

DATE FOR COUNTRY DAY FIRST SATURDAY AFTER NEW YEAR SUGGESTED That Country Day next year should be held on the first Saturday after New Year was a recommendation made to the incoming committee at a meeting of the management committee of the Southland Cricket Association last night. The recommendation was put forward by Mr J. S. Brass, who said that the suggestion had been made to him by an old player. If Country Day were held on the first Saturday after New Year it would not interfere with the town cricket. Most of the country players would probably be able to get away at that time. “There should be a definite date for Country Day,” said a meipber. The president (Mr R. Taylor) reported on the postponement of Country Day on March 11. Heavy rain fell on the Friday before the day fixed for the matches, he said, and the emergency committee met to get in touch with the country districts about the games the following day. Many of the country teams advised that they would have difficulty in getting players away and that their teams would be weak. The committee decided that the best thing to do would be to declare the matches off. It would have been no test of country cricket because of the weakened state of the teams. Although he would have liked to see club games held on March 11, there was no opportunity to make arrangements. No country players travelled to Invercargill on March 11 with the exception of a Northern district team which played a friendly match with the colts team.

It was stated that the Otago boys’ team, which arrives tonight, would be billeted in Invercargill and any person willing to billet a boy was asked to get in touch with the secretary. There were present: Messrs R. Taylor, G. Agnew, W. T. Baker, H. Grace, J. S. Brass, F. R. S. Petrie, H. Drees, R. Swinney, H. Alabaster and the secretary (Mr A. J. Hamilton). FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY The following are the fixtures for Saturday:— Senior. —Matches continued. Junior A.—Matches continued. Junior B. —Appleby v. Borstal, at Borstal; Waikiwi v. Invercargill, at Queen’s Park No. 1; Bluff v. Union (default by Bluff); Georgetown v. Railway, at Biggai - street west. Third Grade.—Georgetown v. Union, at Queen’s Park No. 3; Appleby v. High B, at High School; Old Boys v. High A, at High School; Marist a bye.