CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1920, Page 3

CRICKET.

NORTH TARANAKI ASSOCIATION, ANNUAL MEETING OF DELEGATES. The annual meeting of the North Tnranaki Cricket Association was held at New Plymouth last evening. In the absence of the president, Mr. E. Whittle (owing to illness), Mr. Frank Willis presided. ANNUAL REPORT. The. annual report reviewed tte past season and expressed gratification at the' revival of cricket after the game had been at a standstill for the five preceding years. The report expressed the hope that all players would take their share of responsibility of the Working of the Association, and the laying out of permanent grounds. In nil, seventeen | tepms had entered iu the competitions. In . the matches with tl:e Nomads and South i TaranaJci, two of the northern representatives were victorious on all three occasions. The report expressed the opinion that the time was now opportune to lay down permanent playing and practice wickets, and thus do away with the matting, at the earliest possible date. The finances showed a debit balance of £2 17s fld. •On tte motion of the chairman and Mr. Foreman (Tikorangi), the report was adopted, RESERVE T. - Reports were preesnted regarding the efforts made by the Grounds Committee in securing Reserve T for a cricket ground, and the improvements which it was proposed to carry out from time to time. In reply to Mr. Foreman, the secretary (Mr. P. E. Stainton) said the Reserve was registered in the name of the Association, but would be a defbit against the New Plymouth Clubs. A special vote of thanks was accorded Crs. Hayden and Hill for the interest they had taken during the negotiations regarding the Reserve. A vote of thanks was also tendered tte Grouuds sub-Committee.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. President, Mr. E. Whittle (re-elected): vice-presidents, to be nominated by Clubs); secretary, Mr. L. Walker; delegate to the Councl.l, Mr! T. G. Weston (Chrlstchurch); sole selector, Mr. G. W. Palmer; hon. auditor, Mr. E. Lash. THE COMING SEASON. The following Fixtures Committee was appointed: Messrs. A. Osborne, Saunders, and the secretary. It' was decided that the Association hold one championship competition during the season, provided the entries be not less than three teams In each.' of the Thursday and Saturday, divisions; winners of the Thursday to play off with the Saturday champions to decide the premiership of North Taranaki. The date of the opening of the competition was left to the Fixtures Committee. GENERAL. Messrs. A. Osborne' and H. Saunders were appointed to repesent the Association on the Pukekura Sports Ground Committee. Highly appreciative reference was made to the work done for the Association by the cut-going secretary (Mr. Stalrfton), and a vote of thanks was placed on record in tie minutes, Tlio meeting passed a vote of sympathy with the president (Mr. E. Whittle) in illness, and expressed best wishes for his speedy recovery. It was decided that a letter of thanks ho sent to the headmaster of the Boys' High School (Mr. W. H. Mo yes) for assistance rendered in tile matter of grounds. A plea for the fostering of school cricket was made by Mr. Stainton, and Mr. O'Neill (Urenui), suggested tl:o ifromotlon of a com- | petition for the schools. Mr. Berg spoke In favor of instituting an equal basis of representation by each Club on the Association, and he suggested that each Club should be entitled to two delegates.—The secretary replied that the revision of the rules was under way, and the matter would be considered. Tlio delay and inconvenience occasioned last season by the frequent 'postponement of matches, txas mentioned by Mr. Fornnan, and be expressed the opinion that in the coming season greater strictness should be observed in the carrying out of fixtures. INGLEWOOD CLUB. At the annual meeting of the Inglewood Club on Tuesday, the following officers were elected: President, Mr. W/E. Percival; vicepresidents, Messrs, 0. H. Hutton, .T. R. Sutherland, A. Marshall; secretary and treasurer. Mr. Ponty Jones (subject to acceptance) ; club captain, Mr, F. .Partridge; committee of management, Messrs. Clegg, Darlow, and Partridge; delegates to Association, Messrs. Darlow and V. Harkness. It was decided to affiliate wifil the Nortli Taranaki Association. The annual subscription was fixed at £1 ss, and the junior subscription at 12s Cd. A WORLD'S CRICKETER. Of .1, M. Gregory, who will play for Australia against the M.C.C, representatives, writes in tho Australasian The cricketing career of J. M. Gregory, the great all-rounder if tho A.I.F. team, Is the most remarkable on record. Prior to the war, although educated In Sydney, the stalwart son of old Charles Gregory was unknown in the cricket world. Constant practice and a lovo of the game made the naune of Gregory once again prominent among the best players of the day. Of course, to begin with, there was cricket blood in his veins, his father, and his uncle, and bis cousins all being noted players, and when lie got his chance he almost immediately made good. One is inclined to the opinion that among the selectors of the A.I.F. team thero must havo been some members with superior cricket knowledge; otherwise the raw recruit would not have been chosen as a member of the band that played so splendidly In England, and upon their return to their native land. In one short season Gregory, whin was unknown even as a club cricketer in the land of his brith, rose to the rank of one of the best all-round players of the day. His career is a cricket romance. The best all-round cricketers In the world at the" present time are Wonlley and Rhodes, of England, and Armstrong and Gregory, of Australia. There is no finer player than the athletic young Sydney giant. I have been assured by returned soldiers that the improvement hi Gregory's piny was extraordinary. Percy Parratt, a Northcote first eleven man and captain of the Fitzroy Football Club, told me that he saw Gregory's first match at Lords, and lie was very crude. On seeing tVe sa«ue man bowl, bat and field in the match against Victoria, on the Melbourne ground, Parratt confessed that he was astounded beyond measure, as such an' improvement seemed beyond the bounds of possibility. In that identical match Gregory was paid the greatest compliment any player could receive. He attracted the crowd in the sahie degree as a magnet attracts iron. He was a live wire in all his actions, and whether bowling, batting, or fielding, was the cynosure of all eyes. While not possessing cither Jones' or Cotter's abnormal pace with the ball, there is no finer fast bowler living. Coming from such a, great height (lie stands about 6ft 41ii), the hall is apt to rise abruptly, which makes his bowling especially dangerous. Thero is no finer slip field alive, his long reach and prehensile fingers making him a champion in that important position, though 1 think he could field anywhere. He is a gr.eat batsman even now, while his possibilities are immense. His double century against New .South Wales proved of what he is capable. His bowling and batting against Victoria were splendid. On 'a bad wicket he was unplayable—by the Victorians, at any rate—while his batting was full or resource and punishing power. The match was in a critical stage when he came In the second innings against, time, and he played Arnvstrong better than any other man on the side. The Victorian waa sending them down fairly wide on the leg side with machine-like precision, with the twofold object of keeping down runß and making the batsimen take the jrlrt*. But Gregory, with bi» lout reach, r*.