CRICKET IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 11

CRICKET IN TARANAKI

REPRESENTATIVE SEASON

MATCHES STILL TO BE ARRANGED.

KNOTTY PROBLEMS TO SOLVE.

(By

"M.O.T.”

The attendance and discussion at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Cricket Association on Tuesday night indicated a very pleasing interest amongst cricketers as a whole in the administration of the game, and it seems that there is every prospect of a particularly good season. The fact that cricketers were not afraid to air their views, and different lights were thus thrown on current topics, is all for the good of the game, and gives the management an opportunity of judging the trend of players’ opinion. . »■ . Hawke Cup Challenge. The decision to ask the South Auckland Association to play the challenge match oh' December 8, 9 and 10 sets a more or less definite goal for aspirants to representative honours to strive after, and it! is to be hoped that between now and then performances with bat and ball will be in keeping with the keenness of the competition for a place in bigger cricket. i. An important point was raised by /Messrs. C. G. Bottrill and H. W. Brown in advocating the continuation of regular annual matches with other associations such as Wanganui, in preference to games with visiting club teams. BearLn«’ in view the benefit to Taranaki cricket as a whole, and the prestige of the game, the argument seems a very sound one. Mr. Brown even went so far as to suggest that “a pot-hunting expedition such as the quest for the Hawke Cup should not be allowed to Interfere with the regular fixture with Wanganui.” Whereas' the ethics of Mr. Brown’s argument cannot be questioned, It has to be borne in mind that possession of the Hawke Cup, carrying with it the nominal championship of the New Zealand minor associations, is undoubtedly of immense ‘benefit to th® holders, providing always that the game is not subordinated to the prize. Cricket in Taranaki never received a greater fillip, or commanded more public interest, than when Taranaki held the Hawke Cup a few years ago. And providing satisfactory arrangements can be made for a date to play Wanganui it seems Taranaki would be rather foolish if it did not accept the-golden opportunity given it this year to meet the present champions. Mention was made on Tuesday night of a remark once passed “that it would be better if a certain shield were dropped overboard into the Tasman.” Similar sentiments have been expressed about the Moascar Cup. But the circumstances are not quite the same. So long as the Hawke Cup arid what it signifies are regarded purely as. an incentive to excel, employing only true sportsmanship' in every . sense of the word, it is difficult to see how it can be other than a useful institution. It is only when a team descends from true! sportsmanship in order to win a trophy that playing for it becomes an evil. The Graham. Cup.

As a sort of preliminary to ( the Hawke Cup fixture the annual match between North and South Taranaki for the Graham Cup has been fixed for November 26. The question was asked at Tuesday’s meeting: ft Do the selectors base their selection of the Taranaki team on the performances in the Graham Cup match?” That is a'question for the selectors .to answer, but it would be a strange thing if they did base their selection wholly on that match. There is this, however, to be said in favour of having the match played in November, from the selectors’ point of view. It should afford them an opportunity of seeing how players with good performances in club cricket react to new circumstances, pew, and probably more formidable opposition . than they have been accustomed to, perhaps a strange ground, and last but not least, the psychological effect of an important occasion. ' Town ▼. ‘Country.

It still remains for the northern division executive to deal with two important matters. One is the fixing of the date of the annual match between Town and Country at New Plymouth, and the other making a decision as to- whether club competitions will be continued on all or any. of the following occasions: Town v. Country match, North Taranaki v South Taranaki match, representative matches in which a Taranaki team is engaged. These matters will probably come up for discussion at the next meetin" of the management committee, and it ° will be interesting to see the reSU As* far as the Town v. Country match is concerned, in recent years it has been played early in the season, prior to the Graham Cup match. This year there seems a fairly general opinion in favour of having it played either later in the season, or else on a week day. There is this to bp said in favour of having it played early in the season that it gives the Country players a feeling that the candidates amongst them for representative honours have a fair trial on a good ground under tne eye of the selectors. The argument against, of course, is interference with the already too-much-interfered-with club competitions. Owing to non-availabihty of some of the leading players the match is rarely a true test of Town and Country merit, and possibly to play the fixture on a week day during November will appeal to the committee as the best solution to the difficulty. The other matter presents more dif-

ficulty. If the ordinary club player had his say he’ would probably exclaim: “I don’t want the club competitions postponed for the Town v. Country match, and I don’t want them postponed for Taranaki representative match played outside the province, but I would like to have a look at the North v. South Taranaki match if, it is played my end of the province. Otherwise I should like the competitions to continue on that date also.” And it is generally admitted that club competitions are the great stronghold of cricket in any district. On the other hand there is the distinct bearing the committee’s decision will have on championship honours. A strong club team, for instance, with excellent chances of the championship, may be transformed into a weak team if it has four players in the Taranaki representative team playing a match outside the district (such as at Hamilton in December). And if the club competitions are continued on that date the team might easily be beaten by another team which would not defeat it in the ordinary course of events with both teams &t full strength. Whatever the committee’s decision on this point it will probably not be received with unanimous approval, for in this matter there is no possibility of pleasing everybody. Next Saturday’s Matches.

The second day’s play of the New Plymouth-Old Boys senior A match next Saturday has been definitely transferred from the Tukapo ground toPukekura Park. This will ease the position regarding grounds, and afford an opportunity of all teams having a bye, owing to the High School sports or otheiwise,° to arrange friendly matches. In the North Taranaki Country Thursday cricket competition to-day Inglewood will play Stratford at Stratford and Waitara will’have the , bye.