CRICKET PRESIDENT’S DAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21304, 25 March 1939, Page 21

CRICKET PRESIDENT’S DAY

TO-DAY’S FUNCTION AT FRASER PARK BRISTOL CUP MATCH The 1939 cricket season in South Canterbury will be brought to a close this afternoon, the principal fixture being President’s Day at Fraser Park. Bristol Cup Challenge The match on the East wicket will be the Bristol Cup challenge match, between Timaru Club (winner of the South Canterbury senior competition) and Ashburton Club (winner of the Ashburton County Cricket Association’s senior competition). Last week the Timaru team met and defeated the Waimate team, which had qualified to take part in the elimination match, by winning the Waimate Sub-Association’s competition. The match to-day will commence at 10.30 a.m. The following teams will take part: Ashburton: H. E. Cook (captain), I. Hamilton, P. Harper, R. Biggar, P. Allen, A. Todd, J. D. Nicol, L. Bransgrove, C. Burton, C. Jessep, W. Morse and B. Newton. (One to be eliminated.) Timaru: R. Wilson (captain), R. McLauchlan, L. Smith, B. Walsh, H. Purcell, N. Gould, D. Heasley, A. Ewart, G. Mills, H. W. Fisher, and G. Weir. The umpires appointed are Messrs W. Gow and C. T. Moor. The Bristol Cup, which is held by the Timaru Old Boys’ Club on behalf of South Canterbury, is competed for each year by teams representing Ashburton, Timaru and Waimate. The preliminary match each year is played between teams representing the competition winners under the South Canterbury Cricket Association and the Waimate Cricket Sub-Association. The winning team of this match becomes either defender or challenger for the Cup. This year the Timaru team is meeting a challenge from a very strong Ashburton team, and an interesting game is anticipated. Both clubs in to-day’s challenge match have held the Cup in previous years. The Timaru Club has the honour of being the first club to have its name inscribed on the Cup in 1915 and retained the trophy until 1921. The same Club was successful in the 1929-30 season. The Ashburton Club captured the Cup in 1932, but in the past two years the Timaru Old Boys’ Club were successful. Geraldine and Celtic, Zingari and Star Clubs in Timaru have held the Cup, while Fairfield Club, Ashburton, held the honours in 1931-32 and 1934-35. Old Boys v. High School Owing to the claims of harvesting activities in the country districts the Waimate Cricket Sub-Association has been unable to field a team to meet a representative South Canterbury eleven, and this match, set down for this afternoon, has been abandoned. In place of this match the Old Boys’ senior eleven, who are well up in the South Canterbury senior competition will play the Timaru Boys’ High School First Eleven. The following teams will play: Old Boys: F. S. R. Thomson (captain) , E. Earwaker, R. Fear, A. Souter, W. McDonald, L. Jones, J. Kane, M. Morrison, L. Mahan, N. Reilly, C. Hind. High School: A. Roberts (captain), •C. Enting, W. McLeod, R. J. McLeod, G. Williams, A. Hunter, R. McKenzie, D. Parsons, J. Ensor, B. Neilson and V. Keay. The match, which will be played on the West wicket at Fraser Park, will provide useful practice for the High School team which is to meet Otago High School in the annual school game next week.

President’s Day is held to give an opportunity for the officials of cricket clubs affiliated with the South Canterbury Cricket Association and the officers and officials of the Association to meet and enjoy an interesting day’s cricket with past and present-day cricketers. This is the first function of its kind to be held at Fraser - Park, which is now the home ground of cricket in South Canterbury.