WATERED WICKETS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16986, 9 March 1923, Page 9

WATERED WICKETS.

DO CANTERBURY PLAY THE GAME? Cnder the heading of “Do They Play the Game' in Christchurch ?*' Touchline writes as follows iii the ‘J New Zealand Free Lance ” of March “The Canterbury cricket representatives deserve congratulations on being the winners of the Plunkct Shield for the 1922-23 season. To attain that distinction they scored victories over ail the other metropolitan teams in the Dominion—Auckland. Otago and \Yelwliicb was rather protracted end was mainly noticeahle lor a line second in rungs effort by the Canterbury batsmen— R. Blunt and W. R. Patrick particularly—was won by the Plunkec. .Shield winners by 11-1 runs after being a long way down on the first innings. And it was this match-winning effort that prompts the question at the head or this article. Before the game started the two captains agreed that it should be played in strict accordance with the Marylebone Cricket Club’s rules, more especially as regards the following: The ground shall not be rolled, watered. covered, mown, or beaten during a match, except before the commencement ot each innings and ot each day’s play, when, unless the in-side object, the ground shall be swept and rolled for not more than ton mi iutes.' “The captain of the English team told me when he was in Wellington waiting the commencement of the third test match that in their game against Canterbury 1 the wicket had not been .watered—it had been flooded between Saturday night and Monday morning.' He went further, and said that he ha 1 told the Canterbury pressmen of the fact, and challenged them to publish it. The statement made by Mr AlacLaron was retailed to the many Canterbury enthusiasts in Wellington who watched the play in the third test match, but they did not go out of their way to refute the statement. “ After breakfast on Sunday morning two of the leading members of the Wellington team went down to Lancas- [ ter Park, ami they lound unmistakable ! evidence that the wicket had been ; watered after the cessation of play on i Saturday night. On the actual wicket ; it was to the touch, and on tb* outskirts cfiv.ld be noticed the signs ei j where the water had trickled off. whi’e. ] seven yards at either end of the wicket

! they could not make the least impres , sion on the turf by scratching with | their hoots. And. as if this was not j enough, the wicket had been rolled. ' and rolled well. No stated protest on ; the matter was made If* the captain ■ o c the Canterbury team, but the mat j ter was talked about amongst the j players. “The custodian of the Lancaster ! Park states that lie did not water the wicket or roll it. and his statement must Ik* accepted. Tbit apparently | .somebody did on at least two occasions j according to the word of the captains , of two visiting teams this season—and j each time the Canterbury batsmen scored more runs in thoiy second in n trigs tlin’h l heir fir«t. Roger Blunt getting th** century each iimo. ‘‘The telegram conveying the news of the second (lav’s play stated that • the wicket was showing signs of wearing.’ Those signs had all disappeared by Monday morning, and the wicket ! was better than at any stage of tic* match. Wherefore the question. ‘\j • | they play the game in Christchurch?’ ‘ I STii S. K. WII.SO.VH COMMENT. ' Wht'ii shown the foregoing article. | Alt S. l’\ Wilson, chairman o: the Lancaster Bark Board «>i Control, ; said that the statement that the wicket had been watered 'in cither match was absolutely untrue and existed entirely in tli ' 1 imagination of the pci-son making such statement. j With regard to the wicket provided ■ or die M.C.C. match. Air Wilson stated | j that, he had taken particular interest 1 ! i*i that wicket, and in company with | Dr Pope, au Australian authority op j wickets, who was travelling with th • i English team, lie had frequently jiii speefced the pitch and had sought Dr I Rope’s advice on how to improve it. ! At the la.->t meeting of the Lancaster Park Board of Control Air Wilson had I said that after the M.C.C. team nad : played in Chris**, well a statement was | ; made in Welhugton by Messrs Mac- j Laren and Freeman to a newspaper j i hut after the Englishmen had batted i water had been put on the wicket, j making practically a new one. He liad made inquiries and found this to be ' quite incorrect. it was a- compliment. • to their groundsman, however, if the j wicket was so good at the end of the I game ns to lead the visitors to believe that it had been watered. THE CARETAKER'S STATEMENT | } Air H . Vagg. caretaker of Lancaster. j | Park, was naturally very much an | rioved to think that lit* had been twice ! accused of watering the wicket at ti*. • ! park. He stated that in every Plunkei: j Shield match he had the authority of ! ; both captain* to roll the v. ic-ket at the j end of each days play if he thought I it advisable. He had handed a written j statement to Air Wilson regarding the i M.C.C. match, in which he denied a'-. sol in el v the use of water, i With regard to the/ Wellington i match. Collins, the visitors’ captain, had told him to roil the wicket, as nr» hi lit. He rolled rlj<* wicket after the conclusion .of Saturday's play and again on Alonday morning. He had never put a tea spoon ful of water on the wicket. Collins and Hiddleston had visited the park on Sunday* morning about 10. TO. unbeknown to him. They never said anything to him. but in consequence ot rumours he had heard he tackled them on the Tuesday morning and asked them if they had said that the wicket had been watered. They admitted making* the statement, afi ! i then Collins said be would accept his (Mr Vagg's) word that the wicket lurl . not been watered, though he really h-i-i thought at t!i - time that ~.uch a thing

had been done, adding, ‘Didn’t von P-v*l r ' to which Hiddleston replied in the affirmative. Mr Ya.gg further said that on the Saturday night there had been a heavv fog. and this was what probably led Collins and Hiddleston to h**lieve that tbe wicket had been watered, mere especially in Thi part which had been rolled. Mr Vagg has tlio keys of all the taps oi the ground, and it: would be impossible for anyone 01.-o to use the hose uuder the ciIVUVU.-d .IUCCS.