THE “WATERED WICKET” ENQUIRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17039, 12 May 1923, Page 8

THE “WATERED WICKET” ENQUIRY.

The publication of the evidence in what was known as the ‘‘ watered wicket enquiry ” was a quite sufficient answer to the allegations made by the captain of the Wellington , team, and the committee of the Cricket Council has come to the only conclusion possible on the facts, Clearly the wicket was not watered, but if the Wellington captain believed that it had been watered, his obvious and reasonable course, as the committee points out in its finding, would have been to report tbe position to tbe groundsman or some official of the Canterbury Association, so that it could have been investigated at once. The reason given by Mr Collins for not taking this course is that “ he was so annoyed that he lost his head,” and, further, he ‘ k admitted he made a fool of himself. ” The committee, not unjustly, “ sees no reason to disagree with Mr Collins on this point.” Perhaps the matter could be allowed to rest there, but it is only fair to point out a very serious conflict of evidence between the Wellington captain and leading Canterbury players as to conversations during the Wellington team’s visit, and on these points, we think, the committee has let Mr Collins down lightly. The outstanding fact of the whole inquiry, however, is that the Wellington Captain believed be had found something which was quite contrary to the rules of cricket and opposed to good sportsmanship, and yet he refrained from taking either the straightforward course of informing the officials of his suspicions or, in the alternative, saying nothing about it. The whole case is regrettable, but it is to be hoped that Canterbury cricketers will not allow it to affect the friendly relations that have existed for so many years between them and their Wellington confreres. *