CRICKET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 243, 14 October 1931, Page 4

CRICKET

In ii— (Bp

'CLEMILL') I

Activities in cricket circles last Saturday, in the shape of practice matches and batting practices, appeared to augui well for the prospects for the new season’s cricket in Wanganui. A large number of new players will be turning out in several of the clubs, while many of last season’s players will again be on hand to lend support for the coming season. Present indications arc that there will be six senior teams to take the field next Saturday, when the Wanganui competitions commence, while it is expected that there will bo eight or nine second grade teams and six third grade. An endeavour is being made to avoid byes in the various grades, thus affording an opportunity for play every Saturday without the necessity for keen cricketers to spend a day on the bank. When the senior teams take the field next Saturday some new faces will, be seen, according to reports concerning the strength of the teams. Cheevers will be playing for United, which chib will find a stronger eleven than in the past. It may be remembered that Cheevers made a century for Taranaki against Wanganui in the elimination match for the Hawke Cup last season, so there is every reason to expect that his presence will lend strength to an already strong club. Gee, who played for Old Boys last year, will bat for United this season. He was responsible for some good displays last year and is another acquisition for United. With Jacobs, Sewell and Wood also turning out, United should have a strong first eleven, and it is not surprising to find that they will be putting a second grade team in the field. This will be under charge of N. Bromiley, whose keen enthusiasm is an asset to any club.

There will not be many changes in the eleven to be fielded by the Wanganui Club, though Darby will be an absentee. With Grant, G. Thrush, Morgan, Williams, Wilde, W. Thrush and Evans to do battle for them, especially if Evans proves as good a bowler as was the case last season, Wanganui should put up a good fight for the senior championship. Old Boys will miss Gee this season, for apart from his ability as a batsman he trundled the leather to some effect last year. Bullock-Douglas will again be turning out for Old Boys, while if Ellis, Thomas and, McDougal are found among the eleven there will be sufficient run-getters to make Old Boys no mean proposition. They are not strong in bowlers, but the new season may find a trundler of no mean merit unearthed.

Tizard, back from a season of Auckland cricket, having played in the Suburban Association’s competition last year, will again play for Technical College Old Boys, who will not have the services of K. Scoullar, Peek, F. Smith, C. Smith, Luxford, Weir, Davidson, Inglis and Stewart will form the nucleus of an excellent team for Tech. Old Boys. It i» reported that Mete Kingi will play tennis this season. As far as the Collegiate School and Technical College elevens are concerned, there is not much use discussing their likely strength as there will be considerable changes after the Christina:: vacation, for a number of the first eleven players will be leaving school. *¥*♦••

Members of individual clubs were busy on Saturday mowing and rolling the practice wickets in preparation for nex* Saturday’s opening of the season, while a good deal has been done during the evenings now that daylight saving affords another half-hour’s light for the purpose.

At a meeting of the Management Committee on Monday it was decided that an endeavour be made to have all games started punctually at 2 p.m. Any club not prepared to commence plajr at 2 p.m. will be liable to a fine of £1 and the match may be defaulted at the discretion of the Management Committee. Another decision arrived at was that members must not practice on the grounds at Cook’s Gardens after 1.50 p.m., being liable to a fine of five shillings for infringement of this rule. Stumps will be drawn at 6.30 p.m. each Saturday. ***** New Zealand cricket will suffer a loss as a result of the decision of W. E. Merritt to return to England next year to play for Rishton Club, in the Lancashire League, this intimation being conveyed in a cablegram from London. It is rather a pity, for cricket in New Zealand was all the stronger for the inclusion of Merritt in matches against such visiting teams as those from Australia, England and West Indies. Merritt was the “find” of the New Zealand cricket team which visited England in 1927. Only 18 years of age at the time, he was selected at the last moment for the team, mainly on his performance in the final Plunket Shield match of that season, i n which he took eight wickets for 68 runs for Canterbury against Otago.- The team wanted a leading slow bowler, and Merritt, a slow right-hand bowler, with ability to send along an occasional well-con-trolled googly,” filled the bill. Ho proved a success in England, taking 173 wickets (average 19.31) in all matches, and 10/ wickets in first-class matches at a cost of 23.6 runs apiece. He also proved a useful batsman on the tour, concluding with n aggregate of 53S runs, and an average of 26.9. Since taen he has been a regular member of the Canterbury team. Ou this year’s tay with the New Zealand team Merritt has not been so successful, although he still proved to be New Zeaful Pr £ Me bowler . a,ld a “se ful batsman. He took just 100 wickets “ hrst , claBs “itches at an average of -6.2, and made 545 runs, averaging 19.4. Merritt, who became 23 years of tge in chl^h 1 ' l* as a Sports bus moss in Christmate T n C f °, njU ”, ctioa Wl “> his teuni--II ' C . romb > another prominent founder of the New Zealand team who has received a a offer from another Lancashire League club to return t 0 wi'n'Tk i? 10 ° kS aa if the Partners will both be engaged in Lancashire League Club cricket during the 193" Lnghsh summer.

When the conference of New Zealand delegates meets in Christchurch next month it is almost certain that the tiresent system of control of the game in the Dominion will be a subject of disbuV'te' th ll iS ?°‘ u y any means now > but in the past, when improvements were suggested, there was not always It /fno S t “ Ppor ‘, t 0 brl “g them about, st™ ? ‘ her ° a PP ear ed to be a , ln . Y arious quarters for ftln g the administration te Wellingten, an( j the hag bMn ovide b of a strong leaning by the minor associations towards Wellington, ma iX Wen“ Se < Ot tho man Der in Which the the . tngton Crlckot Association studies the interests of cricket in the country

districts; in fact, most of the North Island minor associations and two of those in tho South Island are now under the wing of the Wellington Association.