"RALLY ROUND."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 224, 20 September 1940, Page 3

"RALLY ROUND."

CALL TO CRICKETERS. VETERANS AND SUPPORTERS. In ite preface to the 57th annual report to be presented to delegates on September 26, the Auckland Cricket Association states:— Aa time goes on more and more of our players are leaving with the fighting forces—many are . already serving—and others are in training to go when and where the necessities of war may dictate. Our hearts will follow them wherever they may go, and it will be the aim of the management committee to endeavour during their absence to keep the organisation of cricket as far as possible intact. > It k therefore to be hoped that all old players and supporters who remain behind will rally round their old clubs and the association until the clouds of war have disappeared. New Zealand Champions. — For the fourth year in succession Auckland won the Plunket Shield competition and retained the trophy. It was a notable achievement on the part of W M Wallace, who led the Auckland team for the first time. Auckland secured 18 shield points, winning outright against Canterbury and Otago and losing against Wellington in the first innings. The Auckland junior representatives also won the first New Zealand interprovincial championship for players under 21. After beating Wellington, at Kilbirnie, and recovering the Brabin Cup, the team went south to Hagley Park, where Canterbury and Otago were defeated on the first inninge, and Auckland took the Interprovincial Cup on a points system analogous to that for the Plunket Shield. Centennial Cup.—To mark the Centennial year a Centennial Cup was provided jointly by the Wellington and Auckland Cricket Associations for • competition between the. representative teams of the two associations in conjunction with the Plunket Shield matches. It is intended that in all future matches between the two associations the cup shall be competed for, thus providing additional interest in close matches. For the purpose of deciding the first holder "of the cup a match was played at Eden Park on March 15 and 16 between the veterans of Wellington and Auckland. The match resulted in a tie and at the" close of tte match a most interesting reunion was held. Individual Club Honours.—The winners of the trophies awarded for first grade had averages as follow:— A. V. innings, 3 not out, 335 total runs, 110 highest score, 83.75 average. D. C. Cleverley—l9o overs, 29 maidens 656 runs, 57 wickets, 11.5 average. The batting winner is the youthful Ponsonby centre whose play at centre for the 1940 unbeaten Auckland representative XV. earned golden opinions throughout the North Island.