A PILLAR OF CRICKET.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19166, 24 November 1927, Page 10

A PILLAR OF CRICKET.

TO THE IDITOX 0» THB PBISS. Sir,—The excitement in connexion with the return of the first New Zealand cricket learn after their excellent display in England having died down, I think we should not forget those who, by their hard work and unselfish efforts, made it possible for a cricket team to visit the Old Country I do not refer to thoso genorous people throughout the Dominion who took up debentures in order to imam* the tour, but to those who have been interested in the game all the W™ their life and have given .their tmio and monev to further the interests ©t the best and greatest game in the world. I refer particularly to Mi Heathcote Williams. . When the New Zealand Cricket Council was started by a few of us in Christchurch 33 years ago, the credit for. which must bo given to the late Mr C. 11. Smith, the first secretary ot the Council, the first meeting was held in the Citv Hotel, Christchurch, on December 27th, 1894, and Mr Williams came all the way from Napier to attend the meeting. He has never ceased in those 33 years to be actively associated with the Council, and at the welcome to the New Zealand cricket team, the other day, he presided as vicepresident. No one has done more or nearly as much for cricket in Now Zealand as Mr Heathcote Williams. I notice that in his usual generous manner he proposes giving a cup to the South Island Association to take the place of the Hawke Cup. This should not he accepted, but it would, I think, be a gracious act on the part of cricket enthusiasts of this Island if we provided the troohy and named it the "Heathcote Williams Cup" as a slight acknowledgment of the great and unselfish work he has done for New Zealand cricket. —Yours, etc.. G. A. V. TAPPER.