COUNTRY ASKS FOR MAN ON PANEL

Press, Volume C, Issue 29505, 5 May 1961, Page 15

COUNTRY ASKS FOR MAN ON PANEL

If recommendations put forward by country delegates at a meeting between the Canterbury Cricket Association and the minor and sub-asso-ciations, held last evening, are favourably considered by the Canterbury Association, a country nomination may be included in the selection panel for Plunket Shield and Brabin Shield matches.

The meeting recommended to the controlling association that all minor and sub-asso-ciations be advised when nominations are called for Plunket Shield selectors. It also recommended that the Canterbury Association consider co-opting a country selector to the Brabin Shield selection panel. The odds were stacked against the minor association player of getting any recognition at present, said Mr P. L. Zouch (Ashburton). Under

the present system, no matter how good a player was, it was very hard for a minor association man to make either the Brabin Shield team or the Plunket Shield team. He moved that the meeting recomrnend to the Canterbury Cricket Association that a country selector be one of a panel of three to select the teams for the Plunket Shield and the Brabin Shield, the motion was later withdrawn. "I don’t think there is anything to stop us discussing it,*’ said the president of the Canterbury association (Mr J, L. Kerr), who was chairman. They could not dictate but they could make a recommendation that should carry some weight, he said. It was difficult for town selectors to keep a tag on country players, said Mr F. Holloway (Ashburton). He could have named three or four players last season that were better than some of those selected for the Brabin Shield team "As far as I am concerned, the yard stick of a player is how he performs against outside teams,” he said. It was quite possible that a sole selector would be appointed in place of the panel of three, said Mr J. T. Eltoft. chairman of the Canterbury Association’s management committee. "I am not in favour of saying that the third man of a selection panel should be from a country area.” Under the present rules, the minor and sub-associations were quite entitled to nominate someone for the posi- > tion of selector, said Mr F. Dawson. Country Matches A list of fixtures between Canterbury and country sides was agreed on by delegates. An invitation will be issued to the newly-formed Hurunui Association to send a team to Christchurch for the annual country day matches on Labour Day, October 23. If the invitation is accepted, six country associations and the Hurunui association will play in Christchurch and one Canterbury team will play Malvern at Malvern. The programme will be the aame as last year. On Show Day, November 10. South Canterbury will be invited to send a team to Christchurch to play a Canterbury team and three Canterbury teams will travel to Ashburton to play local representatives there. It was decided to held the sub-associations versus minor associations trial match on November 22 and Novcmb<r 23. The combined side, which will be selected from this match, will play Canterbury on November 29 and November 30. Mr Kerr informed the meeting that a request had been received from the West Coast Association for a match, but as yet it had not been considered by the Canterbury . Association. He suggested that delegates ask their associa- . lions to give some thought . to sending a team to the West I Coast. “We want to make ' matches available if possible," he said.