CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 12

CRICKET.

THE SEASON'S OPENING PROSPECT.

[By The' Beeakee.]

Although some weeks have yet to elapse ere cricket will he in. full swing, a number of circumstance? have ..combined to bring the game and its affairs already into prominence. First of these may.be named the arrival .of the; new coach, Mr. ,J. V. Saunders, whose work and influence may be expected to.Tevivo and maintain interest iii the game for a long time to ■come. Possibly, indeed, it may do more. Cricketing enthusiasts'here, as elsewhere in New Zealand, await, the initiation ; of a big advance movement. It is universally felt that the : comparatively low standard hitherto established' by New Zealand cricketers by no. means represents, the best that the .country can do. A tithe of the earnest application given to football, it is claimed, would make NewZealanders as formidable in cricket as they are in the winter game. Whether these optimistic conclusions are justified or no, it is certain that cricket is a grand game—some say., the very grandest —and the enterprise of the local' association in obtaining the services of a coach such as Saunders is to be ■ unreservedly commanded. . .. If the fine weather that has marked the 'opening of spring continues, "early birds should soon find the turf to their liking for ■■ j Centre of Control. ■ .The .date qf tho opening day will not be dccided until- the local association holds - its annual meeting on September 27, but, in any case, it will be set down for somewhere about the middle 'of October. A matter ,of some interest which will come up . for consideration at che annual meeting is a, proposal, introduced by a remit, from Hawkes' Bay,-.that .the 1 headquarters of the New Zealand Cricket Council should :be removed from, Christchurch to Wellington. has. lately, been a theme of /extensive agitation, ;.and the proposed change of location is naturally strongly supported throughout the North Island. It will bo \ left to the incoming council to • decide. as to , the manner .in which the services of the new' coach shall be.; allocated, but • it •is anticipated that " a considerable share of his attention -will probably be devoted to the juniors of the district clubs, and to the school, teams. . , " i ■ The Central CluD. All four district olubs seem'likely to put up a,good showing during the season about:to open. The, membership in each has been well' maintained, and a fair number of. new members are coming forward. /The Central Club is likely to lose tho Services of A. E. .Miller,; who played last year in the senior V team. . It is thought probable that ho will ;be playing this .year'for an outside club. On tho other hand' the club gains as a recruit the Rev./E. 0. Blamires, who has represented Otago and ; is known as a good bat and - capable fieldsman. The Central. Club senior team last year included six Wellington representatives,: and of . its members all but two were or had been provincial, representatives. The team includes some promising' youngsters, among them 13. Roberts and Kinvig,' both of whom have played as- representatives both in cricket and football. ' In the membership of the club's junior grades there has been little alteration. ■ ,

Wellington North. The North Club opens the season with equally good prospects. , Its senior contingent 16 little changed from that of last season. The veteran tlpham is coming out again, and so far as is known, nearly all the old members will be available. J. Quinn, who played for the jiast Club last 1 year, is now resident in the north district.:, On the other hand, "Stan" Hick'son has gone to the Hutt, and will presumably play out theie this year. :It is hoped that good wickets may be provided on Kelburne Park this season.. As the park lies in the centre of' the "district, the poor quality of the pitches provided upon it was a decided hindrance to progress last season. ~ Wellington South'. The South Club has lost the services of Cobcroft, who .was oaptain of its . senior eleven last year, and is well known as a bowler, and of T. Taylor, who plied a useful bat with last year's seniors, tioth have left Wellington.' Dind, another promising bat, is also away at present, but is expected to return in time to participate in the season's play. Against this, six new members have entered thi club, among them Grace, who was captain of the Wellington College team a couple of years ago, and of whom great things are oxpected., This year the club is to practise on the Basin Reserve. The juniors will play with practically the same team as lsat year. Wellington East. The East Club has recruited this year about nine new members, mostly young-' uters, and has received' about half a dozen resignations. Among the latter is hat of V. Berner, who played m two 6onior matches last year, and is regarded as a cricketer of promise; He may possibly Teturn shortly to Australia. On the wholo, thfc membership of the olub' teams has been little disturbed. At the Basin Reserve. ■ A good deal of work preparatory to tho formation of pitches has already been carried out at the Basjn Resorve. Mr. Saunders, in his capacity of groundsman, made a start on Monday last, and lias since had a busy time. A spuce comprising about three-quarters of the ground ms been relegated. to his ministrations, and almost tho whole of this area has been mowed and otherwise improved. Baro patches and hollows have been filled in and re-turfed, and this, coupled with iho . shortening of the grass, has wonderfully improved the appearance of the ground. Four match wickets are to be ! formed, one at either end of the reserve running east and west, and two between rliom running north and south. In addition about a dozen practice wickets ard 'oeing prepared. Mr. Saunders seems well pleased with tho general character lof the ground, and hopes to produce an array of- yery, passable wickets by tho I time the season opewf.