OUTSIDE THE FENCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1986, 17 February 1914, Page 9

OUTSIDE THE FENCE.

CRICKET ON THE CHEAP,

Perhaps there is no cricket ground in New Zealand whereon big matchbs are played which in its environment'has so many excellences from " the/ point of« view, of the person who delights in his cricket on,the cheap as the Basin Reserve. ,'-•

To the'.man outside the fence tho tree belts of the Auckland Domain are distressing to.his cricket-yearning soul; Lancaster Park, Christchnrch, is painfully devoid of peeping cracks and crannies, and Dunedin s Carisbrook is blbo a somewhat inconsiderate place for the lover of the freo show.

But the Capital's Basin makes up for the deficiencies of them all. The low wooden fence, with its many interstices, allows,the man of moderate height to gaze.to his heart's conteirt, while the rise in the' roadway of Buckle Street enables' a splendid bird's.-eyo view of the field from the footpath on the northern' side. And here thero was a considerable congregation on each day of the Australian-Wellington match of those "enthusiasts" who were disinclined to part with the nimble shilling. On Saturday a timber rack in that region was commandeered as a grandstand, and iit seated a numerous army of non-dividond-paying patrons of Mr. Sims's cricketing enterprise! Yesterday afternoon tho concourse of "outsiders was commencing to assemble once more on the timber pile ,when someone in authority oame along and tacked on the three "No Admittance" boards already on the' section fresh ndtices rprohibitrag the use of the rack DV.tho;fei)ca as a. grandstand, and the early' occupants had to clamber down again, So.they settled in line along ,the .fence;' with eyes glued on the cricket, pitch.. '' •■' But it was not now an uninterrupted survey of the battle. If was annoying the number of people in traps, wagons, and motor-cars who wore "continually ! pulling up on the Basin side of the road' just to have a peep at/how things were going. The presence of these in the lino of vision the watchers on the sunny sido endured as well as they could, craning their at uncomfortable angles, but thoi? patience and 1 language weref sorely taxed when a.burly wagoner, whoge criqketing instincts had doubtless caused ]iim to make a detour in his journey, came toa halt in the middle, of the roadway.,And,badness t9.it, his" wagon wasi;piled high■ fivjth,:sticksv'pj; chaff I There were none ■of sufficient' twenty to, eouijsel his, OT& ( °M, to, move -into posittiou' like' drilling, schoolboys when, ordered to "close tho rank.s." : . ~ '~..' Keenly ; ' they followed' the play, and when within their sighting area a fields l man mado a mistake, just as readily as the spectator whq had paid his footing they gibed in disapproval. 'At one time yesterday the "outsiders" on foot' ■ included ' postmen, poljcomcn, tramwaymen, 'a Salvation Army officer, other gentlemen in clerical garb, and. all types of the units of tho workaday world, from the professional man to tho navvy in dungarees, with here and there a lover a,nd.his lass. The vehicular representation included the occupants perched on the hood-rr grocers', butchers 1 ; carriers', and coal carts, each of] which quickly took on tho appearanco of a grandstand, as any passing acquaintance was invited to a seat. \ ■ . ', Presently a snapshotting nhbtog'rapber came along, and erected his camera in position on the pavement to place on picture record; the group* of "outsiders." "Go 'way," sonip of them' growled, but although momentarily 'it looked as though the camera fiond niight bo over-ruled 111 his little scheme, nono of the objecting watchers essayed the task for fear of losing his place along the fence. And beaming graciously on his unwilling victims, the photographer focused his machine; there .was a resounding click, and, still ' smiling, lie folded- up his camera and went,. The Crickot Association will no doubt be unsympathetic at the news, but the "outsiders" do not regard the afternoon tea adjournment with, favour. The interval, they find, is hard to fill in, and they have not the time-speiiding solace of the mail" insitto of strolling over to the wicket and giving, expert opinions as to the particular "spot" the deßpoil--1 ing bowler has found. ■'_