CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 290, 3 September 1919, Page 5

CRICKET

EBVIEW OF LAST SEASON. The annual report of the Wellington Cricket Association states that, tlie last season was one of the most successful in the history of the association, in spite of the many interruptions and difficulties which prevailed, particularly before the Now Teai , . During November, eays tho report, Wellington, o,s was the caso all over the Dominion, was visited by an appaljing epidemic, ifhicli resulted, as far as cricket was concei'ned, in a complete disintegration- of the work of the association for some- weeks. So serious was the visitation in November that the committee deemed it advisable to abandon all fixtures for three playing Saturdays. TMs , voluntary decision met with the approval of all players and of, the Health authorities. Itwasnotuntil December tihat matches,were cgain played. Wet weather also prevented,' to some extent, the following of the season's programme, and the signing of the armistice and the con:sequent_ withdrawal of the camp teams' .helped in the general dislocation. The final entries for the various championships were as follow:—Senior, G; juniors, 18; thirds, 12. Seven new olubs affiliated, and two old cluta dropped out. The senior championship was won bv the Wellington College Old Boys eleven." The junior championship fell to the Hill's Pipeworks eleven—a new club—which wa3' undefeated, and thfl third-class champions were the Banks College eleven. During the season the following representative matches were played: y. , Canterbury, at Christohurch,. won:-v. vCanterbury at. Wellington, lost: v. Auckland, at Wellington,'lost; v. Wanganui, at Wnngahui, wot. Aβ a. result of the representative match v. Canterbury played in ChrisWiurch at Christmas, 1918, the Plunket. Shielfj was won after an exciting match by the Wellington representatives for the first, time in tho history of the association. Wellington's tenuro of the shield, hewjver, was a brief one, for the trophy was Mcaptural in January. Tho Canterbuiy ,Elevon■ is to, be sincerely coiijrrnttilnte,! on regaining tho shield.so quickly, ami for its magnificent performance in m'u'nine. the. second match after heing k> far behind in the first inning. The cordial thanks of the association are tendered to the Canterbury and : Wflngamii Criclcot Associations for their great kindness and hospitality shown to the Wellington roprtvientativea on their visits fo'Cnristchiirch and Wanganui. The report shows the. finances of the association to be in V von- satisfactory condition. The income for fbe year exceeded the expenditure by ,£lB9 12s. id., an increase of £U2 Us. 4<l. on the previous season's results. ' The association's liabilities are nil. and the accumulated fund account now stands at ,€366 18s. Id. —.£346 ss. Id., of -which represents cash in hand and .£23 10s. outstanding ground fees and material. The , incomo for the season Mras .£4BB -Is. lfld., as compared wifli. 19s. 9d. for the nrnvioua year. Though there was a slight falling-off ,in the gate takinge, the average gate for the season was greater than during the previous season, permission to charge having been granted on fewer occasions. The amount paid to tho Wellington City Council for rent of the reserves shows an i"»ease from 1917-18 {.£226 5 3 .) to 1 18-19 (4257 17s. 6d.) In. addition, the sum of .£3O 16s. was received by tho City Council, being 10 per cent, of tho gross takings for all matchee played on' the Basnj Koservo, when permission to charge was granted to tho association. It should be remembered that a portion of last year's revenne resulted from representative gates. Next season will be a lean one as far as this item -is concerned, as Wellington owes Auckland a visit and the expense involved will ho very considerable. The association must, therefore, face a prospective loss. A iurther sum of .£175 has been deposited m the Post Office Savings Bank, making the total deposit, exclusive of accrued interest, ,£325. Special reference is made in theieport to the Irenlihara Camp Club, which took part in last eijason's competition. "The club, which was comoosed entirely of soldiers passing through or attached to the Trentham Military Camp, woe formed in 1914, shortly after the outbreak of .hostilities, and was compelled to disband after. tho ; signing of the armistice. It reached its summit of success during the 1917-18 season, when it carried off the senior championship with , an unbeaten, reoord. "Nearly all the Dominion's best cricketj ers appeared in its ranke, and were seen on the Basin Beaerve.- The result was that the standard of Wellington cricket was,maintained, and even improved, during the war period, and public enthuI siasm was aroused and stimulated. Tho j committee is sensible of its debt of gratitude to all those members of the Camp Club—some of whom have won greater distinction on the . field of battle, and ! many of whom have 'gone West , —who ■ contributed so largely to the success of J the Wellington Cricket Association dur- ) ing the past four years. It also owe 3 j its thanks to the ca.mp authorities, who j at all times facilitated the granting of i leave to enable the playera to come to Wellington to participate in matches.' - The committee considers that now peace . has been signed there is a bright future ahead for tho game of cricket, as indeed for all classes of olean and nianly sport. Tho committee is not -unmindful of the part which all true sportsmen of the British Empire have played in the winning of the great war, a victory in the gaining of which cricketers did not neglect their rightful responsibilities.