COUNTRY CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 109, 1 February 1935, Page 13

COUNTRY CRICKET

.Talk of Breakaway From

Wellington PLUNKET SHIELD GAMES Dominion Special Service. r . Napier, "January 31. Regret that the Wellington Cricket Association had decided to abandon the annual Town v. Country match without first having consulted the minor associations, was expressed at a meeting of the management committee of the Hawke’s bay Cricket Association. Discussion arose through the non-inclusion of country players in the Wellington Piunkit Shield team.

Mr. IV. L. Dunn expressed the view that the minor associations had a rignt to protest. He contended that the selector of the Wellington team was not competent to say that any minor association’s players were not worthy of a place if the selector was not conversant with their form. “Heading between the lines,” ne said, "it seems quite plain to me that the Wellington association is telling the minor associations that they want them no longer, and that if they want to enter into Plunket Shield cripket, then they can form their own Plunket Shield Association.” It was about time the New Zealand Cricket Council awoke to the fact that the time was approaching when the greater portion of cricket would be conducted outside the council's jurisdiction, The opinion that there must be hundreds of good cricketers in the country districts, outside of Wellington, was voiced by Mr. A. Swailes, who added that he would associate himself with a breakaway from the major association. The chairman, Mr. R. M. Chadwick, said that before the Hawke’s Bay association committftd itself to the suggestion of forming a fifth Plunket Shield association, it should hear the views of the Wellington association.

The Hawke’s Bay association is to recommend that the Manawatu association organise a conference of minor associations to consider breaking away and forming a fifth Blanket Shield association.