MANY FINE PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 84, 5 October 1940, Page 15

MANY FINE PLAYERS

PAST TRENTHAM TEAM?

In view of the special match proposed for Labour Day it is interesting to recall that Trentham and Wellington teams set the 1915-16 season going with a match which was played to assist the sports bodies fund for Christmas comforts for the New Zealand soldiers. Those who represented Trentham on that occasion were: Hawke, Senior, Sandman, Dempsey, Hickmott, Naughton, Bernau, Bennett, Crosse, Cook, and Saxon. There are some noted cricket names there, as there are in the list of Wellington representatives on that occasion—Midlane, Beechey, Hiddleston, ' Burton, Gibbes, Bray," Baker, Brice, Robinson, Cate, and Southall. On paper the Wellington side looked the more formidable, but Trentham won.

During that season the soldiers from Trentham took a prominent part in fh.e senior cricket competition. In addition to those in the special match therms were many other well-known cricketers at Trentham from time to time. Snedden, Cameron, Horspool, Signall, the McCardells, Pearce, Hill, McLachlan, Threadgill, Judd,- Kinvig, Howe, Greenlees, Smith, Haddon, Dowsett, Bramley, Griffiths, Geraghty, Chadwick, Johnston, Liversedge, Blair, Ongley, Smyrk, Bowles, Richards, Mackie, Campbell, and Longhurst were some of those who played on local fields as soldiers, and right through to the 1917-18 season Trentham was well represented. Condliffe, J. N. Crawford, Tattersall, Torrance, Dacre, Bruce, Lusk, Sandel. Crawshaw, Berendsen, Shacklock, Smyrk, • Lye, Fanning, Woods, Patterson, Kennedy, Kemnitz. Brooke-Smith, Bailey, and Tancred were others who turned out for Trentham. "There was rarely any difficulty in finding soldier-players for a strong side each Saturday. In the final season of that war period the Trentham side was so strong that it simply ran away with the senior championship. .

The soldiers contributed much to Wellington cricket history, and it I would be a pity if those of the present day did not have the opportunity of. emulating the deeds of those who'

played for Trentham in the 1915-18 seasons. They will, of course, have other opportunities; in fact, some of the soldier-cricketers have already been making a name for themselves overseas. But it would be good to sea the soldiers in the local competitions.