THE DECADENCE OF CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 3121, 19 February 1873, Page 2

THE DECADENCE OF CRICKET.

To the Editor .

Sir,—So the town cricketers have tried what wisdom can be obtained from a multitude of counsellers ; with what results remains yet to be seen. I am willing to accord to Messrs Turton and Munson & strong desire to seethe game flourish as i]t did in the days of yore, when those gentlemen were active players : when they not only lent young players the light of their support, but were to be seen daily encouraging them by good aud wholesome example in the field. I have carefully read and cooaidered what those gentlemen had to say on the subject, and have come to the conclusion that nothing would contribute in a larger degree to the improvement of cricket than the adoption of the idea promulgated last season by Mr Allen—viz,, to obtain a challenge cup to be competed for in Dunedin by the wiv-keteru of the Froviuoo, I ads any.

one to turn to Victor a and New South Wales, and observe the effect of the challenge competitions there. They have been the means of developing more genuine cricket, and bringing to the front more promising colts than evon. the intercolonial matches. Turn to the Melbourne files, fliid you will read of some of the most exciting contests ever in Victoria having taken place over the Cup ; and in the Sydney papers you will read of gallant struggles between the Alberts and Warwicks, and between the town and country clid'B, for the trophy of that Colony. In Dunedin we cannot afford such a valuable article as is offered in other Colonies ; but we might .get one that would be worth a struggle. Let the Dunedin and Citizens’ curbs contribute HO a-piece ; the Albions L 5 ; that would be L 25 ; an equal sum could be easily gathered by public subscription, and Lso—though X see no reason why L 75 could not be raisedwould purchase something really handsome. The article secured, conditions under which the competitions should take place, \voula have to be framed ; and I have no hesitation in saying we "should*f=eel cricket flourishing as healthily, if not more so, after the interprovincial match, as before it. It is no stretch of the imagination to suppose that within a year of the suggestion being acted upon, wo shall see half a dozen first-class matches each season, for the trophy. The Dunedin Club would have to play fifteen Citizens audfeighteen orjtwenty-two Albions at least twice, if not thrice, in a season to keep possession of it; and it would not be supposing too much to include an occasional visit from a Tokomairiro or Oamaru eleven, who would quickly come down when they knew there was something worth playing for to be taken back with them. I hope Mr Allen will moot his proposition at the adjourned cricket meeting, when he may reckon on the hearty support of An Outsider.