IMPROVING OTAGO CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 23381, 26 September 1939, Page 2

IMPROVING OTAGO CRICKET

CARISBROOK PRESIDENT S VIEWS DISTRICT SCHEME CONDEMNED , “ The Otago Cricket Association has been much concerned, as we were all concerned, at the comparatively poor showing made by the representative team last season,” said the president (Mr Crosby Morris) at the annual meeting of the Carisbrook Club last night. The speaker went on to say, however, that perjiaips too much notice bad been taken of the fact that Ota-go had finished at the bottom of the list m the Plunket Shield competition, end the fact that the province’s representatives had filled second place in the previous season was inclined to .be overlooked . ■ The association, said Mr Morris, bad appointed a sub-committee to draw up a report with a view to improving the position, and that committee had advocated a system of district Ticket. “ I am very pleased indeed,” said Mr Morris, “to know that this suggestion, was turned down.” He hesitated to further criticise the report when two members of the club had been oa the committee responsible for it, he wak surprised at their making such a suggestion. (Laughter.) District cricket would not do any good and it would certainly have done harm in dissolving old-established clubs. Referring to other clauses of the report, Mr Morris expressed the opinion that eight senior teams was too many, as there were not sufficient players m Dunedin to efficiently fill that number. This being so, was it not the duty of the association to reduce the number of teams to six? That, however, was a matter for the controlling body., he said, but it was to be hoped that some workable scheme would be devised t« improve cricket in the province. ,