A VICTORIAN CRICKETING TEAM.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 73, 25 August 1874, Page 3

A VICTORIAN CRICKETING TEAM.

Th e'Daily Times states:—The following letter has been received from Melbourne by a gentleman in town, and placed at our disposal. As the gentleman who wrote it has great experience in these matters, and has entered very fully into what he thinks the best plan of arranging this matter, we give his letter in cxtenso. We trust that since such an earnest desire has been expressed in Melbourne in favor of the proposed trip, that some of our leading men will take the matter upj and endeavor to see how far it is possible to carry it out. Even if the team only played here and in Christchurch, it would be better than to leave it alone ; and surely cricketers in both provinces could raise enough to afford tne public this treat. “ South Melbourne Club, Melbourne, 12th AUgust, 1874. I notice the Dunedin papers have mooted the subject of a visit of a Victorian cricketing team to New Zealand. The paragraph has been copied into the Melbourne papers. Pending the receipt of a definite offer from your side, the subject will not receive much attention, but what cricketers I have seen are pleased with the idea ; and I have little doubt that a very good team can be got; but as I explained to you, and indeed as you are aware, the quality of the team entirely depends upon the time that the trip will occupy, and it will be necessary to arrange that it will not extend over five weeks. If you decide upon making the offer, I would suggest that the matches to be played should be arranged in such manner that a steamer via Bluff, leaving Melbourne about 17 days after the team, should pick them up at Nelson. This would enable you to play four matches of two days each, leaving nine days for travelling and recovering from the sea voyage. I cannot see how a match can be played at Auckland on account of the time that it would take to get there and back to catch a steamer, unless Wellington and Nelson be left out of the programme ; and in arranging your programme you will, of course, pay due regard to the time occupied in travelling, bearing in mind that five weeks is all that the team will have from date of leaving Melbourne, and it must be of course a matter for your discretion whether it would be better to play three matches —say, at Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland—or four matches —say, at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Nelson. In arranging for steamers, I think that M‘Meckan, Blackwood and Co., would accommodate the venture by sailing with the team upon a Saturday, and following the same route upon the next Wednesday fortnight. This would give a clear seventeen days in New Zealand, and the team would meet the steamer at Nelson. These are merely suggestions that have struck me in thinking how much can bo accomplished in the short space at command. The only thing that I have to impress upon you is that any programme that you may submit must be subject to the time named, otherwise the strength of the team will be materially weakened, if, indeed, one could bo arranged at all. There arc several intercolonial matches in prospective for the coming season, viz,, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Adelaide, it is therefore of importance that you should be early in the

field. I would suggest that February would be a good time to leave Melbourne, as many of our leading cricketers get their holidays about that time, and I am confident that anyone who can arrange for so long a trip would prefer the New Zealand tour to any other. Trusting that your efforts to bring about this visit will be successful, —I am, &c., W. J. Renting, Hon, Sec. S.M.C.