CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1752, 1 October 1879, Page 3

CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

A general committee meetiug of the- Canterbury Cricket Association was held last night at Cookson's Commercial Hotel. Mr A. O. Wilson was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, The Seoretary brought before the meeting a letter from the Otago Cricket Association. Members would remember that at a conference of the Otago and Canterbury Orioket Associations certain regulations had been agreed to on the subject of the interprovincial matches. The letter from Otago referred to the qualifications of representatives to play in these matohes. The question had been referred to the two associations, and the decision arrived at by the Otago Association, and embodied in _ their letter, wbb that none but bona fide residents could take part in the interprovincial matches, their claim to be considered eligible being left to the match committees of each association. The Secretary (Mr T. D. Condell) moved—- " That the Canterbury Association approve of the resolution paused by the Otago Association, and that tbe same be embodied in the memorandum of agreement.'* The motion was seconded by Mr Watson, and agreed to. A letter was read from the hon. secretary of the Midland Cricket Club. Btating it wbb their intention, through their delegates, to ask the association to wipe out the outstanding liability of £lB owing by the M. 0.0. for capitation, through the late financial difficulty into which the club was thrown through no fault of their own. The Secretary said that before proceeding further it would be necessary to consider the financial position of the association as regarded receipts and expenditure, and from a detailed statement which he read it appeared that during the ensuing season it would be necessary to expend a sum of £3OO.

A discussion ensued as to the best means of placing the association on a sound financial basis, and it was generally considered tbat the best means to that end would be the getting up of foreign matches on the association grounds. Amongst other methods, it was suggested by Mr Cayeill that a special day for athletic sports, more or leas intimately connected with crickot, should bo got up, under the auspices of the association. It would give an impetus to athletic sports, which seemed to bo on the wane, as well as benefit the funds of the asaoeia'ion. Mr Morice detailed the circumstances under which the difficulty the M. 0.0. labored under had arisen, and pointed out that in the event of a Victorian team coming to Canterbury a large amount of money would probably be taken at the gates, and he thought the association could afford to comply with the petition of the M.C.O. as to the cancellation of their debt, aB they would have the whole Beasou before them, during which their funds would doubtless be increased. _ The Secretary thought that the association should be jußt bo fore they were generous, and though disposed to show a liberal disposition towards tho M.0.C., he thought th» latter should make renewed efforts to meet their liability to the association. _

Mr Millton pointed out that the association had been a heavy loser as well as the M. 0.0., through the same cane©. Mr Morice moved, and Mr T. D. Oondell seconded—" That the matter of the liability of the Midland Club, of £lB to the association, be deferred until the end of the B«ason."

The resolution was agreed to. The consideration of the best means of improving the financial position of the association was gone into, and various schemes proposed. Mr Ashby moved—" That a letter be written to the various Victorian clubs that had played with the New Zealand team when they were in Victoria, to know if there was any chance of a team ooming over to play a series of return matches in New Zealand."

The motion was seconded by Mr Watson, and agreed to. The question of the association's opening day was then considered, and Mr Millton moved, and Mr Palairet seoonded, that the opening match take place on Saturday, Ootober 4th, the days of practising to be fixed by the committee.

The resolution was agreed to. Mr Gaygill spoke at some length as to the necessity of doing something to improve the lower cricket ground, and he thought the association might justly exert themselves in bringing it into better playing order. The Seoretary said that the association had done all that laid in their power [to improve the condition of the ground in question. After some further discussion on minor matters, the meeting adjourned.