CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2524, 11 May 1882, Page 4

CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

On Wednesday evening the annual meeting was held in the City Hotel, the Hon. E. C. J. Stevers, president in the ohair. There was a good ttU«»nJ.inoe. The President read the balance-sheet, duly audited by Mr Stevens, showing receipts as folio «s : Balance from last year, £lls 15s 61 1 nrr--nrs from clubs, £ll lOj ; match foes, £3 121; oostributions from clubs, £168; making a total, inclusive of other items, of £375. The liabilities were £234 12s sd, comprising loan at 9 per cent £2OO, and outstanding aooounts, £34 12s sd. The last item included outlay on seed during winter. The position was, therefore, not at all materially weaker t'iau before. It was expected that a loss would have aoorued on account of capi fcation. This loss had not proved very great, bat was, of course, material, owing to members playing elsewhere. On the other iiaud, the cxponea of labor had been reduoed, ■the only item of any consequence, £6 lis 10d, inducing repairs, &c, and in fact covering contingencies generally. Therefore, if the asuooation were to be re-formed they would have a oertain sum in hand towards what had generally been deemed the permanent debt. The president conoluded by moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet.

The motion was seconded by Mr Wilding, and was carried unanimously. Tho following were eleoted offioers for the ensuing yoar :—President, the Hon. B. O. J. Stevens (""-elected); vice-president, Mr W. H.Wynn Wi'liami, M.H.B. (re-elected) ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr T. D. Condell (ro-eleoted). Several gentlemen expressed an opinion that the association were under an obligation to the secretary for his uniform attention to tho interests of the association. Pro;.oj'-li for alterations in the rules were submit! o 1, the president suggesting, in regard to rule 6, that the appointment of captains had bettor be left to teams, as was tho practice in 10 gland and Australia. Mr Watson agreed to this, thinking the appointment of captains by a matoh committee wbi aiotcalous. Buoh a captain might or might nou be acceptable to the team.

The President moved that the words, " and appoint captaius," be oraiited from rule 6, it than reading—" The general committee shall annually appoint a matoh committee, consisting of three members, who shall mako arrangements for all Association matches, cot being foreign matches, and select teams for all matches, except olub matches." Teams would thus elect their own captains, and young plijers would have a better opportunity of acquiring the very difficult art of officering teams. The motion was seconded by Mr Wateon. Mr Ollivier said this might work very well for foreign matohss, but at times, if two or three were proposed as captains, it would be necessary to resort to ballot, and, from the faofc of another being nominated, the man elected would feel that he was not selected «nanimoc*iy. In the evont, then, of anything untoward occurring, the captain so eleoted might be conscious of not having the cordial s-.pport of the whole of the team, and might be constrained in the proper perforinanoo of his duties. The benefit resulting from the eleotion of a captain by a match conmittee lay in the fast that this plan did away with solcotion, and, the captain not knowing if any mi-tnbers had an objocti'jn to his holding that cfli 50, his position was more congenial than it might otherwise be. In reference to the ordinary Association matches, it was generally found that the attendance at the beginning was very small. Oao suggested to another, "Oh! you be captain," and bo the matter was arranged between the few present. The match committee's election would be bettor than trusting to this haphazard syßtem. He would, however defer to the opinion of the meeting, Mr Wilding considered the matter to be one' of principle, and, if right in one case, right in another. Possibly a match committee might even eleot a captain aoceptable to noae, whereas the teams would effect their ohoico of a captain by a majority, and the votes being exercised by ballot, the scrutineers would not divulge the manner in which in£ividu&l votes had been recorded. The principle wu.» right throughout, and should be adopted in all mutches. Mr J. T. Hartland thought that certainly in foreign matches the eleotion of captains had best be loft to the teams.

Mr R. Main waring concurred, and urged that the adoption of the motion would enable teams to discern who made the moat ifficient captains, an advantage forfeited by the hard and fast rule now in vogue. The motion was earned without a dissentient voice.

Mr Wataon proposed—" That it be a rocommendation to the ground committee to invito tenders for the caretaker'a duties." He considered that it should be clearly "understood that, if any number of wi.kets wero speoifled, these should be kept in proper order, and proper core should also be paid to "olliDg the ground.

The motion, seconded by Mr Mainwaring, ''irried, Mr Ollivier expressing an opiuion

that the caretaker's duties need not be specified too minutely, and Mr Wilding that it would be well for the caretaker to devote the whole of his time to the association. Mr Mainwaring wished to obtain the Berne of tho meeting aa to the proper funotions of the Association. He considered that, as regarded play, the function of the Association was to arrange for matches and for special matches, and leading up to those matches. As roattsrs stood at present. Association matches and practices were arranged at the beginning of tho season, nnd the oonaequonco was that soms member J nftvoi- prac'ijed with their olubß at all, and might to ail intents and purposes belong to none. He thought it inadvisable to have an Association net right away through the season, the system destroying the esprit de corps of clubs in general. Those wore becoming so strong that they wore in a position to minage their own praclicos. The Association should confine itself to special praorices for large matches. The President moDtioned that Mr Mainwaring's line oE argument tended to the excision of rule 7, touohing Association praotico. while rule 10, touching the organisa tion of epeoial praotioes would stand in the main. . The seoretary oonourred, and, on Mr MainwariDg's proposal, seoonded by Mr Ataok, it was unanimously agreed to expunge rule 7, the words "iustoad of the association practice" boinpr removed from rule 10, as no longer needed. Eule 8 was mado to road—" The ground comnaittoe shall provide wickets for the practice of eaoh club every week day, and foi special praetioes when required." Mr Ataok suggested that, this being a good representative meeting, it might be well to entertain th« question of having cup matchei. Mr Million questioned if there was not already a tendency to go too far in the direction of trophy hunting. Oup ma'ches caused too much fee'ing, and were the causa of frequent fighting in Dnnedic. Mr Ataok replied, that cup matches stimulated cricketing in Melbourne and elsewhere, in spite of tho fighting element. Now that local clubs were pretty equal, the competition for a cud should be keen. Mr Wilding wonted. Such a stimulus was needed. The Ohriatcburch players were too sleepy in oricketing matters. Even if the institution of a oHp led to fighting, hands would soon be shaken again. Mr Atack moved, and Mr Wilding seconded —"That the general committee consider the adviiableness of instituting cup matohes next season." Mr Watson thought oup matches premature, unless odds wero given. There were soaroely enough members yet to form evenlybalanced clubs. Tho motion was carried, only three voting adversely.

A general committee meeting waß then held. Present—The President (in the chair), and Messrs J. Fairhurst, E. J. Ootterill, W. Strange, G. Watson, A. Ollivier, W. H. Atack, R. Mainwaring, B Harman, F. Fen wick, W. V. Millton, P. Loughnan, H. Loughnan, A. L jngden, F. Wilding, G. Dickenson, 0. Palairet, A. T. Chapman, and J. T. Hartland.

A finanoe and ground oommittee were eleoted, consisting of the Hon. B. O. J. Stevens, Mr Fuller, and ex officio the hon. sec This commi'tee" to manage funds and grounds, and arrange terms and dates for foreign niatohes. Meisrs Wilding, Hartland and Watson were chosen the matoh committee.

On Mr Atack's proposal a sub-committee, comprising the president, Messrs Wilding and Atack, and the hon. pea, were ohosen to make inquiries and regulations, and to report in regard to cup matohes.