HAWKE CUP CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 69, 8 April 1937, Page 10

HAWKE CUP CRICKET

Auckland Suggestion Not Favoured D0MINI0N TQURNEY Deoision was reserved by the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association at. its meeting last night Tegarding a proposal from South Auc'kland regarding an alteration to the xules of play for Hawke Cup matohes. The suggestion was that the cup play be run'eqeh year as a Dominion tournament among ihe 19 minor associations, but Hawke 'a Bay decided to defer a deeision pending the arrival of further infoi-mation. A circular from the South Auckland association Buggested that the Hawke Cup tour should, in the preliminary stages, be decided by means of a. tournament for the purpose of finding the best team to represent each province. The advantages of sueh a tournament were the creation of the maximum amount of interestj a coneentration of travellingj and more good matehes for each team at a time when leave can better be granted. It was pointed out that the present system, whereby if the holders stave ofl; four challenges, the New Zealand Cr-icket Council would not insist on further games, tended to kill interest among the remaining five challengera who did not have an opportunity to play. The Auckland Cricket Association, at the last meeting of the council, had brought forward the question of a country week in each province, to enable selectors to observe the best talent in action, but the original intention was that this tournament should in no way interfere with the Hawke Cup tour. It was now suggested'thaf; it be the elimination serxes for this contest, with the match hetween the winner in each island as the semi-final, with matehes played under the direction of the couneil as to time and- place. The chairman, Mr. R. M. Chadwiek, said that the proposal generally had a good deal to commend it. The drawbacks, however, were the faetors of time and expense. No definite scheme had been laid- down, but it appeared that the week would be held in the fpur centres, with a northern and southern tournament in each island. After this tournament, a play-off hetween centre winners would be necessary in each island. Each team would have to count upon a week's play, and then the fonr teams left would have at least one match each, sa that one. team in each island would have yet another

match. He suggested that the association ask further details, as he was certain that the matehes would not pay travelling expenses. The association ' had tried for years to discover a satisfactory solution to .the Hawke Cup problem, but it was not certain that the present scheme would -provide that' solution. ' The ^ position with ' representative cricket is that associations will not travel unless there is a Hawke Cup taeked on to it," he concluded. "The only outside match we have had for years is our home-and-home mateh with Poverty Bay. We can honestly say that Hawke's Bay is the, most enterorisine

of as"Ociations. " Mr. B. J. Mahony objected to the scheme on the grounds that it brought minor associations no neaxer to a plunket Shield match. He elassed as /'a lot of hooey" the suggestion in the : circular that the week would provide an opportunity for ontside playera to get a place in Plunket Shiold teams. "Until our lqcal players show some enthusiasm o.ver the matter, and show that they are worthy of inclusion, it is no use moving the air about Plunket Shield games," objected Mr. Brown. "Hawke's Bay players do not take their cricket serionsly, but look upon it rather as a pienic." It_ was . decided to ask for further particulars before arriving at a deeision."