WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET. HAS IT IMPROVED. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, -March 10 There has been much discussion in cricketing circles here during the last iorly-eight hours as to whether or not New Zealand cricket- is any better today than it was three or four decades ago. The captain of the Australian team, which is just, concluding its highly successful four of the Dominion, stinted in the course of an interview after the match against Wellington, with which the visitors opened their programme, that he noticed a very marked improvement in the local men’s play and that he had no doubt they would hold their own very creditably against any

average ( minty team at Home. Probably mi that occasion the Australians met the strongest team by which they have been opposed during their tour, eoinliination and esprit-de-corps in cricket often proving more effective than individual and detached talent : but it is doubtful if Air Macartney’s filial judgment of the quality of Now Zealand cricket will he quite so flattering as was his first impression. The New Zealanders’ poor displays with the hat in the second test match on ■'Saturday left them with no sort of claim to he rated, in this department of the game at any rate, with average English county form. They had got tee visitors out with only a moderately large score and began their own turn with the hat in high hopes of reaching : Loir opponents total. SPIRIT OF THE GAME. What actually happened need not lie related in any detail, 'file visiting howlers always held the upper, hand and though one or two enterprising batsmen stood up to them and temporarily stayed the "rot” the first innings for the most, part was a procession to and from the wickets. Failing to save a "follow-on” the New Zealanders went in again and provided another deplorable spectacle. It Was Stated that a drying wicket was again-I the batsmen and all in favour of the howlers; hut the visitors in tln-ir single innings had encountered very similar conditions and had scored only half a dozen short of three hundred. !: is admitted that the Australian combination is a very strong one,

strong enough to he pitted against the best of the English counties, hut before New Zealand cricket can justify itself on the playing fields of the Old Country it must he able to make a very much better showing against high grade Australian players than it had made during the present season. What it wants towards that end is not -o much more coaching and better grounds as iL is a fuller appreciation

of ihe spirit of the game and its TTigu traditions. RACING AND HOLIDAYS. Mr [nil Duncan, who in addition to being a steward of the Wellington Racing Club is also one of Wellington's leading business men. wrote to the ‘'Referee'' a little while ago urging that the clause of the Gaming Act and the rule of racing which prevent three-day race meetings extending over more than six days should he repealed in order that race meetings in the neighbourhood of large centres of population Humid he held whenever )v ,-ibb- "U h"lela ’■ ■■ ■ n Hint the -

might, interlore as little a- possible with business and the ordinary avocations of town people. Apparently Mr Duncan had in mind particularly the tin re-da v meetings of some of the larger clubs, which under the existing regulations, if they begin on a Saturday must terminate not later than the following Friday. If these clubs held four-dtiv meetings, which may extend

over eight days, they could race on two soiree,'ding Kourdovs or on any holidnv or half-holiday that came be-

tween. Previous to the passing of the Gaming Art of PRO the Legislature had phii ed no i es; riet ions upon the time over which a rare meeting might

■xl end. hut the Racing Conference i:id decreed that (hive-day meetings dimdil extend over no more than eight lay-, ami four-day meetings over no non- than nine days. IN THE PI Ri.iC INTER E'-T.

These limitation- apparently were made with the idea ol protecting hor-c-owiier- from the iuciuivei;ietn e and loss I hoc might, hate suffered

from tile imieiirnie extension oi meeta hand in the matter, instigated, il would seem, hv a tew wealthy horse-

owners. wile, on the score ul economy, wa.ntr-d their horses and trainers in ho away i'roin home for as short a period as po'-ihle. it rcditcod tie' continn:iiif'.. i t three-day meeiings to six days and thus compelled a. greater interference with business tlmn the clllbs desired. It is quite possible, as some people discussing -Mr Duncan’s proposa.l have suggest ed. that the dubs are more concerned lor the attendance at their mootings than for the business intero-is of the country; hut this scarcely can he said with truth of Mr Duncan and those with whom he is associated in the movement for reform. Their interests in the business of the capital city are much larger than their interests in the Wellington Racing Club, which, as it happens, is controlled almost entirely by business and professional men whose methods are relleeted in the highly sat islnetory condition of the iinaimes ol the Club and in the popularity it enjoys with the general public. If they have any bia-. in this matter it is of a kind Unit ought to appeal to practical people.