Country Must Play For Town

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 22, 27 January 1937, Page 5

Country Must Play For Town

Wellington’s Amazing Demand MAKING CRICKET A FARCE. It w r as announced at the meeting of the Manawatu Cricket Association last evening that the Wellington Plunket Shield team would represent “Town" in the match against the district Country side, which is to be played in Palmerston North next month. In view of the fact that New Zealand selectors are to witness the game and of the fact that the personnel of the team to tour England is to be announced shortly/ it is essential,, in the best interests of all concerned, that this match should be a true trial of strength between the strongest teams that can be fielded by town and country. It was announced by Mr M. A. Ongley, who is the selector of the country team, at the meeting of the Alanawatu Cricket Association last evening, that Wellington intended to field the Plunket Shield team in the game at Palmerston North. It was agreed that by doing that, Wellington will turn the trial into a farce because four of Country’s best bats have been selected for the Plunket Shield team. Air Ongley said he had been in communication with Wellington about tho matter

but had been advised that it would not be possible for tbe Wellington Association to send players to Palmerston North to replace the country men included in the Plunket Shield team.

The matter was discussed at some length and it was finally resolved:

“That this association concurs in everything expressed in Mr Ongley’s letter to the Wellington association, and thafwe think that it is in the best interests of cricket that the Town v. Country match he played and that no country players he included in the Town team." Tho text of Mr Ongley's letter to Mr fir. 11. Phillips, chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association, was as under; — “I understand that your association contemplates including in the Wellington team to play the Country team at Palmerston North, such country players as may be included in the Wellington team to play Auckland. ‘‘May I suggest that if this is so, your association should at once re-con-sider the position. Such a course would, in my opinion, and in the opinion of others wth whom I have discussed the proposal, render the match practically valueless and rob it of all interest. “In my opinion, this match should serve a two-fold purpose: Firstly, it should give the selectors an opportunity of seeing the individual Country players in action before the selection of the team for England, and, second, it should form some guide as to the merits of the claim of country associations to be admitted as a fifth Plunket Shield team. “I have arranged with Mr N. C. Sneddon, the Auckland representative of tho New Zealand selection committee, to be present at tho match and I understand that arrangements may also be made for the Canterbury representative to bo in attendance. “In view of the fact that several Wellington players are not available for the Auckland match, the Wellington team for that match may include four or five of the leading Country players. If then, iu the match at Palmerston North, Country players are opposed by Country players, the visiting selectors will have no means of gauging the merits of the various performances because they will not be familiar with the form of tho players against which such performances are achioved. If, however, the Country pluyers are opposed to Wellington players, whose form is known to the visiting selectors, then the selectors can form a true estimate of the value of such performances. For instance, if Christensen and Uallichan were included iu the Wellington team and performed well against the Country side, their efforts would be discounted in some quarters by the very fact that such performances were against the Country players only. The same would apply if O'Brien, Donnelly or Betts were included in the Wellington teffm as batsmen and made runs against the Country side. On the other hand, if the Country players made runs against Gallichan and Christensen bowling for the Wellington team, the visiting selectors would be in the same difficulty and! tho match would afford them no guide us to the real merits of the players. “I do not think that we are asking too much when we ask that your association should send Wellington players to Palmerston North to replace any Country players that may be included in the team for Auckland. A rnateh, Toivn v. Country, in which four or five of the leading Country players were included in the Town team would be something in the nature of a farce. Wo ask that this match, which is the last and in many cases the only opportunity that Country players will have of coming under the eye of the selectors before the selection of the New Zealand team, should be played purely on the basis of Town versus Country. ‘‘ I trust that your association will give this request its immediate and favourable consderation."

After reading a copy of the letter, the chairman (Air Ongley) said he had suggested to the New Zealand selector, Air N. C. Sueddon, that ho should take an opportunity of seeing the Country players in action at Palmerston North and he had since been advised that Mr Sneddon and Mr Duncan (Wellington), two of the selectors, would be in Palmerston North for the match, an* that there was a chance that Mr Whitta (Canterbury) would also be present. Air Ongley added that, in answer to his letter, Mr Phillips had telephoned him that day to the effect that the Town team would definitely have to be the Wellington Plunket Shield team.

Air J. R. Hardie said that if four ot Country's best men were playing for Wellington, it would not be possible td go. a true line, as the Country team would be handicapped from tlie start. The same would apply to men who