“Prospects Never Brighter”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 483, 12 October 1928, Page 7

“Prospects Never Brighter”

CITY AND SUBURBAN CRICKET

New Season’s Anticipations

KEENNESS and enthusiasm are already in evidence in City and Suburban cricket circles. The engagement of an English professional as coach should give the game a great fillip this year, and all the clubs are looking forward to a bumper season.

The annual meeting of the Auckland City and Suburban Cricket Association was attended by approximately 70 delegates, which was easily a record, and augurs well for the incoming season. It was unanimously decided at this meeting to alter the name of the association from “Auckland Suburban” to “Auckland City and Suburban,” as this association embraces about 60 city teams exclusive of the suburbs. The president, Mr. J. Elliott,

pointed out that the new name suggested a much wider phere of activities, and other delegates spoke strongly in favour of the alteration. Arran gem e n t s have been finalised during the past three months to secure the services of Mr. Cox, the

Sussex professional coachrwho is probably the best available man In England at the present time. The association has incurred considerable financial liability in its endeavour to get a thoroughly competent coach, and the public support of its “coach fund” will be greatly appreciated by the enthusiastic and enterprising Suburban Executive Committee. Mr. Cox is now on his way here, and will probably arrive at the end of this month. PROSPECTS BRIGHT The prospects in city and suburban circles were never brighter than at present, and probably in view of good coaching, quite a number of prominent cricketers from elsewhere are intending to throw in their lot with this progressive sporting body, and the officials are looking forward to a real cricket gala this summer. All last year’s senior teams are again available, with several applications for senior colts, which will have the serious consideration of the Management Committee at its next meeting. Last year’s champion team, Harbour Board, is reputed to be as strong as formerly, and is also entering a senior

colts’ team, which is a very commendable step, considering the number o£ promising juniors this club possesses. Ellerslie will also field a strong side, in addition to three junior teams, while Ponsonby is confident of making its j opponents step briskly to avoid defeat \ by its well-balanced senior eleven. , Glen Eden is again entering senior j ranks, and will probably be similar in j strength to last year, and the team j from Green Lane, which has at least four New Zealand hockey reps, among its number, will be a similar proposition. to what it was formerly. JUNIOR TEAMS KEEN The Junior Management Committee is finding it difficult to accommodate all the junior applicants, but with the co-operation of the Senior Management Committee, these difficulties will, it is hoped, be overcome. As usual, the cricketers of Auckland are in a quandary concerning playing areas, and it was regretted that the Remuera hockey ground, upon which the suburbanites hitherto had nine wickets, should have been allotted to another body recently formed, notwithstanding a fairly large sfim of money

which the Suburban Association paid for its use last season. FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER Practice will probably start on the j Outer Domain next Saturday, and the j Management Committee confidently ex- . pects to start its championship | matches the first Saturday in November. Just what effect the half hour of Summer Time will have on the question of playipg matches of one day or two days’ duration is at' present a matter for conjecture, but for the first round last season, with the advantage of the one-hour Summer Time Bill in operation, matches of one day’s duration . ere instituted, and were certainlv a greht success from a spectacular standpoint. However, the etxension of only half an hour this year, will probably have the effect of deciding the management delegates in favour of two-day matches right throughout the season. HOCKEY TEAM’S VISIT PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN TOUR Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. At a meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association, a letter from the Australian Hockey Association was received stating that it had decided to send a team to Fiji in 1029, and that if the New Zealand Association would extend an official invitation the team would New Zealand, either before or after the Fiji visit. A sub-committee was appointed to draw Up a tentative itinerary, and to submit an estimate of the cost to the affiliated associations concerned.