Wellington to Put its Cricket House in Order

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 933, 28 March 1930, Page 7

Wellington to Put its Cricket House in Order

Coaching and Better Wickets From Our Residnet' Reporter WEL LING TON. Thursday. There is no doubt but that Wellington got a terrible fright as a result of the last Plunket Shield match, in which Auckland disposed of it very cheaply in the first innings and Wellington only managed to prevent Auckland

from taking the Shield by a process of “batting by exhaustion.” that match, at any rate, the management committee of the Wellington Crickei Association has spent a great deal ot time on the question of improvement. At this week’s meeting the dia issions became divided, dealing with two : distinctly different subjects, but each with the same objective—the improvement of the game in Wellington. Tilt- j first subject under discussion was the question of a coach, and after talking for some considerable time a sub-com-mittee, under the leadership of Mr. Broad, chairman of the management committee was set up to bring down a report at a later date, but no definite time limit was set. The committee then transferred its ; attention to another subjest—that of , better wickets. Argument was i centred round a statement by Lowry , when he was last in Wellington, that j they would have to secure better wickets if the game was to show any progress. The merits of Napier soil, as against ■ soil from Masterton and Longburn, methods of top-dressing, grass-seed, J and ail the different ideas in regard to 1 the preparation of wickets, was dis- ’ cussed at some lengths, and finally it ; was decided to leave the matter in ‘ abeyance until the analyst his decided whether soil of similar parts to that of Napier can be obtained elsewhere. Even the famous name of Buili wa.introduced, though no one was oi sufficient temerity ta suggest bringing such soil from Australia with which : to build a wicket at the Basin Reserve.