CRICKET NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 79, 18 September 1878, Page 2

CRICKET NOTES.

What sort of a cricket season are we to have this year 1 Ask anyone in Temuka and you get disheartening answers to your questions. Ask anyone in Geraldine and, if a cricketer of- Temuka, you would wish the Geraldine spirit animated the athletics among your neighbours. The Temuka Club meet to-night to consider the opening of the season,. and I hope there will be a large meeting, and that each will leave the room determined to make a name for the Club this year if energy can do it. The ground does not need a great deal to be clone to it to make it fit to play on, but something ought to be done. A ground committee should be appointed, who will be able and willing to spend some little time in making and preserving a good wicket. Eor the few seasons, at any rate, the Temuka ■ Club has suffered from the indolence, of something of the kind, of its members. Practice has been too much neglected, and yet if a match were arranged players would roll, up—to be beaten as they deserved. It may be that there are but few cricketers living within a mile of the ground, but these should consider it a duty to turn out. Members going to the trouble to "get a horse to Come, or walking from a long distance to practice, will naturally feel disgusted at finding no one or but two or three on the ground, and will resolve never to come out again. This should not be allowed to happen, then we should not hear of residents of Temuka becoming members of clubs in distant places as we now do. The Winchester Cricket Club also meet to-night, and I hope they will “goin” for good business this season. It is not to be expected that they will raise a large club, but if they really mean play, they will certainly do better than a larger place where only a languid interest is taken in the game for its own sake, and a spurt put on just to shine in a match. Geraldine is not yet moving. No doubt when the races are past a start will be made. I ’don’t know who will be secretary, but hope that some one with plenty of push and spare time may be appointed. The district has lost one or two good plaj’ers, but other good cricketers have settled near, so that Geraldine should muster a strong club without counting the several youngsters who should make a start this season. Of course it is assumed that all old members who are about will come to the front to maintain the prestige that they gained for Geraldine in former years. The ground proper will not be fit to play oil for a good while. The small piece prepared ' last 3 T ear may be good enough, or very good, but a belt has been ploughed up around it, and this has not yet been sown down. It wants draining, too. It is so wet that one might be bogged in the newly-ploughed land. The water does not get away very fast, so it will likely be some time before this piece can be sown.