CRICKET, AND A CRICKET GROUND.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2040, 19 July 1875, Page 2

CRICKET, AND A CRICKET GROUND.

•The maxim that " A stitch in .time saves nine " is not the less true for being old, and'we*; strongly urge its application now ■to the;cricketers of fjhcThames j::vtoinean this, that we hear that Mr Spencer has most kindly offered.his ground,at Parawai for )t|io;kse''iof tile criqketficlub for the ensuing season, and also time he will reserve it for them alono and keep it in s order, if they first make it fit to play on. We would strongly urge them to do this for their own sake-rtbat is, if they ,wi*h to have any cricket at all this season; and we need hardly remind them that, if it is to be done at all, now is the time to do it. A few pounds judiciously spent in the ground') will./ save the expenditure of treble the amount when the ground is hard and dry,, and a comparatively small sum expended in putting in a few fresh pieces of turf where the ground- is worn by thefbowler's foot, and in scattering a little! fine lawn grass seed, with loose mould or bone dust, over the ground, and thensWiell; beating* andf rolling it, will enable the cricketers to practice on Saturday afternoons with some hope of being able to appear on the Sunday without a black,, ey<js, ; ; pr a! -,damaged^ nosevv\\^or do we think that this matter of a cricket ground should be confined to cricketers only, or that they would be deemed unreasonable in holding it to be a matter of interest to those who never hadJjjbat in" "their' hands 7 "or'fi'eaf'd the** name of Grace. It is obvious that all hours of the day cannot be devoted to business exclusively, and the old adage of "all work &c.," holds good in the case of men as well as boys. There must be many hours in the long summer evenings or the weekly half holiday, which hang heavily on the hands of those who, freed from office hours, have literally nothing to do, and so pass their time and spend their- money in what will not only do them no good, but do them positive harm. A cricket ground would, to a great extent, remedy this in the summer, by affording wholesome recreation to those who must for their healths' sake take some exercise, and wish to take it in a cheap and inexpensive form ; and now that Mr Spencer has thrown open his ground for the use of members of the Cricket Club, this can be done by all. Pew persons care to take the trouble of a walk on a hot dayto play or practise on a ground of such " a ridge and furrow " description that the chances of playing against a fast bowler without several bumps and bruises —even with pads and gloves on— are limited in the extreme, while all hope of playing with pleasure must be entirely given up. We consider, therefore, that it is the interest of aU employers of labor, of any kind, to further as far as they can what must necessarily be for the !advantage; of their subordinates by enabling them! tp have * easy means of procuring for themselves enjoyment and health*;combined;;' The principle of having a "sound mind in a sound body " is much to be aimed at, and it is greatly to: their advantage that those under their authority should appear on the Monday morning recruited for the fresh week's work by the healthy, pleasant exercise of a Saturday afternoon's amusement followed by the, rest of the Sunday. To those who are; themselves cricketers, the advantage of having a' fair practice ground, with a gopi match wicket, is too patent* a fact fobe ■' made much of here, but they may be reminded that the Thames—were these advantages procured —might be able to produce an eleven second to none in the province. They have in their captain the most puzzling bowler in the province, and another, when straight, takes a great deal of playing. Besides these there are many would no doubt, "train on" with practice, and coaching into useful members of an eleven; and, with i the prospect of an Australian Eleven appearing to do battle at Auckland against eighteen or twenty-two of the Province, we should think that esprit cle corps alone would lead the Thames public generally to wish to send as many members as possible to represent the Goldfields. But what hope can they have of producing many cricketers from those who have no ground on which to practice and improve ? Or what right to expect that those who may actually represent them shall do so with credit, or be able to play successfully the bowling which beat Jupp and Oscroft, if they take a bat in their hand on the day of the match for almost the first time in the j season ? On every ground, therefore, we hope that Mr Spencer's kind offer will be accepted, and that cricketers and the outside public will show as much liberality in availing themselves of his offer as he has done in making it.