IN THE DAYS OF LONG AGO
CRICKET AT CHRISTMAS. SOME OLD-TIME RECOLLECTIONS There was a time in the history of Wairarapa cricket when what were called "Christmas matches” were the correct thing during the Christmas and New Year holidays. They are not. now so much in evidence, due perhaps in a large measure to the fact that the motor car and a convenient and cheap railway service resulted in so many of our cricketers spending the festive season elsewhere than at home. There are, too, many other attractions in the holidays which were not availablbe in the pre-war days to the young people. Town and country cricket matches were played in Masterton and other parts of the district in the "good old days,” while often Wairarapa teams journeyed to Wellington to play, or vice versa.
When Greytown Was on the Map. One can remember 40 odd years ago when the Phoenix and Rival clubs of Wellington would come up to Greytown to play the local eleven during the holidays—in the days when Harris, R. C. Niven (the noted New Zealand representative wicketkeeper), Anders Wiren, Ellison, Stevens, Waters, Montgomery, Morice and Webb played in the Phoenix team, and the late Sid Nicholls (father of Mark Nicholls, the All Black footballer) and one of the founders of the famous Poneke Football Club, the late Alick Webster. Fred Hawke, W. A. Tate, H. and A. Udy, Harry Hawke, and the Judds were among the stalwarts of the Greytown cricketing world. In those days the senior elevens in Wellington were Midland, Wellington, Phoenix and Rivals, and Greytown defeated more than one of the Wellington teams. On one occasion in a match played at Greytown at the Cnristmas period 46 years ago Greytown (155) defeated Phoenix 45 and 96. They were very keen on cricket those days, for as time was not up the skippers tossed again with the result that Greytown won and batted on till the drawing of stumps, having 101 up for the loss of 4 wickets Then in another match Phoenix defeated Greytown by 42 runs. On this occasion Phoenik arrived by train in the morning and were immediately driven to the ground where lunch was provided for them before play commenced, and afternoon tea later, supplied by the ladies of Greytown. Always were there plenty of ladies to assist in entertaining visiting cricketers to Greytown or Masterton in those' early days. And even the bagpipes and the band were often in evidence.
We take our cricket too seriously, apparently, these days. Away back in those early days—4o years or more ago—the writer, was one of the scorers for the Midland Club in Wellington and well remembers the first match the redoubtable Erney Upham played in, how the late Arnold Williams, fresh up from Dunedin, startled Wellington with his batting, and how Bill McGirr, father of the player who made a century the other day in Wellington for the "old timers,” could still bang the bowling about, although he was a “star” batsman in the 70’s. One remembers Gteytown going down to Wellington round about Christmas and playing a series of matches against Rivals, Phoenix and Wellington. One of the matches, if my memory serves me right, that against Rivals (for whom the burly,' genial Cross, the noted Wellington representative played), was won by Greytown after a thrilling finish on the Basin Reserve by one run. A Real Holiday Period.
Christmastime was a real holiday period in Masterton 40 years or more ago. The Masterton Racing Club had its meeting on Boxing Day, while on New Year’s Eve there were often held torchlight processions. On one occasion the Fire Brigade, Druids’ Lodge, cricketers in flannels, and Maoris took part in it, led by the band, a number of tableaux being enacted, and the Darktown Fire Brigade supplying :he comedy. Hundreds of torches were used and fireworks let off in Queen Street (which was formerly known as Bridge Street). Football on Christmas Day.
It is also interesting to note the fact that what was the first recorded football match in the Wairarapa was played on Christmas Day in the Masterton Park, with the old.stockade (erected as a place where the residents of Masterton could gather and defend themselves against the Maoris who were very restless in the 50’s and 60’s) standing as a grim sentinel. It was about 1869. and a .cricket match had been completed on the Park and there being plenty of daylight left somebody suggested a diversion in the nature ol a game of football. A ball was soon found and a hectic game was the result. One wonders whether there is ever a possibility of such a thing occurring again' on Christmas Day in Mastertdn,, although on one occasion the weather was cold enough with snow falling —something unusual for a Christmas Day in Masterton.
Although the references in these notes to other things may seemingly have no connection with cricket, yet it all goes to show that at one time Christmas and New Year was an outstanding gala period in Masterton. when cricket matches, horse racing, tennis contests, Caledonian sports processions, and the dressing of the shops and lampposts with greenery all went to make the time one of jollity for young and old alike.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Today, those who are old now, but were young away back in those times, who enjoyed life to the full with not a thought for the morrow, miss the old scenes and friendship at the Christmas period. And yet a time will corm when the young of today, who probably look upon the "old timers" at "cranks" for wishing to see once more the jolly scenes of their youthful days, will in their turn probably have the same feelings and the same experiences when the march of time throws them into the ranks ot the "has beens.”
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 December 1938, Page 7
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979IN THE DAYS OF LONG AGO Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 December 1938, Page 7
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