Fitzroy City Press (Vic. : 1881 - 1920), Saturday 21 September 1912, page 3


FITZROY CRICKsET CLUB HEPORT: TO:THE NEMBERSYour Committee; in, presenting the Forty-nistli Annual Report, desire to offer members their congratulations on the successful year mijoyed by the Club. - /INTERNATION AL CRICKET. The visit of Warner's All Lngland i1. is now a matter of history, and the contests were watched with eeni interest bly all losers of. the old game. Australia succumbenlcd before the brilliant bowling of Barnes and Foster, and the patient, precise batting of IHobbs and Rhodes. These four, in a particularly fine team,' put up a truly magnilicent perfortrince'for the old country, and, largely owing to their efforts,, the "ashes" were ,again carried to England. Australian cricket suffered from dissensions. Several of the leading players, during the progress of the Test watches, attempted to coerce the Board of Control. - The result 'was tremendous excitement, lengthy letters -to the-daily papers, and much unfair criticism by the press writers. and others. The Board's attitude was dditnlfed throughout, and, although given e ery opportunity to reconsider their position, it was regrettable that those players refused to accept the Board's invitation to occupy positions in the Australian XI. The players selected hare clearly shown by their play that first-class cric et will ultimately benefit by the fight, and the Board of Coitrol was undoubtedly flimly esta'Jlished as a necessity in Aust ralian cricket. BOARD O0 CONTROL. Your Conisittee, as will be inferrea irom the'resolutioti' printed elsewnere, are now, and have been since ,its inception,' strong sup= liorters of the Bioardof. Control:It is jr.w thhltfiesmbters shou-ld - ' ibe made fully aware oi the following important facts:Since the establishment of the, Board in 1906-7, this Club has receised, in common with all associated clubs, £260. For the preceding 12 years io dividerids were received from- the V.C.A., and calls were paid amounting to £10i by each club. During' this period tiwo amounts of £100 and 337 were received from the bt.C.U.. Owing to the Board, .the Association has distributed -£4,i30 amongst V.C.A. and Sub-District Clubs, has each season pro.ided' a coach, and, in addition to the senior representati.e-Stad team, has pitted Colts against Country and Sydlney teams. This encouragement should hare an important bearing on crirciet in tihe near future. By the arrangement. with the M3.C.C., since the Board was inaugurated, the V.C:A. has paid that club 10. per cent. of the gross receipts, amounting to £2,721 Ss. 3d., and of course, in addition, l borne all the expenses incidental to the matches. The M.C.C., for the privilege of. having the big matches played on its ground, pay to the V.C.A. £s20 a year, which can only be considered a good business deal on its part, when it is taken into consideration that the club now receives about £10,000 annually from members. The 'Board has attempted to deal fairly, with all players. There are now- no players on the third or half-share systerm; the control of Australian cricket, 'both here and elsewhlere, is directly in the hands ..f reireoentatives elected from amnu gst and by those who take an intetest. in the game, and who are looking, after' the welfare of players in all senior clubs. VIdTORIAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION. The V.C.A. inaugurated a very pleasant and successful function in honor of the Jubilee of Criceet in \Victoria. As many as possible of the International and Interstate players, wecre present, and the Executive and players of all Associated Clubs. The event was honored with the presence of Lord Denman, the Premier of the Commonwealth, various Members of Parliament, and the English oricketers. Owing to, the dispytes mentioned, the work of the Association necepsitated considerable attention on the part of your, delegates, Messrs. Knuckey, and. Ellis,, and the.usce of great tact. ntThantlayersdisputewas ithth. Board ofControl, but the Association's representatives were very severely criticised by the daily Press, so unjustly, in their opinion, that your Committee passed the following resolution, and forwarded same to the Association :"The Fitzroy Cricket Club congratulates the members of the Board of Control on their ellorts to properly govern cricket in the' Commonwealth, and further desires to place on record its, appreciation of the services rendered to this State by two of the representatives of that body, lMessrs. E. Bean and It. Rush. Also to, assure Air. Peter AilcAlister, selector,on behalf of the V.C.A., of this -Club's unbounded confidence in his ability, and integrity, and regrets that he should have been subjected 'to so mueBh unjust criticism from the daily press and.a small section of cricket supporters." 'The Association found suchl dirficulty in' placing the true facts before the public, that they decided to issue a pamphlet to all menibers of Associated Clubs,; giving the facts from ofticial documents in their possession. A sportsman would naturally think that the sooner this regrettable business was settled the better for everyone concerned. However, year after year the sname partLy work with great zeal to unsettle the V.C.A. and the Board of Control; and although shown conclusive proof of their error, they are striving by means of faggot'.voting to alter the personnel of the Board of Control. It is to' be hoped that their efforts will meet, with as little success 'as in the past. Interstate Cricket tickets will he availabld as usual for all financial members. CLUB SUCCESSES. Cricket.-F.F.C. Team won the Premiership. Bowling.-N.F.B.C. won V.B. A. President's- Trophy. Tennis.-ith Class Premiership won. The Football Club decided to 'run a Cricket team from amongst members who takean active interest in cricket, and so enthusiastic were the players' tat they achieved the distinction .1of Premiers in their first -season. Your Committee heartily songeatulate them on their success. 'ADJUNCT GROUND.:.. S-The improvement 'to the ''Adj unct' Ground,. pending.ithe ratiileation by -the Lands Department .- of the agreement with 3t$if Northcote. Counicil, has beenlimited to the fencing and filling up of the unused watercourse. The latter work has been completed, and considerably improves the ground by adding to . the }vailable width. The Club 'is indebted to the Fitzroy Council for its very welcome co-operatiab in this matter, fully 4,000 yards of filling being deposited. The Committee have already given the playing area some attention, and trust to have it in much better condition than previously. INTERSTATE MONORS. Those cmembers selected for- Interstate games in the various sports connected with the Club aciquitted- themselves creditably, and their doings were watched with sympathetic interest by all inmbers. Your Commsittee desire, 0n behalf of members, to warmly congratulate them. Cricket. 'lessrs. C. McKenzie, Dwyer, and Woodforde. C. Kiernan wasi also selected, but could not play. Bowling.- essrs. W. H. Banks; W. Barr, and.G. Beacham. Basebhll.-Messrs. Bidstrup, Cant, Kiernan, Lansdown, Owens. and Woodforde. Colts' Cricket.-Cr. R. Delves; also selected, E. Boulter. Junior Cricket. Mr. P. Parfat$. JUNIOR CRIICKET. With the idea of extending the scope of playing merobers, your Committee decided to enter a team in the 'first grade of the Victorian Junior Cricket Association. Owing to the lack of enthusiassn on the part of..those selected, and for whom this opportunity to ptay was provided, pour Committee was conpelled toh withdraw the team .rg te only a few games had been plaiyed;.