The San Francisco call., 1910-03-13
CRICKET PLAYERS
MISS OLD Timers
Familiar Figures Absent at the
Annual Meeting of the
association
By WILLIAM UNMACK

meeting of the California cricket asso-
citation, held last. week, was the alb
sence Of several men who have for
years past been actively connected
with the association as delegates or
vice presidents and whose presence at
these meetings has been uninterrupted
for so long
H Ward. better known to the crick-
citing public as Pop" missed his first
annual meeting in years, as did Char
lie Irish Then the familiar face
to give the meeting the benefit of his
experience. Another noticeable alb
sentee was II. W. Brown of Alameda.
The cricket association as now COM
posed is practically a new generation
to the days when these men were the
stars" of their particular clubs, yet
AT the same time they are missed when
such an important session as the an
nual meeting comes round, and the
meeting does not seem natural without
these well known figures in their ac
customed places.
A regrettabIe feature of the coming
season is the withdrawal of the San
Mateo County cricket club from the
championship games of the association.
The San Mateo men have carefully
weighed the situation and are very
much disappointed at having to with
draw, as they are Of the opinion that
their team this season Will not be up
TO championship form. The season
viii. however. be an active one for the
club. as they will have competitive
games with every club in the associa-
tiOn. and by this means they hope to
coach their younger members so that
next season they will be in a position
TO enter again the championship COM
petition.
Last year San Mateo was a large
factor in the destinies of the English
game here, and at the start of the sea-
son Il looked as il they were to be
champions OF the league They were
defeated last year for the first time by
the present champions, the Barbarians,
by enc solitary run. After that game
they somehow started on the down
grade and could no later regain their
lost ground.
This year the team has lost prac-
tically its backbone. Moran, who was
one Of the best all around players in
the league, has gone to Canada. while
Fletcher Elliott. who did wonders for
the club, is now located in Los An
Seles. G. A. Parsons, another eXcep-
tionally brilliant cricketer, is now de-
voting most of his time to polo and Will
not be available this year.
Another man whose loss is keenly
felt by the club is Adams, who on sew
eral occasions kept sticks" for the
team. With four such brilliant men as
these out il is no wonder that the
county team feels a little skeptical
about entering the competition, but
stiIl in the end their decision is bound
TO have its benefits. not only for the
club itself, but for cricket in general
throughout the state.
III
time ago, the old cricket ground at Ala
media has definitely been abandoned by
the cross bay clubs on account of build
ing operations making il unfit for fur
ther games TO be played on it. The old
teams of the associat ton are in a uuand-
airy as TO where to get ground and are
at present negotiating with the pro-
prietors of one of the baseball grounds
q { Alameda. If this ground can be Sc
cured it will be exceptionally good
ground for the game, but the expense
Of keeping such a ground Will probably
be more than the two clubs can man
age. II this is the case the matter will
be laid before the association at its
next meeting.
The matter of grounds is an impor-
tant one to the association, and in any
case the grounds should always be un-
der the direct control of the associa-
ton instead Of the different clubs, as
previously. This is particularly the
case where the grounds are inclosed
and an entrance fee can be collected
All such money should by every right
20 10 the association In this manner
TIE treasury of the association will be
properly built up, and apart from that
there will be no petty warfare between
The different clubs as to the ownership
IF the grounds, and other trifiing mat
ters- II would be for the benefit of the
game of cricket in general if the as
sociation could manage to secure the
control of at least one good ground and
run it on proper lines.
There seems to be something wrong
with the bylaws of the Cricket asso-
citation when there is nothing to show
Just what course is open to a vice pres
ioent when il comes to voting at the
meetings. There is no law to say
whether he shall have a vote in the
business OF the association, nor is there
any law stating he can not vote. There
is a provision about the president to
the effect that he can not vote unless
he is a delegate. He at all times. how
ever, has the casting vote. Going by
this, then il hardly seems fair that a
vice president should be given vote
where his superior is not permitted to
vote Again, by giving the vice pres
idents a vote, il gives each club three
votes. which is in direct opposition to
the constitution of the associat ton,
which calls for Two delegates from
each club
In previous years interesting games
have yearly been played with the Burns
Valley club Of Lake county, but since
the fire these games have not been re-
sumed. This year, however, it is prob
able that q game will be arranged to
be played at Lake county during the
week Of July 4. Secretary Wilding has
been in communication with the club
and they are anxious TO arrange a
game. Another very important series
OF games viii probably be played in
September. when Oregon viii send a
representative team to try conclusions
with an ali star California team.
Cricket is gradually spreading to
different parts of the coast and the
latest location to take up the game is
Stanford university. A team was or
gsniZed last year. too late to come into
the association. and arrangements are
now under way TO get the men started
for the coming season. II is probable
that the cardinal cricket team will
arrange games with most of the asso-
citation clubs. IT is rumored that Cali
fornia university is to form a team,