Pvkapukan Cricket

It Mightn't Do At Lords—

Test

By W. H. Percival

IN late May, the Cook Islands Administration paid the people of Pukapuka 11 bags of flour and one bag of rice for laying the concrete floors of three school build ings.

The flour was shared out between the three settlements of Ngake, Yato and Roto, but it was decided that the bag of rice should be awarded as a prize to Pukapuka’s best cricket team.

There was a heavy downpour of rain on the opening day of the matches which served to replenish the water tanks and did nothing to discourage the players and spectators.

The three teams first paraded on the playing field, singing as they marched. They were dressed in whites and the Yato team was dis tinguished by their black neckties and black shoes.

After short prayers and speeches, play was opened by the match be tween Ngake and Yato, both teams putting 30 players each into the field. Yato won this game.

Ngake then played Roto, and this time there were 40 players a side, Ngake won the game.

The final match, between Yato and Roto, was played with 35 men per side, and Roto were the winners.

This was most unsatisfactory, as each team had now won a game and the problem of the disposal of the rice still remained unsolved.

Lengthy discussions, which sour times became heated, were hu over this brain-teaser, until finas an old Councillor stood up and su; gested that the rice be divided ir three equal shares, one share to i to each village.

This solution was adopted as the three settlements thus remain on friendly terms.