CRICKET: Who'll pitch in for chairman's job?

Hamish Bidwell Michael Barbour's three-year reign as chairman of the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association (HBCA) will officially come to an end this weekend.
Barbour, who succeeded Harry Findlay in 2002, confirmed last week that he would not be seeking re-election at this Sunday's HBCA forum at Nelson Park, saying the events of the past season had taken a heavy toll on him.
The Merson Contractors Roofing and Spouting Taradale and Hawke's Bay representative seamer declined to go into the specifics of his reasons, but with extensive playing, business and family commitments it seems he was no longer able to do the job justice.
Often this summer, fundamental duties such as the submitting of draws and points tables were unable to be fulfilled and Barbour and the association rightly came under fire from the public and Hawke's Bay Today.
Other allegations did the rounds, too, including one regarding the failure to cover a pitch in a premier-grade match, which ultimately determined the result of the overall club championship.
Barbour's approach to such incidents was a steadfast "no comment", which just added to the perception that the HBCA was being run in a Mickey-Mouse fashion. Pouring cold water on a story doesn't put it out, it just adds fuel for the next one.
To his credit, Barbour was big enough to realise criticisms were not personal, but just part of the territory he had to cover as the guardian of the game in this district. All of which leads to an intriguing meeting this Sunday, which has been described in some quarters as the "great Texan takeover".
Between the returning Harry and Craig Findlay, Dave Caldwell, Toro Brown and Donna Trow there may be as many as five Thirsty Napier Technical Old Boys' Cricket Club representatives on the new management committee.
Although with HBCA life member Russell Robinson attending the meeting in an attempt to push for a new Board of Governance structure, rather than club representatives, any new committee may simply be an interim one.
As for the Findlays, Craig says there is no bitterness on their behalf and they are merely attempting to get back into a management position for "the good of Hawke's Bay cricket".
"I just believe that I've got something to offer and that I'm quite keen to continue where we left off a few years ago," Craig Findlay said.
"I am the Napier Boys' High School rep and I'm looking at things from more of a school level and Harry just wants to have another go and we're both looking at it from the point of view of the good of Hawke's Bay cricket.
"It's got nothing to do with Tech and trying to run things from a Tech perspective, because we've shown that we can win the competition no matter who's running Hawke's Bay cricket.
"I'll be there solely for the good of the game, and I'm sure that's how Harry views it as well."
Craig Findlay insists he is in the dark, though, when it comes to his father's ambitions regarding the chairman's role. Others spoken to by Hawke's Bay Today insist the elder Findlay has the time, expertise and desire to take the reins again.
The red herring will be the likely introduction of the Board of Governance, in which the new executive director would have the authority to run every aspect of the HBCA without having to resort to a management committee vote. While a number of logistical problems are involved in altering the governance structure, it appears the new regime could be in place before next season.