Cricket 1900

M a r c h 29, 1900. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 39 about the l.b.w. question ? There ia less deliberate “ legging” than formerly, but the vice has not wholly disappeared. Quite unintentionally many a batsman stops with his pad a breaking ball which would certainly have otherwise hit the wicket. Ought he not to be ruled out ? I think so. As the law at present stands — “ wicket ” in the laws always means the three stumps and not all the space ( 6 ft. 8 in.) between the return creases— according to the present law no batsman can be lawfully given out to a ball bowlf d round the wicket. And almost all left- hand bowlers do bowl from this side. Why they do, I have never been able to discover; perhaps somebody can explain this. After a fair amount of experience in umpiring, I have come to the conclusion that in 99 cases out of 100 the umpire, if his sight be good and he be strictly im­ partial, can decide whether a breaking ball would hit or miss the wicket. So’ that there would be but a slight addition to his present responsibility. As I have always said to myself wheu umpiring, and when compelled to shake my head to the bowler’s appeal— “ But isn’t it a crying shame that such a ball, pitched on the leg side and breaking about four inches on to the leg or leg and middle stump, should have been stopped by the batsman’s legs, and he continue his innings.” But I must close my innings. I should like to have referred to sundry ideas of my own as to preventing so many drawn games. One of these notions I was pleased to see that C. B. Fry advocated in the daily press. Let it pass now. If it is desirable to declare the winner of every cricket match, this suggestion is well worthy of careful consideration. I do not care to decidewhetherDarling’s Australian team was superior or inferior to the 1882 band. In all but catching they were a great lot, the fresh men being successful beyond all precedent. If the past summer was adverse to bowlers, it was delightful for spectators. As one gets older, the sunshine can scarcely be too brilliant. I never again expect to spend so dplightful a day on a cricket ground as I passed at Manchester when Hayward pla> ed as faultless an innings as I ever watched. The selection com­ mittee for the Test matches was a happy idea, although their judgment was not universally endorsed. It did seem odd to leave Rhodes out at Leeds, aid odder still to pick Denton for the Oval match on the strength of his consistently brilliant scoring on hard wickets, and yet not play him on a similar wicket and with the barometer at set fair ! But it is easy to criticise. TH E M IN O R COUNT IES C H AM P IO N SH IP . The following recommendations are the result of the deliberations of the sub­ committee appointed by the Minor Counties at their meeting at Lord’s last December to obtain a recognised method of promotion by merit from the second to the first division. They have b.eu sent to the M.C.C. and the first-class counties for their consideration. So far as the Classification portion, of the proposals ia concerned the Minor Countios are simply asking to be officially recognised by rule. In doing thia, and having in view their deaire for recognition as the Second, Division or Class, in the County Champion­ ship and their further desire fnr an official system of promotion, they have included the Second Elevens of First Class Counties in their Classification proposals, believing that such inclusion would be welcomed by tl,e First Class Counties playing a series of Second Eleven matches ; believing also that matches between Second Class Counties and Second Elevens of First Class Counties in arecognised competition would afford a test for promotion which the First Class Counties would appre­ ciate, aa under the promotion rule it will be seen that only a Second Class County being at the top of the Second Division and having consequently obtained better results than any and all competing Second Elevens cm become entitled to be tried in the following season for First Class, or under the alternate rule proposed, be recommended. The subjects of Classification of Counties and promotion by merit were last before the Counties in 1889 when at a representative meeting of all Counties aresolution was passed to the effect that the Counties should be claasified and a method of promotion intro­ duced. It is now felt by the Minor Countiea that the 8 ettlement of the 8 e mattera, which are to them of vt ry great importance, should not be any longer delayed, and they ask, in the interest of the game, that their efforts for its promotion and improvement in their Counties should be assisted by the adoption of this scheme, which they now put forward for your kind and careful consideration. CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTIES. Rules and Proposed Alterations. No. I.—Cricketing Counties shall be con­ sidered as belonging to First Class or not. There is no necessity for further sub-division. Proposed alteration. —The rule to be altered and read .—“ Cricketing Counties shall be considered as belonging to First Class or Second Class.” No. II.—First Class Counties are those w'hose matches, with one another, with M.C.C. and Ground, with the Universities, with the Australians, and such other elevens as shall he adjudged “ First Class Matches” by the M.C.C. Committee, are used in com­ pilation of first-c ass batting and bowling averages. Proposed addition: — *1 Second Class Counties are those not included in First Class, and the Second Elevens of First Class Counties.” No. III.—There shall be no limit to the number of First Class Counties. The M.C.C. Committee may bring new Counties into the list, may remove existing ones from it, or may do both. Proposed alteration. - The first sentence to read : - “ There shall be no limit to tbe numbc-r of First or Se:ond Class Counties.” THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP. The proposal is to add the following rule to those governing the competition for the County Championship. C ounty C h a m pio n sh ip — S econd D ivisio n . Second Class Counties and Second Elevens of First Class Counties shall be entitled to compete in this division. No County or Second Eleven shall be eligible for the Championship unless it shall have played at least four out and home matches with other Second Class Counties, themselves being fully qualified competitors. New Pule. P romotion ekom S econd C lass to F irst C lass . The County—not being a Second Eleven of a First Class County—at the top of the Second Division Table at the end of a season shall be entitled in the following season to play three days’ home and home matches with the two bottom Counties in the same season in the Firct Division Table. Such matches shall be regarded as trial matches, and the M.C.C. Committee shall at the end of the season in which such matches are played declare that the Second Class County may be promoted to First Claes or otherwise. Alternative Pule. The County at the top of the Second Division Table may at the end of a season, and on the application of the Second Division competing clubs to the M.C.C. Committee, be recommended by the M.C.C. Committee to the First Class Counties for inclusion in the First Division in the following season. (See Rule 3, Classification of Counties.) CR ICK ET IN IN D IA . MR. W. McGOWAN’S XI. v. MR. BADESI RAM’ S XI. Played at the end of January on the Patiala Ground. Mr. Badesi Ram’s XI. won by 251 runs. Brockwell, the Surrey ciicketer, as will he seeu from the score, made over a hundred in each innings. M e . W . M c G o w a n ’ s X I . First innings. Second inninars. K. M. Mistri. c Brockwell, b The M aharaja................... 21 b Brockwell 49 W . McGowan.c Nanak Ram, b The Maharaja ........... 23 b Brockwell 0 A.W arburton.c KajaBaboo, b The Maharaja ........... 7 run out ........... 0 H. H. Kour Saheb, bB rock­ well ................................... 1 cMahabirchand,b The Maharaia 2 —. Williams, c Badesi Ram. b Tarachand ................... 52 b Brockwell 10 Goormuck Singh, c The Maharaja, b Brockwell ... 0 b Nanak Ram .. 0 G. McGowan, run out 17 b BrockweJl 9 P. McGowan, b Brockwell 14 c Modi, b The Maharaja 10 J. Maddon, b Brockwell ... 9 run out ........... Narain Singh, c Mahabir- chand, b Tarachand 0 c The Maharajd, b Brockwell ... 0 F. Marshall, c Gokalchand, b The Maharaja ........... 1 not out................... 0 D. Marshall, not o u t ........... 0 b Brockwell 0 E xtras........................... 21 Extras .. ... 7 Total ................. 166 T ota l........... 99 Me. B a d b si R am ’ s X I. Firat innings, Second innings. W .Brockwell, lbw, b Mistri 150 runout ...........103 —. Gokulchand, lbw, b M istri................................... 5 run out ........... 1 Badesi Ram, run o u t ........... 7 cMistrLbMaddon 33 H. H. the Maharaja, b W . McGowan ........................... o b W . McGowan .. 15 — . Tarachand, b W . M c­ Gowan... ... ... ........... 6 c and b Mistri ... 11 Hadi Hussain, c Williams, b W . M cGow an................. 6 b Madd o n ............. 3 Raja Baboo, c ‘Williams, b M istri................................... 2 not out.......................30 —. Kugbirchand, run out... 17 Nanak Ram, c sub, b Mistri 35 not out.......................61 —. Gokalchand, not out ;i Brij Lai, b W . MeGswan ,, 0 — . Mababirchand, b Miatri 1 Extras...........................21 Extras .............. 6 Total ................. 253 Total (6 wkts) 263