Cricket 1903

454 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Nov. 26, 1903. an end, and the Australians were still ten runs behind. Bosanquet was very successful with the ball. , N ew S outh W alks . First inniogs. Second innings. E.A.Duff, c Lilley, b Arnold 14 cLilley, b Bosan­ quet .................44 Y. Trumper, st Lilley, b Rhodes...............................46 c Braund, b Hirst 11 M. A. Noble, c Lilley, b Arnold ........................ 3 b H irst................ 16 A. J. Hopkins, c Braund, b Rhones............................... 4 fctLilley.bBraund 23 S. Gregory, lbw, b Rhodes 25 c Arnold,bBosan- quet................ 8 J. J. Kelly, c Tyldesley, b Rhodes............................... 2 11w, b Bosanquet 12 W. P. Howell, c Arnold, b Rhodes.......... ... 9 c Relf, b Arnold 8 C.Gregory,stLilley,bRhodes 4 cWarner,bArnold 36 K. N. Hickson, c Warner, b Arnold............................... 0 cWarner,bBraund 30 Fisher, c Foster, b Arnold 0 lbw, b Bosanquet 0 A. McBe'h, not out .......... 0 notout................. 0 Extra ................. 1 Extras..........13 Total .........201 Total .................108 M.C.C. P. F. Warner, run out 46 Hayward, c and b Fisher .................13 Tyldesley, b Nohle ...80 R. E. Foster, c Howell, b McBeth................35 Braund, c Trumper, b McBeth .................36 B. J. T. Bosanquet, c Howell, b Noble ... 8 1 T ram . Lilley, b N oble.......... 3 Hirst, b H owell........ 66 Arnold, c Duff, b Hop­ kins ................. ... 14 Relf, ht wkt, b Mc­ Beth ........................ 12 Rhodes, not out.......... 0 Extras ................. 6 Total 319 N ew S outh W ales . First innings. Second inniugs. R. W. R. W. Hirst ... 21 ... ... 0 ................. 36 ... ... 2 Rhodes ... 56 .. . ... 6 ................. 17 ... ... 0 Arnold ... 30 ... ... 4 ................. 62 ... ... 2 Bosanquet 60 ... ... 4 Braund... 13 ... ... 2 M. C. C. T eam . B. W . R. W. McBeth ... 72 .......... 3 1Noble ... 81 ... ... 3 Howell ... 48 .......... 1 I Hopkins .. 43 ... ... 1 Fisher ... 35 .......... 1 j Trumper.. 34 ... ... 0 PROPOSED SCHEME FOR RE­ CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTIES. The Minor Counties Cricket Association has approved a scheme for the reclassifi­ cation of counties, and has submitted it to the M.C.C. The following is the text of the letter :— Ivy House, St. Albans, November 5th, 1903. Dear Mr. Lacey,—We are instructed by our committee to inform you of a resolution passed at their meeting on October 30th and to send you copies of a scheme—which has been approved by the counties forming this Association for a system of promotion by merit in the County Championship and for a reclassification of the counties. The text of the resolution runs as follows: “ That this scheme be adopted as presented, and that it be referred to the committee of the M.C.C., with a request that if they approve of it they forthwith lay it beforethe first-class counties. ” The principle of promotion by merit was recognised by the counties in a resolution parsed at the general meeting of the County Cricket Council in December, 1889, and an unsuccessful attempt was made the following year to introduce a scheme embodying this principle, which has been prepared by a representative committee appointed for that purpose. Nothing further was done until 1895, when, at the request of the nine counties which then formed the first class, the M.C.C. agreed to increase theii number by five, and at the same time passed a rule that no county should be eligible for the Championship unless it should have played at least eight out-and-home matches with other counties. In 1899 the number of first-class counties was raised to fifteen. Since 1895 it has been unusual for any county except Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Surrey to carry out the terms of a genuine competition by playing all the other com­ petitors ; and it is a fact that the lists of matches arranged by every other First-class County have hardly ever exceeded the minimum allowed by the M.C.C. In some years, owing to the visits of Australian teams, it has actually been found necessary to reduce the qualifying number to less than eight. These facts go to prove that these conditions under which the County Championship now takes place do not afford any real test of merit, while it is evident that any increase in the number of First-class Counties would only render the competition even less efficient. Our Association has, therefore, come to the conclusion that no possible amendment of the existing Rules of County Cricket will be of any avail, but that it is imperative to have the whole scheme of the County Champion­ ship taken in hand and placed upon a thoroughly sound basis. The scheme now submitted removes the disadvantages of the present system, and, by providing for a competition in divisions, wherein every county of the Jbirst Class meets every other county in the same division, furnishes a truer test of merit; while an open competition, with a system of promotion such as our schemeadvocates, cannot fail to greatly enhance the importance and attractiveness of every match throughout the series. The Minor Counties find existence under the present condition of affairs one of very great difficulty ; and their struggle has been continued for many years in the hope and belief that an organised system would certainly be instituted, under which recogni­ tion or reward would follow successful effort,' and public interest and support, which are so essential to themaintenance of county cricket, would be ensured. We trust that their position and the un­ satisfactory nature of the present First-class County Competition will combine to commend this scheme to your committee’s favourable consideration. We are, dear Mr. Lacey, Yours very truly, R. H. M a l l e t t , J. E a r l N o r m a n , Hon. Secs. F. E. Lacey, Esq., Secretary, M.C.C., Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, N.W. The proposed scheme itself is as follows :— 1. In 1905 and in future years there shall be three divisions of counties in the Compe­ tition for the County Championship. 2. The First Division shall consist of ten counties, and shall, in 1905, comprise the first ten in the First Division of the Compe­ tition at the end of the season of 1904. 3. The Second Division shall consist of eight counties, and shall, in 1905, comprise the last five in the First Division and the first three in the Second Division of the Competition at the end of the season of 1904. 4. The Third Division shall comprise all counties not in the First or Second Divisions and the second elevens of counties in either of those Divisions. 6. Counties in the First and Second Divisions shall rank as first-class in the com­ pilation of batting and bowling averages. 6. In the First and Second Divisions of the Competition every county shall play out and home matches with every other county in its Division. 7. In the Third Division of the Compe­ tition every county or second eleven shall play at least four out and home two-day matches with other qualified members of that Division. 8. In 1906 and in each subsequent year the last two counties in the First Division of the Competition at the end of the previous season shall be replaced by the first two in the Second Division at the end of the same season; and similarly the last two counties in the Second Division shall be replaced by the first two in the Third Division, provided they are qualified for promotion. 9. No county in the Third Division shall be qualified for promotion unless it shall have played at least six out-and-home two-day matches with other members of that Division who are qualified for the Champion­ ship. No second eleven of a county shall be eligible for promotion. 10. This scheme shall come into force at the end of the season of 1904. SPECIAL RULE FOR THE SEASON OF 1904. No county in the Second Division of 1904 shall be qualified for promotion into the Second Division of 1905 unless it shall have played at least six cut-and-home matches with other second-class counties or second elevens who are themselves duly qualified competitors in the Second Division Champion­ ship of 1904. THE SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ESSEX COUNTY C.C. This meeting was called for Tuesday, November 10th, in order that the ways of meeting the loss which was sustained by the county club last year might be thoroughly discussed. Mr. C. E. Green presided, and in the course of his speech said that the finances of the club were so discouraging that the committee had deemed it necessary to convene a special general meeting. The past season had been most unsatisfactory, and at the end of the year they would be called upon to face a deficiency of £1,500. He attributed this largely to the wet summer, which had prevented play on nine of the days set apart for county cricket. The chief cause, however, was the falling away in the number of members, a decrease of 800 having been recorded for the last four years. This he regarded as the most discouraging feature. It showed how little was the real interest displayed in the club by pet pie in the county, and rendered it necessary to consider whether it was worth while carrying the club on. County cricket entailed a very large expenditure in the way of a ground staff, while winter money accounted for a con­ siderable amount............. Speaking as an old cricketer, he considered that so-called first-class cricket was not in a too healthy state. There was too much of the money-making element, and county cricket w»s not the grand game of old. Essex were not alone in suffoiiLg from great financial strain owing to heavy