Cricket 1908

A CH AM P IO N SH IP SUGGE ST ION . In t h e N o v e m b e r n u m b e r o f " C r ick e t ” an in te r e s tin g a r tic le sig n e d “ H . P . T .” a p p e a re d , su g g e stin g t h a t th e p r e s e n t lis t o f first-cla 68 c o u n tie s sh o u ld b e d iv id e d in to g ro u p s , a n d a n “ u p -a n d -d ow n ” p o lic y s im ila r to t h a t e m p lo y e d b y th e F o o tb a ll L e a g u e sh o u ld b e in tro d u ce d . M r F. 8 . A sh le y -C o o p e r, th e E d ito r o f " C r ic k e t ,” h a s g a th e r e d to g e th e r t h e o p in io n s o f a n u m b e r o f w ell* I k n o w n cr ic k e te r s a n d w rite rs o n th e g a m e , a n d re p ro - j d u ce d th em in. th e c u r r e n t n u m b e r o f th a t p e r io d ic a l. T h e g e n e ra l o p in io n is a g a in s t th e s u g g e ste d id ea . L o rd H a rr is w r i t e s " T h e p r e se n t sy ste m h a s been c r itic is e d a d v e rse ly e v e r s in ce it w a s in stitu te d , a n d e ffo rts h a v e b e e n m a d e to a lte r it, b u t u n su cce s sfu lly , fro m w h ich I a m le d to in fe r th a t in th e o p in io n o f th e m a jo r it y o f re p re s e n ta tiv e cr ic k e te rs it is, a t th e w o rst, a s g o o d a sy ste m a s a n y a lte rn a tiv e o n e s th a t h a v e been suggested.** M r W . F in d la y , th e S u rre y se c re ta ry , w h ile co n te n d ­ in g t h a t “ n o t h o r o u g h ly s a tis fa c to r y m e th o d w ill b e in tr o d u c e d u n til a ll co u n tie s p la y th e sa m e n u m b e r o f m a tc h e s ." o p in e s th a t '* th e o r d e r , a s w o rk e d o u t u n d e r tn e p r e s e n t sch e m e , h a s g iv e n , o n th e w h o le , a c o r r e c t id e a o f th o re s p e ctiv e m e rits o f th e c o u n tie s '; w h ile D r. E. M. G ra ce is e m p h a tic w ith th e sta te m e n t th a t “ th e re n e v e r o u g h t to h a v e b e e n o n o (a ch a m ­ p io n s h ip ), a n d th a t th e so o n e r i t is d o n e a w a y w ith th e b e tte r ." V . F. S. C ra w fo rd . H. D . G . L eveson -G ow er, a n d F. C. T o o n e , a m o n g o th e rs, a lso c o n tr ib u te in* te r o s tin g opinion** to a u in te r e s tin g a rtic le .