Cricket 1908

F eb . 27, 1908. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 25 O n the same day the M .C.C. Com­ mittee passed the rule recommended the previous week by the Advisory Committee of the Counties with regard to county qualification. (See page 11, col. 2). As soon as the new law came into existence the Middlesex County C.C. cabled to Tarrant, who had juBt before played an innings of 206 against New South Wales, stating that he would run great risk of disqualification for the County if he continued to play in first-class cricket in Australia. For this reason he did not take part in the return match between Victoria and the English team. T he law, whatever its good points, is liable to objection on the ground that it might prevent a cricketer playing for the County or State of his birth at a time when he had neither wish nor intention of ever identifying himself with any other side. Thus, if Tarrant severed his connection with England next Septem­ ber, after playing through the County county cricket here throughout the season and then return to Philadelphia, take part in the United States v. Canada match, and appear for Philadelphia against a team from England. And this procedure he could repeat every season without entailing any disqualifi­ cation, whereas Tarrant, the ciuse of the law being passed, is prevented from assisting his State in Sheffield Shield matches. The wording of the law, as it at present stands, leaves much to be desired, this being probably due to the haste with which it was passed. It was certainly unusual for the M .C.C. to pass a law affecting Colonial cricket to no small extent without first obtaining an expression of opinion from the Colonies. I t is stated that A. C. MacLaren will not play regularly for Lancashire next summer. A t present he is acting as secretary to the Jam of Nawanagar, and he finds that his time is thoroughly Cricket Question. There can be nb doubt that the Saturday start would be financially beneficial, from which one may infer that the scheme would be welcomed b y the spectators and the County Clubi. The Sporting Life recently devoted spaca to eliciting opinions of the County captains, and it is not surprising to find that they are divided. Mr. H. K . Foster wrote :— “ In reply to your question, I may say that I shou'd be very sorry to spend my Sundays in the cricket season in towns like Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and many others, as Sunday is about the only day’s rest one gets in the cricket season. One is glad to spend it at home. No doubt it may lead to pecuniary results, by securing j the Saturday’ s gates ; but I do not see myself indulging in it. First-class cricket is becom­ ing too much of a business altogether, and is fast losing a great deal of the pleasure it used to have, both for players and spectators.” Sir Arthur Hazlerigg remarked that “ The visiting team would have to idle M.O.C. v. NEW ZEALAND. LANCASTER PARK, CHRISTCHURCH. (Reproduced by kind permission from “ With the M. C.C. to New Zealand.) season, he would, according to the law, be debarred from playing the same year for Victoria, although b om there and having his home in the State. In such an instance the law would probably not be recognised by the Australian bodies. U n d e r the new law some very interest­ ing events may occur. A . E. Eelf, for instance, will be unable to appear for Auckland in Plunket Shield matches next December, though it should surely be a Matter for New Zealand cricketers, and for them alone, to say who should, or who should not, be considered available tor their inter-Provincial matches. Army cricketers stationed abroad— in India, Malta, H on g-K on g, etc.—may return to England to find themselves prevented Mom appearing for their County. As the law refers only to British Colonies, dependencies, and States, it does not in *ny way affect United States cricketers; therefore, A. M . Wood, a Derbyshire man by birth, would be able to play occupied by affairs other than cricket. A . H . Hornby has, therefore, been appointed captain of the side for the com ing season. S ince the Jam of Nawanagar returned to England many of his friends have expressed a desire to publicly recognise bis services to English cricket and offer congratulations upon his accession to the throne of Nawanagar. It has been proposed that he be entertained at a banquet at Cambridge, and amongst those who have expressed their w illing­ ness to serve on the Committee are the Duke of Beaufort, the Earl of Westmore­ land, Lord Hawke, Mr. H . D . G. Leveson-Gower, and Mr. A. E. Stoddart. T h e decision to commence the match at Manchester between Lancashire and Yorkshire on Saturday, August 1st, instead of on the follow ing Monday, has greatly increased the interest in what has come to be known as the Week-End away the time in one of the many hotels (often second-class) at some more or less uninteresting town.” On the other hand, Messrs. A. E. Lawton, J. P. Byrne, C. E . De Trafford, H . D. G. Leveson- Gower, and P. H . Bacon expressed them­ selves in favour of first-class matches being commenced on Saturdays. O w i n g chiefly to an increase of £400 in subscriptions and the receipt of £123 from the Test matches with the South Africans, the losi sustained by the War­ wickshire County C.C. last season was only £54 12j. 2d., as compared with £877 twelve months before. It was estimated that a saving of £230 was effected by the engagement of fewer players and upon the ground-staff ex­ penses. I t was known some lime ago that Lord Dalmeny, who was asked by his con­ stituents to choose between Midlothian and mid-field, would be unable to con-