Cricket 1908

Nov. 26, 1908. CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 4 5 3 ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP. A NEW DIVISIONAL IDEA. In another place* I was recently allowed to exhibit some evidence of the overwhelming, and yet inadequate, amount of cricket that the Championship, as now decided, cal's for. I also ventured to indicate a remedy which, in spite of the fate of some half dozen pre­ vious essays in the same direction, I am tempted to amplify. Whereas a League football player can get through all his League and Cup matches with a maximum of 66 hours’ “ p'ay,” a cricketer engaged in the Championship may 1e employed any number of hours up to -540 in a season of half the duration. Aud that is only one consideration. The way in which the Championship is adjudged is cumbersome and faulty. So at least are agreed, if not the p’ayers, the spectatorate and that much larger body of enthusiasts who, as things are, prefer to take their cricket in ha’porths of headlines and caricatures. Comparisons are naturally drawn wi h the Football League’s simple and understandable sysfem. That system the cricket powers could adopt without any loss of dignity, for Mr. McGregor confessed that he annexed it bodily from the County Cricket tables of tw’enty years back. The new organization merely substituted 2 , 1 , and 0 points for uicket’s 1 , 0 , and— 1 , which, with clubs playing a full complement of games, amounts lo exactly the same thing. Such a full complemeut, or, at any rate, something approaching equality in the pro­ grammes of fellow competitors, is just what is wanted in cricket. Then the placing of clubs could again be bv “ points ” alone, without any disfiguring ‘‘ percentage?.” But only by reducing the programmes all round can such an equality be attained. And to do this it is necessary to divide the present list of first-class counties into groups : terri­ torially, as the Minor Counties have done, or by grades, as in the Football League. The latter course is the simpler and has but one serious objection — the wounded amour pr.tpre of the clubs that would be formed into a second division. But, even so, why should that stand in the way? Per­ sonally I don’t think the objection would arise. Some of the finest of “ sporting” counties are at present in the lower half of the cricket table, and I think that they will be quick to see the advantage of the sug­ gested reform. It w’ould come with a good grace if their approval took the form of proposing it. If clubs in both divisions are recognized as first-class, it is obvious that the tenth position (for instance) is no more nor less than the tenth, however many sec­ tions the list be split into ; and a turn with the second fiddle it will be a very good and lucky club that escapes taking at some time 01 * other. At the sister sport only 3 or 4 of the 20 First Leaguers have never been in the Second Division. As the competition is run, more than half of the matches are so much wasted effort, of little attraction and less purpose. The four leading counties of to-day are fairly well- matched, and won and lost 8 games among themselves iu 1908. Against the remaining dozen aspirants (?) for the Championship they won in all 44 games and lost 2! Hamp­ shire beat Kent (by 1 wicket) and Gloucester­ shire took down Surrey’s number: that is The Sportsman, 29th September. the nett justification for twelve of the sixteen counties being included in the contest for first honours. What further proof is needed of the futility of most of them undertaking that discouraging ordeal ? And, if none, why should they repeat it and continue to keep the undoubtedly stronger teams strung to concert pitch, to prevent a chance defeat, through an all too full and arduous cam- pa:gn ? THE REMEDY. Take, say, the nine leading counties of the pres<nt year and confine the actual Cham­ pionship Competition to them in 1909. Of the remaining seven entrants and Stafford­ shire, the Champion Minor of the year, form a second group of first-class counties. Then in every future year let the bottom county of the firft division change places with the top one of the second; and the bottom one of the second with the Minor Champion of that year. The likelihood of a really first-class club ever falling out of the second division by this means is very remote. If it ever occurred, the division could (and no doubt would) be extended to retain the endangered club. In fact I see no reason why the competition should not in time be conducted in three or eveu more divisions of six or seven counties each. But if a c’ub has ceased to be first- class in actuality,.what benefit can result from keeping up the pretence ? Would it not gain more in sympathy, support and strength, by accepting the truth and setting about the recovery of its title by honourable and legiti­ mate means? Hampshire and Derby have done as much before now. An XI. that, after whipping-in theseventeen teams iu the Compe­ tition, was unable to emerge again by its own efforts from the ranks of the iJinors, could hardly complain of unfair treatment in not being permitted to contest the Championship! If such a system had been adopted a year ago, the following shows what ihe position would now have been by the results of matches played in 1908: — F irst D ivisio n . Won. Lo*t. Drawn. Points *Yorkshire........... 9 0 7 9 *Kent ................... 5 2 4 3 *Surrey................... 6 3 6 3 *Middlesex........... 3 3 5 0 *Lancashire........... 5 7 3 —2 *Worcestershire ... 2 4 4 —2 *Nottinghamshire. 2 5 3 —3 Essex................... 1 5 6 —4 Warwickshire ... 0 4 4 —4 S econd D ivision . *Sussex ........... 4 2 4 2 *Hampshire.......... 6 4 2 2 Gloucestershire... 3 1 4 2 Leicestershire ... 3 1 4 2 Derbyshire.......... 3 4 1 —1 Somerset .......... 1 4 1 —3 Northamptonshire 1 5 2 —4 * Tho nine leading comities <*f 1908 under the authorised system. It will be noticed that most of the counties did not meet all the others in their own division, but the few extra matches could not have affected positions greatly. One of the “ Minor ” Couuties (probably Staffordshire or Glamorgan) would also have been included in Division II. to stimulate folks in one or two other quarters with the possibility of supersession. Sussex (with matches against Northants and the probationary club, only, to be added) would no doubt have “ gone aloft” again at the expense of Warwick. Between Essex and Hants, on the 1908 results, there was little to choose. In parallel fixtures Hants won 6 , lost 6 , and drew 4 games; whilst Essex won 4, lost 4, and drew 8 . Each of them won 1, lost 3. and drew 2 of their remaining matches: Hants v. Wor­ cester, Warwick and Somerset, and Essex v. Yorks., Lancs, and Notts.—a stronger trio. But somehow, as an improving club, Hants seems to just now fit the top division better.* ADVANTAGES. If the competition bad been carried out on the suggested lines, no less than 10 0 irre­ levant matches played in 1908 would have been ruled out of it; at the same time the basis for comparison would have been more equal and therefore fairer. And the above table shows that every county with even a r.mote prospect of annexing the Championship would have been entitled to have a shot at it; whilst the same general result as under existing conditions would have been arrived at under less exacting circumstances. Under the proposed reform 72 matches in the First Division and 56 in the Second wrould be the full complement: 128 matches in all between 17 counties, as against the 186 between 16 under the present muddlesome arrangement, in which only Surrey plays through a complete fixture list. The few new fixtures required would be very attractive matches between approximately equal teams: most of those to be dropped have been far otherwise. At the same time, the hundred or so panics ruled out of the competition need not necess­ arily be discontinued. Most of them could remain as first-class matches having no bear­ ing on the Championship. A very analogous position occurs in football, in which First and Second Division clubs mingle on a footing in Cup tis exemptions—practically a standard of class. These games would gain in their sporting character by enabling the stronger counties to rest a hard-worked man or two and allowiug them to test some of their young blood instead of marching out at full strength with the merciless intention of maintaining a meaningless percentage of terrifying incomprehensibility. As things are, after the first few matches of the season, only two or three clubs have anything to “ go for” and none at all has any fate to avoid. There is no inducement for Achilles to turn out and assist them, no interest to summon supporters to their gate. Compare the team that usually stood for Somerset in their discouraging and purpose­ less series of last season with the representa­ tive XI. they beat up for Braund’s benefit. With the reduced fixture list of the Divi­ sional arrangement, and the multiplied in­ centive of two Championships to struggle for and two relegations to avoid, interest would be sustained in every county’s doings right up to the finish. The “ talented amateur” would be tempted to strain a point and come to his beloved county’s rescue, or assist it to reach a coveted goal; and the man in the street would be converted into the man in * The following compares the performances in 1908 of the six clubs whose claim to inclusion in tbe First Division might be urged or questioned:— R egarded as in D ivision I. w . L. D. PTS. w. L. D. PTS. Sussex 2 2 14 0 4 2 4 2 Hants 1 5 4 — 4 6 4 2 2 Essex 1 5 0 — 4 4 2 4 2 Gloucester 5 10 1 — 5 3 1 4 2 Leicester 1 7 5 — 6 3 1 4 2 Warwick 0 4 4 — 4 5 5 3 0 D ivision II.