Cricket 1911

74 CRICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril 22, 19 1 1. One pronounced advantage from a two-days’ match would be this—the gates would almost certainly be larger. You would get more people in two days than you do at present in three days. Matches are too prolonged. We take our pleasures to-day short and sharp ; the popularity of football proves this. When we go to see cricket, we want to watch a match from start to finish. But how many in these days of commercial competition can devote three days to one match ? As it is, the third day nearly always produces a poor gate, never mind though the match may be left in a most interesting condition at the close of the second day. Some of us can recall the Surrey v. Notts match at the Oval in 1892, when more than 60,000 sixpences were taken on the first two days, but only 3,600 on the third day. Now suppose that had been a two-days’ match, I am of opinion that, given due standing room at that match, the loss of the third gate would have been made up on the previous days. Depend upon it, a number of persons who love first-class cricket do not patronise matches because they cannot find the requisite leisure for seeing them through. Then, again, one gets tired of watching the same teams for three consecutive days ; but change the programme every two days and nobody would complain of monotony or ennui. My plan has another advantage. It would enable all the first-class counties to issue a complete programme every season ; at the present time very few counties play all the others. Some, indeed, only just qualify for the competition. Hence the unsatisfactory nature of the fight for the championship. Every qualifying county ought to play the same number of matches—thirty. Then we shall have a genuine struggle; but not otherwise. And it could be so easily arranged on a two-days’ match scale. The counties now in an almost hopeless condition would be able to hold up their heads. For a larger programme would be sure to increase the membership, and that is the only steady and reliable source of income in cricket : gates are always unreliable owing to the vagaries of our climate. Give people better value for their sub­ scription and it will be forthcoming : and then there will be no call upon guarantors and no need for a special whip to make good an ugly deficit. County cricket should also be independent of bazaars and kindred nuisances. Facts prove that the counties who play the most matches have the largest membership. Let Surrey, Kent, Lanca­ shire and Yorkshire bear witness. That is the reason why. I oppose any proposal to curtail the list of matches ; 1 do so in the interests of the Counties. No, enlarge the programme, and that could be done by every county should matches be limited to two days. Of course, I am fully aware that the success of a county on the field of play helps to swell the membership, for it is a fact—to me some­ what deplorable— that the majority of spectators go to see their side win and not to watch really good cricket no matter by whom played. Well, then, suppose county matches have two days assigned them ; would the arrangement make them more attractive ? Yes, I think so, as already stated. In that case there would be no need for a reduction in the pay of the professionals. Five pounds a match, with an additional pound for a win, should obtain in a two-days’ match : such a fee is small enough when travelling and hotel ex­ penses have to come out of it. Again, seeing that the third day of each week would be a blank day, cricketers would be able to get to the second match on that vacant day and would not need, save when it was a home match, to travel just before the start of the match. In that case a match might begin at eleven on the first day and at half-past ten on the second. And see that time is kept and that during each day there are no unnecessary delays. Half an hour should suffice for lunch and the tea interval should not exceed fifteen minutes. In June and July stumps might be drawn at seven should the light permit. County cricket wants screwing up in this way, and then the public will not withhold its support. In other words, let us have fewer days and longer hours in first-class cricket, for in this way we may most success­ fully put to silence those who are lamenting the decadence of our national game. My proposal presents another advantage. In some weeks we might have three county matches, if deemed desirable. For instance, suppose Yorkshire on tour in the South : they could play Middlesex, Surrey and Essex in the same week and stop at the same hotel for all these matches. But that would be a matter of detail only, and I attach no importance to it. There’s another point of interest. As we said, there are sixteen first-class counties, and each plays the remain­ ing fifteen. That is to say, there are thirty matches in all and each match requires two days ; or sixty days for the entire county cricket programme. But the season lasts nearly five months ; in other words, about 90 days. Consequently there would be at least 30 days altogether free from county matches. Then I would urge that in every cricket month a whole week be left open for other matches. We have at present two matches between Gentlemen and Players. No need to ask any county to release certain cricketers, and so, as now, run the risk of losing a county match. Then, too, we might revive such matches as North v. South and play them out of London. Why not also arrange for the Gentlemen of the North to play the Gentlemen of the South, and the Northern pro­ fessionals to meet the Southern ? Or, if you like, let picked teams, say of Yorkshire and Lancashire, play a couple of matches with a combined eleven of Surrey and Middlesex, or Kent and Sussex ? There are many similar matches that might easily be arranged to fill up the days not devoted to County matches. In every case such matches should bear an official stamp and the sides should be chosen by a duly-constituted selection committee. Well, now, suppose all the counties should play the full complement of matches, how decide their respective places in the list at the close of the season ? Here is the simplest way :—deduct losses from wins. That is all. I am not sure that this would not be the fairest plan all round. Or, here’s another, and it is an old favourite of mine. And for this reason. The six methods tried since 1873 of placing the counties fail to mark the difference between a win by an innings and 400 runs and a win by one run. A win is a win, a loss is a loss in each case : yet everybody can see at a glance that some victories ought to count more than others, as in the two cases just mentioned. Then why not adopt the following plan for one season by way of ex­ periment ? Find the runs scored by each county for every wicket they lose, and then subtract from them the runs for every wicket they have taken : the difference shows that county’s superiority or inferiority to all its opponents. I have just worked out the figures for the past season and will give them next week. Meanwhile I submit the fore­ going suggestions to the careful consideration of my readers, in the hope that they will provoke searching criticism. I am jealous for the honour of cricket and its increasing success. The greatest of all games ought to enjoy the largest measure of popular favour. AN INTERPORT CRICKET FESTIVAL. We see no reason why an interport festival should not be fixed up to take place in Singapore to which Ceylon, Hongkong (by itself or in conjunction with Shanghai)-, Rangoon and possibly Bangkok might send teams, and we are sure that such a fixture, if it could be arranged, would be exceedingly popular. Cricket in the East serves a useful purpose - even more than football, hockey, etc., which are so soon over— in promoting friendly relations, and though times are getting harder and leave more difficult to obtain, we hope that it will always be possible to organise these inter-' Settlement and inter-port matches .—Malay Mail. TO SECRETAR IES OF CLUBS AND SCHOOLS. S core - sheets and O rder or G oing - in C ards .— A dozen of each will be sent on receipt of Twopence in stamps, to cover postage. Larger quantities at proportionate rates. Address : Manager, 168, U i per T h am es Street, E .C . If you desire the scores of your matches to appear regularly in " C ricket ,” will you kindly communicate with the Editor, 168, Upper Thames Street, E.G., for conditions under which this can be guaranteed ?